By Mansi Singh

All around the classroom, there is silence. Everyone is bent over their desks, drawing or painting strange abstract people. Mrs. Catherine Gahl’s  Spanish Culture class is working on making an abstract painting, which also uses cubism.

“My favorite part about Spanish Culture is how we learn about the background of countries all over the world, yet they all share the same trait, the Spanish culture,” Rebecca Wertz, seventh Grade, said.
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Gahl’s Spanish culture class is studying famous artists and their types of paintings. Although most students used colored pencils, except for a for a few, all of the students enjoyed “painting” their portraits.

Some styles of paintings were realism, surrealism, mystical realism, baroque, cubism, abstract, and rococo.

“I like it because it helps me know what art is in different countries,” Daniel Tanner, seventh Grade, said. One student, Wertz, particularly enjoyed the art unit.

“I like it because it shows me the world in the perspective of an artist, whose paintings preserve what they see through their life, yet they use their own colors, designs, and shapes to describe it.” Wertz, Seventh Grade, said.

“I think they like to step outside and do something different,” Gahl said.

“They have been working on PowerPoints as partners, and now they get to work as individuals,” Gahl said.

Gahl said that studying art helps the students understand the Spanish culture further because it helps the students appreciate diversity in art.
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All of the students in Spanish Culture, as well as Gahl, enjoyed the art unit, but there’s plenty more to come.

Story by Tressa Beach

¿Ha oído hablar de la nueva maestra en el pasillo sexto grado?

(Have you heard about the new teacher down in the sixth grade hallway?)

Senora Gahl is the new Spanish culture teacher at Clay.
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She has been teaching Spanish for around 10 years. Senora has taught in many places. “I have been in Hawaii, Illinois, and at Noblesville High School,” Gahl said.
           
When I first walked in, I was excited,” Senora exclaimed, “and when I walked out I was super excited.”

A highlight of Clay for Gahl is “Everyday!” She just loves teaching kids.
           
“I have noticed that the kids at Clay are very respectful and extremely motivated,” she said.

Senora is trying to teach them to appreciate diversity through fun ways such as games technology, and interaction. Maddie Stacy, seventh grade, who took Spanish language last year, is currently in Spanish Culture. “It is very different,” she said. “We learned a lot of words and vocabulary. Now, we are learning all about how the Spanish people lived.”
           
Haley Miller, seventh grade, said, “My favorite part so far has to be the Picasso cubism.”  “I would definitely recommend this class,” Miller said. “We have learned that not every
place is the same,” Stacy added.
           
They both said they love when Senora talks in Spanish to the class. “It's fascinating how fluent she is and how much she knows,” Stacy exclaimed.