Robert Bateman Secondary art students create holiday cards for Abbotsford seniors
A group of Grade 9 students at Abbotsford’s Robert Bateman Secondary are aiming to spread some holiday cheer to local seniors in care.
For the past three weeks, Visual Arts teacher Claire Apostolopoulos and her Art 9 class have been learning about lino cutting and block printing. Students will now be using those skills to create holiday cards to Abbotsford seniors at the Oxford Senior Care home on Sherwood Crescent.
Apostolopoulos stated that she believes the holidays are about so much more than opening presents and she hopes this project instills that spirit in her students.
“December is typically a month where we think about acts of kindness and giving to others,” she said. “Giving does not need to be a material thing; it can be more than presents and gifts. It’s about reaching out to others, offering support and creating connections in our community, and helping to put a smile on someone else’s face through your actions.”
She said creating and then delivering these cards gives her students the chance to share holiday wishes and spread some cheer to those who may really need it.
Apostolopoulos explained that her Art 9 class is an introductory course and students involved in creating cards learned about everything from the tools used to designing an image and fine tuning the final project. Each student made three cards – two were given to friends and family and one was given to a community member.