Rochester Memorial School students smash plates for Principal Ryan

Georgia Sparling
May 12, 2012
BY GEORGIA SPARLING
Breaking tiles requires you to hold your mouth just right! BY GEORGIA SPARLING
In addition to breaking tiles for the project, students were asked to bring in an object for the mosaic that reminded them of Principal Ryan. BY GEORGIA SPARLING
Art teacher Joanne Smith came up with the idea for the mosaic as a tribute to Principal Ryan who is himself an artist. Here, she shows the students an example of how the tiles will look in the mosaic. BY GEORGIA SPARLING
If I had a hammer...the students each took a turn at breaking plates into pieces small enough to use on the mosaic. They also worked out a little post-MCAS aggression. BY GEORGIA SPARLING
Students painted and glazed some tiles to get the right color for the mosaic, which will be shaped like a tree. BY GEORGIA SPARLING
Artist Jim Bowen from Cape Cod visited the school twice to give students a better understanding of the mosaic. With art teacher Joanne Smith, Bowen will complete the piece after the school's art night at the end of May. BY GEORGIA SPARLING

On a Tuesday afternoon at Rochester Memorial School, a group of sixth graders have gathered to break things.

But the cacophony of hammering and smashing coming from the art room isn’t vandalism, it’s part of a tribute to retiring principal Jay Ryan.

Some principals inspire fear and dread in their students, but Ryan is inspiring a mural.

Art teacher Joanne Smith wanted to create a piece of art that everyone could contribute to honor the outgoing principal, himself an artist.

“I wanted to include the whole school community,” said Smith. “We have this new school and we were looking to have an aesthetic piece that would give our school some character.”

Smith was inspired by a mosaic class she took and a tree mosaic from California-based artist Kim Larson.

The Rochester Memorial version will be called “The Tree of Learning,” and will feature leaf-shaped mosaics made of objects donated by each member of the school’s community.

“Everyone will contribute by bringing an item from home that is significant to them and honors Mr. Ryan,” said Smith. “We’ve got some really cool pieces already. Some of them are really thought out.”

As for the students, Amber Vaughan brought a charm that reads “Dream High.”

“It’s something I used to wear a lot, but it broke,” she said. “I’m leaving here like Mr. Ryan so it means I won’t come back here anymore.”

Her classmate, Felicia Arauga, brought a piece that reminded her of Ryan’s art.

“Mr. Ryan used to paint autumn things so I brought an acorn figurine,” she said.

The students, who had come to help with the mosaic after a day of testing, worked out a little MCAS aggression as they broke tiles and plates for the mosaic.

The kids said they were glad to spend their free time doing something for Ryan.

“He’s really nice and dedicated,” said Erin Burke.

Martha MacGregor said, “Mr. Ryan was always fair. He did what he should’ve.”

The school will gather for an art night on May 31 to begin assembling the mosaic, which is being sponsored by the PTA. Smith and artist Jim Bowen will complete the project this summer.

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