Project Based Learning Electives provided by the Berrien Springs Virtual Academy
Birchbank Farm                                                     Spring 2021
Students and teachers must be able to readily switch to online lessons at any point in the semester in order to register for classes. All students must complete a project for these classes.

Location:  Birchbank Farm  1826 Platt St., Niles
269-683-1786

Additional registration at location is required. Click here for instructions.
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Students to experiment in various media in the area chosen.  Success oriented classes, more process than product to encourage individual growth and expression.  Small group class size, register early!
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All classes offered for 4th grade+   
Classes must begin in January
Format: In-Person
PLEASE NOTE: CLASS DATES AND TIMES MAY CHANGE IF ANY CLASS MUST BE SPLIT UP TO MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCING AND STUDENT SAFETY. SEE NOTES IN SYLLABUS.

  
Recycled Art  CLASS CANCELLED      Tuesdays from 3:00 to 4:50pm                  
Description: Give those used items a second chance! This is not your typical art class.  How to make something out of nothing from what you have around the house.  Students will be asked to go on a treasure hunt in their home for specific items.  Clean them and bring them to class….you get them back all spruced up. This is usually a full year class but your student is welcome to join us for one or both semesters. Each semester consists of 12 sessions, each 1 hour and 20 minutes long.
Syllabus


Drawing (Multi-Level)  Tuesdays 9:00 to 10:20am        

Description: Start out the day with a drawing and then choose to add color or not.  Various media will be explored.  Art theory for the fun at heart.  While working on a project, students will listen to a story that follows the theme.  (Readings may change from the syllabus plan in order to accommodate the age of the students). Your chance to illustrate what your imagination “sees''.  Students will have experiences in pencil, charcoal, pastels, watercolor and acrylic.
    This is usually a full year class but your student is welcome to join us for one or both semesters. Each semester consists of 12 sessions, each 1 hour and 20 minutes long.
Syllabus

 
Beading        Tuesdays from 2:00 to 3:20pm                  
Description: Beads have a varied and exciting history and many more uses than one might expect.  Learn how to use them in new and creative ways and why they are what they are.  Students will be asked to contribute to project materials.
    This is usually a full year class but your student is welcome to join us for one or both semesters. Each semester consists of 12 sessions, each 1 hour and 20 minutes long.
Syllabus
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*Please note: it is important to make as informed a decision as possible when choosing your student's Community Resource classes. Most locations will allow a student to drop a class after one meeting, at no charge if it wasn't a good fit for the student, but not all. Some classes plan ahead based on the number that have signed up and have purchased materials, hired teachers, etc. and there might be a fee for class time or materials given to the student if the student drops after one or two meetings. The school cannot pay for classes that students do not complete, so choose wisely; if you do not take the class off of your student's schedule by the deadline, you may be asked to pay for the class time incurred prior to dropping the class.
 
​Teacher of Record:  Lisa Van Plew-Cid