First graders learn about color mixing through art inspired by Van Gogh

First grade students at the Coal City Early Childhood Center recently explored primary and secondary colors during their art class. The lesson included singing the Primary Color Song, dancing, and examining examples of these colors in well-known artworks. Students mixed yellow and red to create orange for a pumpkin project, and blue and yellow to make green for grass. They also took inspiration from Vincent Van Gogh’s "Starry Night," using his repetitive brush strokes to paint a purple sky.

Art teacher Mrs. Brncich commented, "These pieces were the perfect way to celebrate the fall season!"

Coal City Early Childhood Center is part of Coal City Community Unit School District 1, which serves Grundy and Will counties and includes several schools in the area (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). According to state data, the district employs 153 teachers with an average salary of $69,297 before pension contributions; about 78 percent are women (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). The student population is primarily White at nearly 87 percent, with Hispanic students making up almost 10 percent (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). In 2020, district spending per student was $21,619 for a total budget of just over $47 million (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).