Venice highlights... Emma photographs

Florence highlights... Amanda photographs

Tuscany!

Ciao! We took a coach bus to Siena yesterday and explored the city. There was a chocolate festival happening and many of you may be getting some fancy chocolates as gifts now! Amanda and Jared scaled the tiny steps of the tower in a mere 25 minutes and you see some of their great shots below! (These are the two overview shots of Siena)

We stayed the night at the beautiful Hotel Lino in Volterra after touring the city and learning about the history and people with a great tour guide. Our day ended after eating a 10 course meal at tuscan farm. Everything thing was farm to table. This was a true highlight for many on the trip!!!

This morning we enjoyed breakfast and walking the city walls of Volterra. We jumped on a bus and checked out the sights at another tuscan town, San Giamingino. We had the worlds best gelato according to Mike Huff. All would agree. Now we are in Florence and we walked around the city at sunset. We traveled to Ms. Bertarellis former apartment- 2 Via Squazza! It was a very special moment to show the students my old Art school and home.

Now we are off to bed. Exhausted and full of pasta and gelato!

A few extra shots from the Vatican (Rome highlights part 2)

Rome Highlights

We have had a whirlwind two days.  Yesterday was the Vatican - museum,
Sistine Chapel, and St. Peters Cathedral.  Then we went across the Tiber to eat and see the Pantheon with some lovely churches.  In thehe evening we photographed night scenes of Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps.

Today we took lots of photos of the Coliseum  and drew in the Forum and Palatine HIlls.  After lunch we went to the Borghese Gallery.  The Bernini sculptures took our breath away!  Tonight we will dine near the hotel and get ready for Siena, and Tuscany.  We are staying on a farm in Volterra where we shall feast on local food, slowly savoring the experience of eating the amazing food.  Internet access might be spotty...Ciao for now!

And now for some photographs...! All taken while out and about on our evening tour of Rome.

We made it to Italia! We're safe and happy. We just watched the sunset go down over  the Coliseum and enjoyed a super 5 course dinner! Many more pictures to come in the following days. We head to the Vatican tomorrow.

Ciao-
Ms. Bertarelli, Ms. Schick, Mr. Schaefer, and artists

Mrs. Bertarelli: introduction
Email: heather.bertarelli@bvsd.org
Photography website: Bertarelliphoto.com

• Digital Art and Photography 1
• Digital Art and Photography 2
• AP Studio Art: 2D Design, Drawing, 3D Design
• Student Council Advisor

I am very excited to experience Italia with
your students in less than two weeks! I lived in Florence to take art courses and this is my second international trip with Colorado high school students. I am also an avid fine and digital artist.

Background
A native of Columbus, Ohio Ms. Bertarelli is a proud Buckeye after graduating Magna Cum Laude from The Ohio State University with two degrees in Art Education. As a visual artist Ms. Bertarelli enjoys exploring a variety of medias including: digital art, photography, printmaking, painting, ceramics, and fused glass. Ms. Bertarelli is an active member of both the National and Colorado Art Education Associations. Years after living in Florence Italy as an art student attending Accademia Italiano, Ms. Bertarelli took 13 Peak to Peak High School students to Italy with Ms. Quinlan in March 2009. This is her seventh year teaching digital and fine art courses. 

Outside of teaching Ms. Bertarelli runs a successful photography business, Bertarelli Photography. She also loves exploring the mountains and traveling with her family, including her husband who is also a teacher and her two small children: Oliver and Zoe. (picture her with Olie thanks to Emma Kay Photography)

Hi Young Artists, Parents, and Friends,
I am very excited to be going to Italy with 19 high school students from Peak to Peak and Boulder High Schools.  This will be my fourth trip to Italy.  I have been teaching art for 28 years and am a practicing fine artist of watercolors and batiks as you can see below.  Please read more about me from the biography below.  While in Italy, I will be encouraging students to learn about the culture, history and art that will be all around us while integrating their experiences into art during the workshops.

Education
Virginia has a master degree, Magna Cum Laude, from Lesley University, her undergraduate degree, Cum Laude from Northern Illinois University, and over sixty post-graduate hours in both studio and educational courses.  She is a Nationally Board Certified teacher and has received the Marie Walsh Sharpe- Teacher as Artist, The Jared Polis Award, and the Impact on Education Winner for excellence in teaching visual art.   Ms. Schick also is the BVSD facilitator for National Board Certification, Induction Coach for new art educators, and Teacher Leader 6-12 for district art teachers.  Her educational and professional training includes courses in drawing, graphic design, art history, ceramics, sculpture, weaving, watercolor, oil and acrylic painting, batik, printmaking, jewelry making, computer graphics, drama, movement, theatre, storytelling, and poetry.  When she is not teaching or painting, Ms. Schick enjoys running, camping, wandering the globe, riding Calixto and spending time with her sweetheart.

 She currently teaches "Foundations in Art," "Studio Arts 1-3," "Drawing and Painting 1-4," "Portfolio Arts 1-4," and "AP Studio Arts: Drawing,2-D, 3-D Design."

e-mail : Virginia.schick@bvsd.org

Some key phrases you should know and practice before our trip:

Parla Inglese?	Do you speak English?
Grazie	Thank You
Prego	You are welcome
Per favore / per piacere	Please
Buon giorno	Good Morning - Good Afternoon
Buonasera	Good Evening
Buona notte	Good Night
Come sta? (singular)	How are you?
Come state? (plural)	How are you?
Mi scusi / scusi	Excuse me
Salve / arrivederci	Hello / Goodbye
Quanto costa?	How much does it cost?
Arrivederci	Goodbye
Dov'è ... ?	Where is ...?
Gabinetto / bagno	Lavatory/Toilet
Mangiare	To eat (verb)
Stazione	Train station
Ristorante	restaurant
Dove posso trovare un.../	Where can I find a...
Ho / abbiamo una prenotazione	I/we have a booking
Vorrei qualcosa da mangiare	I would like something to eat
Vorrei qualcosa da bere	I would like something to drink
Come posso andare a...	How can I go to....
Qual è la strada per...	Which way for...
Accettate carte di credito?	Do you accept credit cards?
C'è la connessione ad internet nella stanza/hall/albergo	Is there internet connection in the room/lobby/hotel
Quanto costa? / Quanto costa questo?	How much does it cost? / How much does this cost?
Polizia / Carabinieri	Police
Taxi	Taxi
Fermata dell'autobus	Bus stop
Aeroporto	Airport
Stazione	Train station
Posso fare fotografie?	May I take photos?
Dove posso lasciare la mia borsa?	Where can I leave my bag?
No grazie	No thanks
Sì grazie	Yes thanks
Vai via!	Go away!
Sono allergico a...	I am allergic to...
Dove si trova... l'ambasciata?	Where is the ...

We leave in less than two weeks! 

Final Meetings:
Bring your packed suitcase!
- Boulder High= Friday, March 7 
- Peak to Peak= Monday, March 10 at 4:30 in the art room next to the cafeteria

Italy Art Trip Packing List

Clothing:

  Shirts/blouses. Bring up to five short-sleeved or long-sleeved shirts or blouses Shirts with long sleeves that roll up easily can double as short-sleeved. Look for a wrinkle-camouflaging pattern or blended fabrics that show a minimum of wrinkles. Synthetic-blend fabrics (such as Coolmax or microfiber) often dry overnight.

  Pants/shorts. Bring three pairs: one lightweight cotton, another super-lightweight pair, and one pair of jeans.

  Modest skirt/ dress (females)

  Sweater or lightweight fleece. Warm and dark is best — for layering and dressing up.

  Jacket. Bring a light and water-resistant windbreaker with a hood.

  Tie or scarf. 

  Underwear and socks. Bring five sets (lighter dries quicker). Bamboo or cotton/nylon-blend socks dry faster than 100 percent cotton, which lose their softness when air-dried.

  Sleepwear/loungewear. Comfy streetwear — such as shorts, leggings, T-shirts, tank tops, yoga pants, and other lightweight athletic gear — can be used as pajamas, post-dinner loungewear, and a modest cover-up to get you to the bathroom down the hall.

  Shoes. Bring one pair of comfortable walking shoes with good traction. For a second pair, consider sandals in summer. Flip-flops are handy if you'll be using bathrooms down the hall. Whichever shoes you bring, make sure they are well broken in before you leave home.

Documents & Money:

Money belt. This flat, hidden, zippered pouch — strapped around your waist and tucked under your clothes.

Small day pack. A lightweight pack is great for carrying your art supplies and camera.

Money. Bring your preferred mix of a credit card, a debit card, and an emergency stash of hard US cash.

Documents. Bring your passport and 2 photocopies of your passport.

Address list. If you'll want to mail postcards, consider printing your mailing list onto a sheet of adhesive address labels before you leave. You'll know exactly who you've written to, and the labels will be perfectly legible.

Small notepad and pen. A tiny notepad in your back pocket or day pack is a great organizer, reminder, and communication aid.

Toiletries and Personal Items:

  Toiletries kit. Because sinks in many hotels come with meager countertop space, I prefer a kit that can hang on a hook or a towel bar. Before cramming it with every cosmetic item you think you might use, ask yourself what toiletries you can live without for a short time. Pack your own bar of soap or small bottle of shampoo if you want to avoid using hotel bathroom "itsy-bitsies" and minimize waste and garbage.

  Medicine and vitamins. Keep medicine in original containers, if possible, with legible prescriptions.

  Small First-aid kit. 

   Glasses/contacts/sunglasses. 

  Sealable plastic baggies. Bring a variety of sizes. In addition to holding your carry-on liquids, they're ideal for packing leftover food, containing wetness, and bagging potential leaks before they happen. The two-gallon jumbo size can be used to pack (and compress) clothing or do laundry. Bring extras for the flight home.

  Small packet of tissues. Stick one of these in your day pack, in case you wind up at a bathroom with no toilet paper.

  Spot remover. Bring a few Shout wipes or a dab of Goop grease remover in a small plastic container.

  Travel alarm/wristwatch. If your phone or watch doesn't have a built-in alarm, pack a small travel alarm clock. At budget hotels, wake-up calls are particularly unreliable.

  Earplugs. If night noises bother you, you'll love a good set of expandable foam plugs. They're handy for snoozing on trains and flights, too.

  Headphones/ earbuds. These are a must for listening to music, tuning in to audio tours, or simply drowning out whiny kids on the plane. (I never travel without my noise-canceling Bose headphones.) Pick up a Y-jack so you and a partner can plug in headphones at the same time.

  Chargers and batteries.

  Plug adapter(s).

Art Supplies:

  Sketchbook

  Pencil set: HB to B and charcoal

  Stump blending tool

  Eraser

  Pastels

  Colored pencils

  Digital Camera: remember extra batteries and SD cards

  Small watercolor set with brushes

Optional:

  Inflatable pillow . 

  Water Bottle

  Duct tape. 

  Small flashlight. 

  Tiny lock. 

r key.