Ms. Koenig's Class - September 2025

Ashley Koenig
Oct 3
5 min read

Monthly Newsletter!

Welcome to Our Monthly Classroom Newsletter!

With the start of a new year, I want to take a moment to introduce myself and reintroduce our monthly class newsletter. My name is Ashley Koenig, and I graduated with a degree in photography from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit. I’ve been teaching at Walled Lake Central for the past five years, and this year I am also teaching 8th-grade art at Sarah Banks Middle School. At Central, I teach AP Art, Painting 1, Painting 2, Photography 1, and Photography 2.

I’ve noticed that students don’t always share their classroom experiences or accomplishments at home, so this newsletter is my way of keeping families connected. Each edition will highlight the creative projects students are working on, showcase their achievements, and share important updates. Since I teach over 130 students, not every student will be featured each month, but I’ll do my best to highlight everyone over the course of the year. In the meantime, please feel free to ask your student about their projects and have them share their work with you—it’s always exciting to see what they are creating!

HELP!

It’s that time of year again when students are catching colds and dealing with sniffles. As teachers, we strive to keep our classrooms healthy and comfortable, but we’ve run out of tissues and Clorox wipes. If you happen to have an extra box or two that you could share, it would really help us get through this season. Thank you so much for your support!

Supplies!

Do you have any extra art or crafting supplies at home? If so, we would greatly appreciate any donations for the art room! We’re always in need of scrapbook paper, paint, stamps, coloring supplies, and just about any other art materials. Additionally, if you have any old wall art (framed or on canvas) that you’d like to recycle, we’d be happy to give it a new life in our projects. Feel free to send these items with your student—thank you for your support!

Art Competition

Throughout the year, I’ll do my best to inform both students and parents about the many art competitions available to them and encourage participation whenever possible. Competitions are a wonderful way for students to challenge themselves, gain recognition, and share their creativity with a wider audience.

Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

One of the biggest opportunities each year is the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. This competition is open to both middle and high school students and offers the chance to have work recognized at the Detroit Institute of Arts and showcased alongside other talented young artists. It’s an incredible experience, and I strongly encourage students to consider entering.

Want to see last years winning entries Check them out on my blog!

PTSA Reflection Competition

The annual PTSA Reflections program has now begun! This year's theme is “I Belong”. Students participating in can enter in 2-D/3-D visual arts, literature, dance choreography, film production, music composition, photography, or accessible arts (for any students needing accommodations). Everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate. More information can be found at www.wlcsd.org/reflections. Submissions are due by Monday, November 10.

Photo 1

We kicked off the semester in Photo 1 by focusing on composition and how students can create unique and engaging photographs. Together, we explored the difference between simply taking a photo and making one, emphasizing the qualities that set a professional photographer apart from an amateur.

Students also began working on self-portraits, using their cameras as a way to introduce themselves and express their identities. This project not only helped me get to know them better, but also encouraged them to think about how photography can tell a personal story.

From there, we dove into DSLR and mirrorless cameras, learning the basics of camera settings. Students are now creating projects that focus on aperture and shutter speed, gaining hands-on experience with how these controls impact depth of field, motion, and overall image quality.

We wrapped up the month by exploring subject matter and different types of photography, beginning with portraiture. This gave students the opportunity to bring together their technical skills and creativity in a more intentional way.

Photo 2

We began the semester in Photo 2 by exploring three different projects designed to help students expand both their creativity and technical skills.

The first project focused on alternative self-portraits, inspired by the unconventional portrait work of Wes Naman. Students experimented with manipulating and transforming their images to express identity in new and imaginative ways.

Next, students turned their attention to lighting, discovering how different setups, shadows, and highlights can dramatically change the mood of a photograph. This project gave them a stronger understanding of how intentional lighting choices impact storytelling in photography.

Finally, we wrapped up the unit by creating a series of creative photographs. Students experimented with modifiers and enhanced their work through advanced editing techniques, pushing themselves to think outside the box and refine their technical abilities.

Painting

In painting, students have been building a strong foundation by practicing watercolor techniques and color mixing. They created their own color grids to see how different hues interact and blend, and they’ve been strengthening their skills through daily warm-ups and practice paintings.

As they continue their study of color theory, students have now begun an exciting new project: a monochromatic watercolor painting, where an entire piece is created using varying shades of a single color.

In addition, they have started exploring the use of borders in painting—and how breaking those borders can add interest and creativity to their compositions.

AP Art

In AP Art, students have begun brainstorming ideas for their Sustained Investigation, which is the central focus of the AP Art & Design course. A Sustained Investigation is a yearlong exploration of a theme or question, developed through a connected body of artwork. Students will create a 15-piece portfolio that demonstrates not only their technical skills, but also their ability to develop, refine, and communicate ideas visually.

After discussing possible directions for their investigations, students have already jumped into creating their first pieces. These early works give them the chance to experiment with different media, test out ideas, and begin shaping the direction of their portfolios. Their completed body of work will be submitted in May for the AP Art & Design exam, where it will be reviewed by the College Board. This is an exciting process that challenges students to think deeply about their artistic choices while building a cohesive and personal portfolio.

Work By: Raelyn C., Juliana B., Annabel C., Caden B., Hailey M., Libby F., and Whitney M.

8th Grade Art

In 8th Grade Art, we began the semester with a simple getting-to-know-you exercise before moving into our first creative projects. Students designed artworks using their names and personal interests, incorporating zentangles made with lines and shapes to add detail and personality.

From there, we explored neurographic line art, combining flowing, abstract line patterns with watercolor and colored pencil to create vibrant, expressive pieces. These projects not only introduced students to new techniques but also encouraged them to think about how art can reflect both identity and imagination.