Course Syllabus

Welcome to the Metals Dept 

and specifically

Welcome to Metals Intensive!

Welcome to the WHS Metals Studio! Wellesley High School is one of five public high schools that still have a metals studio and program running in the state of Massachusetts.

Our state of the art facility includes each student to have an individual jeweler’s bench to work at including all their own personal hand tools and flex shaft. We have 15 benches including an instructor’s bench to create at. Also in the studio are 4 acetylene torches for soldering, 4 flame working torches of glass, a spot welder, and a TIG Arc Pulse welder. Other equipment includes a hydraulic press, 4 vises, rolling mill, sheet metal shear, ring size adjustor, and box maker, enameling kiln, PMC kiln, flame working annealer. Plus several tumblers and an upright polishing machine. 

Students are learning and enhancing their skills in the studio by using a variety of educational tools such as: hands on instruction, stepped out demonstrations, individual help, samples in stages of completion, and through a live video feed to the Smart Board so each studio can see what is happening with very small and precise work. By using this technology students have a front row seat to the action happening. Studio safety instructions and concerns are addressed with each skill taught to keep every student safe in the studio at all times.

Metals Samples and Projects: In all courses students will create samples for introduction and then will create assigned projects based off their newly acquired skills. Projects changed frequently semester to semester for unique and creative inspiration. To view descriptions of current semester projects please head over to PowerSchool for more information.

Main Objectives and Goals for the Metals Dept.

- Problem Solving

- Critical Thinking

- Multi tasking, Multi purposing

- Observing and Critiquing

- And of course, creativity!

*Students may create either wearable jewelry and/or freestanding sculptures for any of the projects.

Grading is based on:

- Fulfilling technical requirements

- Effort

- Personal expression and growth

Contact:

Instructor: Ms. Shayla Vines

Email: viness@wellesleyps.org

Metals Intensive Specific Objectives and Goals:

- 5 to 8 pieces of artwork

- Photographing all work

- Creating a portfolio for presentation

- Creating a working journal/sketchbook

- Participating in 3 or 4 art shows/galleries

- Participating in 4 group critiques about their work and their peers work

*Students are to be independent with their designs and final projects, use of all equipment in the studio.  Students responsible for their personal series and portfolio presentation books. Lastly, at this point all students should be challenging and pushing themselves conceptually and creatively (not just with technical skill).

** Projects are rotated out each year since many students repeat this course for 2 or 3 years depending on their skill level and personal drive coming to the high school.  Metals Intensive will not be assigned the same term project twice.  To learn details about specific term projects for this current year, please head over to PowerSchool to read descriptions under each project header.

Thank you for taking interest in the WHS Metals Dept,

Ms. Shayla Vines