Roots Fine Arts Week Calgary

This is a 4-day program for students ages 4-17. Students will be split into age groups to help adapt programming accordingly in each class.  We are excited to offer two class options for each age group for students aged 6-17, with many new instructors.

This program is for Roots registered students only (children ages 4 & 5 are considered Roots students if they have an older sibling registered with Roots for this school year)

Age 4-5: There is one option for a Full-Day participation this year for kindergarten students .

Ages 6+:  Pre-determined group arrangements have been made with each ticket.  You can choose the group to participate in when you purchase your ticket. Note that there is only room for a maximum of 16 students in each class, you cannot switch classes, but need to stay in the group you register with.

Parents: Are required to stay on site for the duration of the daily programming. If the parent is not able to attend you are reuqired to send a written and signed note stating who will be responsible for your child while they are at the program.

To keep down on costs we are requiring that all parents volunteer to either help in classrooms as well as the housekeeping of the building while we are using it. We have 28 volunteer slots to fill in the classroom portion for each day. This is a daily volunteer requirement and will have the same position all week. If you are volunteering in a classroom, you are required to have a police checks submitted to the office. If you do not have a police check but are willing to get one, please email julic@rootshomeed.com so Roots can send a volunteer letter and pay for the police check to be completed. 

Ages 3 and under: Younger children can attend with you, there will be space in the nursery and a play area in the gym for you to supervise your child.  Younger children need to stay with parents at all times.

Kindergarten Class:

Isylla Contos brings over 10 years of experience in early childhood education, including three years as a special-education preschool teacher. She is passionate about helping young learners grow in confidence, creativity, and joy as they discover new skills.

Isylla currently runs her own music and movement classes and loves watching children shine as they explore rhythm, song, and hands-on projects. She is excited to lead the preschool class through a blend of art and music, introducing little ones to watercolor techniques, sketching, painting, and simple musical foundations. Her heart is to create a warm, encouraging environment where children can express themselves, try new things, and celebrate the gifts God has placed in them. Throughout the week, students will explore color, sound, and imagination as they create meaningful pieces and enjoy the process of learning through art and music.

Angela Squire has been teaching music to young and old for quite a few years.  She has been director of her church choir for 15+ years, worked with the homeschool band for 17 years and is an active part of her church music team.  For the past 3 years Angela has been teaching preschool music classes at a local Calgary Music Studio.  Angela combines 2 of her favorite things Music and young children as often as possible.

This week's music classes will encourage the children to combine singing, rhythm and movement.  We will use basic percussion instruments and body movement to reinforce basic musical patterns. We will be using a combination of familiar children's tunes, rhymes, and Sunday school tunes.

Ages 6+ classes  Students will participate in 4 of the 5 classes (there are limited seats in each classroom, so the tickets have been grouped to accommodate class sizes)

Creative Expressions: Estefania Saldarriaga is a multidisciplinary artist who has had the opportunity to be engaged with the community and the City of Calgary in diverse art projects , creating and teaching children how they can also impact the world around them by using art to express one's personality and understanding the beauty of using their God given talents. 

This art class involves hands-on practice with various mediums such as painting with acrylic and water color, understanding composition and developing a personal artistic style. The focus is on developing creative expressions and problem-solving skills when things don't go as planned, experimenting with these mediums while encouraging the child or youth in a supportive environment.  Each day they will create a brand new piece, making it engaging and full of creative ideas for the student to succeed in the class. There will always be a Bible verse related to the art piece acknowledging God as the greatest and most creative being there could ever be; He will be the motor of our inspiration during this class. The students will be making  a landscape scene, a bird and two other fun pieces to elaborate during these four days. Children who have never done art are also welcome in this class as it will be a guided step by step process and she personally believes every child is an artist in their own way! 

Photography: Jacey Gelinas began her photography journey in 2018 when she attended the journalism program at SAIT. She graduated in 2020 with a journalism diploma with an emphasis in photojournalism. Since graduating, she has started her own photography business, focusing on weddings, engagements, and family lifestyle shoots. Jacey has enjoyed working with roots for the past several years taking student photos at the Kick Off event. Her work can be found at her website, www.jaceygphotography.com. 

In her class, Jacey will be sharing the fundamentals of photography for beginners. She will overview equipment, the exposure triangle, composition, light, focus, processing and editing. It is recommended that students bring a charged digital camera, SD card, and laptop or smart phone with photo capabilities. Students without access to equipment or a phone are still welcome to attend. 

Drama: Allison Froese (A Previous Roots Student ) has a passion for drama and music and believes that they are powerful tools that we can use to share the gospel. Allison was homeschooled grade 1 through 12 and spent 9 of those years with Roots. She went on to study drama at Bible school and music at the University of Lethbridge. She currently lives in Airdrie, AB, teaching music lessons and run a drama group for kids and adults with the mission of sharing the gospel.

This year we will be focusing on character and movement! Body language is so important as we tell stories on the stage and we will be exploring what kind of things we can communicate through the way that we move. We will also tie everything together as we learn skits to perform for our parents and classmates on the last day!

Clay/Wood Building: Students will develop an appreciation for working with polymer clay and a variety of tools, all while creating 2 memorable pieces to take home with them as well as being immersed in the wood building of a pioneer log cabin over the Monday and Thursday.

Painting/Print Making: Students will spend two days being taught the skills to make a scenic acrylic painting which they will take home. They will then spend the next two days creating an Arthropod image on a foam matrix and use the tools of the trade to make their own limited-edition prints to keep or give as gifts.

Gym: Students will spend the week acquiring new basketball skills and refreshing existing ones, while also participating in team-building games and activities to enhance their athletic abilities.

Schedule for week:

8:45am - Doors Open - We will need everyone to be there at 8:45 on Monday so we have enough time to get everyone registered and start the program on time.

9am Opening Prayer and devotional

9:20-11:40 classes

11:40-12:20 Lunch

12:30-2:30 Classes

2:35 - Dismissal

What to bring:

- Indoor, non-marking running shoes

- Lunch, snacks & drinks for your family (note that there is only 1 microwave, it is recommended to bring items that do NOT need to be heated up)

- Be aware that the students will be working with paints and glues. Students should wear clothing that you are fine to get paint on or bring your own painting smock/shirt

All other art supplies will be provided for students

Registration Deadline: January 1st at midnight

Cost:

Kindergarten Age 4&5:

Full day Program: $115/student

Ages 6+ full day program: $115/student

Coupon Code: FAW2026 can be used for Roots registered students only.  If you have non-Roots (preschool students) students in your family that you want to also register, you will need to create a second registration as coupons cannot be used for non-funded or non-Roots students.

Refunds: No refunds can be given past the registration deadline of January 1st, 2026.

Roots Waiver

On behalf of my child, I/we hereby waive and release the Roots Christian Home Education Fellowship, The Father’s House Christian School and any Roots volunteer/facilitator/administrative staff of the Roots Christian Home Education Fellowship from any liability to my(our) children. I/We are fully aware of the risks and potential for harm involved in such events, and on behalf of our child, release from liability Roots Christian Home Education Fellowship (Roots), The Father’s House Christian School and waive any claims such minor may have as a result of an accident, mishap or negligence of the Released Party and/or and other party under or affiliated with the Released Party.

I acknowledge that I, the parent/guardian of the registered attendee/s agree to stay on site at the venue for the fine arts week, to oversee my child/ren for the duration of the program.  Should I not be able to stay at the venue with my child/ren, a handwritten note with my signature will be sent with my child and given to the program organizer, stating the adult who is staying on site and has agreed to be responsible for my child/ren for the duration of the program.

Organizer Contact

Juli Contos - JuliC@RootsHomeEd.com