January 2012
J. T. Mann
Students explore Maine’s Scottish Heritage through Art Projects
The second grade art classes at Pleasant Hill School in Scarborough are busy working on
individual projects that feature Scots and Ulster Scots heritage. Under the direction of
their teacher, Ms. Julia Ruszkai, and with guidance from Saint Andrews Society of Maine
volunteers, the students in three classes recently explored various themes taken from the
history and culture of people who came to Maine from Scotland and the Ulster
Plantation. Popular ideas to work on included castles, celtic designs, and highland games
events. Students also had a chance to hear traditional Scottish fiddle playing and try out
words and phrases from the “hamely tongue.”
The outreach program of the Saint Andrews Society of Maine was pleased to add these
classes to the numerous programs that they held throughout Maine in 2011. Working
with students that are young and eager to learn is especially rewarding. As volunteers
discussed all things Scottish, each student went through their Maine Highland Games
program looking for pictures and clan advertisements with design work that represented
the topics being discussed. They made sketches of their ideas which were reviewed with
their teacher prior to deciding on a theme for an art project.
The students decided to build their own Scottish castles. Over the next several weeks,
using building materials donated by local individuals and business, their castles have
taken shape, each one as unique as the student that built it. Pieces of wood and cardboard
have been transformed into turrets and walls. One castle has a kitchen, another a jail. The
towers bristle with cannon. One particularly unique design includes a moat filled with hot
water!
The outreach programs of Maine’s Saint Andrews Society must surely be adding to a
general awareness and interest in all things Scottish. Local historical societies, schools,
and other civic organization regularly contact us for programs featuring the Scots and
Ulster Scots history and heritage.
We can all look forward to hearing more from Pleasant Hill Elementary School. Ms.
Ruszkai has agreed to share some images of her student’s art projects with us, and maybe
we’ll get to visit again.