Most Meridian students know the school offers a ceramics class, however, students not in the class often wonder what it entails. As 2022-23 course selection approaches, understanding the ceramics course will make your choice easier. 

Students in the ceramics class use clay and learn different techniques and ways to shape it, such as hand molding, coiling building, stab building, or using the wheel. They also learn how to plan out a ceramics piece. When the time comes to apply these techniques and make a final piece, it gets fired in the kiln. When completed, students either get to bring it home or Marc Robarge, the class teacher, displays the piece in the library.

So far this year, students completed a project involving relief sculptures which is a 3D sculpture to be featured on your wall. For this project, the students had a square piece of clay on which they could design anything, whether a landscape, an animal, or anything else that interested them. They used the tools at their disposal to replicate their design onto the clay as well as stacking pieces of clay to add layers. Just before winter break, students also made candle holders to go with the season. They cut out pieces of the clay to make patterns on the candle holders. These students are also currently working on making mugs to show the practical uses of clay as well as the artistic.

Unlike your typical math or English course, ceramics is hands-on, which is very appealing to many Meridian students. The ceramics course was included in the curriculum two years ago to give students a break from the accustomed auditory and visual learning. The ceramics course balances out the mind-numbing learning of most courses with kinesthetic learning and structural projects.