Sandtray Program at Sherman

Mary Watson, our newly hired Sandtray educator, will now be bringing Sandtray to Sherman students.  Mary has an M.A. in Education and has been using Sandtray with students in the public schools of San Francisco for the last 15 years.

Sandtray is an imaginative art form that involves a student creating scenes using miniature figures in a tray of sand.  It is a way for them to tangibly express what might be hindering them from working up to their full potential.  Studies have showed that students improve by at least one grade level and often by more when given this opportunity for self-expression.  Mary sees students one-on-one for approximately 45 minutes each week.  She tests students in reading and math and does an assessment with the teacher before and after working with each student.  Students also often benefit socially and emotionally and teachers find that students are better able to focus in the classroom.  In a session, students may also choose to do other art forms and Mary will work with them in reading and math as needed.

Mary will start out the program with one volunteer, Bernie McCully, who has also trained in Sandtray and worked with students at Alvarado School last year.  It is also likely that graduate students in the Expressive Arts Therapy program at the Institute for Integral Studies will also be interested in volunteering.

Mary will be here on Wednesdays and looks forward to getting to know the Sherman School community.