Newtown Middle School eighth grade students in art enrichment spent the entire school day on Friday, February 17, working to create clay mugs under the guidance of art teachers Leigh Anne Coles and Kristen Ladue.

More than 30 students participated in the Day of Clay, an in-house "field trip" for the art enrichment students. Seventh grade art enrichment students will participate in a day of art in March, and they will have a different project to complete.

With her hand resting on a large slab of Earthenware clay, Ms Ladue said the students were learning the whole process of working with clay.

Ms Coles said they spoke to the students about the different stages of working with clay, noting the mugs would go from wet clay to hard by the end of the school day, and the plan was to continue working on the creations over the next week until all of the mugs are bisque fired, glazed, and fired again. Part of the task is for students to create usable mugs, which is why the mugs will be glazed.

Having the whole school day, Ms Coles said, allowed the teachers to work with clay with the students. The day allowed a "more in-depth" lesson on clay, she said.

Students were tasked with making a "Creature Mug," inspired by an animal or creature. By noon the students were working on mugs inspired by a range of creatures, from mythical beings to cats.