First Grade Tea Ceremony
Source/Author: Raffi Darrow, Shorecrest News Editor
March 04, 2026
Shorecrest first graders recently had a hands-on cultural journey. Guided by Ms. Auletta, Lower School Art Teacher, the students crafted their own chawan, traditional Japanese tea bowls, as part of an Arts and Culture of Japan study. This project was inspired by a professional development trip to Japan taken by Ms. Auletta a few years ago, made possible through support from Shorecrest.
Once the handmade ceramic tea bowls had been painted, fired and glazed, the young artists took part in an authentic Japanese tea ceremony. Mr. Jake, a tea master who studied in Kyoto, visited campus to share his knowledge of Japanese tea ceremony, including the art of Matcha and the importance of calm presence in the ritual. The students practiced quiet focus (along with a few enthusiastic slurps)! SAGE also provided omogashi, treats eaten along side the tea. They asked a lot of great questions about the tea and Japan.
In the art studio, the students also practiced shibouri - Japanese tie die, suminagashi - paper marbling, origami - paper folding, and sumi - painting with ink.
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