Creating our Personal Crests

      A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield. It was used by medieval knights to cover, protect, and identify the wearer. The design was a symbol unique to the individual person or family.   
      The Spirits started the month thinking about what things they value and enjoy, and what makes them unique. In the first few days of school, we created crests showing some of these things:

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         Then we spent some time learning about heraldic colors and design (see "Create a Coat of Arms" in the Explore More column at right) and practiced designing our own coats of arms using this website. Finally, each student created their own personal crest using colors and symbols that had meaning to them. These coats of arms will soon be on display in the Navigators/Spirits entrance stairwell, along with the paragraphs the Spirits wrote explaining the meanings of the various elements they chose. Here's a look at some of them in progress and most of the final products, but be sure to stop by soon to check them out!