Monday, February 28, 2011

February flew by...

February 28, 2011

This week was another fragmented week due to a snow day and late start on another hazardous weather day.  Despite our altered schedule, I find that our children always arrive with smiles on faces, creativity in tow and ready to work hard.  If you check out the various grade level pages, you will find students working in a variety of media-- clay, collage, plaster and paint.  Below, our school had the opportunity to experience The Verb Ballet based out of Cleveland as they performed Peter and the Wolf.  The instruments that correlated with the different characters reinforced their music education and kept them entertained by the fabulous dancers.


Students 

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Kent State Experience!







We closed our short week of school this week with a school wide field trip to Kent State University.  Our purpose for today's field trip was to use the Ludwig Recording Studio where our children recorded their voices singing pieces from The American Songbook.  This Songbook Project (http://www.songbookproject.com/) was coordinated by our music teacher, Mrs. Goldman.  Each grade level recorded two songs to compile onto a CD that will be produced and sold to our students and others interested.  Previous to this, a CD cover design contest was held and won by one outstanding sixth grade student shown below.



Throughout the day our students were enlightened by musical, visual and movement experiences.  They rotated through areas to learn dance numbers from The American Songbook and performed them in Kent State's Black Box Theater, with the help of Kent State dance majors (shown above).  The afternoon was spent touring the Fashion Museum on the university's campus, with its current exhibit of Audrey Hepburn's historical wardrobe.  

Once again, today's experience opened my eyes to how fortunate I am to be a part of this school, with these children and these experiences. 

And lastly, on a side note... I had so much fun in Mrs. Adelman's class this week assisting in a puppet making project through the use of juice cartons.  After laying the groundwork, Mrs. Adelman set her students loose to create.  The results?  Adorable and imaginative as usual.






Life is good when you get to get up everyday and go work and do something you love.  This week was no exception. 

Wednesday, February 9, 2011


Why Are the Arts Important?
1.            They are languages that all people speak that cut across racial, cultural, social, educational, and economic barriers and enhance cultural appreciation and awareness.
2.            They are symbol systems as important as letters and numbers.
3.            They integrate mind, body, and spirit.
4.            They provide opportunities for self-expression, bringing the inner world into the outer world of concrete reality.
5.            They offer the avenue to "flow states" and peak experiences.
6.            They create a seamless connection between motivation, instruction, assessment, and practical application--leading to deep understanding.
7.            They are an opportunity to experience processes from beginning to end.
8.            They develop both independence and collaboration.
9.            They provide immediate feedback and opportunities for reflection.
10.        They make it possible to use personal strengths in meaningful ways and to bridge into understanding sometimes difficult abstractions through these strengths.
11.        They merge the learning of process and content.
12.        They improve academic achievement -- enhancing test scores, attitudes, social skills, critical and creative thinking.
13.        They exercise and develop higher order thinking skills including analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and "problem-finding."
14.        They are essential components of any alternative assessment program.
15.        They provide the means for every student to learn.

retrieved from: http://www.marthalakecov.org/~building/strategies/arts/front_arts.htm

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Short week... great strides!

WELCOME MRS. SNIDER!

Even though our week was shortened to three days due to the Ohio winter weather, we had some amazing things happening at our school!  We welcomed our new principal, Mrs. Margo Snider.  Mrs. Snider comes to us with extensive background knowledge in the arts and education world.  Her past experiences include being the principal of Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts, and coordinating the Visual and Performing Arts at Firestone High School in Akron.  Her list of credentials go on and on!  We could not be more excited that she is here!!!  Students created a fabric banner to welcome her during our morning meeting.