The+Arts

THE ARTS

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Conveners: Natasha & Amelia =====

Our charge is to answer some of these questions and build a community conversation around our vision of the arts, and possibly an action plan for things we’d like to improve! It’s helpful for both Arts staff and non-Arts staff to join us!!!

//What do we value in an ideal visual and performing arts curriculum? What are our current strengths and what are areas that need attention and strengthening? Come join in a discussion of the role of the arts in each unit, what we communicate to the outside community about our arts curriculum, and where we’d like to go. //


 * Our plan for Session 1: **

1. What do we “value” in an ideal visual and performing arts curriculum? One minute to write individually.

2. Share response with partner.

3. Share responses with whole group. A summary of our responses follows: 
 * ARTS FOR LIFE'S SAKE (our new motto? or t-shirt?)
 * At CFS we celebrate the arts!
 * All students have opportunities to be involved in the arts, in all units.
 * The arts give our students appropriate and effective tools to express their feelings and inner selves.
 * We strive to teach kids that they CAN create art. There are countless options and ways to be involved. They develop confidence in their self-expression.
 * We have/need room (literally and figuratively) for kids to feel safe and be challenged as they explore the arts.
 * We value the balance between skill/technique and presence. Skill/technique are tools, not goals in themselves.
 * Arts at CFS teach the creativity that is so essential in today's world for solving problems, conflict resolution, creating a better future (Ken Robinson, Daniel Pink are great resources).
 * Children learn to have confidence in their ability to effectively express themselves, and feel safe doing so.
 * Fear is an important part of learning. We strive to help manage the fear and turn it to personal growth, not throw it out.
 * Teachers are supported in trying risky things, not just our students. Students feel safer taking risks if we are, too.
 * We value individuality and authentic expression, not imitation and conformity (except as a tool toward self-expression).
 * We seek to create an inclusive space for our children, without gender/race/social stereotypes.
 * An inclusive space includes a balance of performance and non-performance classes (including show/non-show visual arts classes).
 * We value a diversity of ages and experiences in a single classroom.
 * We teach the value of working together toward an artistic goal in a community in addition to individual expression.
 * We value and plan to increase arts integration and collaborations with other disciplines, as well as between artistic disciplines.
 * We teach cultural appreciation and understanding.
 * Modeling and teaching students to be LIFELONG ARTISTS. This is a way of being that includes personal creativity and lifelong support of and involvement in the arts.
 * We seek to create quiet, inspirational spaces to make art.
 * We would like to establish and promote a sense of an ARTS community, not just a "music community" or "painter community"
 * Live "art-looking" experiences are a vital component of an arts curriculum.
 * Visual arts also teach visual literacy, a tool to see the world.
 * We should teach the logistics of the arts, especially in the upper years, dispelling the myth of the starving artist and creating more effective arts support.

4. Identify the “role of the arts” in each unit (ES, LS, MS, US) ES: CHES has an art studio in the classroom. Kids have free choice time. Also a music counter and chance to take instruments outside. All are morning choice activities. They sing together throughout the day. Different enrichment person comes each year. This year it was a music person who worked in small groups (next year, PE). DES: Intentional environment encourages creative/artistic exploration. Art for life's sake. Child and teacher-led. Bridging between creation and presentation at an early life stage.

LS: Music 2x/week. R/S has 1 30-min and 1 40-min, F/M has 2 45-min. Half-class groups (about 15 kids) Visual art 1x/week for 45 min (half-class groups) Dance 1x/week for 45 min for half of the year (whole class at once) interest and discovery groups allow more artistic experience Drama only exists in choice areas--centers, interest groups. Kwaanza celebration. D&E official for R/S, 45 min/week F/M does D&E within classroom experience Integration with visual arts and language--Katie Wood Ray Poetry/music integration We see the MS play and US dance concert. Also have guests-author visits, musicians, etc.

MS: Visual arts: all 1st-years have cultural expressions, team-taught, includes art for entire year, 3-4x/week. 3rd-years get 1 trimester of drawing techniques. 2nd-years get 1 trimester of Spanish/Art Music: 1st-year rotation is only requirement, 1 trimester Dance: 1st-years Journal Writing/Dance 1 trimester Theater: MS play in winter, electives in fall and spring. Set design in VA Electives: visual arts-3, performing arts-3. Exploratoriums: lots of arts choices Emphasis week

US: 8 total arts to graduate. 1 music, 2 VA, 2 PA, 3 choice Classes are throughout the school day. Visual arts: all trimester classes. Portfolio class is upper level, college-prep, and is 2 terms long (fall-winter). Drawing, mixed media, painting, clay sculpture, art & politics, choice. Theater: spring and fall productions, winter improv show. Tech theater classes to build sets Dance: Dance concert fall/winter, includes choreography class with prerequisites. Technique and intro classes. Spring-more non-performance-based classes. No specific dance requirement, counts as PA. Music: Elective-based. Jonathan starting new curriculum. This term, jazz history and performance (prerequisites), samba class (percussion), hum and strum (string band, guitars). Maybe RFL will be coming into US via Natasha Anderson? Will work with Kiernan. 

5. Discuss in small groups our strengths/areas that need attention (reflecting on our values)

6. Share ideas with all.

7. All together: How do we communicate our strengths to the outside community?

8. Are there ways that we are communicating our values that needs to be addressed? within units to students to parents to prospective students/families to all others

9. Action plan to strengthen how our values are represented in the arts (To be determined by content, likely leading to Session 2!!)

Arts Meeting–CFS Unconference 2011

Can we bring queries to our non-arts teachers to help break down the walls between disciplines? Presence shows us what we neglect and what we attend to.
 * When you go into your classroom, how do you view yourself as an artist?
 * 101 ways to be an artist in every unit (also a postcard idea) Could we also ask parents and staff? Help everyone understand that we ALL use creative process ALL the time.
 * "If we have to make our beds and lie on them, why not make them beautiful?"

Identify the role of the arts in each unit:

COMMUNICATION is a weakness at our school. "Quirky and creative" can suppress formal communication. PRE-PLANNING, with community, students, parents, etc. is SO ESSENTIAL.

Action step: Joanna meet with Jonathan. Jamie meet with Natasha. Christel meet with Kiernan. Lifelong artist exhibit/project. Staff, parents, students. Exhibits possible in Center, units, website, fundraising... Improve displays, presentation, not just for visual arts but all. Website space!! Highlight teacher blogs, update CFS website frequently. More communication with parents. Welcome them into the classroom in all units. Sharing schedules: Joanna--make Google calendars Joanna talk to US staff about orchestra

Possible action steps/ideas: Arts teachers visit ES at least once a year? MS/ES connections and LS/US Get older kids to be docents for younger Talk to Rebecca for help with funding guests/grants

Action plan for Lifelong Artists project: 1. Queries for each unit. I am an artist because... Natasha and Joanna-LS in specials, staff in staff mtg Joanna will talk to MS about doing this in advisee groups Kiernan and Amelia will take on US

"An illumination of how arts for life's sake happen at our school every day." "an increased awareness of people within our community who don't consider themselves artists plus a celebration of the way in which our school uses creativity in the arts to further our school's mission." also--the arts are an essential part of our curriculum because they are intrinsically valuable

2. Display in center--something from every single student in the school? and teachers! plus, something where visitors/parents can contribute their own.