me arts ed

The gift of pottery

Students from middle schools across Maine were recognized for their achievements. The event took place at the Augusta Civic Center with proud parents and educators accompanying their sons and daughters. Winthrop Middle School art teacher, Lisa Gilman created the pottery for centerpieces which students could take home. The Middle Level Scholar Leader dinner has taken place for the last 11 years and is sponsored by the New England League of Middle Schools (NELMS) and Maine Association for Middle Level Educators (MAMLE). The pottery was outstanding and each scholar leader had the chance to take one more. Congratulations to Lisa for a JOB WELL DONE! The pottery was beautiful, the poem that went with them was thoughtful!

Laugh Today

Dream for Tomorrow

Create without Worry

Imagine your Possibilities

Congratulations Eva Andrade

Art teacher Diane Manzi from PATHS, (Portland Arts and Technology High School) sent me a photograph of her student, Eva Andrade, receiving recognition for her design. Eva’s design was selected to be printed on the t-shirts that will be used for the Harley Davidson state rally in July in August. She recevied a t-shirt and free registration to the Harley Rally at Sugarloaf.

Eva Andrade with Harley State Rally organizers

YAHOOOOOOO for Sarah!

Sarah and MEA President Chris Calgay

Sarah Sutter, Wiscasset High School art teacher and technology integrator, is the 2010 recipient of the Maine Education Association award for Teaching Excellence. Sarah was presented with the award at the banquet at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland on May 15th. As the MEA award winner, Sarah received $1,000 from Anthem, and will represent Maine at the NEA Foundation for the Improvement of Education’s (NFIE) gala event in Washington, DC in February 2011, and be eligible for NFIEís cash award of $25,000, a commemorative plaque, and national recognition.

Second in a series of visits to the IIC communities

Written by Carol Trimble, Maine Alliance for Arts Education Executive Director and member of the planning committee for the IIC’s

On Thursday, the Imaginative Intensive Communities Visiting Team had the opportunity to spend a wonderful and inspiring day visiting the Deer Isle- Stonington Schools and surrounding communities. We were very warmly welcomed by teachers, principals, and students, as well as representatives from community organizations like Haystack, Opera House Arts, and SeaMark. There was so much to see that we split into two teams, one to visit the elementary and one to the high school.

At the high school, I saw students fully engaged in project-based learning that integrated components such as creative problem solving, community service, research, design, as well as specific arts skills: Dennis Saindon’s wood shop students designing and making their own original “sumo-bots;” Lee Lehto’s creative writing students workshopping their poems and planning a trip to Isle au Haut; and Kimberley Larsen and Tom Duym’s CREST class where students are engaged in fascinating projects that incorporate GPS, GIS, 3-D modeling, and local historical research—take a look at their amazing “Deer Isle Boys” project at http://www.dishslinks.org/crest/index.html !

Downtown in Stonington, we got to view the exhibit of Katy Helman’s art students’ work in the Watson Gallery on Main Street—textiles, paintings, design—a delight! At the Stonington Opera House, we spoke with the House Manager, a high-school senior who has a variety of responsibilities at the Opera House and who has just completed a senior project examining this island’s culture.  We concluded our day at the winter office and exhibit space of Haystack where we got to sit and talk with many community and school representatives.

This visit gave us the opportunity to see some terrific work and to have great conversations with students, school personnel, and with representatives from the community organizations that work so closely with the schools. I came away from Deer Isle feeling inspired by the sense of effective and on-going work between the school and community organizations. This is true collaboration among individuals and groups that share a strong commitment to providing programs that nurture the creativity of their students.

The project is being conducted by the Maine Alliance for Arts Education and the Maine Department of Education. The project is supported in part by a grant from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The Betterment Foundation and the Maine Arts Commission supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Student art exhibit

By 1st grader Gavyn Leighton

While visiting the Imagination Intensive Community of York last week I had the opportunity to visit the Barn Gallery in Ogunquit. Five school districts including Wells- Ogunquit, York, Arundel, Eliot and South Berwick involving 16 teachers have an annual student exhibit at the gallery and in fact, have been doing so for thirty two years. Grades K-12 student work completely covered the walls while parents, relatives, and many community members join the young artists at the opening. It was a fabulous show and I was so glad to have the chance to attend.

One of the art works on display was created by Gavyn Leighton, a first grader from Wells Elementary School. His art teacher is Sandy Brennan.

New articles/information/$

In the last month I have received several articles that I am sharing below with you. Thank you to Don, Paula, Mary, and Michelle for sending them to me.

• From ASCD printed in The Times-Picayune (New Orleans) written by Bruce Nolan, New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts gets OK to pursue offering full-day program. A nearly 40-year-old arts program in New Orleans is seeking to become a full-day public high school where students can obtain a diploma. The New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts — which counts Harry Connick Jr. and Wynton Marsalis among its alumni — has long been providing instruction in music, writing and other arts fields to students who attend other schools in the area. After initial approval from Louisiana’s House Education Committee, officials are set to move forward with plans to add subjects such as math and science with a focus on the arts.
• MetLife Foundation: Partners in Arts Education Program                                    The MetLife Foundation Partners in Arts Education Program enhances arts learning in K-12 public schools by supporting exemplary community school/public school partnerships that serve large numbers of public school students during the school day; exemplify best practices in creating and sustaining effective partnerships; provide pedagogically sound arts education experiences; prioritize student learning and achievement; and address national, state, and/or local arts education standards. Maximum award: $20,000. Eligibility: organizations that are full members in good standing of the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts. Non-member organizations should submit a membership application and first-year dues payments at least one week prior to submitting an application. Must be located in certain cities — see application guidelines. Deadline: May 26, 2010.
  http://www.nationalguild.org/programs/partners.htm
• Article in The Seattle Times written by Susan Coliton and Patricia A. Wasley, April 18, 2010, Educating creative thinkers is good for the economy. The article illuminates the ties between the economy, innovation, and the imporantce of K-12 arts education in Washington schools, says Lisa Jaret of the Washington State Arts Commission. Recently the commission completed a report on arts education K-12 Arts Education: Every Student, Every School, Every Year. The report calls for an increased investment in arts education for all Washington students.
• From the Boston Globe When language is blocked, music may offer detour written by Carolyn Y. Johnson. The article discusses how music sometimes makes the pathway to the brain for autistic children.
• From the New Orleans Metro Education News, April 26, 2010, Arts credited for academic strides in Jefferson Parish schools written by Jenny Hurwitz. The program sited in the article is taught by a transdisciplinarian and artist who “uses art to connect with students and help them improve in subjects like reading, writing, math and science.”
• Read about artist Ann Weber and her amazing sculptures on Spark.

Cape Elizabeth students recognized for artwork

Colby's Lazy Dog

Two Cape Elizabeth Middle School students artwork has been selected from over 5,500 submissions nationwide to represent the state of Maine in the VSA and CVS Caremark All Kids Can…CREATE! exhibition State of the Art. The exhibition will debut at Washington, D.C.’s Union Station from May 24 – June 12, 2010 before beginning a two-year tour to children’s museums across the country.

The two students are Beck Hamlin, World of Chaos and Colby Shea-Perkins, Lazy Dog. Their art teacher is Marguerite Lawler-Rohner.

Beck's World of Chaos

Visiting the alewives

Years ago while visiting the Farnsworth Art Museum, the Director of Education welcomed my middle school students with a message I have always remembered. She said “think of the artwork that you see today as friends. Some of them you are meeting  for the first time and some of them will become old friends that you will want to come visit over and over.”

Part of the Mother’s Day tradition at my home is to go to Damariscotta Mills and see the alewives on their annual trip up river to spawn. Going there is similar to visiting artwork or listening to “Sweet Caroine”. Memories come rushing in, tears come to my eyes, and I am removed from the present moment in time and back there in the special moment.

It was great to have my younger son home this year to spend Mother’s Day with me. The alewife tradition consists of walking down on the landing and looking in the water for the fish. On Sunday seagulls overhead indicated that there were some and sure enough after walking around the small building that is in need of repair we saw some in the dark water. Up onto the wooden walkway to the bridge to the first of many small pools, we site more. It’s great to see the fish, we’re always rooting for them to make it up to the next level. After walking up the road to see the changes they’ve made to the fish ladder we headed back towards to the car but not before my favorite part. Pooh sticks on the bridge. Three sticks for each of us. We drop the first ones on the count of three, run to the other side of the road, hanging over the edge, waiting patiently for our sticks to come out the other side. One for Nicholas, 0 for me. Stick number 2 is dropped, same routine, three times. We end with a score of Nicholas 2, the mom 1.

As we walk back to the car I watch families with small children. I have to wonder if they are meeting new friends and making new traditions as they walk along hand in hand. Blue sky, sunshine, no bugs, saw some fish and ice cream for lunch… mmmmmm and more memories are made.

First community visit

G/T students w/ books, art and G/T teachers

Recently we announced the identified Imagination Intensive Communities (IIC). They are Arundel, York, Stonington/Deer Isle, Blue Hill, North Haven, and Camden-Rockport. Each community is being visited by a team during a four week time period.

The purposes of the site visits are to:

• celebrate what a specific community has achieved on behalf of its young people
• to identify the unique strategies each community has developed and
• to share that information with other communities throughout the state

Volunteer who works with gr 1 students teaching French Impressionists

Our goal is to share these strategies and reflections widely and in ways that change the experience of young people across the state.

I had the privilege of participating in the visit to York last week. It was a marvelous day, over and over I was WOWED but the incredible work they are doing to insure the success of each student. I had a chance to visit with the high school and learn more about the art, music and drama offerings. Rob Westerberg was actually moving into the new music wing that day where classes happened this week for the first time. Very exciting!

York identified four pathways as part of the IIC identification:

• The Arts, Literacy and Technology
• Career Exploration
• Service Learning
• Volunteer and Mentor Opportunity

Gary Phipps and Beth Nowers, YHS art teachers

Each area provides numerous opportunities for students in York to be successful. It was a delight to hear the stories from community members and the impact not only they make on students but the ways in which students impact their lives and programs.

You can learn more about York’s pathways and outstanding programs by clicking here.

The project is being conducted by the Maine Alliance for Arts Education and the Maine Department of Education. The project is supported in part by a grant from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The Betterment Foundation and the Maine Arts Commission supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Grant available to help with two National Board certification activities

Through support from both the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and the Maine Education Association, grants are immediately available for Maine school professionals who would like to pursue either full National Board Certification or the Take One!  process.

The full certification process consists of four, classroom based portfolio components and six, on-line assessments.  Teachers interested in this process must be fully certified and have at least three years professional teaching experience. The cost of the full process is $2500. Grants in the amount of $1250 are currently available on a first come first serve basis.  To be eligible, teachers must visit http://www.nbpts.org and become a candidate. Teachers or their districts must pay the non-refundable $65 registration fee and the non-refundable $500 initial fee.  Once teachers have done this, they need to visit http://www.maine.gov/education/cert/nbpts.html , complete the subsidy agreement form and forward it to Ellen Holmes following the directions on the bottom of the form.

The Take One!  National Board process is a great way for principals, new teachers, and experienced teachers to use the National Board Certification process to build the skills required within a staff for collaborative learning communities. Take One!  requires the completion of one classroom based, video supported portfolio entry. Successful completion and receipt of a score meeting the minimum requirements, allows the candidate to “bank” this entry for up to two years toward the full certification process described above.  The cost of the Take One process is $395. Full grants are currently available for the full fee on a first come first serve basis.  To be eligible for this process, teachers or principals must contact Ellen Holmes at Ellen.holmes@maine.gov or eholmes@nea.org  to register. Preference will be given to teams of at least five within a school district.  Each team will receive support from at least one fully trained candidate support provider who is a National Board Certified teacher.

Both National Board Certification and Take One! are rigorous, research-based professional development opportunities and are part of a national effort to reach goals established by the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future. Both programs may be funded through Title I, Title II, ARRA, SIG, and CIPS funding. National Board Certification is one of the highest honors that is bestowed by the teaching profession and is a symbol of commitment to accomplished teaching. Those who wish to learn more about the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, the National Board Certification process and the Take One! process should visit the NBPTS web site http://www.nbpts.org.

For more information please contact Ellen Holmes at:
Email: eholmes@nea.org, Voicemail: 207-660-5589