Posts Tagged ‘Augusta’

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In Today’s News

April 9, 2016

Students urge Maine lawmakers

Christopher Cousins wrote this article for the Bangor Daily News, March 24, 2016.

AUGUSTA, Maine — Students and arts educators from across Maine crowded the State House on Thursday to try to convince lawmakers that art education in public schools is important.

The students and teachers started the day with the Lake Region High School band and chorus performing the National Anthem in the House and continued with a concerted lobbying effort in the Hall of Flags.

Maeve Porter Holliday and Maggie Ruff, both seniors at Casco Bay High School in Portland, spent the morning standing outside the House of Representatives with signs that read “Erik Jorgensen.”

Jorgensen, a Democrat from Portland, is their state representative. They said they wanted to urge him to support art education as a “fundamental right,” not an elective.

The article is located at https://bangordailynews.com/2016/03/24/living/students-urge-maine-lawmakers-to-support-art-education/.

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Viles Arboretum

March 7, 2015

Special opportunity for art teachers and their students

Screen Shot 2015-02-26 at 5.52.12 PMNOTICE: This is early notice that once again the Viles Arboretum in Augusta, in farrington#23conjunction with its Sculpture Symposium, will offer five weekday interactive opportunities for the first five teachers who contact us. There is no charge for participation. All you need to do is arrange on your end for transportation to our location in Augusta, Maine.

THE OPPORTUNITY: Interact with 12 nationally known artists. Ask questions. Observe technique. Learn how raw stone is made into art. Understand where each artist’s inspiration comes from. Learn how each artist became an artist.

STAY TUNED: We are also hoping to couple each class visit with a soft stone workshop where each student will have the opportunity to create his/her own art piece. These will be exhibited during the closing reception and students will be able to invite their family and friends to the reception to see the art they created and share the world of art they have discovered here at the Viles Arboretum.

SYMPOSIUM DATES AVAILABLE FOR SCHOOL GROUPS: September 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18

CALL OR E-MAIL VILES ARBORETUM TO RESERVE A PLACE FOR YOUR ART CLASS. 626-7989 OR INFO@VILESARBORETUM.ORG

 

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MAAI at the State House

October 13, 2014

What a day!

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MAAI group Oct10Friday was a great opportunity for the Teacher Leaders from the Maine Arts Assessment Initiative (MAAI) to present their workshops as a “dry run” to critical friends. Fifty-eight educators traveled from all parts of Maine to participate in the day. Eighteen workshops were presented in 6 different groups to the critical friends, held in the State House and the Cross Office Building. Teachers bring students on field trips to the State House but it is not often that a group of teachers attend an all-day event there. As compared to when the legislature is in session, it was fairly quiet but that doesn’t take away from the beauty of the Capitol. The first session of the Maine Legislature was held in Maine’s State Capitol on January 4, 1832. As many of you know the dome is presently undergoing renovations and the new copper is gleaming and a site to behold with the changing of the leaves.

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We gathered in the beautiful space used by the Council Chamber which I am certain never held that many educators. The Chamber is a segment of State Government of the leadership, a small group that is led by the President of the Senate rotating with the Speaker of the House, to make decisions that impact the entire body of the legislature. Each of the six groups participated in two morning workshops that were held where some of the Maine State Government does their daily business, the Burton Cross Office building. The groups gathered for lunch back in the State House and USMs faculty member and MAAI leadership team member Jeff Beaudry shared the findings of the survey that many of you participated in during the last week on Proficiency and  Teacher Effectiveness. (I will post the info in another blog post).

Molly Ockett Middle School Visual Art teacher Samantha Davis presents her workshop to critical friends

Molly Ockett Middle School Visual Art teacher Samantha Davis presents her workshop to critical friends

 

Marshwood Middle School art teacher and Teacher Leader Amy Cousins participating in Teaching Artist Randy Fein's workshop using clay.

Marshwood Middle School art teacher and Teacher Leader Amy Cousins participating in Teaching Artist Randy Fein’s workshop using clay.

 

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Raymond Elementary School music teacher and veteran MAAI Teacher Leader Patti Gordan assists Ellsworth Elementary Middle School music teacher and new Teacher Leader Frances Kellogg with her workshop.

In the afternoon the groups participated in one more workshop and gathered for the wrap-up where the group facilitators provided an overview of what took place in their groups. Phase 4 music Teacher Leaders Kate Smith and Cynthia Keating lead us in song called “We Are One” and adapted for MAAI. It was a worthwhile day for all involved. The Teacher Leaders will tweak their workshops to ready them for the Mega-regional workshops being presented in five locations this year (listed below). Registration will be available soon if you are interested and able to attend please mark your calendars!

USM faculty and MAAI Leadership team member Jeff Beaudry shares the data recently collected from the survey all Maine arts educators were invited to participate in.

USM faculty and MAAI Leadership team member Jeff Beaudry shares the data recently collected from the survey all Maine arts educators were invited to participate in.

A GREAT BIG THANK YOU to the critical friends who participated in the day!

Mega-regional workshops 2014-15 school year

  • Tuesday, November 25 Mount Desert Island High School
  • Friday, March 6 Aroostook county
  • Friday, March 13 Oxford Hills Middle School South Campus
  • Thursday, April 2 UMaine, Orono
  • Friday, April 3 University of Southern Maine, Portland
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Critical Friends participate in movement workshop led by Teaching Artist John Morris in the rotunda in the State House while former Governor John Baldacci looks on.

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MAAI Leadership Team member Catherine Ring provides an overview from her groups workshops.

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Wrap up on Critical Friend Day at the State House.

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New teacher leaders and music teachers Kate Smith, Central Elementary School and Cynthia Keating, Village Elementary School lead the group in song.

 

Posted in assessment, Communication, Creativity, Curriculum and Instruction, Dance, Food for thought, Leadership, Music, Opportunity, Professional Development, Technology, Visual Arts, VPA | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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Viles Arboretum Art Symposium

June 5, 2014

Invitation to Maine Art Teachers and Students for a unique opportunity

SS71The Viles Arboretum is pleased to extend an invitation to all elementary, middle and high school art teachers to sign up for a unique learning opportunity to be held at the Arboretum in Augusta from September 12 – 21, 2014. We will be holding the first Viles Arboretum Art Symposium on our grounds with eight nationally known artists creating stone sculptures from start to finish. The theme will be nature inspired art. During the week days, we will have five very special opportunities for Maine schools to participate in a private audience with one of the artists and to learn first-hand about the artists’ background, involvement in art, source of inspiration, and much more. In addition to this, each field trip class will be able to meet the other artists, ask questions and observe the various techniques for taking raw stone and turning it into a piece of beautiful art. There is no cost to participate. You just have to schedule your bus and students. Staff at the Arboretum will work with you to be sure all the opportunities you wish to create for your students are available. Please call the Arboretum at 626-7989 for more details or to schedule your group.

SS310The Viles Arboretum is centrally located in Augusta, Maine on 224 acres of fields, forests, wetlands and with botanical collections from around the world. We offer an ever-changing selection of inspirational exhibits, educational and practical programs for the general public and for schools. We focus on interactive, creative and hands-on teaching with a focus on botany and natural history. Our goal is to unlock everyone’s natural ability to understand the nature of our world through your own eyes and by using your own intellect.

We strive to make our 224 acres of fields, forests and wetlands, play a key role in contributing to the quality of life for Maine citizens and visitors from every corner of the world. Our presence contributes significantly to the quality of life in and around Augusta and beyond and our newly installed Art Trail presents the largest publicly accessible display of outdoor art sculpture in Maine.

You can learn more about the Arboretum and its programs, or how to become more involved by checking our website at www.vilesarboretum.org, checking our Facebook page or simply by stopping in or calling us at 626-7989.

Your school can apply for the Maine Arts Commission Ticket to Ride funding to use for this opportunity. Please click here to  learn more and download the application. The process is fairly simple and there is a quick turn-around once the application is submitted.

 

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Honoring Teachers

May 31, 2012

Two stories

I just love getting emails from people that describe special events honoring Maine arts educators. I just had to share what is going on in our state next week at music performances. If you have a similar story I hope you will share it with me!

DWIGHT TIBBETTS, Augusta music educator, LAST CONCERT

Dwight’s last concert is June 4th 1:30 for the school and 7:00 PM for the parents at Cony with the Middle School Band. They are filming the concert on local Cable. Every other year Dwight takes the band to Washington DC. The Spring concert is a non-stop narration, slides and music by the band, chorus and piano of their trip. It also will include words from Senator Katz (once a Cony Band Student) as well as the State Color Guard posting the flags to open our event. The local newspapers will be there and the art department is displaying patriotic work. The students each kept a journal during the trip. A winning essay will be read as well as a winning photo contest. CONGRATULATIONS DWIGHT!


ROSE WHITE, Mattanawcook Junior High music educator, LAST CONCERT

Paul Sullivan To Be Featured Artist at Mattanawcook Junior High School Spring Band Concert

Paul Sullivan, Grammy award-winning Maine composer and pianist, will help celebrate the retirement of Rose White at her final spring band concert, next Tuesday at Mattanawcook Junior High School.  Mr. Sullivan will be sharing his talents with the Jazz Band and Concert Band. “Spring Peepers,” from his CD “Nights in the Gardens of Maine,” has been specially arranged by Mrs. White for cello, clarinet and piano.  The jazz band will perform “Volunteer Squash” from the same CD, also arranged by Mrs. White, and will feature Mr. Sullivan’s incredible jazz piano skills. You will also have the pleasure of hearing Paul Sullivan perform his original musical compositions on solo piano. His warm and inviting personality, coupled with his world-class musicianship, wins over new listeners immediately and usually makes them life-long fans. He received a Grammy Award for his work on the Paul Winter Consort CD, “Silver Solstice”. His thirteen CDs have sold over 300,000 copies. Paul and his family live on the coast of Maine.

Mrs. White is honored to be conducting her final Mattanawcook Junior High School band and jazz band concert with more than fifty of her former students joining the program as alumni to take part in one final night of outstanding music. Mrs. White has been teaching instrumental music in Lincoln for the past thirty years, after graduating from the Hartt School of Music and the University of Hartford, Connecticut, and teaching music for four years in Oxford, MA. She makes her home and will retire in Lincoln, where she raised two wonderful boys with her husband, Thomas White, earned a shelf full of trophies at regional and state competitions and more importantly, shared the gift of her music with thousands of children in our district. The concert will be on Tuesday, June 5, at 7:00 P.M. in the Mattanawcook Junior High Gymnasium in Lincoln, Maine.

I had the honor of visiting both of these teachers in their classrooms. Phenomenal music educators taking their last bow in the “classroom”!

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