Dear Parents,
Here at Crossroads our motto is Strong Minds, Kind Hearts. But that doesn’t really capture everything that makes this school so special, does it? As I think about the role of the arts in our program, I think about how they fall into both categories. They support the development of both strong minds and kind hearts, but they also do so much more.
Art, whether performing or visual, is always in a context. When we learn about art we experience culture, history, and often strong emotions. When practicing the arts, we hone our fine and gross motor skills, we learn how to integrate parts to whole, we notice patterns in new ways, and we experience the joy of creativity. We learn how to “see” things differently. Often too, we learn how to lead, how to follow, and how to pay attention to the smallest of cues.
When I returned from break, I found that Ms. Nadeau had created two colorful displays of student art in the hallway outside of my office. With her signature creative flair, Tina taught about hot and cool colors and then for a fun, memorable twist, she had the kindergarten students use watercolors and markers to create “hot dogs and cool cats.” At the other end of the spectrum, seventh graders demonstrated their understanding of parts to whole, symmetry, and the complexities of the human face as they created life size versions of themselves, but in the style of large-scale muralist Chuck Close.
Meanwhile, in the area of performing arts, our first graders, under the care of Ms. O’Leary, have been learning how to conduct an orchestra. I could imagine one of them being in charge of the BSO at some point in the future! Under the guidance and creativity of Ms. Gardner, our Middle School thespians are in the midst of Production Week, only this time it looks very different. Student-led dances are practiced in masks, singing happens in isolation, and student editors are learning how to pull it all together through editing. Feedback flows back and forth between students. They adjust, try it again, laugh, (sometimes to the point where they fall over), and start again. Imagine the skills they are learning as they participate in these exercises! It’s everything from how to interact with an audience to how to be a part of a choreographed dance, to how to improvise when things go south. What a wonderful foundation they are building for life beyond Crossroads. How I wish I could have gone to this school when I was a child. But yes, lucky me. I get to be here with your children every day.
Cheers,
Jean
