Our+Visit+to+Ashley+River+Elementary+School,+Charleston+SC

//**Thursday, May 22nd, 2014**//
//~ M. Holly Nowak, Program Director at Erie Arts & Culture//

Today we spent the day at Ashley River Elementary School (http://ashleyriver.ccsdschools.com/) with our hosts Catherine Middleton, Principal and Curtis Pelham, Vice-Principal. It was AMAZING!!

Our group; Holly Nowak, Delta Zahniser, Cecily Bailey, Tamara Clark, Diana Hotchkiss, Joyce Miller, Saihou Njie, Jude Shingle and Brad Dutchcot met with Mrs. Middleton who shared the Ashley River Elementary philosophy, vision and curriculum. We then were invited to explore the school and visit the classrooms to see arts infusion happening live! The teachers and students welcomed us into their classrooms and proudly showed us what they were learning and teaching.

Over lunch we asked questions about what we saw that morning and shared stories about our experiences that morning. We were joined by Robyn Berlinsky, Executive Director of Engaging Creative Minds (https://engagingcreativeminds.org/), who shared her story with us and how the goal of Engaging Creative Minds is to inspire students to become imaginative, adaptable and productive adults as they learn and explore the arts with teaching artists in their community.

After lunch the 4th and 5th grade students presented their work in a culminating performance, which included dance, music, choral performance, poetry and a short play. Wow! The students were focused, energized and confident in their delivery on the stage in front of an audience. We could clearly see the difference in these children compared to those who are not exposed to these experiences early in life.

We can only begin to share our thoughts and experiences from this trip with you but we hope that through our photos, videos and reflections you too will begin to understand and feel what it truly means to be an Arts Infused school like Ashley River Elementary School.

// **Field Trip to C.E. Williams Middle School, Charleston SC** //

//Friday, May 23rd, 2014//
On Friday our team met Mr. Kevin Smith, Principal of C.E. Williams Middle School, http://williams.ccsdschools.com/, in Charleston South Carolina. Mr. Smith was a gracious host and shared with us the background of his middle school and his goals to move the school into Arts Infusion.

This is only Mr. Smith's second year as principal but he has a clear vision for his students and teachers. During our meeting and tour of the school we learned that C.E. Williams Middle School has an art teacher, a chorus teacher, a band teacher, a creative writing teacher, a dance teacher and a theater teacher! And the students choose two of these classes a semester as their art 'encore' classes and participate in them each day in addition to their 'core' classes. Wow! Art classes **//Everyday//**.

The students are also engaged with their community and participate in workshops with representatives from Google, as well as competitions in Lego Robotics and SeaPerch (http://www.seaperch.org/index). The C.E. Williams school is also moving from STEM to STEAM. Last year they began a partnership with Engaging Creative Minds, Robin Berlinsky, Executive Director ( http://engagingcreativeminds.org/) and together they will build arts infusion in the school.


 * Hear, and see, what our Arts Infusion Research Team documented during our visit: **

//Joyce Ann Miller, Ph.D.//
 * KeyStone Research Corporation (KSRC) **

//Tamara Clark, Principal of West End Elementary//
 * Crawford Central School District, Meadville PA **

//Diana Hotchkiss, 6th grade Teacher at West End Elementary//

//Delta Zahniser, Principal of First District Elementary//

//Cecily Bailey, Reading Specialist at First District Elementary// These are the videos I taped of the two principals while we were in Charleston, SC.

//Brad Dutchcot, Technology Support Teacher at Cambridge Springs Elementary//
 * Penncrest School District, Cambridge Springs PA **

//Saihou Njie//
 * Erie Arts & Culture Teaching Artists **

//Jude Shingle//