Any Given Child Update

Spring 2017

Ensuring the Arts for Any Given Child is a community partnership with the Iowa City Community School District and local arts organizations and businesses to provide equity in K-8 arts opportunities and increase the number and variety of student experiences. To sustain and provide more arts programming for every student, please consider support, volunteering, or sharing this with friends! Student arts opportunities and activities this trimester include:

MC Ginsberg Artist Teaches Math in Music Production

Henry Cardenas, MC Ginsberg Artist in Residence, has had a busy year! While working towards his elementary education degree at UI and as a sound engineer at Hancher, Mr. Cardenas presented his music production lessons to every 5th grader through the Artist in Residence program. His lessons of using math concepts to create electric music production tracks have been applauded both locally and nationally. Mr. Cardenas shared his ideas with ICCSD general music teachers during their professional development in March. He has also been asked by the Kennedy Center to apply for its "Changing Education Thru Arts" program to prepare to teach his lessons to other teachers. CETA trains teachers in arts integration strategies.

A Press Citizen feature on the MC Ginsberg program details the interest students have had in this experience. Students find immediate success with professional sounding music tracks that leave students smiling and moving their heads to peers' music. Students use patterns, decimals, fractions, and layers to create their programs. More in a story from the Gazette shows Mr. Cardenas demonstrating how a musician must use math to achieve results. Thanks to MC Ginsberg Objects of Art and parent organizations for funding this opportunity!

Arts Integration is an

APPROACH to TEACHING

in which students construct and demonstrate

UNDERSTANDING through an ART FORM.

Students engage in a CREATIVE PROCESS

which CONNECTS an art form and

another subject area and

meets EVOLVING OBJECTIVES in both.

Disco Intervention Gets All Junior High Students Grooving!

To provide increased and varied arts experiences for junior high students, Disco Intervention was offered during 42 PE classes, reaching over 2,100 students! With funding provided by the HAVlife Foundation, this long-standing dance program in the Iowa City area is taught by its founder Ace Ava and Nora Garda, and made its way to each and every 7th and 8th grader. The purpose of these "interventions" is to make the art of dancing accessible to a general population. Disco Interventions gives those with no formal dance training the surprising information that they can dance, and they can learn quickly. The absurdity of Disco allows an exaggerated performance that engages participants to act silly instead of feeling silly. Scheduled during PE class, classroom teachers and administrators joined in the fun.

Symphony Goes to School for 4th Graders at UI School of Music

During school year 2017-18, district 4th graders will travel to the newly opened Voxman Building, which serves as the UI School of Music. In seeking to build a partnership with the university and its fine arts departments, 4th graders will experience the UI Symphony Orchestra as part of the 4th grade symphony orchestra experience. Students will discover in Voxman a resource of outstanding, almost always free of charge, performances available to the community consistently throughout the school year. Voxman offers free concerts of student, faculty, and guest performers. Symphony Goes to School for 4th graders will offer engaging music and an opportunity for students to feel the excitement of the UI campus!

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Ms. Cox's Art Class at Mann

Kindergartners enjoying a class of watercolors, medallions made with imprints from their sneakers, and other creative materials

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Ms. Ogilivie's General Music Class at Wood

6th graders prepare for a school performance

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Dr. Arnone's Art Class at SEJRHS

7th graders created stories to accompany their works displayed

Thank You to ICCSD Visual Art, General and Performance Music Teachers!

As Any Given Child allows networking with Any Given Child communities around the country, our team was reminded how fortunate we are to have creative, talented, dedicated fine arts teachers. These artists and musicians not only teach and share their art form to its highest artistic level, they connect their subject areas with other curricular content, showing how the arts are woven into every part of our day. In fostering a creative discipline that goes with the pursuit of each project or piece, the fine arts allow students to think uniquely and practice problem solving. The fine arts bring students together to achieve a common goal. The learning is in the doing. Practicing diligence, acceptance, and a respect for the craft; there is no substitute for the arts. Thank you, Fine Arts Teachers, for the work you do day in and out.

Readers Theatre Professional Development for ICCSD Teachers

In continuing to offer arts integration training, ICCSD Teachers Grades 3 and older have the opportunity to learn arts integration skills, specifically using readers theatre. Offered in part by the Kennedy Center, Dr. Rosalind Flynn will teach "Dramatizing the Content Curriculum Based Readers Theatre" on June 7, 2017 from 8:00-3:00 at the ESC. This workshop's activities involve teachers in the planning, writing, rehearsing, staging, and assessing of Curriculum-Based Readers Theatre scripts. The focus? Creating and presenting a short script that fulfills a dual purpose--it must inform about a curriculum topic and entertain an audience! Register here!

This workshop was developed in association with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and is partially underwritten by the U.S. Dept. of Education and the National Committee for the Performing Arts.

Administrator Survey Demonstrates Valuing of Arts

A recent survey of ICCSD K-8 principals showed 100% agree or strongly agree "arts education is a personal priority." Principals agree to the statement, "I believe participation in the arts has an impact on students' education with regards to participation, self motivation, attendance, and self esteem. 86% responded "a great deal" as to the value of the arts in child development and value of the arts in a balanced (well-rounded) curriculum for all students.