It has been a very "artsy" week at H.E. Bonner Elementary...
All grade levels have spent time with seven visiting artists in residence to incorporate the arts into their learning. One artist worked with each of the school's grade levels, from pre-kindergarten all they up through fifth grade.
Pre-Kindergarten and CERDEP students worked with Bailey Mann, the Manager of Learning and engagement at Spoleto Festival USA; she used theatre to support their learning objectives in class. Bhakti Larry Hough is a multidisciplinary performing and teaching artist and modern-day griot who taught kindergarten students all about African drumming. Gina Bean, a mixed media and photography artist, led first graders in creating three-dimensional plants. Becky Becker of Becky's Box of Puppets worked with second graders, who read the story "Stone Soup" and then got to perform with puppets.
In the upper grade levels, the third graders received a visit from former Pixar employee Quintin Chaplin, who guided students in creating story boards and animation. A West African Dance and Drum group called Libation created quite a stir with the fourth graders, who very much enjoyed the music and dancing. Cat Brantley taught fifth graders about indigo dying; Brantley is a Charleston-based artist, visual arts teacher and mindfulness teacher.
On Jan. 30, families gathered at the school for a Learning Through the Arts event, when the school shared all the ways its students learn through the arts.
The visits were made possible with Distinguished Arts Program (DAP) grant money and Boosterthon fundraising efforts.