Arts Alive

At this month's board meeting, the Camden and Rockport communities and public schools were formally presented with the award as an Imagination Intensive Arts Community. This was quite an honor, and it was well deserved. Arts are alive and well in our local schools and community. It is a part of our heritage, and is actively sustained by the community, both those who have lived here for years and those who have recently arrived. At the middle school, arts are also thriving. We have an excellent art program that is a regular part of our curriculum- all students participate in an art class each year. In addition, we have a Gifted and Talented Art program that focuses on a different theme at each grade level (color, movement, drama). A local volunteer organization, Youth Arts, also supports a variety of art projects that are integrated into the regular curriculum, whether it be math, language arts, or music. For instance, this year, Youth Arts supported a project with our chorus program to record a holiday CD. Students learned about sound recording, mixing, and editing. Of course, they were also the singers! Another Youth Arts project this year is a major mosaic installation that any student can choose to participate in. Students are working with artists, parents, and the art teacher to create a 20' x 5' mosaic, inspired by the art of Eric Hopkins, that will be installed in the cafeteria when it is finished. We are lucky indeed to have so many resources to provide a wonderful arts education to our students. It is something that is valued and reflected in our school and community.