today in the CSS wood shop...

Today, the first, 2nd and third grade students practiced their wood carving skills, and made tops. The 7th, 8th and 9th grade students met me at the library to attach tags to the tulip poplar tree at the library, correlating its rings with major events in city history.

The following is a public announcement.

The integration of arts in Education

All artists and educators, and those who see the value of the arts in education are invited to attend a presentation on the integration of the arts in schooling at the UU Fellowship 33 Elk St. Eureka Springs, Sunday, October 14, 1:30 PM. Paul Leopoulos, founder of the Thea Foundation will introduce A+ Schools, a program started in North Carolina which purposefully integrates the arts in education to improve academic standards and energize learning.

Year after year Eureka Springs has been named one of the top 25 arts destinations in America, and now with addition of Crystal Bridges Museum in our neighborhood, the importance of the arts in Eureka will no doubt continue to grow. We have more professional and semi-professional artists here than in any other small city in America. We also have some good schools that do their best to conform to state and national standards.

But as a community in which the arts have such importance, are we all that we can be in education? As good as our schools may be, is there not still room for vast improvement?

Research has shown that students engaged in the arts perform at a higher academic standard. What if we were to apply the artistic resources available in our community to the education of our kids and have schools that truly reflect our national standing in the arts? Knowing more about A+ Schools in Arkansas might be the best place to start.

If you care for the arts, and care for education, please attend.

The elements of design consist of a set of conceptual tools that assist artists in the development of meaningful work, and should be even more meaningful to teachers who realize that engagement of the senses is the most effective tool of education. Points, Lines, Planes, Shapes, Focal point, Scale, Texture, Value, Color, and Space are descriptive of things you can sense with eyes, ears and hands. This should not be hard for any but the most obtuse to understand. If we are to teach children well, we must use their senses to gain their most thorough and lasting attention.

Make, fix and create...