Monday, January 15, 2007
Theater organization helping school
PS 31, once tapped by the state for improvement, moves forward with aid of Sundog Theatre
Principal Patricia Covington (l), and Artist Ryan McGivern flank students and their artwork honoring Staten Island naturalist William T. Davis
Sundog Theatre, a Staten Island theater and arts-in-education organization, is teaming up with PS 31 in New Brighton to bring arts into the classroom, as part of the school's to improve curriculum and motive students to succeed.
To this end, the school has brought a number of Sundog arts education programs into the school for grades kindergarten through five.
One of the programs, "Children Around the World," gives first, second, and third graders the chance to sing music and create art from places such as Africa, China, Latin America, and the United States. Students also make music with self-made instruments from around the world as well as learn dances from Ireland, Africa, and Native America.
Local teaching artist Emily Ellison infuses enthusiasm into the program that exposes children to the world without leaving their classroom. In a recent classroom lesson, for example, children learned about rhythm and patterns (part of their math lessons) and made African drums.
An enrichment program is taught by professional Sundog visual artist and Staten Island resident Ryan McGivern, who is working with fourth and fifth graders to illustrate the school's 'Book of the Month"; selections that each student and his or her family reads and discusses at home and in the classroom.
Students began with Island naturalist, William T. Davis, the school's namesake. They made a three-dimensional topographical map of the borough, using several art mediums. According to Ms McGivern, the project, which ties in with the students' reading, literacy, social studies and science lessons, helps them understand, appreciate and notice their Island environment through various art mediums.
Students take note of what is around them--weather, plants, animals, and insects--and translate these details into art on the map. They also draw pictures of plants and animals found on the Island. The students' artwork is mounted and hung the throughout the school in gallery fashion. At the end of the year, students each will have a portfolio of work compiled from their classes.
"The children are learning how to draw and capture what they see onto paper. Their artwork has grown so much since they began the program, and many of them now have the confidence that allows them to begin developing their own styles," she said.
Continuing a program that Sundog began at the school last year pairs actor/playwright Greg Senf and Island musician/singer Jeannine Otis -- both professionals in their industries --with fourth and fifth grade students to learn stage, theater, and musical techniques, interspersed with their social studies lessons. They recently performed a musical play they wrote about the Civil War. Since the performances coincided with the holiday season, they titled the play "General Scrooge's Christmas Visitors." It incorporated characters from "A Christmas Carol" with the Civil War, making General Scrooge a bitter war veteran who is visited by fallen soldiers and relatives. At the end of the play he sees the light. Christmas carols are interspersed throughout.
With a grant from COAHSI, the Council on the Arts and Humanities of Staten Island, costumer and teacher Patty Punch provided period costumes worn by students. Through the grant, children also will visit Island establishments such as the Sandy Ground Historical Society, the Staten Island Institute for Arts and Sciences, and Fort Wadsworth, to learn more about the Civil War.
The partnership with Sundog Theatre is one of several innovative programs PS 31 Principal Patricia Covington brought to the school since she arrived four years ago.
When she arrived the small school was on the New York State Education Department's SURR list of academically-failing and problem schools. Within two years PS 31 had improved enough to be removed from the state list.
"When I came on board, failure was not an option," said Ms. Covington. Since then, she has made sure students have every opportunity to do well.
"Sundog Theatre is part of our success mission,"she explained. "We are arts partners in the truest sense of the word." Ms. Covington also points out other strides the school has made.
For the first time this year enrollment was up by more than 100 students.
In 2005, PS 31 was one of only three elementary schools on the Island to house classes for gifted and talented students, through a program called SAGE 31. The program is open to any Island student who qualifies. After a rocky start, when it was hard to get parents to send their children to a re-developing neighborhood, the program has been so successful that it now has a waiting list.
Ms. Covington also instituted an "open-door policy" designed to encourage community members to visit the school to see what the students are accomplishing and how academics and the arts are linked.
The PS 31 school motto,"It Takes a Village", which Ms. Covington set when she arrived, has proven itself as she enlists the school, its parents, the children, and community organizations to boost students' success.
Diane Lore writes about schools and education for the Advance. Contact her at lore@siadvance.com. Chalk Talk appears each Monday during the school year in the news pages of the Advance. © 2007 Staten Island Advance © 2007 SILive.com All Rights Reserved.
