Rowan-Salisbury Schools - Renewal School System Series
Arts Integrated- Why We Chose A+
This school year, China Grove
Elementary will open its doors as
an A+ School of NC. We join sixty
other schools in the State of NC
with this designation. A+ Schools
use the arts to transform education
by integrating arts into other
subject areas and other subject
areas into the arts. Our process to
become an A+ School took over a
year and is just the beginning of our
school transformation.
In July, almost all of our certified
staff members went to a week-
long professional development
opportunity to help us learn how to
integrate arts across grade levels
and disciplines. We learned a lot
about curriculum and the arts, but
we learned even more about each
other. We are excited about the
beginning of this school year and
our journey.
China Grove Elementary was one
of the original Restart Schools
in Rowan County. We chose arts
integration because of what it
would provide students and how
it brought important elements to
the forefront in our school. The
arts are universal; they exist in
every civilization and culture from
the beginning of time. How can
we educate our students without
teaching them about the arts? How
can our students go through life
without music or dance or art? We
would argue you cannot.
The arts require students to be critical thinkers, to be actively
engaged, to be collaborative, and to be creative. These are skills
that employers look for in potential candidates. Our students
live in a world where there are many solutions to a problem
and working with others is embedded in almost any situation
or task. The arts will give our students exposure to experiences
and activities they would not otherwise have. For instance, all
our students will receive instruction, in dance each week this
school year, and students will take field trips to experience the
arts. We hope to add other opportunities such as learning to
play the piano in a piano lab.
Over the past year and a half, our teachers have visited at least
four different A+ Schools, we have presented arts integrated
lessons to each other, and our school leadership teams have
discussed the benefits and the roadblocks we could potentially
face. We implemented a special elective program for our
students in grades 2-5 where they can choose something they are interested
in learning more about with many of the offerings being in the arts realm.
Sue Park
Educational Consultant
After School Tutoring
Dyslexia Screening
Private Tutoring
4 • Sept/Oct 2018• Parent Teacher Magazine
As all the schools in
our school system
begin their own
journey, teachers will
spend time looking at
their school’s strengths and weaknesses. They will brainstorm and research
ways to meet learner needs and to develop their passions. At China Grove
Elementary, we know that what we do this next school year is just the
beginning. We are still at the beginning of our journey, and we have much
more to learn and accomplish in the arts integration arena. We are most
appreciative of the opportunity we have to transform our school, and our goal
is to provide each of our students an opportunity to learn, grow, be creative,
and to enjoy the arts.
“There are no mistakes, just happy accidents.” – Bob Ross
LLC
315 N. Main St., Suite 3
Salisbury, NC 28144
[email protected]
What does arts integration really
mean? I can tell you that it doesn’t
mean that our students will spend
all day in coloring books or dancing.
It does mean that our students will
use crayons, markers, paints, and
colored pencils to create products
that show their understanding
of a reading or math standard.
Students may create a movement
set to show a historical
event, they may use
a piece of music to
describe the mood
or theme of a story,
or they might even
use clay to represent
the plant life cycle.
Students will learn to
critique their own work
as well as how to offer
and accept feedback.
Ultimately, we hope
and believe this will
bring more joy and
excitement back into
the school building!
Office: 704-754-5625
Cell: 704-239-3863
www.theparkacademy.com
For more information about A+ Schools, please visit https://aplus-schools.
ncdcr.gov/
Lea Anne Thomas, Principal – China Grove Elementary
Rowan-Salisbury Schools