Before school even began this August, artists were painting, planning, and preparing their presentations for the 2200+ students in the Batesville Community School Corporation, St. Louis School, and Oldenburg Academy. An eclectic group of artists, actors, potters, vocalists, dancers, and an astronomer visited with students this fall. Teachers integrated these performances and presentations into the classroom to enhance the core curriculum. The BAAC is privileged to sponsor another year of Arts in Education. Our students' exposure to arts educational experiences has remarkable impacts on their academic, social, and emotional outcomes.1
Batesville Primary School, August 2023
Library Mural
Artist: Nekoda Witsken of Hue Murals
When the students of Batesville Primary School returned to school in August, they were greeted by a fantastic new mural in their library. Last spring, students participated in a mural study during library class where they learned about murals and virtually met artist Nekoda Whitsken of Hue Murals. The primary students also learned about native Indiana flowers and made the connection of bringing the outdoors inside and assisted in developing a nature themed mural. Finally, students created their own mural designs using the Tayasui Sketches School app. The artist visited BPS over the summer to paint the mural with spray paint.
Batesville Primary School, September 2023
Performance of "Velveteen Rabbit"
Artist: Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park
During this event, BPS students traveled to the BHS auditorium to watch a play professionally produced by Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. There were two actors on stage with one stage manager behind the scenes running the sound. They brought in a portable, yet professional looking set along with their own sound equipment. The play itself lasted about 50 minutes with a ten minute question and answer session at the end. The play did not follow the events of the classic book exactly and instead provided an alternative interpretation of the story. This made comparing and contrasting the story students read in class to the play more interesting.
Batesville Primary School, September 2023
Hands-on Pottery Experience
Artist: Elisha Frazier of Elm Tree Pottery
Second grade students at BPS each made their own pottery with pottery artist, Elisha Frazier. Students are amazed and mesmerized by the pottery wheel and this is an experience they will remember for a lifetime!
BPS also hosted a pottery night for the public to have a chance on the wheel as well. Students are able to take their pottery pieces home as a keepsake of this experience.
Batesville Middle School, October 2023
Vocal Performance
Artist: The Cheezies, a subsidiary of Miami University Men's Glee Club
Batesville Middle School students in all grades came to the gymnasium during their advisory time to enjoy an upbeat performance by the 14-member ensemble known as “The Cheezies”, a subsidiary of the larger Miami Men’s Glee Club . This male ensemble sang a collection of pop medleys, barbershop style tunes, folk songs, and a cappella tunes.
St. Louis, November 2023
Dance Workshop and Cultural Learning
Artist: Mayra Adams, Latin American Dancer
Over the course of three Friday workshops, Zumba instructor Mayra Adams taught a Latin American dance workshop to K-8 students at St. Louis School. She began each workshop with background information on her home country, the Dominican Republic, and how important the merengue dance is in Dominican culture. Mayra taught each class the movements of merengue dance. Then, she played both authentic merengue music and more current Spanish music to show the time signature that merengue dances usually use. Finally, students put all of the information together and danced the merengue themselves. All students commented on how much they enjoyed the workshop!
Spanish teacher Mrs. Brooks and PE teacher Ms. Burkhart connected this workshop within their own classrooms. Mrs. Brooks is speaking about the Dominican Republic in her Spanish classes. Ms. Burkhart is using these workshops as a beginning point for a unit on Latin American dance in her PE classes.
Batesville Intermediate School, November 2023
Pottery Workshops
Artist: Robin McBride Scott, award winning artist who works in Traditional Woodland materials
During 8 individual workshops for each 5th grade class at BIS, Robin McBride Scott taught students about Native American pottery techniques, characteristics, and functions. She taught them specifically about effigy pottery: vessels created in the likeness of animals or people. McBride Scott then guided the students through creating their own effigy bird vessels. Robin works with traditional materials such as rivercane, porcupine quill and moose hair applique, sweetgrass, and other natural materials primary in Woodland Material Culture. She is equally knowledgeable and accomplished in working silk for contemporary and traditional ribbonwork, beadwork, painting, sculpting mediums, and precious metals. She tours, presents, exhibits, and teaches in museums, cultural centers, schools, and libraries. McBride Scott has been coming to BIS and working with students for several years and art teacher, Olivia Branch, states that the teachers and students adore working with her each year.
Oldenburg Academy, November 2023
Astronomy, Architecture
Artist: Dean Regas, Astronomer
On Wednesday, November 9, Oldenburg Academy hosted astronomer Dean Regas for a talk which focused about what we have learned about stars, planets, and space. Dean is an astronomer, public speaker, author, and podcaster who brings the complicated universe down to Earth for audiences of all ages. Dean showed students a free, online software program (Mitaka) for independent space study, and then talked about how distance, light, and time affect our viewing of space. Dean showed students ancient architecture, including monuments such as Stonehenge and Fort Ancient, were built to help the ancients note the change of seasons based on the sun. Students were in awe of how technical these buildings were, given the time period in which they were built. Finally, Dean talked about the upcoming eclipse, and how Batesville and Oldenburg are in prime viewing area. We were also reminded how small we really are in the big spectrum of things. Students said the presentation was enjoyable and they felt that they learned something new.
Batesville Primary School, November 2023
Literature/Theater
Artist: Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park
Every day for a week, each first grade classroom at BPS participated in a workshop led by a teaching artist from Playhouse in the Park designed to bring books to life. The teaching artist led a discussion on the book “Dragons Love Tacos” and showed students how to take scenes from the book and translate them into theatrical performances. The students were led in vocal preparation exercises and encouraged to embrace their inner dragons!
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