Arts in Education (AIE) is one of BAAC's hallmark programs. Since 1988, BAAC has been providing funds to our six area schools. But what exactly is AIE?
AIE is a dynamic program crafted to enhance the educational journeys of students and teachers in the Batesville area schools. By introducing a diverse array of professional artists into the classroom, AIE integrates the arts into the current curriculum, ensuring that creativity is woven into every aspect of learning. Our mission is to infuse art into all areas of education, helping students recognize from the beginning that creativity is a vital part of everyday life.
Year after year, students in Batesville area schools have opportunities to discover and explore unknown talents, see themselves in a new light, develop their creative and intellectual potential, and simply experience all kinds of art in a safe and supportive environment.
Each school is given annual funds, currently $15/student. Individual schools have a chairperson managing the funds, but any teacher can request programs. Teachers have autonomy over what programs are best for their students. The goal is to integrate arts and professional artists into what the students are already learning about in the classroom. Through arts integration, the most difficult concepts can be memorably brought to life.
POTTERY AT BATESVILLE PRIMARY SCHOOL
Second grade students had hands-on experience on the pottery wheel with Elisha Frazier, resulting in each student creating their own piece of pottery. All BPS students learned about literature as an art form during author Kim Howard's visit. The author shared her story of becoming an author and led discussions and activities with students to enhance their knowledge of the writing process, the importance of a writer's notebook, and the value of imagination and creativity.
PRESENTATIONS AT BATESVILLE INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL
Author Shannon Anderson’s stories during her presentations emphasized accepting everyone’s differences and being kind. These presentations included her books and excerpts from her personal writing notebooks that became her compass for choosing kindness and compassion when faced with difficult situations. Through this program, students were able to develop an understanding of how her life became the creative inspiration behind the books found on store and library shelves. Each student participated in a 30-minute poetry writing workshop with the author. Her message to students was that everyone has a story to tell, and their story is worth being heard.
Another author, Bethany Van Meter and her dog, River, visited BIS. She read two of her books about River and his life, sharing the challenges he faces due to missing one of his senses. This visit incorporated the art of writing into areas the students were already learning in school: the Bulldog Ready attribute of kindness, narrative and personification writing standards, animals and habitats science standards. One BIS student shared, "I learned that you don't have to use your eyes to see. You can use your heart."
Fifth-grade students interacted with professional teaching artists from Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Students were introduced to the story "Grandfather's Journey" by Allen Say. This tale created opportunities for our students to sequence story structures, identify varying points of view, and creatively write stories on their own. Students learned about and created tableaus from the storyline. As students uncovered the meaning of each section of the historical tale, they had to represent the individual scenes using tableaus. This activity allowed students to move their bodies, think outside the box, and understand "Grandfather's Journey" on a deeper level.
PROFESSIONAL COMPOSER AND PERFORMER AT BATESVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL
Choir students enjoyed a choir clinic with a nationally recognized composer, Greg Gilpin. Each class prepared a choir song written by the composer and performed it for him. He then workshopped the music and gave the students a clinic, followed by a Q&A session about composing and professional performance. This experience enhanced classroom lessons on singing, performance factors, stylistic interpretation, and building on the progression of learning vocal technique.
POET SKYE NICHOLSON VISITS BATESVILLE HIGH SCHOOL
Published Indiana poet Skye Nicholson spent five weeks in Mr. Satchwill’s Honors English 10 class at BHS. Students spent four weeks exploring different forms of poetry themed around the four elements: fire, air, water, and fire. The weekly lessons challenged them to let go of fear and identify their voice, culminating in an in-class open mic performance. Skye Nicholson provided her artistic expertise and life experiences to encourage students in this process, empowering them to use poetry as a tool to explore and express their own lives
What the students had to say:
"I am deeply grateful for the time Skye took to visit our class and share her poetic journey with us. Her vivid and meaningful words as well as her passion for poetry changed the way I view writing as a whole, turning it from something I didn't care for to a coping mechanism I use to express my emotions. Skye's visit was truly inspiring, and I feel more comfortable with writing and reading poetry because of her." -Ella Weber
"When we were first introduced with the poetry unit, I had doubts and thought that it wasn't going to be something that piqued my interest. That stayed the same until about the 3 week mark of the whole unit, where we were given that task to write what we thought the color of loneliness was. That sparked a light in me and from there I was able to start to generate ideas. Along with the help of Mr. Satchwill and Skye, I was able to turn those thoughts into one poem that I am very proud of. I absolutely loved that experience as a whole and I am so grateful to have a new outlet to just let loose and explore my emotions." -Grace Gutzwiller
PERFORMANCE ARTISTS AT ST. LOUIS SCHOOL
Hosted Epiphany Dance, an African American Dance Company. Through the use of dance, authentic drumming, and storytelling, students are shown a new culture. The students participated in drumming and dancing and engaged in a new experience.
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