Arts Education Spotlight: March is Students’ Month to Shine

It’s March! —That special month in the school year when we celebrate all things Arts. Youth Art Month (YAM), Theatre in Our Schools Month(TIOS), Music in Our Schools Month (MIOSM), and Dance in our schools. In the fall, communities show support for arts education during National Arts in Education Week. March is the time for students in the arts to shine. Originally springing from individual events by different educational organizations as many as 40 years ago, we now collectively highlight the benefits of arts education and the achievements of our young visual and performing artists across the country during Arts in Our Schools Month.

You’ve seen the research. We know that young people who are highly engaged in the arts (“for at least three hours, three days a week through at least one full year”) are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement, to participate in a math and science fair, or to win an award for writing an essay or poem; and are three times more likely to be elected to class office or to win an award for school attendance. Young artists, as compared with their peers, are likely to attend music, art, and dance classes nearly three times as frequently; participate in youth groups nearly four times as frequently; read for pleasure nearly twice as often; and perform community service more than four times as often. And the impact of strong arts education programs are most beneficial for low-income students highly engaged in the arts. They are more than twice as likely to graduate college as their peers with no arts education.*

Strong arts education programs not only benefit our students, they enrich school culture and strengthen our communities. Celebrations, fairs, parades, plays, concerts, performances, recitals, services, shows, and exhibits are all vehicles that involve and introduce students to civic life and service.

In addition to gifted, dedicated teachers and administrators, community involvement is critically important for arts education to flourish. March is the perfect time to connect with teachers to show your support. Proudly add that original finger-painting masterpiece to your refrigerator! Volunteer. Contribute to a local school arts program or support group. Even if you do not have children in school, make it a point to attend a school performance this month.  Just take a look at the opportunities in our own neighborhood…

March Arts Education Calendar for Chatham County Schools

{public performances are noted in green}

• March 3         N. Chatham Elementary—Chorus Concert, 7pm
• March 3         V. Cross Elementary—Wrights of Passage. EbzB Residency
• March 3         Northwood—pre-MPA Concert & Jazz Band Showcase, 7pm
• March 4         N. Chatham Elementary—Chorus, school performance 8:30am
• March 8         Northwood—NCMEA HS Chorus MPA—Meredith
• March 8         Chatham Central High—NCMEA HS Chorus MPA—Meredith
• March 8         Horton—pre-MPA Concert, 6 pm
• March 8         Jordan-Matthews—Vocal Music Honors Recital, 7pm
• March 11       Nationwide—TIOS—Wear Your Show Shirt Day
• March 14       Bonlee—Middle School Band MPA—Cedar Ridge HS
• March 15       Horton—Middle School Band MPA—Cedar Ridge HS
• March 16       Chatham Middle—Middle School Band MPA—Cedar Ridge HS
• March 18       Northwood—Concert Band MPA—Asheboro HS
• March 17-19  Northwood—Spring Musical, The Wedding Singer, 7pm
• March 22       Jordan-Matthews—Spring Festival of the Arts
• March 24       Siler City Elementary—4th Grade trip to NC Symphony
• March 24       JMArts—Cabaret Night at Pittsboro Roadhouse, 7pm

Wear Your Show Shirt Day—Join schools and theatre groups around the nation in celebrating Theatre in Our Schools beginning with Wear Your Show Shirt Day! on Friday, March 11, 2016.

The Wrights of Passage—A Chatham Arts Council Artists-in-Schools Initiative with Chatham County Schools. This original EbzB production is presented by professional teaching artists Serena Ebhardt and David zum Brunnen. They are also leading a program with Virginia Cross 5th graders. Through interviews, students are creating & producing Checkpoint: Hope for Me and You, a school-wide theatrical production complete with music, art and technology to be presented in April.

These talented JM students attended the USC Invitational High School Honors Chorus in Columbia during February to perform the Schubert Mass in G. Some will perform March 8 at the Vocal Music Honors Recital.

MPA—Music Performance Adjudication—Each Spring, middle and high school choral and instrumental ensembles across the country pariticpate in MPA events. These provide an opportunity to improve and to evaluate performance by comparison with a set standard of excellence, and by comparison with the performance of other groups. MPAs include performances from a standard selection list as well as sight-reading evaluations.

The Wedding Singer—Northwood’s Spring Musical is an annual collaboration involving the entire arts education department. Students and arts faculty volunteer hundreds of hours for this tradition of almost 20 years. Performances Thurs-Sat, March 17-19 at 7pm.

Pitch Please, NHS’s award-winning ensemble just returned from the regional International Championship of High School A Cappella (ICHSA) where they placed 2nd at their very first competition. They’ll be performing locally in May.

Spring Festival of the Arts—This day-long Arts Extravaganza features visual arts and performances by students from Jordan-Matthews and its feeder schools.

To Learn More…Visit any of the following organizations

• Chatham County Schools 
• EbzB Productions 
• JM Arts Education Foundation
• Music in Our Schools Month
• National Dance Education Association
• NHS Arts Education Foundation
• Theatre in Our Schools Month
• Youth Art Month

* Americans for the Arts. (2013). Arts Education Navigator: Facts and Figures. [Retrieved from https://issuu.com/americans4arts/docs/afta_navigator_facts-and-figures]