Arts In Education

Bringing the Arts to Your Child's School

The purpose of the Arts in Education Program is to supplement and enrich the core curriculum by bringing arts-based and experiential learning opportunities into the classroom. These opportunities may be school-wide or grade specific.

Arts in Education programs include: visual arts, media arts, theater, dance, music, literature.

Experiential Enrichment programs include: math, science, technology, nature/environmental conservation, character development, health & wellness

• Examples include:

  • Don’t Wait to Unmake a Bully film production in Fourth Grade

  • Monarch butterflies in First Grade

  • Monthly mindfulness sessions with Ms. Jilly in all classrooms

  • Field trips to theater performances at the Middle School

  • Music and Art residencies - for ex. student hands-on claymation projects for all grades with Danny Somoza (a SS High School Graduate and Media Artist)

  • Musician visits - Jared Campbell (The Blue Project) and Mark Rust (America’s Musical Traditions)

  • Rural Soul African Drumming for Third Grade

  • Field trips to the Children’s Museum of Saratoga

  • Lake George Floating Classroom for Fifth Grade

  • Community Building Project and Downtown Walking Tour for Second Grade

  • Northshire Author Visits for all grades

Arts in Ed is funded through the SSCSD and PTA funds. PTA fundraising supports Arts in Ed, which allows Division Street to provide all grades with a variety of arts-based and experiential learning opportunities.

The PTA Arts in Ed coordinators work with the Arts in Ed teacher liaisons for each grade, specials teachers, and the front office to select and book Arts in Ed programs for Division Street. This year’s Arts in Ed Teacher Liaisons:

• Kindergarten = Toni Lynch

• First Grade = Abbie Marsh

• Second Grade = Michele Sperber

• Third Grade = Aine Antolowitz

• Fourth Grade = Maureen Agostinello

• Fifth Grade = Braiden White

• Specials Teachers = Kate Spector, Melissa Ferrie-Healy, Jason Armstrong

Be on the lookout for PTA newsletters, Facebook/Instagram posts, and other PTA and teacher communications detailing Arts in Ed events at the school.  

Current Programs

4th Grade | March 10-13, 16, 17, & 19 | The DON’T WAIT Project: Unmake a Bully Film Residency:

The DON’T WAIT Project: Unmake a Bully 7-day film residency: March 10 - 13, 16, 17, and 19. Students will write, direct, and star in their own film containing an anti-bullying message. See website for details: https://dontwaitproject.org/home

This year, each class’s script will be centered around a clear social emotional theme, such as kindness, patience, teamwork, perseverance, etc. These are the skills students are actively working on each month. Having them embedded in the storyline will reinforce those lessons in a powerful way.

3rd Grade | March 24 | 4H Rockets Away! Students will design and engineer straw-powered paper rocket