Spotlight on Schools
Carnation Elementary
Congratulations to Carnation Elementary School!
This Arts Impact school was recently selected as one of three Washington state winners of the inaugural Schools of Excellence in Arts Education Award, presented by ArtsEd Washington in partnership with the Association of Washington School Principals.
"Children learn through doing and are motivated by being actively engaged in their learning. I have always believed that the arts are the closest extension of natural childhood play and creativity. Rather than stifling this natural curiosity and creativity by our school structure, we strive to nurture it and help it grow." –Doug Poage, Principal
Carnation Elementary School started working with Arts Impact for their Whole School Training in 2007. The school then created its own teacher professional development through the Arts Impact Replication Program, spearheaded by Carol Gould, the first Arts Impact trained classroom teacher to go on to become an Arts Impact Artist Mentor.
"We really are thrilled to receive this award and credit the principal Doug Poage with establishing a culture at the school where arts are encouraged. Carnation also received the School of Academic Distinction award this year. We feel strongly that increased art opportunities and academic excellence go hand in hand." –Carol Gould, art teacher and Arts Impact Artist Mentor
The Schools of Excellence in Arts Education Award is part of a national program of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Schools of Distinction in Arts Education Awards. ArtsEd Washington has nominated the winning state schools to compete for national recognition. Each school was chosen for its outstanding arts program and recognized for making all components of the arts – dance, music, theater, and visual arts – an essential part of all students' education.
"We believe the arts are an integral and essential component of student learning and child development. We strive to provide an arts enriched curriculum into every subject and component of learning…Over the past five years, we have transformed not only what we teach but how we teach at Carnation Elementary School, working hard to find better ways to engage students in hands-on, minds-on learning…we formed a Creative Arts Team and developed a comprehensive Arts School Improvement Plan (SIP) - (through our work with the Principal Arts Leadership Program – PAL). Through this process we have implemented systemic change in how we deliver instruction, select and train our teachers, and how we utilize our local community resources in the arts, to enhance student learning. Currently, 88% of our classroom teachers (PK-5) have had at least 2 years of intensive arts instruction training through the Arts Impact Program or our district's replica program, the Riverview Arts Teacher Training Program (RATT). Teachers have had ongoing professional development in methods of using visual arts, dance, theatre, and music in the classroom and they actively deliver this integrated instruction on a daily basis in their classrooms."
To learn more about how Carnation Elementary brings all of the arts to all of their students all year long, you can read their nomination application here.
For more information about this prestigious arts education honor and the other winning schools, please visit the ArtsEd Washington website.