Halloween

Halloween poems

Poetry Out Loud is organized nationally by The National Endowment for the Arts and The Poetry Foundation and administered at the state level by the Maine Arts Commission. The program is underway in high schools across the country. It begins in Maine’s schools where school champions are selected to compete in two regional finals at which ten students are ultimately selected to recite at the state finals. One student, the state champion, moves on from the state finals to represent Maine at the national finals in Washington D.C., where students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico will compete for a total of $50,000 in awards and school stipends for the purchase of poetry books.

To learn more about the program in Maine please go to the Poetry Out Loud home page. The Poetry Out Loud registration deadline for high schools is November 6.

On the Poetry Foundation website you can find several poems for Halloween.

Halloween Party

BY KENN NESBITT

We’re having a Halloween party at school.

I’m dressed up like Dracula. Man, I look cool!

I dyed my hair black, and I cut off my bangs.

I’m wearing a cape and some fake plastic fangs.

I put on some makeup to paint my face white,

like creatures that only come out in the night.

My fingernails, too, are all pointed and red.

I look like I’m recently back from the dead.

My mom drops me off, and I run into school

and suddenly feel like the world’s biggest fool.

The other kids stare like I’m some kind of freak—

the Halloween party is not till next week.

“Halloween Party.” © 2005 by Kenn Nesbitt. Reprinted from When the Teacher Isn’t Looking (© 2005 by Kenn Nesbitt) with permission from Meadowbrook Press.

Source: When the Teacher Isn’t Looking (2005)

Vinalhaven 2nd and 3rd Graders

LEAPS of IMAGINATION

LEAPS of IMAGINATION is an in-school art program for students in underserved communities. Our team of eight mentor artists interweaves art, literacy, science and mapping to create month-long projects with environmental sustainability and social justice as overarching themes.

Recognizing that art is a vehicle for teaching thinking, our projects support class curricula and empower children to participate in local and global issues. We work with children in their classrooms for two hours each morning twice each week. Envisioning programs that cut across disciplines, artists dovetail literature, environmental exploration, and artwork with student interests.

LEAPS of IMAGINATION’s MISSION is to ignite the imagination and inspire new ways of thinking so that young people can realize that their ideas have purpose and that they have the courage to act on them.

LEAPS of IMAGINATION was a Maine Arts Commission Arts Learning grant recipient this year.

The Addams Family Musical

Messalonskee High School Players

‘Buh buh da do *snap* *snap*’… The MHS Players bring that classic tune from The Addams Family to the stage on Nov. 17, 18, and 19. The dark humor of this dysfunctional family reminds us that love conquers all. Wednesday trades her pigtails for an engagement ring and hilarity ensues when her boyfriend’s Ohioan family meet the dark and sinister members of the Addams clan. Storms, ghostly ancestors, rhymes, the color yellow, and love?! It’s all there for the older fans of the 1960s t.v. show to reminisce over while introducing younger members of the audience to the darkly comedic family. The performance by the Messalonskee High School Players is under the guidance of the new director, Shelby Thibodeau, herself an alumnus of Players. In addition, the Players are pleased to welcome as the new musical director, Mike Peterson, a long time music teacher in the district.  The actors are currently honing their singing and dancing while the crew hand craft the ghostly costumes of the living and the dead and build the Addams Family mansion on stage at the Messalonskee High School Performing Arts Center.  All are welcome on Nov. 17 and 18 at 7:00 pm and on Nov. 19 at 2:00 in the afternoon. Tickets are $5 for students and seniors, and $10 for adults.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Camden Hills Regional High School Fall Musical

In the Heights

In the Heights, the Camden Hills Regional High School fall musical, brings the vibrant community of a New York City barrio, where “Everybody’s got a job, everybody’s got a dream,” to the stage of the Strom Auditorium, this November.

The upbeat Tony Award winning musical production, created by Lin-Manual Miranda of Hamilton fame, will be presented Fridays and Saturdays, Nov. 3, 4, 10 and 11 at 7 p.m.; and Sunday, Nov.5, at 2 p.m.

Advance ticket sales for In the Heights are $12 for reserved (front section) seats and $10/$6 students and senior citizens for general admission. At-the-door prices increase to $15/$12/$8. Tickets can be purchased in advance online at stromtickets.com or reserved by calling 236-7800, ext. 3282. Email stromtickets@gmail.com for ticket orders and more information. The CHRHS Strom Auditorium is located on Route 90 in Rockport.

Through melodic songs, original rap lyrics, humor, and the driving rhythms of hip-hop and Latin music, In the Heights tells the story of a group of friends and neighbors, who share hopes and struggles, find romance, and dream of escape to a better place. Streetwise hipsters, big sound and high-energy choreography are bought to the stage by the singing and dancing ensemble.

On the hottest day of the summer, Usnavi (Eric Glaser) opens his bodega, to find his freezer broken and the milk warm. He invites the audience to his world with the original rap, “In the Heights.”

The sound crew for Camden Hills Regional HS’s fall musical IN THE HEIGHTS includes (L to R) Devon Lammert (junior), Noah Vix (junior), and Elias Porter (freshman). Molly Woodruff (junior) will also be helping the crew with the operation of the 20 wireless microphones used in the show. Photo: Marti Stone

“Now you’re prob’ly thinkin
‘I’m up on sh**s creek
I never been north of 96th street’
Well you must take the A train
Even farther than Harlem
To northern Manhattan and maintain
Get off at 181st and take the escalator
I hope you’re writing this down I’m gonna test you later
I’m getting tested times are tough on this bodega”

While Usnavi raps, he introduces the neighbors who stop by for their morning coffee, lottery tickets, candy, newspapers and, of course, gossip.

That morning, Nina Rosario (Annabel Parker) arrives home for the summer, planning to drop out of college after her first year at an Ivy League school. When neighborhood matriarch Abuela Claudia (Sydney Lytton), greets Nina as the future mayor of ‘Nueva York,’ Nina reveals that her year away from home was a failure.

As the neighbors go about their morning routines, Nina sings about broken dreams, and prepares to give her parents the bad news, in the soaring melodies of “Breathe,”

Hey guys, it’s me!
The biggest disappointment you know
The kid couldn’t hack it, she’s back and she’s walkin’ real slow.

Benny (Matt Nickerson), who dispatches for Nina’s parents’ cab service, takes to his microphone to welcome Nina home in “Benny’s Dispatch.” Vanessa (Isabelle Olson), works at the local hair salon, and dreams of moving out of the Heights, in the driving melody, “It Won’t Be Long Now.”

As the young friends look forward to a party with fireworks, romance and its complications take center stage. Childhood friends, Benny and Nina, fall in love. Nina struggles to see a future after losing her college scholarship, while Benny faces her parents’ disapproval of their relationship.

Meanwhile, Usnavi who hesitates to show his feelings for Vanessa, gets a push from his cousin and employee Sonny (Ruben Feldman) in Vanessa’s direction. The Rosarios struggle with financial problems, and Abuela shares a secret with Usnavi, that could change his life.

A power outage, a winning lottery ticket, and the loss of a beloved friend lead Usnavi, Nina, Vanessa, and Benny to discoveries about each other, themselves, and the place they call home.

In the Heights is presented by CHRHS in special arrangement with R & H Theatricals.

Miranda began work on In the Heights while a sophomore in college. A decade later, it became his first Broadway hit, earning four Tony Awards including Best Musical in 2008. He went on to create the Broadway sensation, Hamilton: An American Musical, which premiered in 2015.

Miranda was born in Washington Heights, in New York City, where immigrants from the Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Central America made their home. A common theme of immigrants struggling to find a better life, appears in both In The Heights and Hamilton.

A fundraiser for Puerto Rican Hurricane Relief will be held during all five performances. In September, the island of Puerto Rico suffered devastation during Hurricane Maria. Around the same time, CHRHS students were rehearsing the musical number “Blackout,” which closes Act 1, in which the barrio is plunged into darkness, due to a massive power outage. The poignancy of singing the words “blackout” and “we are powerless” while rehearsing In the Heights was not lost on Musical Director Kim Murphy. The local fundraiser was inspired by Miranda’s “Almost Like Praying,” a single he recorded with other Latino artists to assist with disaster relief in Puerto Rico. Like Miranda’s fundraising single, proceeds of the fundraising during the fall musical will be donated to the Hispanic Federation’s disaster relief fund.

Bonny Eagle High School

Argonautika

Students at Bonny Eagle High School in Standish will perform Argonautika on November 3, 7:00, November 4, 2:00 and 7:00.

Music Teacher Mentoring Course

New England Institute

If you are a veteran music teacher who is considering mentoring a new music teacher (or perhaps you already are), and you want to learn some best practice strategies to be the best mentor you can be, we’re excited to announce an opportunity to earn 4.5 CEUs in a brand new course EDPU 620: Mentoring New Teachers in the Music Classroom.

There is such a need for strong, quality mentorships in music education for new teachers, and we all know how difficult it can be to navigate those first years in the profession.  So why not get up on the latest research and practice for teacher mentorship, take the course, and get your recertification credits at the same time?

The course is taught by Sue Barre, music educator from Waterville High School, and most of you know Sue from her role as President of the Maine Music Educators Association. The online course is designed to run for the school year.  It starts October 30 and runs through May 28.  You have until October 30 to enroll. If you know someone who might be interested, please share this information with them. The cost is $790 for 4.5 CEUs and we will accept purchase orders from your school district.  For more information on the course, and to join us for this exciting opportunity, visit our website.

There are other courses, to consider as well.

If you are just getting on board with Assessment, or need a great refresher, Jake Sturtevant is teaching Assessment in the Music Classroom, K-12 starting April 2 through June 11, 2018.  This is also an online course for 4.5 CEUs.  The teacher reviews for Jake’s classes have been fantastic!

Technology for Educators is yet another offering you can use for recertification AND get a little more tech savvy as you go.

Courses on Managing Classroom Behavior, Bullying Prevention and Gifted Talented endorsement courses are also available. Learn more on the New England Institute for Teacher Education website about the courses listed above and their other courses.

Penobscot Theatre Company

Bangor, ME

Penobscot Theatre Company’s Dramatic Academy presents Sideways Stories from Wayside School. The show is Nov. 3 at 5pm, Nov. 4 at 4pm and Nov. 5 at 11am!

Who Are They? Portland Stage – Part 5

In-Theater Program

Portland Stage, located in Portland, Maine, offers vital theater arts education to learners ages 4-18 through our In-Theater and In-School programming. All classes and workshops are taught by professionally trained Teaching Artists and focus on literacy, cultural awareness, collaborative play, and creative thinking. Our teaching philosophy highlights process over product, deepening students’ ability to analyze, synthesize, and think critically while making connections to the thoughts and ideas behind the written word. This is one of a series of 6 blog posts outlining who we are and what we do, brought to you by Hannah Cordes, Education Manager, and Julianne Shea, Education Administrator. These posts will appear September 27 through November 1, 2017, on Wednesday’s.

Photo by Aaron Flacke

Our In-Theater programming is particularly close to my heart because of the students who come back year after year and class after class, taking in every Portland Stage experience that they can find. This is my third season at Portland Stage and even in that small amount of time, I have been able to see the students grow as actors, collaborators, and creators. We offer classes and intensives for middle and high school students, vacation and summer camps for all ages, and dramatic readings and workshops of children’s books for ages 4-10.

At Portland Stage, we take After School to a whole new level. We devise haunting pieces for our All Hallows Eve Conservatory in the fall and tackle the humor and drama of Shakespeare in the spring. Our students are delightfully outspoken, endlessly creative, and admirably dedicated. What I enjoy most about working with these young people, however, is how much they make me laugh. Their quirky uniqueness never fails to create an eventful class each week. For example, when we brainstormed our company name in last season’s All Hallows Eve Conservatory, some of the suggestions they came up with included: “The Tell-Tale Kidneys”, “Trainwreck”, “The HallowTWEEN Company”, “The Ghosts of the Purple Floor” (our Theater for Kids space has a bright purple floor), and, the name they ended up selecting, “The Democratic Grim Society of Hauntedness”. On day one of our spring Shakespeare Conservatory last season, we asked the students what they loved most about Shakespeare and storytelling. Of course, their first answer was “the intensity and the mass death scenes”. Armed with that information, we created a Shakespeare mash-up of the utmost intensity that ended in a mass death scene where each student dramatically died not once, but TWICE.

Photo by Aaron Flacke

This past summer, we ran 13 summer camps and welcomed nearly 200 students into our building. All of our camps are based on a book or play, so we got to play with spectacular stories such as Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Macbeth, and Ramona Quimby. Each student picks which characters they want to explore and then are given a scene and a speech to work on throughout the week. The students become an ensemble of actors who work together to tell stories, solve problems, and create theater. At the end of the week, we invite family and friends into our space to share what we have been working on. The bravery these students exhibit by stepping up in front of other people to share their work and the pride they have in each other creates for a beautiful end to many fantastic weeks of camp.

Our Play Me a Story program (PMAS) is a dramatic reading series that takes place on Saturday mornings. Professional actors perform picture books and poems for an audience of 4-10 year-olds. After the reading, teaching artists lead the students in an active workshop where the students become the actors. They explore their actor’s tools (voice, body, and imagination) through games, activities, and performance. This program is an absolute blast for our actors and teachers, as well as the kids! One element of our job in the education office is reading tons of picture books in order to select books for both PMAS and our PLAY In Schools program. Julianne and I are what you might call picture book aficionados. Any time someone in the office needs a smile or a pick-me-up, we will get out one of our favorite picture books and do an impromptu reading. In fact, on the new education interns’ first day, we all read one of our favorites (Drew Daywalt’s Legend of The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors, highly recommended!) in a circle and it was absolutely magical. Moral of the story is: we love this program and picture books and all of the joy they bring to both adults and children.

At Portland Stage, I have met a wide array of students who teach me more than I could ever teach them. They teach me to be brave with my creativity, fearless in the face of any challenge or prompt. They teach me to be kind and supportive of one another, reinforcing each other’s successes and courageous attempts. They make me laugh uncontrollably and cry unapologetically. Most importantly, they remind me of the importance of theater education and the agency, confidence, and independence that it can give to young people.

Interested in learning more about this program? Email education@portlandstage.org or call 207-774-1043 ext. 104

Mindset Twitter Chat

Join MALIs first Twitter Chat

Join your colleagues from across the state (and the nation) and participate in a Twitter Chat on Mindset. The Maine Arts Leadership Initiative’s Teacher Leader Melanie Crowe helped to create our first Twitter chat opportunity.

The chat is based on the book of the same name, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck. It is not necessary to read the book to participate but we highly recommend it.

The Twitter chat is scheduled for Monday, October 30, 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. eastern time.

These questions will guide the online conversation:

1. Consider mentors in your life who have supported you through a growth mindset approach. Reflect on your own growth and response with their guidance.
2. In what areas can I continue to be a learner? What am I personally and professionally interested in? How can my professional learning opportunities be more relevant to my own needs as a learner?
3. When reflecting on something that you have learned recently, what kind of impact has it had on you and by extension your students?
4. What resources, materials and/or curriculum is available for use at your school that supports a growth mindset?
5. In what ways can you share with students your own struggles and successes with your current and/or previous work?
6. How can students connect the dots between what they are learning now and their own experiences? How are you helping them to see those connections?
7. Do your students have an opportunity to help adults with genuine problem solving?

If you’ve never participated in a Twitter chat and wondering how to participate, the directions are below.

1. If you don’t have a Twitter account, please start one at Twitter.
2. TweetChat is a great tool to use when you participate in a tweet chat. Log in with your Twitter handle, enter the hashtag of the event (#MEArtsEd), and TweetChat will pull up all the related messages so you can follow the conversation.
3. If you are not using the tool TweetChat, once logged into your twitter account you can search the hashtag #MEArtsEd and see the live conversation stream taking place or after the event to view the conversation.
4. Make sure you add the tweet chat hashtag (#MEArtsEd) to your tweets (if you’re not using TweetChat) so participants can find your messages in the conversation.
5. When you begin the chat – take a moment to introduce yourself and where you are from – remember to use #MEArtsEd
6. The tweet chat host (@crowe_artteach) will mark questions with Q (for question) and the number of the question. When you submit your answer, mark it with A (for answer) and the number of the original question so other participants can link your response with the correct question.
7. Sit back, relax, join in on the conversation to learn, reflect, and respond to your colleagues from the state of Maine and beyond!

Medomak Valley High School

Peter Pan