I’ve been working with a committee from my town of Union to plan the Sestercentennial – 250 years since it’s founding in 1774. We’re going to kick off the celebration this July and throughout the year we’ll have events that will culminate during a three day weekend, July 19-21. I’ve never been a big history buff but I love hearing stories from the past. Those of you who know me know that I love to get people together and celebrate so this is a chance for me to give back to the town that’s been so good to me since my husband and I moved here in 1980.
One of the highlights of the Sestercentennial will be digging up a time capsule that was buried 50 years ago during Union’s Bicentennial celebration. We have a list of items contained in the time capsule (blueberry cake included) that reflect life during the 1970’s. I’m guessing that about half of my blog readers weren’t born yet. We know approximately the location of the time capsule but there are lots of unknowns. Our instructions include “dig it up and rebury it” and it is buried “deep in the ground”. As you can imagine some of what we’re reading is left up to interpretation. With a crowd surrounding the location to watch the digging this could be problematic.
We’re fortunate that the members of our town’s historical society is a great collaborator and that there are many answers to questions well documented in 3 books that are available. We’re partnering with Union Elementary School knowing that this is a great opportunity to bring history alive in a hands-on and engaging manner. More on that in a later blog post.
Because of my work on the Sestercentennial (since September 2022), I’ve wondered about what I’m learning from the past and the accuracy of the information. It’s only as good as the documentation and the stories left behind. This has led me to writing this blog post about the bigger picture and accuracy of history. We know that visual art, music, and plays have documented part of our American history. With so much more attention recently on the white washing of history how do I know if what I’m reading, hearing and/or experiencing is accurate? School text books don’t always contain the truth or the whole story. Checking the sources of what’s on the internet is necessary. I read a piece yesterday about the history of Memorial Day.
Clubhouse, where Confederates held Union soldiers, held prisoner 1865 | Library of Congress. From Blight’s book: “at least 257 prisoners died, many of disease, and were buried in unmarked graves.”
This is what I learned:
Most Americans will say that May 30th is Memorial Day and they understand we take a day to honor servicemen and women, many of who gave their lives while serving our country.
The first Memorial Day was actually on May 1, 1865 when 10,000 people gathered in Charleston, South Carolina, most of them black and formerly enslaved citizens, to honor slain soldiers from the Civil War. They gathered at an old race track that had been used as a prison to rebury and make a proper cemetery for the U.S. Army soldiers who died. This is according to Pulitzer-Price winning historian David Blight.
The Civil War was April 12, 1861 – April 9, 1865. General Robert E. Lee of the Confederacy surrendered his army to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox, Virginia. It was the deadliest war in American history.
I know it can be difficult to find accurate information for students and how necessary it is for students to get the full picture. For this blog post I found information and educational resources at the National Archives, from this story on Medium, a video with Blight speaking about the Civil War and his book Race and Reunion, The Civil War in American Memory at Harvard University Press, and ABC News 7, Charleston. We’re fortunate in Maine to have Americans Who Tell the Truth to use as a resource that has unveiled truths and shared stories about some of our country’s history.
Monson Arts is offering Maine art educators a 25% discount on its 2023 summer workshops. Monson Arts, established by the Libra Foundation in 2018, offers residencies for artists and writers, community based programs, and summer workshops. This year’s workshops include offerings in audio, mixed-media, painting, weaving, and writing. There is also 24 hour studio access. For more information: https://monsonarts.org/workshops/.
Besides ample studio spaces and newly renovated accommodations, participants eat all their meals at The Quarry Restaurant. It’s the only restaurant in Maine to be a finalist for a James Beard Foundation award this year.
Monson is the last town before the 100 Mile Wilderness of the Appalachian Trail. A beautiful natural setting, great workshop leaders, studios, and food! Questions? Email information@monsonarts.org or call 207 997 2070.
Periodically I have learning opportunities that are so pleasurable! I am grateful that I have more flexibility in my schedule at this point in my life to consider options. Last fall I participated in a Book Arts class that took place at a beautiful location, a stones throw from Mussel Ridge Channel, in the mid-coast called 26 Split Rock Cove located in S. Thomaston. 26 Split Rock Cove is owned by artist and poet Sandy Weisman who moved to Maine in 2010 after working at Massachusetts College of Art as the director of museum education.
It was fun to take the class alongside retired Bangor High School art teacher Kal Elmore. It was like a mini-Haystack workshop with a variety of people (artists, educators, and creatives) attending. A pleasant surprise was meeting Gardiner Area High School (GAHS) science teacher Sharon Gallant.
This wasn’t the first book making class that Sharon had taken. In fact, in the summer of 2021 she had taken a week-long bookmaking summer class at the University of Southern Maine. At the conclusion of the class Sharon was so excited that she wrote a grant to Oak Grove for funds to support a school wide book making project. Her goal for the 2021-22 school year was simple but enormous – transition the school/subjects/teachers and students from paper and pencil to creating books. Sharon provided book art training to staff. We all know the value of professional development for teachers and when a staff come together to learn, community is created and expanded upon. In this case Sharon noticed that the staff confidence grew, classrooms opened to possibilities for projects, and conversation was stimulated among staff implementing projects as curriculum options were considered.
“Participants discussed ways they might use the book art samples in their classes in the varying content areas in the upcoming year. Participants were informed of the grant and the opportunities for supplies to be checked out from the library, prep of supplies by students doing community service, and support from us. In November (2021) and in March (2022), 21 staff members across all content areas participated in learning book art creation techniques.”
You might be asking WHAT? and wondering WHY! This is an example of one teacher getting excited about something learned, trying it in her classroom and understanding the potential of student learning all because of making books!
Librarian Debra Butterfield has been incredibly supportive and added so much to the project. A room off of the library was set up to store the materials and provides access for students to check out the materials, the same as library books. The school has a community service component as part of high school graduation. Debra worked with three trained student volunteers and as other students saw volunteers using professional cutting machines and a variety of tools provided by the grant, other students offered to volunteer. The student volunteers have grown to twenty who are not involved in sports or other clubs. The preparation of materials before, during, and after school has connected them to GAHS in a meaningful way. One student stated, “ I love preparing book art materials because I see in classes how much teachers and students appreciate that the supplies are prepped for them.” Volunteers have learned the importance of quality control, deadlines, and school service.
After I met Sharon at the Book Arts workshop we arranged a day for me to visit GAHS. I spent time with students in the social studies class with teacher Susan LeClair. Students were totally engaged in creating accordion books on The Great Depression and New Deal. The approach was structured but flexible, the materials plentiful, the atmosphere was supportive, relaxed and creative. The classroom was set up similarly to a ‘workshop model’. Students are introduced to history material, art materials and techniques at different intervals in the book making process. They work independently understanding their goals using a rubric based on a total of 100 points.
Causes of the Great Depression – 50 points
New Deal Programs – 50 points
Illustration – 25 points
Organization – 25 points
Susan is a veteran teacher having seen many changes during her teaching career. She shared that students had become passive, going through the motions of learning, memorizing for the test and to obtain a good grade. Many immediately forgetting material as soon as information was spit out for the paper and pencil test. Making books provided the opportunity for students to demonstrate learning in an engaging way. Understanding and retention of the material was evident as they created the story using illustrations. Not to mention students were proud of their creations.
As the school year, 2021-22 continued the ideas morphed and grew. Sharon’s description of what followed, thanks to the enthusiasm of teachers and the grant funding:
We have supported a range of projects this year with our support with instruction in classes. Following is a sample of some of the projects implemented this year that replace traditional paper and pencil assessment. A biology teacher created nature journals with compartments for collecting samples. A foreign language teacher had year four students create illustrated children’s literature books and then hosted a student lead reading to other foreign language levels. Social studies teachers have created a variety of projects as they have learned about the founding of our country, abolitionists, immigration, and world cultures. English teachers are currently having students create illustrated poetry selections for National Poetry Month, a showcase for learning from a variety of texts read this school year, and another focused on the exploration of fairy tales. Our library is physically in the center of our school with an English/social studies wing on one side and a science/math wing on the other. Historically students have rarely shared about their assessments for learning from one side of the building to another. Book art, however, has changed the culture. It has been a connecting force with students talking with each other across classes and disciplines. Through these projects, we have had a focus on developing templates as rough drafts and this repeated experience has fostered ahabit of mind focused on quality, planning, and revision that we see transferring to research, the writing process, and scientific inquiry. This has been an unexpected benefit of the grant. Students have been more present in their learning and deepened their own personal expectations for quality. One student stated, “Thank you so much for letting me make a book to show what I know. I don’t test well, and I’ve never felt the teacher knows what I know.”
Beyond projects in the classrooms, we have offered opportunities for students and staff to come together for after school sessions to learn advanced book art making techniques with holiday card making in December and Valentine card making in February. The sessions were intended from 2:00 to 3:30, but because students and staff were in the flow of creating together, the events lasted closer to 5:00 pm. Several students reflected on how amazing it was to be a learner along with their teachers. These experiences, which created amazing positive school energy, showed students the role that book art can play beyond the classroom for personal pleasure and engagement.
Due to such a positive response from students, we quickly realized that students needed a venue to showcase their impressive book art. We approached the art teacher, who has an annual K-12 art show, to feature book art as an added feature to expand the show to an art extravaganza. We have invited all students who have made a book to participate in the show. One student, who struggles academically, exclaimed in shock and delight, “You seriously want to show my book. No one has ever asked to have my work displayed!” This reaction alone exemplifies our belief that students need an alternative form of assessment. Book art fills that space.
No doubt about it, the excitement and impact that one person has made, the collaborative spirit and flexibility of staff and the support from administration has all come together to make a huge difference in teaching and learning at GAHS. Evaluating the program helped determine the next steps for Year 2. And, funding helped again. Sharon’s words describe it best:
During our tremendous success with book art as an alternative form of assessment, we quickly realized that there was still work to be done. We have a large population of students without access to materials at home, a space at school to complete book art projects, and the need for additional after school enrichment experiences.
The first year of Turn the Page funding allowed us to introduce a new form of assessment and purchase materials for multiple classes to simultaneously work on these projects. While several class periods are devoted to time in class for these projects, to ensure the quality of work required to complete a book, students are asking to work on the books at home. With the additional funding, we created supply kits, issued through the school library catalog, with all necessary materials for students to bring home to further work on their books. Not only does this assist students who need more time, but it also makes it easier for those who are economically challenged to have access to all materials not available at home. Through all of the amazing success of year one, we did note the disparity between students who had home access to additional embellishment and those who struggled with the basics. These kits eliminate any barrier for success.
Book art has truly made a significant shift in our attempt to establish learning environments and experiences that feature collaborative relationships, rigorous and meaningful curriculum, and shared instruction. It also addresses various forms of inequity and empowers young adults to thrive at school.
GAHS’s commitment to responding to and making needed changes are exemplary. What an outstanding example filled with possibilities. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to meet Sharon and visit the school to see the project in action! Are they proud of their accomplishments? You betcha; again in Sharon’s words:
We are very proud and grateful for what this grant has allowed us to do for professional development, student engagement, and expanded community connections. We have presented to the Plymouth State art class, at Viles for a pre-service teacher training , and a Saturday Maine Association of School Libraries conference session scheduled. Students have told us that they want to create with their hands, do meaningful projects, and have deep engagement with their learning.
Susan LeClair, Social Studies teacher – Sharon Gallant, Science teacher
I have the privilege of working with an educator from Kenya named Enos Magaga who goes by Magaga. He and his family are delightful and over the last two years I have grown to appreciate and understand them in ways I could never have imagined. I am so grateful.
Magaga is the STEAM coordinator for a program called BEADS for Education. He also serves as the Communication and Outreach Coordinator for BEADS. It’s a fascinating program that was initiated to improve the quality of education for women and girls. BEADS established a high school for girls called Tembea Academy located about an hour and a half from Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. Magaga teaches Math and Science at the school. The program has grown mainly due to the work of Magaga and other staff who are committed to girls education. They are not only teaching them ‘content’ but it goes way beyond that. Years of traditions that are detrimental to girls are being interrupted and girls are provided with the opportunity to reach their potential.
In addition to teaching at Tembea Academy 6 hours each week Magaga teaches at the local elementary school. His time there is through the Full STEAM Forward program where students are loving learning through hands-on experiences that connect them with educators and programs in other parts of the world.
Magaga’s committent to the arts came about when he participated in a fellowship program in arts integration that I was part of at Sweet Tree Arts. His pathway to there was through the HundrED program that I’ve blogged about in the past. We met bi-weekly for a semester and during every meeting his face lit up with joy. Magaga’s positivity is contagious. His beliefs are strong and embedded into his daily actions.
I believe in an education system that does not rob learners of their curiosity, creativity and imaginations and above all, one that serves to create a balance in the lives of all learners.
You can read an interview with Magaga and learn more about him and his sweet family on the HundrED blog at THIS LINK. I’m sure it will inspire you!
Recently I had the pleasure of visiting a wonderful community visual art program that was established in 2019. It was well underway when the pandemic disrupted life as we knew it. It stumbled along during the pandemic gathering outside at the town gazebo and today it is thriving. The program is called GRACE and takes place in Brown Hall Community Center in Bucksport, Maine. The GRACE program provides free creative arts opportunities to seniors and other underserved populations. Participants are invited to explore and experiment through using a variety of materials to create art. No previous experience is necessary.
Several years ago Catherine Ring worked with the GRACE program in Hardwick, Vermont where she was living and working at the time. The philosophy: “Be yourself and do it your own way” connects very well with arts educators, artists and others in the creative world. The open studio idea has become a space for participants to meet, experiment and play with materials. They meet to make art and to connect socially. I was excited to learn more about the program that Catherine’s leadership brought to Bucksport. Periodically Catherine or other participants ‘teach’ a technique, offer guidance and facilitate depending on the wishes of the group. They share their ideas and art work, and provide feedback to each other.
Charlotte Bridges working on her linoleum prints
The GRACE program started as part of Lighthouse Arts & Education which was located in Bucksport at the time. Funding was provided through a grant from the Maine Community Foundation. Since then it has morphed into its own non-profit. Participants are not only nourishing their own creative needs but connecting with community. GRACE has exhibit space within Brown Hall Community Center and in 2021 worked with the Buck Memorial Library in town to create a collaborative mural for their newly renovated space.
The space where they meet is inviting and filled with books, resources and art supplies to encourage and support participants ideas and creative processes. I really enjoyed seeing the art on display and left very inspired. If you’re interested in learning more please contact Catherine Ring at THIS LINK.
The GRACE program offers so much and all are invited to participate. Board member and artist Charlotte Bridges who goes by Cha, started making art at age 55 said it best: “I love that they understand what we needed. I want to be guided and have a chance to play and experiment. I can’t stand to have people tell me how to do every step. We all get so much from each other.” Another participant, Linda Wagner said:We all benefit from each other. The feeling of being lifted up.”
I enjoy sitting down by the wood stove on sunny Sunday’s to read the Maine Sunday Telegram. For a brief moment I like holding on to the real paper. During the rest of the week I catch the news online. Some articles encourage me to pause and reflect on a topic I’m familiar with and other times I learn something new. A recent Sunday was no exception but I did find a few more human interest type stories. Love that! All of them relate to education in some way and I’m certain that the stories about Amy and Jessica (below) made several teachers proud. As well they should be! Nothing compares to knowing that one of your former students is experiencing enormous success! I’d suggest finding the articles online but realize that can be tricky if you don’t have a subscription.
Amy Goodness and the Mill Studio Arts
Five years ago Amy Goodness of Saco opened Mill Studio Arts in Biddeford. Amy is an artist with a studio in the old textile mill. She paints on canvas, having loved creating since elementary school. She’s a graduate of Thornton Academy in Saco, ME and Maine College of Art & Design in Portland, ME. As many artists Amy knows that it can be lonely working in a studio all by oneself. Since art was her favorite class in school she decided to create a space for young artists to come and create with others. This has helped Amy’s life be a little less lonely. She started by offering weekend and summer vacation time slots for young people. The program has expanded to offering classes each day and she has a team of teachers who help. She said: “It is joy. You can feel the energy in the room, and its’s so fun. I feel like that just fills me up.” Sounds like it would be a really fun place for me to visit. Perhaps a road trip to Mill Studio Arts will be in my future.
Christmas Through the Ages
Fifteen years ago in the town of North Anson the public library needed funding to update their automated catalog. They came up with a unique idea for a fundraiser; selling tickets for a historical tour showcasing “Christmas Through the Ages”. Volunteers dressed in period clothing and toured ticket buyers the opportunity to see five homes. After five years they passed the idea on to the Kingfield Historical Society which then passed it to the historical societies of Phillips and Farmington. Farmington passed it onto Winthrop where it was held this year. The Winthrop Historical Society sang songs, offered food, and taught lessons about various eras of Christmas, from the Moravian celebrations of the 1740s to the postwar Christmases of the 1950s. Everyone enjoyed themselves and participants were happy to learn about their community in a hands-on way.
2007 Gorham High School graduate performs on Broadway
Jessica Ernest regularly performs as part of the ensemble in “Chicago” on Broadway. She is the understudy and has performed in the star role of Roxie Hart. It’s pretty exciting not only for Jessica but her parents. Jessica is from Gorham and when she was in elementary school she started performing in school musicals and community productions. She played Snow White as a demanding diva in a show called “Mother Goose, Inc.” Later in life she performed on cruise ships and as a Las Vegas showgirl. She’s worked hard to get to where she is now. Ernest was given two days notice that she would perform the star role of “Chicago”. Interestingly enough she hadn’t actually played the role with the other members of the cast, she only practiced with the stage manager and for her roommates. She was cast in 2017, now 33 years old and is doing 8 shows a week. The article mentions Jessica’s elementary music teacher, Janelle Doak, who was impressed by a ‘show-stopping number’ way back in elementary school called “I Want it All”. How fun it must be for Janelle, who is teaching at Great Falls Elementary School in Gorham, to see where Jessica is at this time.
Below: Photo credit Julieta-Cervantes – Jessica Ernest on state in “Chicago”.
Little change since Sandy Hook, 10 years ago, December 14
The last piece I’ll share is a sad one. All I know about the writer, Irv Williams, is that he is a grandparent of three children ages 4 to 8. I’m sure the topic is near to his heart because of his grandchildren. The piece is about Sandy Hook which took place 10 years ago. Twenty children and six teachers lost their lives that day. The children, if living today, could be starting their college applications. The teachers were the following ages when they died: 26, 30, 47, 29, 52, and 56. We can only guess where they’d be today. Through Mr. Wiliams lens “it seems that little has changed”. I can understand why he might see it that way since school shootings continue and mass shootings outside of schools in the US continue. I understand that he is referring to laws and policy’s and that our countries leaders are not effectively working together to put safety measures in place to protect children and adults. I do see many changes in schools to protect children and teachers. I believe that school systems, in most cases, are doing their part. Is it enough? I’m not sure that there is ever ‘enough’ that can be done to make schools totally safe. The reality of schools includes hundreds of variables. Something that is effective to help and support making schools safer isn’t the same for all school communities. On my visits to schools during a 15 year period many safety precautions have been put in place. Many of you reading this are well aware of the precautions.
The statistics are staggering:
398 schools shootings since 2000
321 people are shot in the US each day, 22 of them are young children and teens, 5 of them die
that’s one entire kindergarten class every week
I vividly recall my visit to an elementary school in southern Maine. Within 15 minutes of my arrival to a kindergarten art classroom there was a planned lock down drill. The teacher quickly filled me in on what was about to happen. The alarm sounded and we quickly and quietly moved into the ‘art closet’, the door closed and locked behind us and the only light was the one from the teachers laptop. The children huddled closely to the light source because they trusted their teacher to keep them safe. Their little bodies were alive with tiny movements. In a whispering calm and reassuring voice the teacher helped them through that scary moment with kindness. My visit was within a year of the massacre at Sandy Hook. Tears come to my eyes just thinking of that experience.
In December was the 10 year anniversary of Sandy Hook. Mr. Williams’s article helped me to pause and remember the twenty children and six teachers whose lives were lost that day. I know that schools and teachers are continuously working to make schools safer. I appreciate and applaud those efforts. It’s past time for the leaders in our country to put their differences aside and do what is right for all children and teachers. I am hopeful!
There are always challenges as a teacher but I’m hearing “I’ve turned the corner”, “I feel like we’re in a different place with Covid so I can get on with teaching”, “there are other issues that drag me down in teaching but I can focus on my student’s needs more now”.
What I admire about teachers, now more than ever, is that teachers have a strong moral compass that guides them to do what is right for all learners. No, not just the ones who are ‘traditional students’ who will succeed no matter how much a teacher focuses on them, but for ALL students.
During this time of year the students who are challenged are struggling for several different reasons. The weather is colder and they may not go home to a warm home. Parents shouldn’t have to pick between heating their home, putting gas in their vehicle to get to work or to feed their families but some are. According to the Maine Department of Education website, “on average, 1 in 4 children in Maine is at risk for hunger, and 37% of them do not qualify for public assistance”. As teachers we can’t solve that problem but we can insure that students feel supported at school for who they are as learners.
THANK YOU, ESPECIALLY DURING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, FOR SUPPORTING ALL STUDENTS!
For those of us who came in contact with Phil Brookhouse, we are all better for it. You may know Phil from his days with the Maine Learning Technology Initiative. He and Barbara Greenhouse played off of each other while providing professional developing with technology. They were quite a team. For many Maine educators this was their first introduction to technology in the classroom so it needed to be top notch. The delivering was excellent, the content was spot on, but more importantly Phil understood it was ‘all about the relationship’. He was gentle, kind, and knowledgeable, AND he understood how to communicate with teachers because he had teaching in his heart and soul. A teachers teacher!
Phil worked with the State of Maine to roll out and support one of the first “one to one” laptop programs in the country. Phil always had a pleasant look on his face and often he spoke with a ‘pirate accent’. In fact, he was the first ‘pirate’ I ever met. Phil loved music and performed in community theatre. He understood the value of arts education and took the opportunity to include the arts in the work he did. He was proud to be named an Ambassador to Jupiter through NASA. After leaving the state work, Phil returned to the classroom at Edward Little High School in Auburn working with the gifted and talented program before retiring. He will be missed but the seeds of learning he spread will live on. I am grateful for the work he did in Maine education! You can read his entire obituary at THIS LINK.
Argy Nestor
Arts Educator, Blogger, Artist, Connector meartsed@gmail.com
https://sites.google.com/view/anestor/
Argy’s Blog
The purpose of this blog is to share stories about people and places; and to celebrate the amazing work (and play) that students, educators, and organizations are doing in and for arts education. In addition, the blog has a plethora of resources and innovative ideas. This forum gives blog readers the opportunity to learn from each other. It is essential that we listen, learn, and collaborate in order to build on teaching practices for the benefit of every learner in Maine and beyond.
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