Delivering on the Mission
Positive Effects of Reading - Giving Back
Written by: Susan Karnes, parent
Recently, 8th graders at Durham Community School completed a multi-media project that resulted in a big payoff for the 3rd & 4th grade students. Ms. Eliza Damone, DCS librarian and middle school multi-media teacher, incorporated a recent assignment into a reading grant application. Eighth graders were asked to create a "message" by making a video which 
demonstrated the positive effects of reading. They worked in small groups to create their story line and were allowed to use 3rd or 4th grade students as "actors". Within their small groups, the older students had to create their individual interpretation of the story by using the tools in iMovie on their laptops.
Ms. Damone included several pieces from various students' videos into her grant application. She was delighted when she learned that DCS had been awarded one of the $3500 grants. The money will be used to buy "just right" Fountas & Pinell leveled books. Ms. Damone and two 8th graders attended the award reception at Berlin City Auto. Also, a representative from Berlin City Auto Groups came to a 3rd & 4th grade assembly to present the real check. This activity not only allowed the students to become more proficient with video software, it was a great way for them to learn a bit about the value of their efforts and how it translated into a huge benefit to their school. To view the video click here
A “Collaborative Creation” to Celebrate a Special Anniversary
Written by: Melanie Sachs
“You,” I said to the student as she walked off of the stage, “are an excellent emu.”
She grinned, tilted her head, and said “Thanks - that’s not something you hear every day.”
I am experiencing many unexpected sights and sounds as I attend a rehearsal of the musical adventure, The S.S. Mast Landing, which will be presented on the evening of February 7th and the afternoon of February 8th at the Mast Landing School in Freeport.
The Mast Landing School first welcomed students in September of 1991. To commemorate its 20th anniversary, the students and teachers have developed what art 
teacher Becky Christie calls “a creative collaboration” – producing a musical about the school and “its far-reaching impact” on its students. The students are involved in writing the script, developing the characters, and even creating the set pieces. This involvement, states Ms. Christie, makes the experience more exciting as the “kids are invested - it relates to them personally.” The students also get to see their teachers in a whole new light, as many of the Mast Landing School staff work on elements of choreography, direction, design, or research to bring the production to life.
Music teacher Lise Dunn, who has been with the Mast Landing School for twenty years, states that many students are able to integrate the material they are learning in music and art class into the musical, as well as into other concepts at school. “It projects for kids what life can be – that they are not just in a box. This may be the only time they get a chance to do something like this, and who knows where it will lead.”
RSU 5’s strong commitment to arts education provides students, according to Ms. Dunn, the “platform they can build from”. Her observation is supported by many government and business leaders, including Joseph M. Calahan, Director of Communications, Xerox
Corporation, who stated “Arts education aids students in skills needed in the workplace: flexibility, the ability to solve problems and communicate, the ability to learn new skills, to be creative and innovative, and to strive for excellence.” This support is echoed by the Mast Landing School’s principal, Beth Willhoite, who adds that she is “so proud of the creative energy of the students and staff.”
As I watch the students rehearsing, I am thankful that for the past twenty years, the Mast Landing School has been here to provide such a strong platform of arts education for so many students, including my own two children. The last word, however, has to be given to one of our very own fifth grade students. When I asked her why she chose to be in the 20th anniversary Mast Landing Musical, she said, “Because it’s a blast!”
Melanie Sachs is the parent of two creative students at the Mast Landing School and Freeport Middle School.
