- Students will keep their same homeroom teacher throughout their years at RJR. Having several meetings with engaging discussions/activities will allow students to get to know each other and their homeroom teacher.
- Each month we are focusing on a different Soft Skill or Character Trait. This will help with our goal of having all students college and career ready by the time they graduate. It also helps to build a common school culture.
- Having scheduled homerooms will cut down on classroom interruptions (when we need to distribute report cards, give out information, etc.)
This year, RJR is having intentional homerooms once a month. This is for several reasons:
0 Comments
RJR received a $6500 grant from the NC Arts Council to explore our 2016-2017 focus of Access through the Arts and to have a residency with local sculptor, Kathleen Ramich. Kathleen has been working with history and visual art students and teachers since the second week of school. Together, they are exploring visual literacy, symbols in political art, the UN Declaration of Human Rights, and displaced groups of people. Stop by and see the progress! (Below is a close up image of some of the Wishes/Prayers of Access written by students in a piano class.)
AP Art Drawing students have been working with Kathleen on metal "piers" that each represent a different group of displaced persons. They have been researching, discussing history/current events/symbolism/technique/visual literacy, analyzing, and creating. Here are some images capturing this work in process. Thanks, Hennings Construction, for delivering three pieces of concrete pipes! Math students will complete calculations on these and determine how much concrete we need to fill them. Other students will fill the insides with dirt, then top with concrete. Art students will use the footprint tiles that students made during Freshman Orientation and the first week of school to create art installations on the theme of Migration/Immigration in an attempt to make RJR HOME for all students who learn Amid the Pines. Stay tuned for updates on the progress! Thanks, NC Arts Council for the grant to make this possible!
By Kim Underwood
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 – Friday was a particularly rich day at Reynolds High School. In the morning, students in one of Amy Cruz’s art classes were taking the first steps toward creating works of art that speak to the sometimes disturbing experiences of people in the wider world, such as being displaced by social upheavals. In the middle of the day, while students throughout the school enjoyed their lunches at picnic tables set up outside, Braiden Sunshine – who was a semi-finalist on season 9 of The Voice, a television show in which aspiring singers perform for such judges as Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani – sang on a stage under the trees. And, throughout the day, juniors at Appalachian State University who plan to become teachers worked with Reynolds teachers and students. With the art project, students have been working with Cruz and social studies teacher Cris Wiley and with Kathleen Ramich, a Winston-Salem sculptor whose works often speak to the need for social justice and political change in the United States. Thanks to an Arts in Education grant from the N.C. Arts Council, Ramich is at Reynolds as an artist-in-residence. As students have explored such materials at the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and talked about ways in which the concepts could be incorporated into works of art, Ramich has emphasized the importance of students finding their own voice both when it comes to art and to matters of social justice. “You have a voice,” she told them. “I hope they walk away with an awareness that their message, their feelings, their thoughts count,” Ramich said. On Friday morning, students in Cruz’s class began the process of turning their ideas into tangible works of art. Students said they were excited about the project. “I think it’s really cool that that we get to express ourselves,” said junior Malayah Cannon. “It’s a fun and good experience,” said sophomore Robert Edwards. As sophomore Morgan Miller sanded a picture frame she will use for a piece, she said, “Art is a great way to positively express all those bad things that are happening in the world.” One of the pieces she is working on will illuminate some of the issues confronting people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT). Other students are dealing with equally weighty topics. “Some of them are really serious,” Miller said. When the pieces are done, they will go on public display. Both Miller and Edwards are looking forward to other students at Reynolds seeing what they have done. “It can give kids a chance to see what reality is really like,” Edwards said. Some of the art pieces will be on the lighter side. Senior Joseph Tiller said that, in his circle of friends, he’s the one people often turn to when they’re feeling low. “I have always been the kind of guy my friends look to to crack a joke,” Tiller said. “I always try to bring a smile to their face. It’s natural from me. I like making other people happy.” With so many of the other art pieces focusing on serious issues, he wanted to create a piece that shows that – with all that’s going on in the world – people are also having positive experiences. “There is still good through all the evil,” he said. So his piece will include images of Reynolds students interacting with each other in upbeat ways. “I wanted to do something that is more relaxing,” he said. At Reynolds, the theme for this school year is Access. That includes celebrating diversity and making students understand that “everyone is valued and that they have important things to say and we value what they say,” said Karen Morris, the school’s arts magnet director. In asking students to explore what matters to them, Morris said, this project is in keeping with that. The art pieces will also be seen by the community beyond Reynolds. In early October, art educators from throughout the state will be in town for the annual N.C. Art Educators conference. They’re scheduled to come to Reynolds to see the exhibit and to hear from people participating in the project. The pieces of art will be on display outside the building so members of the Winston-Salem community can see them as well. Braiden Sunshine is a high school student himself. As he was setting up, he said that he hoped that everyone would have a good time. If he had a message for students, he said, it was “If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.” This was his first visit to Winston-Salem. His aunt, Iris A. Sunshine, is the executive director of the Children’s Law Center of Central North Carolina, a Winston-Salem-based organized that works to help children grow up in safe environments. That connection led to him being invited to come down from his home in Connecticut to perform on Thursday night at the center’s Birthday Blast celebration. “He lent his voice in support of other children,” Iris Sunshine said. On Friday, 40 juniors in the teaching program at Appalachian State came to Winston-Salem for the day. They divided into four groups. Each spent the day at one of four schools – Cook Literacy Model, Brunson Elementary, Wiley Magnet Middle, Reynolds. With Sunshine performing, the members of the Reynolds group decided to enjoy their lunch sandwiches on the metal benches by the stage. Joshua Boone, who had spent the morning in physical education classes, said that observing classes in the subject he plans to teach had been quite helpful. “I think it’s extremely valuable,” he said. Asked whether he had learned anything in particular, he said that he had indeed. As one teacher had put it, he said, “P.E. is organized chaos.” Adam Moore, who wants to be a high school history teacher, also said he had gotten a lot out of his time at Reynolds. “The learning environment here is so positive,” he said. “Reynolds is a very unique school with a big focus on the arts and creativity.” Moore is from Kernersville. A 2014 graduate of East Forsyth High School, he was clear early on that he wanted to become a teacher one day. “I have always had a passion for education throughout my life,” he said. Over the years, he said, he had a lot of good teachers, and part of his desire to become a teacher comes from appreciating what teachers have done for him and wanting to do the same for others. Asked whether one teacher in particular stood out, Moore mentioned Stephanie Wallace, an English teacher at East Forsyth who works with the N.C. Teacher Cadet program, which provides teaching experiences for students interested in becoming teachers. Moore would be delighted to come back here to teach one day. After Braiden Sunshine finished performing, he invited Reynolds students to come down and visit with him. Armed with smart phones to get a picture with him, a number of students took him up on the offer. Freshman Keanna Ginyard was one of them. It all made for a great lunch break, said Ginyard, who was there with freshman friends Phoebe Burrus and Emma Greene. “He’s amazing,” Burrus said. Kim Underwood [email protected] 336.727.2696 This is National Arts in Education Week. We at RJR are fortunate to have a comprehensive arts education available to all students--Arts Exposure, Arts Integration, and Discrete Arts Education. RJR students may choose from courses from beginning to Advanced Placement in all arts disciplines--Music (Orchestra, Band, Chorus, Piano, Classical Guitar), Visual Arts, Dance, Theatre, and Creative Writing.
This week, we are drawing attention to how fortunate we are by creating a banner (#BecauseofArtsEd) that we will mail to Raleigh thanking our legislators for supporting Arts Education, writing letters to our legislators, creating a collaborative installation of a Garland of Wishes and Dreams to be installed on campus, and having NBC The Voice's Semi Finalist, Braiden Sunshine, perform on the Gfeller Lunchtime Performance Stage. Follow RJRArts on Twitter or "like" RJ Reynolds Arts on Facebook to see more frequent updates/pictures. The following letter was mailed to Governor McCrory this week from some of our students. Dear Governor McCrory and North Carolina Leglislation, Hello! We are the students in first period mixed chorus at RJ Reynolds Magnet High School in Winston-Salem. We thank you for supporting our arts programs. We appreciate your interest in the arts and our school. The arts let us express ourselves in ways we didn't know we could. The arts give us opportunities, make our school a safe place, and help us to make great friends. Your support of the arts helps our diverse students use our imagination and creativity. School is not boring because of the arts. Other people in our classes are involved in Art, Dance, Theater, Academic Clubs, Sports, and other things in the community. Many of our friends have excelled in ways we didn't know they could because of the arts. They have shown a different/secret side of them that we have never seen before. To express our graduate, we invite you to come to one or many of our performances. Reynolds teachers worked with WSFCS Visual Arts Administrator, Penny Freeland, to write a grant last February that would allow students to experience artful learning with a professional artist. We learned in August that we received this grant for $6500 to work with Kathleen Ramich.
Kathleen has been a studio artist since 1998, living and working in Winston-Salem and exhibiting throughout the Eastern United States. She is in her fifth year of collaboration with a gallery in Washington, DC to create and promote art for social and political change, based on the premise that art, being a universal language, has a vital role to play in the human conversation and condition. This collaboration involves organizations and authors addressing national & international issues, media personnel, civic and religious groups involved in social and political activism in DC and the surrounding states. With the integration of visual arts and history, participants have the opportunity to become more aware of art with voice and will respect the right to have voice about our human experience (even if they disagree with the statement). From this experience we hope participants feel empowered to share their voices through art. By exploring these major history ideas/topics through summer reading/research, through creation of 3D design responses, and through written reflection, participants will deepen their understanding of the content standards, improve their visual arts skills, and understand how artistic expression impacts culture and community. In the first three weeks of school, Kathleen has worked with students and history teacher, Cris Wiley, visual arts teachers, Amy Cruz, Ashley Hurst, and Emily Beach, and Magnet Director, Karen Morris to develop a design for outdoor installations around the theme of access. Students read the UN Declaration of Human Rights, researched displaced persons/groups, created concepts for installations, and are now working on the pieces to be installed outside surrounding the picnic area. What are areas of access that have been granted or denied? Who does the granting (or denying)? What does the UN Declaration say about areas of access and rights that are to be afforded all people? These are some of the guiding questions that students in AP Human Geography, AP Art Drawing, 3D Design, and World History have been grappling with. Below, artist Kathleen Ramich shows one of her pieces that was displayed in DC--"The United Fates of America"--created after the Newtown shootings. August 24, 2016 was a full day of Freshman Orientation. Student leaders volunteered as Demon Delegates to help the new students acclimate to being a part of the Demon Family. Freshman homeroom teachers helped the students learn about RJR traditions and expectations. There were student meetings, performances, scavenger hunts, an ice cream social, parent meetings, school tours, a mock schedule, and get to know you activities. The clubs held a Club Fair outdoors at the end of the day while the parents participated in a PTSA meeting and learned about being a Demon Parent. Thanks to a NC Arts Council Artist in Residency Grant, students created ceramic tiles of their shoe prints. Each one stamped the number of miles Reynolds is from their place of birth. These tiles will be used in an installation outdoors by the Gfeller Stage later this Fall as part of our focus on ACCESS. We hope that the Class of 2020 will "make this place their home". Please watch this 7 minute slideshow to get an idea of the day. Photos taken by student photographers Alec Gallazzi and Grace Manning. https://youtu.be/l0CVbNXCBNo Each year, as part of the Arts for Academics Magnet Program, the RJR Creative Leadership Team selects a focus for our integrated/collaborative work. Recent years included:
2015-2016--Innovation as we transitioned to a new administration. Integrated experiences included productions of Inherit the Wind and Hairspray, a school-wide Reynolds-sance Fair, and new technology to increase student achievement. 2014-2015--Social Justice and Human Rights where we partnered with River Run Film Festival to bring documentaries and films showcasing current issues; had a Fall Campus Wide Performance with the Charlotte Ballet entitled Blue, Black, and Green with concept choreography by professional and student dancers on the themes of Blues Music, Black History, and Environmental Science; and had a Spring Campus-Wide engagement with Authoring Action. This year's focus is ACCESS. (Noun: the ability, right, or permission to approach, enter, speak with, or use; Verb: admittance to make contact with or gain access to; be able to reach, approach, enter, etc) The magnet program is designed to include these five National Magnet Pillars
Stay tuned for information and pictures of this year's work toward increasing access for all! Senior ('15) Sophie Hollis has been a leader throughout her time at RJR and active in arts classes. As she moves beyond the pines, Sophie is still working to make RJR even better. With the Reynolds Arts Service Club, Sophie has created a campaign to bring an artistic bike rack to Reynolds. As tireless advocated of the initiative, Sophie has write grant proposals as well as raised funds throughout the Reynolds's community. "A new, artistically designed bike rack at Reynolds High School would be beneficial to both the student body and the Arts Magnet Program," says Sophie. The Reynolds campus is situated in a largely residential area, and many students are able to bike to school. Zach Lail, a local artist and bike shop manager, has agreed to help design and construct a creative and practical bike rack to further encourage biking to school. The installation of the bike rack would exemplify the integration of arts, education, and dedication to community service that Reynolds promotes through the Magnet Program. It will also promote the healthy habit of biking to school. The installation and reveal of the project will coincide with National Bike to School Day. Help bring an artistic bike rack to Reynolds by clicking here! Way to go, Sophie!
Pam Henderson, an English IV teacher, has her students engage with and critically analyze Shakespeare's Macbeth through a fascinating lens - cooking! Ms. Henderson has her students create - and make - literary recipes that represent a character from the text. Ms. Henderson describes the project and the classes' process: "Throughout our reading of the play, students kept track of character traits (direct and indirect) for each of the main characters. When we finished the reading and tracking, they were then asked to choose a character whom they believed they could best represent in an edible manner. (For instance, many worked with Lady Macbeth due to her "spicy" personality, or Duncan because they found him to be "sweet".) After finding class members who had chosen the same character, they set out to decide, as a group, what sort of recipe was most feasible and fun for them. After careful planning, they spent the day in the Foods classroom creating their Edible Macbeth dishes. In a nod to the banquet scene, all projects were shared with the class." Ms. Henderson integrates the arts throughout her classes, as she has found, "that allowing my students to create art (edible or not) with words/stories/characters frees them, and gets them excited about some of the more 'regular' aspects of the day to day classroom experience. [For this project,]The reminders that they would eventually attempt to turn these characters into an edible creation helped to focus them. In essence, I wanted to take the normal Shakespeare lesson a step further by having my kids interpret these characters, in an outside the box way, after we had closed the book." This project was a stand-out for both students and Ms. Henderson. Ms. Henderson noted that when students are engaged with the class material and with each other, everyone benefits from an incredibly rich learning environment. Way to go Ms. Henderson! |
About the AuthorKaren Morris is an A+ Fellow and the Arts Magnet Director at RJ Reynolds Arts for Academics Magnet High School in Winston-Salem, NC--an A+ School, a Kennedy Center School of Excellence, and a Magnet School of Excellence through Magnet Schools of America. Archives
June 2017
Categories |