Beginning in August 2020, SPS will partner with Springfield Little Theatre and the Foundation for Springfield Public Schools to open the Academy of Fine and Performing Arts magnet school, a unique learning opportunity for 50 fifth-grade students. During its regular meeting on Tuesday, the Springfield Public Schools Board of Education voted unanimously to further expand choice programming for SPS students. A lottery application process will be announced soon.
"Each year, we hear from parents and students regarding the popularity of our SPS choice programs," said Dr. John Jungmann, superintendent of Springfield Public Schools. "We appreciate our Board of Education and our community partners, including Springfield Little Theatre and the Foundation for SPS, for making it possible to offer more options to our parents and students. This continued expansion of choice programming is a big win for this community."
"Springfield Little Theatre is thrilled to be able to provide a home for this exciting new opportunity for district fifth-graders. We are honored to partner with Springfield Public Schools and so grateful to the Foundation for Springfield Public Schools for its support," said Lorianne Dunn, education director for Springfield Little Theatre.
"It is the goal of the Foundation for SPS to provide educational opportunities through financial support of programs like this one, which not only bring together students, but also our community partners who share a common belief in the power of public education. The Foundation for SPS is proud to support our schools in this way and looks forward to seeing students thrive through exploration of the arts," said Natalie Murdock, executive director of the Foundation.
The Academy of Fine and Performing Arts will be housed inside the Judith Enyeart Reynolds School of the Performing Arts at 237 S. Florence Ave. It will include two classrooms, a faculty workroom and use of shared space for the theatre/auditorium, dance rehearsal and fine arts, as well as studios for performance and media production. As part of the agreement, SLT will provide the classroom and performance space, as well as maintenance, custodial, utilities, security and access to staff experts, with the lease funded by the Foundation for Springfield Public Schools. SPS will provide the instructional and support staff, furniture, fixtures and equipment, as well as curriculum and other instructional materials.
The Judith Enyeart Reynolds School of the Performing Arts currently houses nearly 80 classes a week, 10 youth performance troupes, and two performance venues, a 60-seat black box theatre and 140-seat auditorium, providing invaluable opportunities in the arts to hundreds of young people annually.
"Partnering with SPS to offer a fully integrated arts and academic experience is a dream come true for our organization," Dunn said.
The latest magnet school expansion builds upon an ongoing partnership between SPS and SLT. Currently, kindergarten and first-grade students from Wilder Elementary partner with SLT staff to integrate the fine arts in a unit of study. First-grade students experience the Landers Theatre during the "Stories on Stage" Explore course in the summer. All SPS fourth-grade students witness one of their literary studies come to life in a theatrical experience. Finally, all elementary schools are offered the opportunity to experience a traveling series performed for their entire school.
Other new fine arts experiences for SPS students include the Experience SPS partnership with SLT. Third-grade students at Jeffries, Bingham and Twain will participate in a six-week unit of study that culminates in a performance. This collaboration is sponsored, in part, by the Foundation for SPS and began in January 2020.
No comments:
Post a Comment