Newark Public Schools has the distinction of being the first district-wide arts education applicant to be funded by the New Jersey Arts in Education grant cycle for 2014-15.  This state-wide competitive process included applications on behalf of 4 NPS school sites, 3 of which were approved for funding, and the 4th remains in the pool of professional development opportunities. The sites are Brick Peshine and Sussex Avenue Schools for full residency support, Camden School for professional development support, and Arts High School for full residency support.  This is exciting news for the District as it moves forward on its Arts Education plan to serve all schools in the visual and performing arts.

Last week, NPS teachers Nelson Alvarez (Visual Arts Teacher, Sussex Avenue), Claudia Cano (Kindergarten Teacher, Sussex Avenue), Davis Hannah (Visual Arts Teacher, Brick Peshine) and Joseph Itkor (Band Director, Arts High) joined dozens of their colleagues from across the state for a workshop at William Patterson University’s Artist/Teacher Institute. The program is one of many summer workshops and seminars offered to encourage teachers to acquire new skills, expand their lesson plans and explore their own talents and creativity. These high caliber experiences elevate the skills, exposure and professionalism of arts and classroom teachers, and directly impact the quality of arts instruction for students at NPS.

Additionally, NPS teachers Nikkia Neal (Dance Teacher, Brick Peshine), Michele Narov  (3rd Grade Teacher, Camden Street), Vanessa Graves Foster (Kindergarten Teacher, Brick Peshine) and Amanda Orzechowski, (6th Grade Math Teacher, Brick Peshine) are scheduled to attend another aTi session at Stockton College from 7/27-8/2.

Star-Ledger: N.J. teachers become students in summer to improve next year’s classes

Photos Credit: Ed Murray of the Star-Ledger