Hasty Elementary School Fine Arts Academy Entertains at Expo

Hasty Elementary School Fine Arts Academy entertained an audience of parents, friends, staff and local leaders at its inaugural Fall Expo, which celebrated the theme “Artists & Authors.”

Expo events are being held at each of the Cherokee County School District’s new Cherokee Academies to raise awareness among parents/guardians and the community of their ongoing activities and student accomplishments.  Bi-annual Expos will be presented at each Academy every fall and spring semester. 

The Expos are open not only to students and their families, but also to anyone from the community who wants to learn more about the Cherokee Academies initiative. The final Fall Expo is at Canton Elementary School STEM (Science, Engineering, Technology and Mathematics) Academy at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 8. 

Hasty ES Fine Arts Academy Principal Izell McGruder and his staff began the evening’s activities on Oct. 17, 2012 with a presentation by students that incorporated dance, drama and music. 

After the performances, students and parents traveled around the school, which has been decorated with new arts-inspired murals, to participate in integrated arts lessons in each grade level.  Each demonstration room provided an activity that connected a specific children’s book to a core subject (e.g., Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies) and the fine arts (e.g., visual arts, drama, music, dance). 

School Board Member Robert Wofford, other Academy Principals and district-level CCSD staff were in attendance for the enjoyable and informative evening.  Darby Jones of ArtsNow, the professional arts education organization that the School District is partnering with to provide integrated arts curriculum and professional development for the Fine Arts Academies, also spoke during the Expo.

“The grade-level teachers hosting these classrooms were very energetic and engaging, and the students and parents all seemed grateful for the opportunity to see integrated arts in action,” said Michael Vernor, Director for School Operations.  “Integrated arts student work was on display in every hall and in every classroom.  It was obvious that the school’s staff and other stakeholders had worked very hard to coordinate this event during the first semester of the Academy’s implementation.”