Classes challenge Chesterfield students’ creativity

SLIDESHOW: Summer School

Anneda Rong, a rising fourth-grader at Bon Air Elementary School, used a stick to scribble rules onto molded clay pieces for a dice game that included bee stings, falling into mud and into a river.

She designed the game with her parents in mind because they'll play it with her during parents' day July 26 at the Chesterfield County schools' Fine Arts Academy, held at Manchester Middle School.

"When my parents come and play, they can be like, 'Oh, man, I have to go back to the start again.' It's going to be fun to laugh at them," she said.

Anneda said she's also hoping to beat her dad because during family game night, he's always saying he's going to win, "and he always loses."

Whether students, kindergarten through high school, are interested in sculptures and crafts, painting, music and choir, the Fine Arts Academy has it this summer. This is the second year the county school system is offering visual and performing arts in a central location. It has about 300 students. Fees vary according to activities.

"It's purely an enrichment kind of program," said Robin Yohe, the academy's coordinator. "The kids would get to do stuff that they regularly would not get to do during the school year because they're getting two hours every day for four days a week for an entire month."

During the school year, students might get 90 minutes of art once a week at the elementary level and two days a week in middle school, Yohe said.

In a time of budget cuts, there was some uncertainty about whether the arts academy would be offered this year, even though it pays for itself with tuition money.

"We have been really lucky," Yohe said. "The powers that be at central office have made sure that we have the support that we need to make sure that we have everything to be running."

Kathy Franklin, an art teacher at Greenfield Elementary School, said she likes the academy's format, the small classes and getting to know other art teachers.

"It's two hours, there's no pressure, it's creative, we can do things more in depth," she said. "I tell the students, 'You're getting as much art in summer school as you get probably in the whole school year.'"

James Herd, an art teacher at Swift Creek Elementary School, had his class working on painting two weeks ago. Last week, they worked on ceramics and, this week they'll be doing print-making and collage.

During the painting session, students drew vibrant portraits of themselves as working professionals. With the ceramics, students had to design and make game pieces.

"I like these activities because I think it relates to them in a way that they understand it," he said.

Yohe said they canceled dancing and drama classes for lack of enrollment.

"We're going to take a look at things for next summer," she said. "Maybe it's the way we presented it. We'll try again next summer."

But enrollment doubled for the fifth-graders' beginning strings class. The world percussion class also has seen a rising enrollment, she said.

Anneda, the fourth-grader who drew a portrait of herself holding a patient during the painting activity because she wants to be a doctor, said that the arts academy has been fun.

"It gives me more time to work on things instead of just staying home sitting and watching TV."

Contact Juan Antonio Lizama at (804) 649-6513 or .