Parkway Elementary School, Ewing

This residency ignited the school with enthusiasm for jazz dance and music. Not only were students learning the Box Step and various other jazz dances, but the teachers infused the classrooms with an exploration of jazz. For example, teachers included poetry about jazz as part of their writing units. Students wrote short, descriptive poems about how jazz makes them feel. Students also drew pictures and wrote captions about their experiences. All the writing was posted in the auditorium for the parents’ night workshop and the final performance. Parents who attended the workshop learned from their children how to do some of the same dances they’d been learning. One parent commented, “My son’s attitude during the residency was positive and supportive of his peers. He was so confident and proud at the final performance. I am so glad they’re having a similar residency next year to keep him motivated and excited.” Amani, a student at Parkway Elementary School wrote, “As a result of having an artist in my school, my feelings have changed because I always used to give up. It is a good way to learn other subjects because you have to believe in yourself.”