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Metro Theater Partnership Nurtures Student Learning, Creativity
On a Thursday morning in March, students in the Family Center’s Dogwood Room could be found working their way through the stages of metamorphosis, first curling their bodies into eggs before eventually flapping their wings as beautiful butterflies. This exercise was just a small slice of the activity that takes place during the class’ weekly visit from Teaching Artists Roxanne McWilliams and Gen Zoufal through Metro Theater Company’s school residency program.
This spring, McWilliams and Zoufal visited the Family Center’s 3-to-5-year-old classes once a week for nine weeks. The sessions focused on music, movement and dramatic play while incorporating science, math and children's literature through a specific theme developed for each class. The 2016-2017 school year marks the ninth year the Family Center has partnered with Metro Theater Company to provide these unique learning opportunities for students.
“The Family Center and Metro Theater teachers share key beliefs about children’s learning. We believe that children make sense of their world through play, collaboration and inquiry. We value the planning with teachers and the collaboration with children; this unique residency is not a drop-in-and-give-a-performance experience.” said Family Center Director Debbie Reilly.
Prior to the start of the residency program, the teaching artists meet with Family Center teachers to develop each class’ theme based on the students’ interests and current classroom study. The themes can vary widely, from studying the cycles in nature, such as the water, plant and life cycles, to focusing on mapping and letter writing. The teachers and teaching artists meet again after the first three weeks of the residency to make adjustments and assess the program’s success so far.
“Our time with Metro Theater seems magical,” said Family Center Teacher Catherine Katz. “Our time together respects the children’s ideas and is tailored to their learning. This year, the children especially enjoyed moving their bodies through space as if they were a giraffe, elephant, frog or butterfly.”
In addition to providing beneficial learning experiences for both students and staff, the visits from McWilliams and Zoufal are just plain fun. They give the students dedicated time to sing, dance and let their imaginations run wild.
This spring, McWilliams and Zoufal visited the Family Center’s 3-to-5-year-old classes once a week for nine weeks. The sessions focused on music, movement and dramatic play while incorporating science, math and children's literature through a specific theme developed for each class. The 2016-2017 school year marks the ninth year the Family Center has partnered with Metro Theater Company to provide these unique learning opportunities for students.
“The Family Center and Metro Theater teachers share key beliefs about children’s learning. We believe that children make sense of their world through play, collaboration and inquiry. We value the planning with teachers and the collaboration with children; this unique residency is not a drop-in-and-give-a-performance experience.” said Family Center Director Debbie Reilly.
Prior to the start of the residency program, the teaching artists meet with Family Center teachers to develop each class’ theme based on the students’ interests and current classroom study. The themes can vary widely, from studying the cycles in nature, such as the water, plant and life cycles, to focusing on mapping and letter writing. The teachers and teaching artists meet again after the first three weeks of the residency to make adjustments and assess the program’s success so far.
“Our time with Metro Theater seems magical,” said Family Center Teacher Catherine Katz. “Our time together respects the children’s ideas and is tailored to their learning. This year, the children especially enjoyed moving their bodies through space as if they were a giraffe, elephant, frog or butterfly.”
In addition to providing beneficial learning experiences for both students and staff, the visits from McWilliams and Zoufal are just plain fun. They give the students dedicated time to sing, dance and let their imaginations run wild.
“Our partnership with Metro Theater Company over the past eight years has provided joyful learning opportunities for our students and staff,” added Reilly. “We hope to continue this collaboration for many years to come.”