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CSA, MCS will bring arts, literacy together next school year at Kendall

Posted: Jan 17, 2018 by Patricia Gibson, Communications Director

Kendall Elementary School will have an exciting new program next school year thanks to a partnership with the Marion Community School of the Arts!

The Community School of the Arts has been awarded a $10,000 Partnering Arts, Communities, and Education (PACE) grant from the Indiana Arts Commission for the program that will integrate arts and literacy education.

The Community School of the Arts, partnering with Marion Community Schools, collaborated with Director of Elementary Education Michele Smith to determine which individual school would best fit the program.

"We are excited about this opportunity to integrate arts and literacy," Smith said. "We are thankful for our many community partnerships, and in particular our wonderful relationship with CSA that allows us to provide enriching experiences for our students. One particularly exciting piece of this grant-funded program is that we will be able to track how literacy is improved through this arts integration."

Kendra Hoffert, artist teacher, Indiana Wesleyan University visiting assistant professor of music therapy, and Community School of the Arts faculty member, will lead the program within the classroom. She will partner with administrators and faculty at Kendall Elementary School to provide teacher development as well as weekly sessions with second grade students utilizing song, rhythm exercises, chants, rhymes, and movement to explore music and its benefits in developing early literacy skills.

“I love music and good stories,” Hoffert said. “To be able to combine two things I love while encouraging young people to discover the riches of these good gifts will be such an adventure. I'm so grateful to be part of this program and to see where our learning and discovery can take us.”

The PACE program was established during 2014 as an initiative to promote arts education and impact student growth and achievement. The program is intended to assist and enable elementary schools, artists, and arts organizations in establishing long-term, in-depth, and sustainable partnerships. Arts experiences occur at regular intervals throughout the entire school year, align with the academic curriculum, and are integrated into classroom literacy activities.

The Community School of the Arts, Marion Community Schools, and Hoffert, as resident artist teacher, will implement the program, developed with quality musicianship, intentional curriculum, and comprehensive collaboration. This program, having been made possible by funds appropriated from the Indiana Legislature in conjunction with the National Endowment for the Arts, will provide arts integration opportunities into the classroom, with a focus on literacy, and a goal to increase long-term partnerships and collaborations.

“The Community School of the Arts has a vision to ignite a community of potential through arts and creativity, and a mission to provide arts education and enrichment,” said Katie Morgan, executive director of the Community School of the Arts. “When we develop programming, these are at the core of who we are and what we do. The PACE program is a wonderful opportunity to further expand our outreach in music, and have a real, measurable impact in music, literacy, and most importantly, the lives of children in our community through the arts.”

The Community School of the Arts will represent Region 5 in this statewide program. The Indiana Regional Arts Partner representing Region 5 is the Community Foundation of Randolph County, and region liaison Stephanie Ward said of the recent award:

“The Community Foundation of Randolph County is very excited that the Marion Community School of the Arts has been selected to represent Region 5 in the PACE program. We are equally excited for the students at Kendall Elementary who will benefit from the music and literacy program.”

MRCC’s IT Academy to offer tech services to the community

Posted: Jan 10, 2018 by Patricia Gibson, Communications Director

Marion Regional Career Center’s Information Technology Academy is pleased to announce a partnership with Marion Public Library to offer technology assistance to the Marion community.

The MRCC Technical Assistance Center (TAC) will open on Thursday, Jan. 11. Student technology specialists will be available inside Marion Public Library on Thursdays and Fridays during the school year, from 9 to 11:15 a.m. and 12:30 to 2:45 p.m. (In the event of inclement weather, student technology specialists may not be available.)

“We’re committed to providing our students the opportunity to serve the communities in which they live and work, while at the same time providing students with the most up-to-date knowledge and skills so that they can pursue jobs that contribute to the economy,” said Travis Hueston, IT Academy instructor at Marion Regional Career Center. “Our partnership with Marion Public Library allows students to provide library patrons and community members with technical assistance and support on electronic devices such as computers, tablets, cellular phones, and printers, while at the same time earning high school and college credit through our dual credit agreement with Vincennes University.”

Students will also be on hand to provide instruction on using such equipment, as well as many software titles including Microsoft Office. The TAC also hopes to provide equipment repair and hardware services in the near future.

“One of MRCC’s goals is to offer every student an opportunity to earn real-life work experience. Partnering with Marion Public Library gives our IT students a chance to earn that experience, plus provide our community another place to receive help with their computer needs,” MRCC Director Mike Ripperger said.

Marion Regional Career Center’s Information Technology Academy is open to students from all participating schools in the county. Students who are interested should contact their counselor, or alternately reach out to Nate McNeely at MRCC, 765-664-9091, or email him at nmcneely@marion.k12.in.us.

YOU’RE INVITED: MCS art, music faculty plan special show (1/21)

Posted: Jan 09, 2018 by Patricia Gibson, Communications Director

Originally posted Dec. 8, 2017

Marion Community Schools invites you to an afternoon of music and art featuring our outstanding fine arts faculty.

Arts in Action, a concert and art show, is set for 3 p.m. Jan. 21, 2018, at the Walton Performing Arts Center at Marion High School. Admission is free, and this event is open to the public.

All eight MCS music teachers will be performing solos, and then will join for a combined piece at the end of the concert. MCS art teachers will have their own personal work out on display as people are going in to be seated for the concert.

We hope to see you there!

>> Click here to view / download the full-size poster

MHS JROTC Marksmanship Team to compete for two national titles

Posted: Jan 05, 2018 by Patricia Gibson, Communications Director

The Marion High School JROTC Rifle Marksmanship Team has advanced to two separate National Championship competitions.

The Giants received an invitation to compete at the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit’s National Championship at Fort Benning, GA, on Feb. 1 through 3. They will also travel to the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s facility at Camp Perry, OH, in mid-February to compete in the Army JROTC National Championship.

“These cadets are really good marksmen and have competed well all year,” said retired Lt. Col. David Farlow, the JROTC program’s senior Army instructor and rifle team coach. “But now they will face off against the best shooters from across the nation. We still have a great deal of work to refine their skills in order for the best performance at this higher level of competition.”

The letter of invitation to the AMU competition recognized the hard work they’ve already put in: “Your selection for this elite competition is the direct result from your proven expertise and aptitude as marksmen during the regional and national qualifiers over the last three months.”

All high school-age marksmanship teams from across the nation are eligible to qualify for the AMU championship, but only the top 30 teams from across the nation received an invitation. The Giants are currently seeded in 15th place.

“I am so excited about these competitions,” MHS senior Taylor Sorah, the rifle team’s captain, said. “I am so proud of our team. It is amazing that we have qualified for two national championships.”

The Giants will make their second trip in as many years to the Army JROTC National Championship. There, they will face the top 54 Army JROTC rifle teams from around the world. The Giants are the only team from Indiana to qualify for the National Championship.

Other team members who are selected to compete include: Rhianna Gary (senior), Hailey Teeguarden (junior) Levi Hofmann (sophomore), and JadeLynn Kendall (sophomore).

“It is expensive to attend these competitions, and the cadets have to help to raise the funds to cover the competition costs,” Farlow said. “Donations are certainly appreciated to help these cadets have the opportunity to compete on the national stage.”

Anyone who wishes to contribute to help defray costs can do so by bringing or sending donations to the Marion High School office, 750 W. 26th St. Please make checks payable to Marion High School, and note what your donation is for (JROTC).

4 MHS juniors named Rising Stars

Posted: Dec 13, 2017 by Patricia Gibson, Communications Director

Marion Community Schools is proud to announce that four Marion High School juniors have been selected as Rising Stars of Indiana:

Hunter Durbin
Kathryn Erickson
Leilanu Jackson
Zoe Orrell

The Indiana Association of School Principals honors high school juniors across the state for their academic achievement, aiming to put a spotlight on them and boost their scholarship opportunities going into their senior year.

The Rising Stars program is a complement to the Indiana Academic All-Stars, which recognizes seniors who excel in the classroom, and who are also leaders in their schools and communities. Class of 2018 honorees will be announced in March.

MCS congratulates our Rising Stars and we, along with IASP, offer support and encouragement as they continue to grow and achieve. We look forward to seeing their continued accomplishments and leadership in our schools and community.

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