Congratulations PTO Mini-Grant Recipients!

This Fall the PTO is proud to support two proposals from our faculty:

The first brings a Harlem Renaissance exhibit to Claxton. This exhibit features 3 large color display panels as well as posters, exhibit information and a teacher's guide. The exhibit will be in a prominent location to benefit students, parents, and visitors. 

Classroom teachers are encouraged to incorporate grade level literary components based on the poetry of Langston Hughes and other writers. Mr. Butler will incorporate lessons in the jazz movement associated with the Harlem Renaissance: Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and others. Mr. Cassara will involve parents as docents and members of the YMI Cultural Center as resources. Goals are for students to be able to express their feelings through art, music and poetry. The project is further intended to increase pride in our rich cultural heritage. Thank you Mr. Cassara for spearheading this wonderful project!

The second grant aims to promote literacy and to integrate arts into the curriculum by creating paintings on 36x 48" canvasses depicting covers of some of the student's favorite books. These will be hung in the cafeteria. Each classroom will select and nominate books. Grades will then ultimately select one book. The A+ committee will oversee the selection of a volunteer artist.

Students gain appreciation of the visual arts as they consider book covers. This grant covers phase one and  allow 3 books to be hung in the cafeteria. Funding for the remaining three book covers is a work in progress. Placing the paintings in non-classroom areas helps to reinforce books and reading a part of life beyond classroom requirements. Thank you Ms. Powell for bringing this proposal on behalf of the A+ Committee!

Additional mini-grant opportunities will be available in the Spring.  We encourage everyone to be thinking of creative projects like these that help to enrich the experience of all students.