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Partly Cloudy Celebrating the arts inside the classroom
Lawrence Nadel, coordinator for the Glen Cove City School District Fine and Performing Arts Department, showcased a myriad of achievements and advancements for the current school year during a March 6 Board of Education meeting. The slideshow presentation highlighted the remarkable accomplishments of students and faculty across various artistic disciplines, including visual arts, music, theater, dance, and media communications.
In the realm of music, Glen Cove celebrated the achievement of 41 students who attained All-County status, along with several students being honored at the Long Island String Festival Association. The district’s music ensembles, such as the select chorale, drumline and jazz band performed at various events, including community engagements like preforming at Glen Cove Hospital last December, and at the city’s Martin Luther King celebration.
Theater and dance programs, newly introduced to Glen Cove, have already left a significant impact. The production of “The Laramie Project” garnered widespread attention for its powerful portrayal, with notable figures like Dennis Shepard, the father of Matthew Shepard who was brutally murdered for being part of the LGBTQ+ community, participating virtually. Additionally, theater programs have been extended to elementary schools in collaboration with the Education Foundation, providing students with opportunities for active involvement in productions.
Paloma Supita, a junior in the new theatre class, has been involved in performances since she was 7. She said she was excited to blend her experiences both inside and outside the classroom on a technical level, which included reading books geared towards acting techniques.
“I can kind of develop a deeper understanding of what I’m doing even though it’s not written in the script,” Supita said, recalling an acting technique she learned in class. “You’ll learn to get yourself into the mindset of your character so when you go on stage, your character seems authentic. When you do that exercise, you kind of practice how your character would enter a doorway and apply it to your demeanor.”
“When this program was first brought up, I was so interested because it was a free class,” Aguilar said. “From taking this class I’ve learned to enjoy myself. I just think of what I’m doing and how I’m happy to do it.”
In the field of media and television, Glen Cove students demonstrated their expertise by recording and live streaming district events, ranging from plays and musicals to Board of Education meetings. The district’s television program also provides students with hands-on experience in broadcasting, preparing them for future endeavors in media.
Moreover, Glen Cove is pioneering initiatives like the Individual Arts Assessment Pathway and the Early College Initiative to promote arts education and college readiness. With offerings such as eighth-grade visual art courses and hip-hop dance classes, the district aims to enrich students’ artistic experiences and career prospects. The IAAP program allows students to earn up to 12 college credits they can transfer to Five Towns College, an initiative that began last fall.
“This year, I’m very proud to say that we have 30 students in the ninth grade, who hopefully will continue with us to receive an arts diploma,” Nadel said during his presentation. “We are one of the very few school districts on Long Island that is offering it.”
The district has included eighth grade visual art as a course in the middle school, as well as hip-hop as a dance class. In the high school, the district added college dance choreography classes so that students can create their choreography, and better themselves as artists.
Looking ahead, Glen Cove anticipates a lineup of exciting events, including performances of “Aladdin Jr.” on March 22 and 23, and “The Little Mermaid,” on April 12 and 13.
For those interested in attending “The Little Mermaid,” special Thursday pricing is available, with free admission for children dressed in costume, showcasing the district’s commitment to fostering creativity and community engagement through the arts.
