By Emily Mentzer, Lebanon Express writer | Posted: Wednesday, June 3, 2009 12:00 am
The staff at Lacomb School has taken cuts to its art program in stride.
Rather than accept a lack of a music program, Principal Jennifer Meckley found a way to simultaneously incorporate arts and build community.
Each Friday afternoon, students at Lacomb participate in electives taught by anyone who has knowledge in the subject.
"Everyone has hidden talents," Meckley said.
Teachers for electives include certified teachers and classified staff, parents, grandparents and community members. If you know it, teach it.
Meckley said a parent who knew how to knit and spin her own wool from her own sheep came in to teach a knitting class.
Office Manager Gayle Bishop said people donated supplies and bought knitting needles for students.
"It's been nothing but a positive experience for students and teachers," Meckley said. "The staff have had more fun with it than they thought."
Bishop said guitar was very popular.
Eighth-grade teacher Bill Baynes taught basic guitar chording and simple songs in fall and spring.
"I was able to scavenge some guitars from around the district so each student could play their own instrument," he said.
Baynes said as a classroom teacher, it's always beneficial to see students in a non-academic setting.
"I believe those experiences around the guitar carry over and make my role as a classroom teacher even more effective," Baynes said.
Guitar students performed at an assembly for the school.
This term, Baynes is teaching a class for students who need a little more time to complete their classroom assignments.
"This class isn't quite as fun as guitar, but it still serves an important purpose," Baynes said.
Title 1 Assistant Denise Fyke said the electives are a great addition to the school year.
"You can almost feel a buzz in the air every Friday afternoon," she said.
Fyke said the electives give students some hands-on experience they may not get at home, such as sewing, painting and music.
"Electives give the students a chance to practice the character traits we emphasize here at Lacomb: Self esteem, friendship, positive attitude and teamwork," Fyke said.
Baynes said to show how kids feel about electives, when artist-in-residence Kelly Thibadeaux came to Lacomb to teach the fiddle, it presented a dilemma for his students.
Each classroom at Lacomb was able to spend 50 minutes a day for one week with Thibadeaux, paid for by the Parent-Teacher Club of Lacomb.
"The students were really motivated to work on their fiddling, but were very disappointed when they had to miss their elective class that week for fiddle class," Baynes said.
Kindergarten teacher Lorie Shafer said she has been working with middle-school-aged kids for electives this fall, concentrating on vocational experiences.
During the fall, she used the opportunity to teach landscaping, building a new planting bed and cleaning up fall debris and leaves.
Shafer and four community members helped teach a woodworking class, where students built a bench to go outside.
"Each adult worked with a team of two students," Shafer said. "Each team built from top to bottom."
In spring, Shafer taught gardening.
Meckley said the electives program builds relationships among students, teachers, parents and community members.
Because the program is new this year, not many parents have been able to participate, but Meckley said each session brings more parents out.
Each session of electives goes eight weeks, in three cycles. Students are allowed to take different electives each session.
Meckley said sometimes it's those kinds of classes - P.E., art, music - that get kids hooked and motivated in school.
Meckley has been reassigned to Seven Oak Middle School next year, but is confident the electives program will continue.
"I think the staff will make sure it happens next year," she said. "It's been a very positive experience for everyone."