AES Grade 3-5 Integrated Arts Performance

Directors Note

There are only 338 words in Maurice Sendak’s book Where the Wild Things Are. But within those 338 words there are a million ideas that lie in waiting just below the surface of ordinary thought. Throughout the early months of this year, students in grades three, four and five have been exploring the big ideas in this simple book using music, art and dance. They’ve created mischief with mallets across a xylophone; they’ve danced a tumbling ocean with its stormy seas; and they've imagined and created the forest and creatures which inhabited Max's room that very night. Beyond introducing the students to the fun and excitement of bringing Max’s world to life, though, our goal as teachers has been to challenge the students to behave as artists. These students have risen to the challenge of being painters, sculptors, dancers, instrumentalists and singers. And through their artistry, not only have they re-imagined and re-presented a timeless children’s book, but they have also come to new understandings about themselves as creative and artistic beings.

 Dreamteam of Directors, Planners, and Organizers
Meemie Kemper, Skye Sanford, Douglas Beam, Briar Chatterjea and Kevin Mitrisin.