Connections.EDU April 2011 - Franklin County Schools

Connections.EDU April 2011 Page 8
LHS Teacher and Students Participate in
Character Education Arts Residency
Louisburg High School senior Andrew Duke (left) and sophomore Mia Storey (right) are pictured above with art
teacher Dana Church. Church, Duke, and Storey were selected by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
to represent Region 3 to participate in the three day residency program. Selected high school artists and writers from
across the state take part in this arts initiative to promote Character Education in middle and elementary schools.
Louisburg High School art
teacher Dana Church will proudly
tell anyone about the exciting opportunity
she and two students
recently experienced. LHS was
one of eight high schools in the
state to be selected to take part
in a collaborative project between
the North Carolina Museum of Art
and the North Carolina Department
of Public Instruction. Each
school was allowed to send two
students: a writer, and an artist.
The teams worked with a professional
writer in order to write a
children’s picture book to bring
a new meaning to eight traits of
Character Education. Teams then
turned their talents to illustration
under the guidance of a professional
textile artist. The textile artist
lead the three-day residency in
Raleigh at the North Carolina Museum
of Art.
While the residency took place
on March 23-25, the writing phase
of the project began in February.
Senior Andrew Duke and sophomore
Mia Storey accompanied
Church for the residency. Duke
was the artist for the team, while
Storey was the writer. LHS’ team
was assigned the trait, “Good
Judgement.” The goal of the picture
book was to speak to the eight
character traits in a lyrical, playful,
and meaningful manner. The
story structure utilizes a traveler
named “Bird” who visits eight different
make-believe lands. While
visiting each land, “Bird” will encounter,
or learn something about
a character trait. Each team was
given approximately two to four
illustrated pages to express an
original story that shows their assigned
trait in order to excite and
involve their readers. The teams
cut their illustrations out of cloth.
The children’s book will be
distributed to all elementary and
middle schools across North Carolina.
Duke will be attending the
College Engineering Program at
North Carolina State University in
the Fall.