Artist in Residence Program, 2007-2008

First Grade Artist in Residence Program

Nada Brahma Production’s Tim Gregory and Tracy Eldridge, world leaders in the shimmy-shimmy, came to Rosemary Hills to conduct a World Music Residency for 1st graders April 8-10. Students sang and danced and gained appreciation for other cultures through the universal language of music. The 1st graders performed for fellow RHPS students on April 10 and for their families in an evening concert on April 11. We hope everyone enjoyed this fun-filled, culturally rich musical experience.

We spoke with Tim Gregory, founder and director of Nada Brahma. A transcript of the interview appears here. For more information, please visit www.timgregory.org or www.kenyaconnect.org.

Second Grade Artist in Residence Program

No doubt, you have noticed the recent addition of a colorful, mobile sculpture standing 13 feet tall on the front lawn of Rosemary Hills!

This year’s Second Grade Artist Residency concluded on Friday, October 12, 2007, with the unveiling of this imaginative creation. For one week, artist Kevin Reese led - with unflagging and contagious enthusiasm - 200 second graders through the process of designing, sanding, gluing, drilling, painting, and assembling thei original sculpture. The second-grade teachers took the opportunity to implement curriculum tie-ins during the Residency by creating special projects for their classes: Mrs. Droggitis’ class wrote a poem inspired by the experience; Ms. Kurry’s class honed their journalism skills by taking their own photos and writing captions to document the process; and Mr. Manigo’s class created banners used to lead the students outside.

The grand finale came when Mr. Reese placed the last large and moving piece on the top of the sculpture to the delight of the second graders, their families, and school staff. Through this Residency, Mr. Reese gave our students an opportunity to experience the power of imagination and to feel the sense of accomplishment that comes with creating something new for their community. Many thanks to the teachers, administrative staff, and the many parent volunteers who supported the project and made it possible to bring this exceptional program to our school.

Photos coming soon!

Funding for this program was provided by the RHPS PTA.

For more information on Kevin Reese and School Sculptures, visit his website, SchoolSculptures.com.