(by Don Meador, Allen County Schools)
A Showcase of Learning at the James E. Bazzell Middle School followed by an Arts Showcase Night at the Allen County-Scottsville High School will bring into focus the many facets of learning students across the Allen County School District are experiencing.
The day-night events start at the James E. Bazzell Middle School (JEBMS). Parents/guardians are invited to the school to see the exciting academic discoveries their children have made this year.
“Students will be showcasing an artifact from each of their content areas,” explained JEBMS Instructional Coach Shelby Fisher. “The students will be able to share with their parents and guardians what they have been doing and what they have been learning. This is a next step for them as they begin reflecting on how I am growing as a learner, reflecting on that experience, and then tying that into the Profile of a Patriot. This also helps them to see how they are growing as accountable collaborators, effective communicators, and creative problem solvers which are our focus areas this year.”
Last fall, students at Bazzell Middle School presented to community leaders and parents as an Exhibition of Learning. The day/night event presented examples of their project-based learning activities, which reflected on the community and offered ideas for community projects to enhance the local community. This spring activity is different in that it turns the focus toward the things Bazzell students have learned this year and highlights their acquired knowledge across each discipline.
“It’s just a sharing of what we have learned, what we have done, and how the child is growing as a student, as a learner,” Fisher added.
The Showcase of Learning at Bazzell starts at 4 p.m. and continues until 5:30. All parents/guardians are encouraged to attend.
The Arts Showcase Night at Allen County-Scottsville High School (AC-SHS) starts at 5:30 at the school. The two-hour Arts Showcase will include a wide range of activities designed to display creative arts across multiple areas. The evening includes hands-on activities, visual demonstrations, interactive opportunities, and students displaying their vocal and performing talents.
“We want to make this as interactive as possible so that parents and students can do things together,” explained JEBMS/AC-SHS choir educator and co-event event coordinator Megan Puckett. “In Miss Adams's art room, she will be doing watercolor painting that visitors can participate in. Several of the CTE (Career and Technical Education) students will display projects in welding and automotive areas. We hope that the academic team will have a trivia area. Students who have created things in the STEM Hub (at Patriot Academy) will be presented with items to highlight what is happening in the Hub. (Spanish educator) Cody Basket will be sharing videos of the Spanish dances his students have learned. The Family and Consumer Science department will also be cooking. We are trying to hit creative things students are doing in class to share with the community.”
Performing arts will be showcased in the high school auditorium and gym. Each school---the Primary Center, the Intermediate Center, the Middle School, and the High School---will have choir students sharing vocal performances in the auditorium. AC-SHS drama students will also have a presentation.
In Patriot Gym, the Axis Winter Guard, the JV Guard, and the percussion unit are scheduled to perform their show routine at scheduled times---this highlights their skills in both visual performing arts and musical arts. The Patriot pep band, concert band, and middle school band will add to the evening.
Additional activities will include a basketball-themed presentation from students at the Allen County Primary Center, musical technology, a recorders presentation, and even a demonstration of drones in the gym.
“It’s a wide variety,” Puckett added. “It will include anything that’s creative in class. There will even be poetry slam presentations. Science classes may have demonstrations. Small ensembles will also be performed throughout the school. All of the visual arts and performing arts will include students from K through 12th grade.”
Puckett notes that a map will be available to guide visitors around the high school and Tech Center. QR codes displays throughout the school give attendees an opportunity to offer feedback to the student participants. There will be door prizes given away with the main prize being a fire pit created in Industrial Maintenance under the direction of educator Paul Spears.
The Arts Showcase will start at 5:30 and last until 7:30 on Tuesday, March 28. All parents/guardians, and community leaders/members are encouraged to attend this free showcase of the creative skills and talents of the students of the Allen County School District.