Creative Arts and Sciences is a city-mandated program that brings enrichment programs to every child in Newton.
A critical part of the Countryside PTO’s mission is to provide learning enrichment for our children. For this reason, we are very proud of our strong commitment to the Creative Arts and Sciences Program. Our PTO spends $40 per student on CAS- the maximum we are allowed to spend per the NPS equity guidelines.
Each program is like an in-school field trip in which experts in their fields teach the students about a grade-level appropriate lesson that aligns with state curriculum standards.
2022/2023 Creative Arts and Sciences Calendar
November
On Friday, November 25, 4th graders got to draw all over school walls, using blue and green painter’s tape to envision a three-part story about ancient Pompeii (before, during and after the eruption). Professional “tape artists” taught the kids about the therapeutic, collaborative and transitory nature of tape art. The presentation was organized by Creative Arts & Sciences co-chairs Karen Jacobson-Sive and Rakshaa Dadlani, and paid for by the PTO.
December
Our Kindergarten and 1st Grade classes were each treated to a performance by singer and storyteller Kemp Harris. Mr. Harris lives in Newton and is a former Kindergarten teacher. The children enjoyed songs including “Let ‘Em In” by Paul McCartney and “5 Little Monkeys” with accompanying sign language. They also listened to a story about how stories come to earth!
January
Presentation Schedule:
K:
Kemp Harris (storyteller) – December 6
Emily Boone (author) – March 16
Science of Bubbles – June 1
1st:
Kemp Harris (storyteller) – December 9
Science Discovery Museum – January 17
Wingmasters (rehabilitated wild birds of prey) – April 24
2nd:
Grace Lin (award winning author of “Where the Mountain Meets the Moon”) – April 10
Day in Ghana – May 2
Spreading the Buzz (all about honeybees) – June 2
3rd:
Annawon Weedon (Wompanoag man) – TBD
2 more presentations TBD
4th:
Tape Art – November 18
Origamido (origami masters) – February 3
Corey De Pino (poet) – TBD
5th:
Origamido (origami masters) – February 3
Wingmasters (World of Owls) – April 24
Flotsam, Jetsam, and the Science of Ocean Motion – June 2