Ms. Rebecca Martin (music) and Ms. Christine Tischio (art) spent two weeks of their summer at the Artist Teacher Institute hosted by Arts Horizons. This program is part of the training involved to administer Clinton School’s Artist-in-Residence grant from the New Jersey Council for the Arts. Last year the grant gave our fourth grade students the chance to work with Vince Ector, an amazing jazz musician. The year before that we hosted a professinal dance company. Our 2010-11 grant will focus on poetry. This grant is made possible by a collaboration between the Clinton PTA and Clinton School teachers and administration.

To learn more about the Art Institute (and to see Ms. Martin dancing salsa) take a look at the clip:

Clip

Our 4th-graders and Mrs. Konzelman’s class were amazing yesterday in the culminating performance of our artist-in-residence program with jazz percussionist Vince Ector.

They played percussion, some piano, and sang blues songs each class composed during the residency.

Patch was on hand to cover the event and there is a great story, photos of all the classes, and video coverage of a portion of the performance of Mrs. Khan’s class on the Patch site:

The grant was made possible by the New Jersey Council for the Arts and matched by the Clinton PTA. Much collaboration between school administrators, classroom and specials teachers, the PTA, the NJ Council, and our wonderful artist-in-residence were necessary to pull it off, and the results speak for themselves.

The Clinton PTA is having Mr. Ector back with his jazz ensemble on Monday afternoon, June 14th to perform for Clinton students. Parents will also be invited to attend. The show is scheduled for 1:30 pm.

This year Clinton’s 4th grade students have been fortunate to study jazz with artist-in-residence Vince Ector, thanks to a grant from the New Jersey Council for the Arts and matching funds from the Clinton PTA.

Mr. Ector has been working with the students for several weeks and we are proud to announce that their work together will be presented in a culminating performance on Friday, May 28th.

You are cordially invited to Clinton School’s 4th Grade Jazzfest
on
Friday, May 28th
at 9am
in the Clinton School Auditorium

We request that parents sit in the balcony (entrance on the second floor).

Clinton students were treated to an amazing cultural arts assembly today, thanks to the Clinton PTA and our Vice President of Cultural Arts, Jackie Lahey. Ball in the House visited our school and we were very lucky to have this incredibly popular group. Ball in the House is a five-man soul-pop/R&B vocal a Capella “mouth band” from Boston. With their extensive tour schedule (averaging 250 dates a year), Ball in the House reaches millions and is arguably one of the most successful indie bands working today. They have opened and performed with such artists as Gladys Knight, 98¬∞, Jessica Simpson, Blondie, The Temptations, Smokie Robinson, Kool & the Gang, and numerous others.

The band performs without any instruments although you would never know that if you heard them without seeing them.

Arts education is an important component of their touring schedule and they provided our kids not only with great entertainment, but with an inspired presentation about how they make their music and how they got started. They also offered many words of encouragement for those interested in pursuing arts education.

If you’d like to purchase one of their CDs, Granite Ave., please send a check for $15 made out to the Clinton PTA. Put it in an envelope addressed to Clinton PTA/CD. Ball in the House will donate 20% of sales to Clinton School. Be sure to give us your name and your child’s name and class and we will send the CD home through your child’s backpack. You can use the form below. You can learn more about them and sample their music on their website. Name: Child’s Name: Teacher/Class: Phone Number:

Come enjoy the musical talent at Columbia High School in their Winter Concert Series. Please see the flyer for dates and times.

Susan Weitzer, the district’s fifth-grade band instructor, passed away after being hit by a car on Friday evening. The entire school community mourns her loss.

Please see the the announcement on the District’s site.