Countryside Elementary School Creative Arts & Sciences

The Creative Arts and Sciences (CA&S) program at Countryside brings curriculum-related enrichment into the classrooms. The program is run by a PTO Committee, comprised of two co-chairs and additional parent volunteers at each grade level, and is funded entirely by your donations to the Countryside PTO. Working closely with the faculty and principal, the CA&S Committee plans and implements programs for each grade level that enhance art, English language arts, history, math, social sciences, music, and the sciences curricula.

The Countryside CA&S Committee is part of the city-wide Creative Arts and Sciences Committee, which is comprised of a city-wide director and the parent volunteers from each elementary and middle school. The city-wide Director is Cheryl Nelson (email or 617-559-6152). The programs that each school chooses are selected from a city-wide approved list of approximately 200 possibilities. Every program on the list has been carefully evaluated for its quality and alignment with curricula. In addition, each year the CA&S Committee presents a Concert Series of one or two outstanding performing arts programs that tour the elementary and middle schools. Often these performers have played at major national and international concert halls.

CA&S News

Funded by the Countryside PTO On November 8, the entire school was treated to an interactive performance by the members of Opera To Go! Students learned about tenors, baritones, sopranos and mezzo-sopranos as the troupe sang excerpts from The Magic Flute, Cinderella and other opera standards. Student volunteers gleefully got up on stage and helped tell the story with their singing voices. Students in the audience (the chorus) sang loudly and cheerfully as they encouraged our student volunteer Cinderella to "try the slipper, Cinderella!"

Sample CA&S Programs

Below is a list of some of the programs that the CA&S committee has recently brought to Countryside:

Program	Grade	Subject Area
Emilie Boon – Author/Illustrator	K	Language Arts Art
Eric Olson – Insect Friends	1	Science
Brian Lies – Author/Illustrator	2	Language Arts Art
Building a Water Distribution System – MWRA	2 – 3	Science
Physical Changes of Matter – The Discovery Museums	3	Science
Barbara O'Connor – Author	4	Language Arts
Andrew Green – Poetry Residency	5	Language Arts

We Welcome Your Participation

The Creative Arts and Sciences Program is a vital part of our children's educational experience, but it can only happen with the help and support of our Countryside community. If you are interested in helping to enrich our children's education, there are several options.

Join the Committee. Parents who wish to become involved in planning and implementing these programs are welcome. To learn more, please email the Countryside CA&S co-chairs.

Attend an all-school Concert Series program. Parents are always welcome to attend the all-school Concert Series programs.

Make a recommendation. The committee values recommendations and input from principals, teachers, and parents. Please communicate recommendations for new programs to the Newton Public Schools CA&S director, Stacy Moriarty, or the Countryside co-chairs.

Contribute to the PTO. All Creative Arts & Sciences programs are funded by your generous contributions to the Countryside PTO.

Remember, your support is essential! Thank you!

Grants

Countryside is grateful to the Massachusetts Cultural Council for awarding us a STARS Residencies Grant to help support the Creative Arts and Sciences 5th Grade Poet-in-Residence program.