Reed School Hosts Annual Summer Music And Art Program

By SUSAN CONEY

Published: Jul 15, 2005 12:00 am

By Susan Coney

Reed Intermediate School hosting the Newtown Continuing Education SMART (summer music and art) program. The SMART program is a comprehensive summer enrichment program of music, visual arts, creative dramatics, and science designed to enhance creative potential, promote positive self-esteem and a life long awareness and enjoyment of the arts and the surrounding world.

The program is geared for children entering first through sixth grade and runs for two weeks. The program has two sessions available. The first session was held from July 5 through July 15. A second session will run from July 18 to July 29, with openings still available. The programs run from 8:30 am to 1 pm, Monday through Friday.

Tuition for the second session is $299 for the first child and $275 for each additional child. The tuition covers three classes of choice and all material fees (rental fees for musical instruments are not included). Students will be grouped according to their grade level and class size is limited to no more than 15 children.

Children may choose from a number of interesting classes such as keyboarding, drawing, young authors, clay sculpture, jewelry design, American folk song, and theater just to name a few. Classes are designed for specific age levels.

Instructor Jessica Singer teaches âThe Great Clay Adventure,â to all age levels. During this class students learn how to create innovative pottery from pinch pots to free form sculpture. Ms Singer has been involved in the program for many years. Site supervisor Daphne Gibney said about Ms Singer, âJessica is fantastic. She came as a student, then became a volunteer, then an intern and now a teacher in the program. It is a wonderful program that is in itâs 14th year. We have a lot of fun and are very safety conscious of our students.â

Becca Gellis, a recent graduate from Newtown High School has also had the opportunity to be involved in the SMART program for a number of years. She began as a student at the age of five, then became a volunteer and now is the head intern for the program. âIt is more of an administrative position. I see that everyone has what they need and that everything goes smoothly. Itâs fun. The kids donât feel like they are in school and there is a lot of variety of activities to choose from,â she said.

It is not too late to enroll in the second session. Anyone interested in enrolling or for further information call the Continuing Education Office at 426-1787.

Patricia Anzellotti

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Reed School Hosts Annual Summer Music And Art Program

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