Celebration Of The Arts At Newtown Middle School

By Laurie Borst

On the evening of May 2, Newtown Middle School opened its doors to the community and invited the public to experience Celebration of the Arts. The event showcased Newtown middle schoolers’ talents in art, music, technology, and athletic performance. The show was the culmination of studies throughout the year.

In the reading room, seventh and eighth grade students read to younger siblings taking a break from the buzz of activity in the halls. These students were volunteers from the reading classes.

The halls were lined with artwork. Seventh grade students had studied the structure of the head and features and the connection of colors with emotions. The students wrote a story, then created a portrait of the story’s hero using three colors that reflected the mood in the story.

Eighth graders studied Wayne Thiebaud, a pop artist whose work focused on pastries and bakery products. Some of the students employed various watercolor techniques to produce some very colorful renderings of the classic American doughnut. Others made paintings of blue jeans.

Some eighth grade art enrichments students selected an artist and a piece of furniture, which was painted in the style of the chosen artist. Other eighth graders studied medieval times and produced dragon gargoyles from clay.

Most displays were open for viewing throughout the evening. The one exception was the music presentations in the auditorium. Student recitals, Percussion Ensemble, Concert Choir, and Jazz Band each had 20 minutes to entertain with their remarkable musical abilities.

Several subjects were addressed in the displays in the cafeteria. Students created posters demonstrating the dangers of alcohol. Fatal Vision goggles were available to try on, which allowed the wearer to experience the effects of alcohol on vision and balance. Many people reported feeling queasy while wearing the goggles.

The cafeteria was also the place to view an array of posters created by youngsters in the Gifted and Talented program. The students had studied the issue of genocide, focusing on the crisis in Darfur. Patrick Shirley created a video with images from the war-torn country backed by the haunting strains of Billy Joel’s “And So It Goes.” It was a very moving film. Mike and Lisa Iassogna said after viewing the film, “He did a fantastic job. The choice of pictures tells a good story. The music is touching.”

The gym was abuzz with much activity. Cat Eye Bikes were hooked up to a screen displaying a racing game. Students pedal to operate the game, thus combining physical activity with the video games young people love. Another physical/video activity was demonstrated with DDR, Dance Dance Revolution. This game involves a mat connected to a TV. The screen displays directional movements which correspond to spots on the mat. The player must follow the directions, which get faster and more complicated as the game proceeds. Project Adventure offered a Challenge Course Demonstration.

Spanish students created piñatas, which hung from the ceiling outside the auditorium. This foyer was also the place to purchase baked goods provided by Family and Consumer Science students. Proceeds benefited Katrina survivors.