Cane Creek Middle School
Celebrating The Fine Arts
By Tim Reaves, Digital Communications Specialist
Walk the halls of Cane Creek Middle School and you’re sure to hear the deep resonance of a cello, the trill
of a flute, or the rising swell of a well-rehearsed chorus.
Like other BCS middle grade schools, Cane Creek strives to get children
involved in a wide range of fine arts options, from strings to theater
to acrylic paints.
“There is an awareness at our school about the well-rounded student
who exceeds in the three A’s — academics, arts, and athletics,” said
band director Clif Dodson. “We want to see every student grow and
excel.”
Mr. Pospishil’s art class
performs a puppet show.
“We’re very fortunate to have
such strong and complete fine
arts programs here,” said chorus
teacher Kathryn Strickler. “It
takes parent and public support
to make these programs thrive,
and Cane Creek has had that for
a long time.”
“It’s great to do something different,” said eighth-grader Jack Applegate,
a percussionist in the school band who used a second “exploration”
elective to learn trumpet. “It’s really fun to see yourself get better.”
Ms. Strickler’s chorus
The improvement carries over
w arms up for rehearsal.
into academics, said theater
teacher Ellen Wharton. The fine
arts, including theater, encourage students to engage creatively in
multiple disciplines at the same time.
“Most people see the relationship with Language Arts because theater
is a literary art, communicating stories and ideas to an audience,”
she said. “But it is so much more. Theater boosts Social Studies in
exploring the culture and history
of our global community.”
Theater and other creative arts
also involve technology and design,
giving students more with science
and math. They give students a
mental roadmap to develop projects — plays, songs, paintings, and more
— from start to finish.
Students practice in Mr.
Zinke’s strings class.
“Art gives students an outlet where they can take their middle school
‘drama’ and put it to use, collaborating to create solutions to problems and
building confidence to stand in front of peers and parents,” Wharton said.
Students practice in Mr.
Dodson’s band class.
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