A Creative Day

I attended a conference yesterday at our regional BOCES (Board of Cooperative Educational Services) to address instructional strategies related to the newly adopted common core learning standards. The primary objective of the meeting addressed the need to infuse writing instruction across grade levels and content areas. The information proved to represent a powerful resource for our use in designing future learning plans at Heatly. This will help us as we attempt to integrate writing skills within each department and across all grade levels. Most importantly, rather than exercise writing techniques in a mechanical and routine format as a stand alone focus of instruction, we want to nurture and refine the act and influence of writing as a dynamic form of expression, information, and persuasion far beyond the confining limitations of an English class and well outside of the boundaries of teaching grammar.

In addition to the valuable support services I received at the meeting there was another feature available at the site. The various hallways and conference rooms that comprise the expansive BOCES facility were festooned with hundreds of pieces of art works created by learners from around the area. I knew that several of our local artists from Heatly were represented in the collection. Our school district website has a nice article about the artists and provides images of their respective pieces of art. I was very pleased to discover that the entrance to the conference room where our meeting was located was flanked by the artwork of two different Heatly artists. During a break in the session I was able to tour the show and find the creations of the rest of our artists. Their creative talents contribute to positive publicity for our small district. I am proud of the products of their skill and imagination.