Middletown
Public
Schools:
Fine Arts
Department
2011-
2012A summary of the activities, performances, and studies of the Art and
Music classes within the Middletown Public Schools throughout the
2011-2012 academic year.
Year in
Review
Directed by Marco Gaylord
Primary
Frederick J. Bielefield Elementary
Art.................................................2
Music.............................................2
Farm Hill Elementary
Art.................................................5
Music.............................................5
The Lawrence School
Art.................................................8
Music.............................................8
Macdonough Elementary
Art.................................................10
Music.............................................10
Van Buren Moody Elementary
Art.................................................12
Music.............................................14
Wilbert Snow Elementary
Art.................................................15
Music.............................................17
Bertrand E. Spencer Elementary
Art.................................................19
Music.............................................20
Vivian McRae Wesley Elementary
Art.................................................22
Music.............................................23
The Elizabeth Swaim Strings
Program..................................................25
Secondary
Keigwin Middle School
Art.................................................28
Music.............................................30
Woodrow Wilson Middle School
Art.................................................32
Music.............................................34
Theater...........................................38
Middletown High School
Art.................................................39
Music.............................................44
Theater...........................................51
Middletown Teen Theater &
Middletown Children’s Theater
........................................................54
TEACHER INDEX: ART.....................56
TEACHER INDEX: MUSIC................57
TEACHER INDEX: THEATER..........58
Information and photos provided by individuals,
compiled and presented by Lauren Otto.
Middletown Public Schools Page 2
Arts Department: Year in Review
Frederick J. Bielefield Elementary
ART:
Katrina Engelhardt and Catherine Lendler
Bielefield’s students and teachers began their year completing memorial ceramic mosaic
tiles for an instillation dedicated to Dottie Solek who worked with many students throughout
the district and ran many charities at the school. Students
participated in the Fire Prevention Poster contest and
Middletown Parks and Recreation drawing contest and a
student artist was chosen each month for recognition of their
personal artwork. Enrichment time was spent with students
to create stage
decorations for the choral
concerts and
collaborating with third
grade to create masks for
book reports. Fifth grade
students raised a record
amount of money for
their yearbooks and Field
Day tee shirts by creating
paintings on canvas for a Valentine’s Day Art Auction and
Spaghetti Dinner. Bielefield students displayed 2‐D and 3‐D
work in the Middletown Public Schools Art Show at
Wesleyan University. On May 17th, all fifth grade classes
attended the Wadsworth Athenaeum Field Trip focusing on
observation skills and visual arts vocabulary. The students concluded their visit by writing a
paper about a selected artwork. Some outstanding student artwork was selected and is
displayed at the Board of Education Offices.
MUSIC:
Stephen D’Amato
The 4th graders start in the beginning of the year and learn how to put their instruments
together, care and maintenance of their instruments, and how to hold and make sounds. By the
end of 4th grade, they are playing simple band songs as a group. In 5th grade band, they start off
Middletown Public Schools Page 3
Arts Department: Year in Review
where they left off in 4th grade and continue to learn new concepts, such as dynamic markings,
tempo markings, staccato and tenuto markings, and more complicated notes and rhythms. We
also have 5th grade beginners. In lessons and band, we learn to play different styles of music
with our songs such as: marches, classical, pop, blues, rock, and jazz. The great thing about
music classes and band classes is that the students get to show everything they have learned
and have been working on at their concerts. Our School puts on two performances a year, one
in the winter and one in the spring. These concerts are K-5 chorus and 4th and 5th grade band.
In addition to the school concerts the 4th and 5th grade students perform in the All-City chorus
and band concert as well. All the music teachers are involved in all performances.
Finally, all music students are currently working on their exit exams, which is a formal
evaluation of all they learned throughout the year. Data from the results will be available and
evaluated at the end of the school year.
Amy Chrzanowski
The Bielefield school music program has been very busy this year. General music
students have worked hard on music from different cultures and genres. The students have
learned concepts that start in kindergarten with steady beat, high and low sounds and simple
rhythms all the way up to 5th grade where they learn how to compose and perform in a major
scale, sight read music in a major scale, and read and play 16th note rhythms.
Some exciting projects in general music include Saint Saens’ Carnival of the Animals in
1st grade, and Prokofiev’s Peter and the wolf in second grade. Third grade studied classical
composers and their music, while 4th grade studied famous jazz musicians and their music.
Grade five learned all about musicals, the history of musicals, and all the different jobs and
people involved in putting on a musical.
The Bielefield 4th and 5th grade band has been learning to play and perform on their
instruments as well. The 4th graders start in the beginning of the year and learn how to put
their instruments together, care and maintenance of their instruments, and how to hold and
make sounds. By the end of 4th grade they are playing simple band songs as a group. In 5th
grade band, they start off where they left off in 4th and continue to learn new concepts, such as
dynamic markings, tempo markings, staccato and tenuto markings, and more complicated
notes and rhythms. The great thing about music classes and band classes is that the students
get to show everything they have learned and have been working on at their concerts.
Bielefield School puts on two performances a year, one in the winter and one in the spring.
These concerts are K-5 chorus and 4th and 5th grade band. In addition to the school concerts, the
4th and 5th grade students perform in the All-City chorus and band concert as well. All the
music teachers are involved in all performances.
Finally, all music students are currently working on their exit exams, which is a formal
evaluation of all they learned throughout the year. Data from the results will be available and
evaluated at the end of the school year.
Middletown Public Schools Page 4
Arts Department: Year in Review
Cynthia Peterson
Jazz is alive and well in elementary school!
Students come before school or during the day to practice such jazz tunes as "Bag O
Blues", "Mack the Knife" and "La Bamba". The 5th Grade Jazz Ensemble recently performed
before a packed crowd at the All City Festival and was heard at their school concerts in May
and June.
Charlotte Soja
This year in Bielefield’s General music classes we had a busy year. This was our second
year of implementing our new curriculum. Beside the delayed start with hurricanes and
autumn snow storms, the students worked hard to be ready for the winter concert. Over the
holiday season, we performed two winter concerts for an audience and one additional winter
show in an all school assembly. The Show was a combination of band and choral music. The
spring concerts this year will feature Bielefield students singing general choral songs, and I
always enjoy throwing in at least a few Michael Jackson numbers. There will be two
performances.
The students are currently working on completing their end of the year ‘Exit Exams’
which is a formal evaluation of K-5 students based on the curriculum. Results from these
evaluations will be complete by the end of the school year.
Middletown Public Schools Page 5
Arts Department: Year in Review
Farm Hill Elementary
ART:
Sean Callahan
Students at Farm Hill School learned about a variety of art from different artists,
cultures, and periods in history and different techniques for creating art this year. During the
school year we have studied important artworks in classroom discussions and critical analysis.
Thanks to the Cultural Council,
The students in fourth and fifth grade also had the opportunities to see original works of
art at area art museums. The fourth grade students took a field trip to Wesleyan to see the many
Asians artworks housed there and the fifth grade classes visited the Wadsworth Athenaeum.
Both fieldtrips included writing components in which students reflected on their experience
and the artwork they viewed.
The students worked hard to create their artwork and the results showed in both the
district wide art show and the Board of Education art show. Each grade used many different
media including clay, marker, paint and tinfoil and each grade viewed artwork from many
different artists. This approach allowed the students to learn the techniques of using multiple
media and their imagination to create their artwork.
After school art clubs have become very popular at Farm Hill and during the fall there
was an art club in which students worked on independent and group projects. This spring we
had an after-school pottery club that is run in conjunction with the CAP program. This
program includes over thirty students from third, fourth and fifth grade. Students work with
clay for forty-five minutes and then do homework for forty-five minutes.
MUSIC:
Cynthia Peterson
Band students at Farm Hill have kept busy this year with two school concerts and a
performance at the All City Music Festival. School concerts include such titles as "Blue Ribbon
March, "Mickey Mouse March”, "Blue Note Rock" and "Star Wars". Students at a Flag Day
ceremony performed "Star Spangled Banner" and "You're a Grand Old Flag". Those who
performed at the 5th Grade Promotion played "This Land is Your Land", "Hail, The Conquering
Hero" and "America"
All in all our instrumental music students have had opportunities to perform on their
instruments and make us proud!
Jazz is alive and well in elementary school!
Students come before school or during the day to practice such jazz tunes as "Bag O
Blues", "Mack the Knife" and "La Bamba". The 5th Grade Jazz Ensemble recently performed
Middletown Public Schools Page 6
Arts Department: Year in Review
before a packed crowd at the All City Festival and was heard at their school concerts in May
and June.
Hallie Sorensen
Farm Hill students have had a busy year strengthening their music skills. In music class
you could hear kids singing and playing instruments together. Students have fun playing
music games.
Music performances were a highlight of the year. All grade levels performed in a
December concert which features a variety of songs representing December celebrations. All
students performed in this concert and it was well received by the audience.
Springtime has brought a host of musical performances. Students who attended the
New Britain Rock Cats game sang “America the Beautiful” at the opening of the game. Over
150 Farm Hill students and family members were in attendance at that game.
Kindergarten classes put on the musical “The Little Red Hen.” It was fully staged with
scenery and costumes. Students were featured in lead roles as well as story tellers. Both school
time performance as well as an evening performance was enjoyed be students, parents and
friends.
Third graders began lessons using the Recorder Karate program. Ninety-seven percent
of the students successfully passed “level one”. The students also invented instruments as part
of their “instruments of the orchestra” unit.
In June grade 1-5 will perform in a spring concert. This year’s theme is “Celebrations
Through-Out the Year.” Students will have the opportunity to perform songs not usually
performed in concert. Tunes will include “Happy Grandparent’s Day, I have a Dream, The
Ballad of Johnny Appleseed, and Mashed Potatoes” just to name a few. All third through fifth
graders will also perform on their recorders.
Music has helped to enhance the school spirit this year. At each assembly students sing
the Farm Hill School song. It has helped to create a positive environment. Fourth and Fifth
graders learned choral and recorder songs which were performed at the “All-City” music
festival in April. Lastly, the fifth grade sung at the fifth grade promotion on June 20.
Liza Siegel
The students at Farm Hill School worked very hard this year on singing, playing
instruments and moving to music. All of the students participated in two concerts. The first
took place in December. This concert featured music with a winter and December Holiday
theme. The second concert took place in June. This concert featured songs about holidays
throughout the year, such as Mother's Day, Father's Day and Halloween.
There are many curriculum highlights to celebrate. Kindergarten worked on learning
vocabulary words to describe music and how to show a steady beat. First grade started to read
music notation and enjoyed acting out different animals to the famous piece "Carnival of the
Animals". Second grade started to learn about harmony by singing songs in two parts and liked
the story of "Peter and the Wolf" told through music. Grade three began to play the recorder
and learn about different families of the orchestra. Fourth grade dove into Jazz and
Middletown Public Schools Page 7
Arts Department: Year in Review
improvisation. Grade 5 studied musical form and successfully finished the recorder program
called "Recorder Karate".
During the first half of the year, students in grades four and five had the option to sing
in the Spencer School Chorus. Many students participated and sang two pieces in the winter
concert. The music selections were difficult and the students worked hard to perform them
well. Select Spencer School fourth and fifth graders also had the option to participate in the
Middletown All‐City Music in April. Many students chose to play in the bands and recorder
ensembles as well as sing in the chorus.
Middletown Public Schools Page 8
Arts Department: Year in Review
The Lawrence School
ART:
Alison Kaye
On maternity leave, Spring 2012, covered by Claudia Kehrhahn.
MUSIC:
Farah DeAngelis and David Daddario
The students at The Lawrence School worked very hard
to improve their music skills through singing, playing
instruments and moving to music. Students in all grades have
been spending much time creating, performing, and responding
to classical and folk music. The
lower grades have been playing
games such as music baseball to learn how to read music while
the upper grades are enthusiastically participating in “Recorder
Karate” to strengthen music reading skills. In our music dojo,
many students have acquired
their black belts and many more
are on their way!
All of the students participated in four concerts this year
with two performances for the December show and two for the
May show. The concert in December showcased winter and
December holiday music. In May the concert theme will be
“Holiday Harmonies” in which the students will perform music
from important holidays throughout the entire year. Even with
all these exciting concerts, the students’ favorite concert of the
year is put on by The Lawrence School staff members. The staff
performs holiday favorites while the students sing and move
along with the tunes. It brings joy and is remembered by all.
The entire fourth and fifth grade class had an
opportunity to celebrate Earth Day with a song during an
assembly. This helped to prepare them for the 30th Annual All-City Music Festival. This year,
41% of all fourth and fifth grade students at The Lawrence School participated in the festival,
which is a slight gain from last year. The students worked hard, performed beautifully, and
showcased the musicianship skills they learn and practice every week in class.
Middletown Public Schools Page 9
Arts Department: Year in Review
Cynthia Peterson
Jazz is alive and well in elementary school!
Students come before school or during the day to practice such jazz tunes as "Bag O
Blues", "Mack the Knife" and "La Bamba". The 5th Grade Jazz Ensemble recently performed
before a packed crowd at the All City Festival and was heard at their school concerts in May
and June.
Middletown Public Schools Page 10
Arts Department: Year in Review
Macdonough Elementary
ART:
Sean Callahan
Alison Kaye
On maternity leave, Spring 2012, covered by Claudia Kehrhahn.
MUSIC:
Stephen D’Amato
The 4th graders start in the beginning of the year and learn how to put their instruments
together, care and maintenance of their instruments, and how to hold and make sounds. By the
end of 4th grade they are playing simple band songs as a group. In 5th grade band, they start off
where they left off in 4th and continue to learn new concepts, such as dynamic markings, tempo
markings, staccato and tenuto markings, and more complicated notes and rhythms. We also
have 5th grade beginners. In lessons and band, we learn to play different styles of music with
our songs such as: marches, classical, pop, blues, rock, and jazz. The great thing about music
classes and band classes is that the students get to show everything they have learned and have
been working on at their concerts. Our School puts on two performances a year, one in the
winter and one in the spring. These concerts are K-5 chorus and 4th and 5th grade band. In
addition to the school concerts the 4th and 5th grade students perform in the All-City chorus and
band concert as well. All the music teachers are involved in all performances.
Finally, all music students are currently working on their exit exams, which is a formal
evaluation of all they learned throughout the year. Data from the results will be available and
evaluated at the end of the school year.
Farah DeAngelis
The students at MacDonough Elementary School have
been experiencing music in and outside the music classroom all
year long. With wonderful opportunities to attend various
Green Street arts programs, participate in music mentoring, and
visit the Goodspeed Opera House, music is definitely important
in our community!
Last year a CAUSE grant helped MacDonough school purchase keyboards for a piano
club. This year students wished to continue the after-school club, with help from staff and
parents. Both new and continuing students have been working hard to increase their piano
playing abilities.
Middletown Public Schools Page 11
Arts Department: Year in Review
All of the students participated in two concerts this year with one performance for the
December show and another for the May show. The concert in December showcased winter
and December holiday music. In May, the concert theme was “Holiday Harmonies” in which
the students performed music from important holidays throughout the entire year. In April,
kindergarten students sang in their annual Spring Show. In preparation for the show, students
learned about different cultures and learned songs in different languages. All of their hard work
and practice showed as they sang and performed on stage for their families and the school.
Later that month, fourth and fifth grade students all
learned special music for the All-City Music Festival and
some got to showcase their hard work by attending
rehearsals and performance for the festival. Our final
musical celebration of the year was on Flag Day. All
students showed their respect and honor for our country
through song.
Cynthia Peterson
Jazz is alive and well in elementary school!
Students come before school or during the day to
practice such jazz tunes as "Bag O Blues", "Mack the
Knife" and "La Bamba". The 5th Grade Jazz Ensemble
recently performed before a packed crowd at the All City
Festival and was heard at their school concerts in May
and June.
Middletown Public Schools Page 12
Arts Department: Year in Review
Van Buren Moody Elementary
ART:
Megan Martin
The students in kindergarten through grade five have learned about a variety of art
styles, artists, cultures, art history and art making techniques this year. They have studied
famous artworks in depth through class discussions, and through critical analysis about each
individual work of art. The students have also been given opportunities to view actual artworks
in a museum setting to enrich the art experience. Grade four students visited several art exhibits
at Wesleyan University in the fall, and Grade five students visited the Wadsworth Athenaeum
this past spring. Famous works of art are used as inspiration for most art projects, and students
use their knowledge about an artist’s work as a springboard for their own creativity.
The art field trip to Wesleyan University with the fourth graders was filled with fun
exciting activities for the students to take part in. They visited
the Gamelan, which is an instrumental chorus from Indonesia,
and listened to music from that culture. They students also had
an opportunity to play the instruments. They learned about the
Indonesian art of shadow puppetry, and also enjoyed visiting
the art galleries on the Wesleyan campus. Exhibitions at The
Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Gallery, The Davidson Art Center, and
the Mansfield Center for East Asian Studies were all viewed by
the students in small groups.
The art field trip to the Wadsworth Athenaeum with the fifth grades was a magnificent
experience. The students were given a tour of the museum by a docent and stopped to discuss
and respond to several works of art. Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Norman Rockwell, Stuart
Davis, Andy Warhol, and Vincent Van Gogh were just some of the artists whose work was
viewed by the students. The fifth graders completed a written activity at the commencement of
the museum tour to analyze one specific work of art of their choice.
In art class the students in grades kindergarten through grade five have had many
opportunities to experience art. Large scale art prints are mainly used to show students the
work of different artists, and occasionally a historical/cultural video will be used to exhibit a
work of art. PowerPoint presentations and museum websites viewed in the computer lab are
another way students have utilized technology to access great works of art. The following are
highlights of what each grade has studied in art class.
The kindergarteners have learned about line, shape,
color, and texture by studying the artwork of Wassily Kandinski,
Piet Mondrian, and Hokusai. Students made mixed media line
sculptures, tempera paintings, clay, and crayon drawings to
express themselves. Illustrations from a variety of stories have
also been used as inspiration for art making. The most recent
Middletown Public Schools Page 13
Arts Department: Year in Review
project was a butterfly drawing showing symmetry and pattern.
First graders have studied Vincent Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” painting and made a
painting/collage of their own flowers in a vase; they also made a three-dimensional paper
bedroom inspired from his “Bedroom at Arles” painting. The have made their own portraits
after viewing self-portraits by several artists. Claude Monet’s water lilies were also studied and
the students tried to emulate his painting style with oil pastels. A variety of cultures have been
studied also including African Masks, Indian Navaratna Jewelry, and Japanese Gyotaku (fish
printing).
Second graders studied the art of Henri Matisse and made story collages using a variety
of papers. Henri Rousseau was another famous artist they studied to learn about imagination
and landscape drawing. Student made jungle scenes that show depth with relation to the size of
objects in the drawing. Students also studied the artwork of Mary Cassatt and made their own
family portraits that express their feelings and the individual personalities of their family
members.
Third graders studied the art and writing of Faith
Ringgold and made geometric drawings inspired from her quilt
designs. Students also drew pictures about their aspirations and
dreams inside of the quilt designs. The students studied the
artwork of Grant Wood and discussed how his “rural” artwork
compared to the environment in which we live. Students made
portraits of themselves in front of an important place in
Middletown. This lesson connected to a unit based on local
architecture where the students made pencil drawings of Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, and
Federal style buildings. Students made clay leaf bowls by pressing actual leaves into the clay
and making a slumped bowl out of their slab. Some of the cultural projects studied in third
grade include aboriginal dreaming from Australia, and Jade paper mosaic masks inspired from
the Mayans.
The fourth graders studied large flower paintings by
Georgia O’Keeffe and used color blending with oil pastels to
create their own close up of a natural object. They also utilized
technology by altering a flower photo in a photo editing
program, which was inspired by the art of Georgia O’Keeffe.
Students also practiced several watercolor techniques and the
Japanese art of Sumi-E painting with bamboo brushes and ink.
They also made many different origami folds during a unit on
East Asian art.
The fifth graders have studied form and value during a still life drawing and through
utilizing different shading techniques. Creating abstractions from realistic objects was also the
focus of a unit based on Pablo Picasso’s art. Folk art of the African American slaves was also
studied, and students created clay face jugs. The final unit for the fifth grade was based on
linear perspective drawing of a city scene where each student created their ideal city. Each
student was encouraged to express their individuality with the details in their city scene.
Middletown Public Schools Page 14
Arts Department: Year in Review
In conclusion, this has been a very productive and exciting year for the students. Each
student takes their artwork home both midway during the year and at the end of the year in an
art folder or portfolio.
MUSIC:
Cynthia Peterson
Band students at Moody have kept busy this year with
two school concerts and a performance at the All City Music
Festival. School concerts include such titles as "Blue Ribbon
March, "Mickey Mouse March”, "Blue Note Rock" and "Star
Wars". Students at a Flag Day ceremony performed "Star
Spangled Banner" and "You're a Grand Old Flag". Those who
performed at the Moody School Promotion played "This Land is
Your Land", "Hail, The Conquering Hero" and "America".
All in all our instrumental music students have had opportunities to perform on their
instruments and make us proud!
Jazz is alive and well in elementary school!
Students come before school or during the day to practice such jazz tunes as "Bag O
Blues", "Mack the Knife" and "La Bamba". The 5th Grade Jazz Ensemble recently performed
before a packed crowd at the All City Festival and was heard at their school concerts in May
and June.
Charlotte Soja
This year in Moody’s General music classes we had a busy year. This was our second
year of implementing our new curriculum. Beside the delayed start with hurricanes and
autumn snow storms, the students worked hard to be ready for the winter concert. Over the
holiday season, we performed two winter concerts for an audience and one additional winter
show in an all school assembly. Select students had choral solos which they sung with amazing
confidence. The spring concerts this year will feature Moody
students singing general choral songs, and I always enjoy
throwing in at least a few Michael Jackson numbers. There will
be two performances. In the last few weeks of school I will be
organizing a teacher’s only song and dance routine to kick off
the summer reading program. Teachers will perform for the
students.
The students are currently working on completing their end of the year ‘Exit Exams’
which is a formal evaluation of K-5 students based on the curriculum. Results from these
evaluations will be complete by the end of the school year.
Middletown Public Schools Page 15
Arts Department: Year in Review
Wilbert Snow Elementary
ART:
Megan Martin
The students in kindergarten through grade five have learned about a variety of art
styles, artists, cultures, art history and art making techniques this year. They have studied
famous artworks in depth through class discussions, and through critical analysis about each
individual work of art. The students have also been given opportunities to view actual artworks
in a museum setting to enrich the art experience. Grade four students visited several art exhibits
at Wesleyan University in the fall, and Grade five students visited the Wadsworth Athenaeum
this past spring. Famous works of art are used as inspiration for most art projects, and students
use their knowledge about an artist’s work as a springboard for their own creativity.
The art field trip to Wesleyan University with the fourth graders was filled with fun
exciting activities for the students to take part in. They visited
the Gamelan, which is an instrumental chorus from Indonesia,
and listened to music from that culture. They students also had
an opportunity to play the instruments. They learned about the
Indonesian art of shadow puppetry, and also enjoyed visiting
the art galleries on the Wesleyan campus. Exhibitions at The
Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Gallery, The Davidson Art Center, and
the Mansfield Center for East Asian Studies were all viewed by
the students in small groups.
The art field trip to the Wadsworth Athenaeum with the fifth grades was a magnificent
experience. The students were given a tour of the museum by a docent and stopped to discuss
and respond to several works of art. Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Norman Rockwell, Stuart
Davis, Andy Warhol, and Vincent Van Gogh were just some of the artists whose work was
viewed by the students. The fifth graders completed a written activity at the commencement of
the museum tour to analyze one specific work of art of their choice.
In art class the students in grades kindergarten through grade five have had many
opportunities to experience art. Large scale art prints are mainly used to show students the
work of different artists, and occasionally a historical/cultural video will be used to exhibit a
work of art. PowerPoint presentations and museum websites viewed in the computer lab are
another way students have utilized technology to access great works of art. The following are
highlights of what each grade has studied in art class.
The kindergarteners have learned about line, shape,
color, and texture by studying the artwork of Wassily
Kandinski, Piet Mondrian, and Hokusai. Students made mixed
media line sculptures, tempera paintings, clay, and crayon
drawings to express themselves. Illustrations from a variety of
stories have also been used as inspiration for art making. The
Middletown Public Schools Page 16
Arts Department: Year in Review
most recent project was a butterfly drawing showing symmetry and pattern.
First graders have studied Vincent Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” painting and made a
painting/collage of their own flowers in a vase; they also made a three-dimensional paper
bedroom inspired from his “Bedroom at Arles” painting. The have made their own portraits
after viewing self-portraits by several artists. Claude Monet’s water lilies were also studied and
the students tried to emulate his painting style with oil pastels. A variety of cultures have been
studied also including African Masks, Indian Navaratna Jewelry, and Japanese Gyotaku (fish
printing).
Second graders studied the art of Henri Matisse and made story collages using a variety
of papers. Henri Rousseau was another famous artist they studied to learn about imagination
and landscape drawing. Student made jungle scenes that show depth with relation to the size of
objects in the drawing. Students also studied the artwork of Mary Cassatt and made their own
family portraits that express their feelings and the individual personalities of their family
members.
Third graders studied the art and writing of Faith
Ringgold and made geometric drawings inspired from her quilt
designs. Students also drew pictures about their aspirations and
dreams inside of the quilt designs. The students studied the
artwork of Grant Wood and discussed how his “rural” artwork
compared to the environment in which we live. Students made
portraits of themselves in front of an important place in
Middletown. This lesson connected to a unit based on local
architecture where the students made pencil drawings of Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, and
Federal style buildings. Students made clay leaf bowls by pressing actual leaves into the clay
and making a slumped bowl out of their slab. Some of the cultural projects studied in third
grade include aboriginal dreaming from Australia, and Jade paper mosaic masks inspired from
the Mayans.
The fourth graders studied large flower paintings by
Georgia O’Keeffe and used color blending with oil pastels to
create their own close up of a natural object. They also utilized
technology by altering a flower photo in a photo editing
program, which was inspired by the art of Georgia O’Keeffe.
Students also practiced several watercolor techniques and the
Japanese art of Sumi-E painting with bamboo brushes and ink.
They also made many different origami folds during a unit on
East Asian art.
The fifth graders have studied form and value during a still life drawing and through
utilizing different shading techniques. Creating abstractions from realistic objects was also the
focus of a unit based on Pablo Picasso’s art. Folk art of the African American slaves was also
studied, and students created clay face jugs. The final unit for the fifth grade was based on
linear perspective drawing of a city scene where each student created their ideal city. Each
student was encouraged to express their individuality with the details in their city scene.
Middletown Public Schools Page 17
Arts Department: Year in Review
In conclusion, this has been a very productive and exciting year for the students. Each
student takes their artwork home both midway during the year and at the end of the year in an
art folder or portfolio.
MUSIC:
Amy Chrzanowski
The band at Snow School has come a long way since September. The 4th graders started
with learning how to put their instruments together, care and maintenance, and how to make
sounds. They are now playing multiple parts in a band setting and preparing for their spring
concert. The 5th grade bands at Snow started with playing simple band songs to playing more
complex music with tempo and dynamic markings, staccato and tenuto markings, and more
difficult notes and rhythms. Along with the 4th and 5th grade lessons and band rehearsals,
which are during the day, Snow School and Spencer School also have a 5th grade Jazz bands
that practice in the morning before school. All band students perform in a winter concert and a
spring concert, as well as the All- City concert. The 5th grade flute choir performed at the Snow
School Curriculum Night as well. The band students are currently working on their end of the
year exit exams which will be available and evaluated for data at the end of the year.
Cynthia Peterson
Jazz is alive and well in elementary school!
Students come before school or during the day to practice such jazz tunes as "Bag O
Blues", "Mack the Knife" and "La Bamba". The 5th Grade Jazz Ensemble recently performed
before a packed crowd at the All City Festival and heard at their school concerts in May and
June.
Hallie Sorensen
Snow School students have been busy singing, playing, reading and playing a vast
variety of music. Major accomplishments include all students
singing and playing in the December concert, which featured
tradition, popular and novelty song that celebrate December
Holidays, including a skit based on the story of “Good King
Wenceslas” complete with costumes, singing and a recorder
consort.
January was highlighted with the drama club’s
productions of “Clowns.” Thirty-five third, fourth and fifth
graders entertained a full-house audience to this colorful, fully costumed production. An
evening program as well as a school performance was received with raving reviews!
On March 19th, “Minds in Motion” took place at Snow School. Both Mrs. Chrzanowski
and Mrs. Sorensen were presenters at this Saturday event. Students who took part in this
workshop made copper piping xylophones and well as rain sticks and terracotta wind chimes.
Middletown Public Schools Page 18
Arts Department: Year in Review
Curriculum night was held on May 17th. The third grade displayed their “invented
instruments.” These projects culminate their study of the “Instruments of the Orchestra” unit.
This hands-on exhibit was shown to parents and friends of the Snow School community. On
May 23rd, the kindergarten classes will present the musical “The Little Red Hen.” Students will
sing and narrate this children’s story. Two performances are planned, the first for the students
and an after-school performance for parents and friends.
Two spring concerts will be presented in June. (Grades 1-3 will perform on June 6th.
Grades 4 and 5 along the band will perform on June 8th.) The concert will be entitled
“Celebrating Summer.” As suggested by the title, the songs will reflect summer fun.
Middletown Public Schools Page 19
Arts Department: Year in Review
Bertrand E. Spencer Elementary
ART:
Kinga Zinowko
Here at Spencer, wonderful things have been happening in the
art room. Students explored variety of media, techniques, cultures
and artists. First grade students created beautiful collage portraits out
of wall paper. Second grade explored Japanese culture during their
Shoji Screen project. Third grade focused on architecture. They
created clay reliefs reflecting Middletown
architecture as well as dioramas based on
Faith Ringgold’s book Tar Beach. Fourth grade decorated our hallways
with African mixed media art. They used watercolors to paint a desert
landscape, used sharpies to draw a stylized Masai African figure and
used African patterned stamps to print a frame. Few chosen students
were also part of an afterschool art club. During that time, students
painted famous masterpieces on ceiling tiles.
Thanks to them, our art room looks great
with the ceiling full of paintings. Our fifth
graders focused on honing their drawing
skills. They created amazing mixed media portraits where they
showcased their color blending skills. Using Gustav Klimt’s work as
inspiration, they made Asian copper reliefs of samurai and geishas.
They also utilized their creativity and humor in describing “Why the
chicken crossed the road?” for our perspective drawing. All of our
students were able to create at least one clay project. Examples of
these works of art could have been seen at the Zilkha Gallery Art show at Wesleyan University
in March and at the Board of Ed. Art show in May. Over a thousand people came to see our
students’ artwork, making it a very successful show.
Fourth and fifth grade students also went on an art field trip. Fourth grade students
went to the New Britain Museum of Art.
They saw the phenomenal installation of
20,000 cups by Lisa Hoke, as well as the
Middletown Public Schools Page 20
Arts Department: Year in Review
whimsical exhibition of Martin Kline who used wax and color to create
textural, thought-provoking pieces. Fifth grades went to the
Wadsworth Athenaeum in Hartford. They saw original works of art by
such famous artists as Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso and many others.
At the end of the trip, students wrote a reflection, discussing questions
they would pose to their favorite artist.
MUSIC:
Amy Chrzanowski
The band at Spencer School has come a long way since September. The 4th graders
started with learning how to put their instruments together, care and maintenance, and how to
make sounds. They are now playing multiple parts in a band setting
and preparing for their spring concert. The 5th grade bands at Snow and
Spencer started with playing simple band songs to playing more
complex music with tempo and dynamic markings, staccato and tenuto
markings, and more difficult notes and rhythms. Along with the 4th
and 5th grade lessons and band rehearsals, which are during the day,
Spencer School also has a 5th grade Jazz band that practices in the
morning before school. All band students perform in a winter concert
and a spring concert, as well as the All-City concert. The 5th grade flute
choir performed at the Spencer School Curriculum Night as well. The
band students are currently working on their end of the year exit exams which will be available
and evaluated for data at the end of the year.
Cynthia Peterson
Band students at Spencer School have kept busy this year with two school concerts and
a performance at the All City Music Festival. School concerts include such titles as "Blue Ribbon
March, "Mickey Mouse March", "Blue Note Rock" and "Star Wars". Students at a Flag Day
ceremony will perform "Star Spangled Banner" and "You're a Grand Old Flag". Those who
perform at the Moody School Promotion will play "This Land is Your Land", "Hail, The
Conquering Hero" and "America".
All in all our instrumental music students have had opportunities to perform on their
instruments and make us proud!
Jazz is alive and well in elementary school!
Students come before school or during the day to practice such jazz tunes as "Bag O
Blues", "Mack the Knife" and "La Bamba". The 5th Grade Jazz Ensemble recently performed
before a packed crowd at the All City Festival and was heard at their school concerts in May
and June.
Middletown Public Schools Page 21
Arts Department: Year in Review
Liza Siegel
The students at Spencer School worked very hard this
year on singing, playing instruments and moving to music. All
of the students participated in two concerts. The first took place
in December. This concert
featured music with a winter and
December Holiday theme. The
second concert took place in
June. This concert featured
songs about holidays throughout the year, such as Mother's Day,
Father's Day and Halloween.
There are many curriculum highlights to celebrate.
Kindergarten worked on learning vocabulary words to describe
music and how to show a steady beat. First grade started to read
music notation and enjoyed acting out different animals to the
famous piece "Carnival of the
Animals". Second grade started
to learn about harmony by
singing songs in two parts and
liked the story of "Peter and the
Wolf" told through music. Grade three began to play the
recorder and learn about different families of the orchestra.
Fourth grade dove into Jazz and improvisation. Grade 5 studied
musical form and successfully finished the recorder program
called "Recorder Karate".
During the first half of the year, students in grades four
and five had the option to sing in
the Spencer School Chorus.
Many students participated and
sang two pieces in the winter
concert. The music selections
were difficult and the students worked hard to perform them
well. Select Spencer School fourth and fifth graders also had the
option to participate in the Middletown All‐City Music in April.
Many students chose to play in the bands and recorder ensembles as well as sing in the chorus.
Middletown Public Schools Page 22
Arts Department: Year in Review
Vivian McRae Wesley Elementary
ART:
Kinga Zinowko
Wesley students have been very busy this year.
Following the art curriculum, students in grades K-5 have
worked with variety of media, including crayons, markers,
pastels, watercolors, paints and many other things. Students
were introduced to a lot of different
artists, such as Monet, Picasso, Mary
Cassatt, Gustav Klimt, Jackson Pollock,
Faith Ringgold and Henri Matisse. First
grade students created beautiful collage
portraits out of wall paper. They
learned about variety of lines and shapes, which they used to make
wonderful patterns and designs. Second grade students explored
Japanese culture during their Shoji Screen
project. Just like Henri Matisse, they “drew
with scissors and sculpted with color." Third
grade focused on architecture. They created clay reliefs reflecting
Middletown architecture as well as dioramas based on Faith Ringgold’s
book Tar Beach. Fourth grade decorated our
hallways with African mixed media art. They
used watercolors to paint a desert landscape,
used sharpies to draw a stylized Masai African
figure and used African patterned stamps to
print a frame. Both teachers and parents commented on the beautiful
work they did. Our fifth graders focused on honing their drawing
skills. They created amazing mixed media
portraits where they showcased their color
blending skills. Using Gustav Klimt’s work as
inspiration, they made Asian copper reliefs of samurai and geishas.
They also utilized their creativity and humor in describing “Why the
chicken crossed the road?” for our
perspective drawing. During art
enrichment, fifth grades students
worked on a battle cap mural for the
cafeteria. They also created a 3-
Dimentional sculpture inspired by the glass artist Dale Chihuly.
Overall, all of our students did a wonderful job on all of their
Middletown Public Schools Page 23
Arts Department: Year in Review
projects. Their enthusiasm and love for the arts shows thru in everything they do.
Fourth and fifth grade students also went on an art field trip. Fourth grade students
went to the New Britain Museum of Art. They saw the
phenomenal installation of 20,000 cups by Lisa Hoke, as well as
the whimsical exhibition of Martin Kline who used wax and
color to create textural, thought-provoking pieces. Fifth grades
went to the Wadsworth Athenaeum in Hartford. They saw
original works of art by such famous artists as Salvador Dali,
Pablo Picasso and many others. At the end of the trip, students
wrote a reflection, discussing questions they would pose to their
favorite artist.
MUSIC:
Stephen D’Amato
The 4th graders start in the beginning of the year and learn how to
put their instruments together, care and maintenance of their instruments,
and how to hold and make sounds. By the end of 4th grade they are
playing simple band songs as a group. In 5th grade band, they start off
where they left off in 4th and continue to learn new concepts, such as
dynamic markings, tempo markings, staccato and tenuto markings, and
more complicated notes and rhythms. We also have 5th grade beginners. In
lessons and band, we learn to play different styles of music with our songs
such as: marches, classical, pop, blues, rock, and jazz. The great thing
about music classes and band classes is that the students get to show
everything they have learned and have been working on at their concerts.
Our School puts on two performances a year, one in the winter and one in the spring. These
concerts are K-5 chorus and 4th and 5th grade band. In addition to the school concerts the 4th and
5th grade students perform in the All-City chorus and band concert as well. All the music
teachers are involved in all performances.
Finally, all music students are currently working on their exit exams, which is a formal
evaluation of all they learned throughout the year. Data from the results will be available and
evaluated at the end of the school year.
Cynthia Peterson
Jazz is alive and well in elementary school!
Students come before school or during the day to practice such jazz tunes as "Bag O
Blues", "Mack the Knife" and "La Bamba". The 5th Grade Jazz Ensemble recently performed
before a packed crowd at the All City Festival and was heard at their school concerts in May
and June.
Middletown Public Schools Page 24
Arts Department: Year in Review
Jeannine Westbrook
Wesley School students have had an
excellent musical year. Kindergarten classes have
built a solid foundation in music reading skills
while enjoying singing, playing, and moving to
folk and classical music. Both kindergarten and
first graders worked hard on developing singing
voices with a focus on singing in tune. First
graders began learning to read, notate, create,
and play rhythmic patterns in addition to the first
formal study of an instrumental musical piece:
The Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint
Saens. Second graders built on skills acquired in earlier grades by performing call and response
songs and rounds. Students learned to read and notate music on the staff. They conducted and
studied the classic musical tale Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev. Third grade students
studied the instruments of the orchestra and learned to classify them into families and identify
them by sight or sound in classical music. Music reading skills were put into action with the
study of the recorder. Most students are now able to read and play melodies with a 3‐5 note
range at sight. Fourth grade students continued to excel in performance on recorders while
studying jazz as a musical genre. Fourth graders
continued to expand vocal ranges utilizing songs
in both major and minor tonalities. Music reading
and notating skills were demonstrated by taking
simple musical dictation; both rhythmic and
melodic. The Wesley fifth graders learned to
compose short melodies in G major and play
them on recorders. Students expanded vocal
ranges beyond a single octave and explored the
difference between reading in the keys of G major
and C major. Students compared genres of
musical theater. In addition classes learned about the different simple forms of musical pieces
such as AB, ABA, and theme and variations.
All grades performed in a holiday concert in December as well as in our “Pops” concert
in June. Select fourth and fifth graders also performed in the annual All‐City Concert. Members
of the Dance Club worked collaboratively every Friday before school to choreograph a group
dance that was performed at the spring concert. Finally, all music students took grade level and
instrumental music exit exams. Assessments are written and performance based. Data from the
results will be available and analyzed during the summer in order to continue to improve music
instruction at all levels
Middletown Public Schools Page 25
Arts Department: Year in Review
The Elizabeth Swaim Strings Program
Pinar Gosterisli
This year the Elizabeth Swaim after-school program had
six classes of beginner-level violins, which is the largest class in
all nine years. Also, many classes
surpassed the playing levels of
previous years. This year marked
our first ever viola class which is
a big milestone for the program. Students performed successful
winter and spring concerts and also participated in the All‐City
Strings Festival.
As a whole, the Swaim after-school program worked on
intonation, rhythmic accuracy, and especially on good sound
production. Students worked on correct playing posture,
timbre, and bow control to accomplish a good tone essential for
musical expression. Students
practiced performing
individually and in groups, both
small and large, blending
instrumental timbres, matching dynamic levels, and responding
to the cues of a conductor. String performers showed musical
expression through a variety of repertoire, representing diverse
genres and styles.
Lauren Otto
We have had a busy year in the Elizabeth Swaim Strings
Program. We meet at Keigwin Middle School once a week for
45 minutes after-school. Lessons are offered for Violin, Viola,
and ‘Cello, from a beginning Level One through an advanced
Level Four (and occasionally even Level Five). The program has
four instructors(Pinar Gosterisli,
Lauren Otto, Catalina Puerta,
and Kayla Remain), as well as
numerous high school assistants, and boasts approximately 120
students ranging in age from first grade through parents!
We are so proud of all our students’ hard work
throughout the year! We held our first concert on December 20,
2011 at the Middletown High School Performing Arts Center.
Middletown Public Schools Page 26
Arts Department: Year in Review
This concert came following just eight rehearsals, thanks in part to Hurricane Irene and the
Halloween snowstorm/power-outage. Many of our students were just learning to hold their
instruments when we began in October, and performed
beautifully in December.
As our students progress, it is wonderful to see their
enthusiasm for music grow. We typically end our program with
the fourth year, following which the
students join the Keigwin String
Orchestra upon entering 6th grade.
However, as some students begin early,
or progress quickly, our ‘Cello instructor
Pinar Gosterisli has begun offering a fifth year class as well!
Parent support has been vital to the success of the Strings
Program, and it is great to see the number of parents that observe their
child’s lesson, or, better yet, participate in the lesson alongside their son
or daughter! We have also been very fortunate to have so many
assistants volunteer their time from the Middletown High
School Band and Orchestra. These older students are not only
talented and dedicated musicians, but are also inspiring to the
young children just starting out in music. It is truly a testament
to the strength of the Music Program, and Arts Department as a
whole, to have juniors and seniors in high school so invested in
fostering a love for music in a younger generation.
Middletown Public Schools Page 28
Arts Department: Year in Review
Keigwin Middle School
ART:
Susan Meehl
This year once again, was made up of THREE CYCLES of art
lasting 60 days a piece. Each cycle Students created the
following projects.
Radial Name Design (Math related Op art). Color Theory,
Repetition, Shape, Line, Space, Pattern, Movement, Balance.
Optical Art Design (Math related Op art) Balance, Pattern,
Symmetry, Repetition, Contrast, Rhythm, Line, Movement.
Value Chart- creating value from light to dark in six separate
boxes, then one continuous line from
light to dark. Finally, three Shapes that
become forms through shading.
Rainforest Animals from Central and South America (World Cultures
related) Line, Shape, Color, Space, Form, Value, Emphasis, Unity.
3-D paper mache Mask, based on MAYAN, INCAS, AZTECS tribes
(World Culture related) Balance, Pattern, Form
Wire Figure Sculpture- 3-D sculpture, form showing proportion,
and movement. Paper mache, wire, acrylic paint
Chinese Banners- Celebrating Chinese New Year. Red (joy) paper
banners that have Chinese characters that represent important words to
students written in Black and highlighted with Gold.
Japanese Koi Fish sketching, outlining, and then water coloring Koi Fish
in a pond. (Represent our Koi Pond). Painting techniques, Brush
Techniques, Value with Paint. Paint Control.
Pop Art Poster Based on the POP ART Movement of the 1960's. Create a
product, a slogan, in a poster advertisement form. Create your own
brand, NO COPYRIGHT issues. Limited color,
red, yellow, and blue. Black outline or final
color. Acrylic paint.
The third and final cycle of Art students made 12x12
inch watercolor sunflowers paintings with messages of hope for
CANCER SURVIVOR Day our second year in a row, held here in
Middletown at the Cancer Center on Saybrook Rd. The paintings are
donated to cancer survivor patients. The patients LOVE them. The
event was held May 20, 2012 Approximately 115 Keigwin students are
represented.
Middletown Public Schools Page 29
Arts Department: Year in Review
The B.O.E. Art Show May 10th,
2012. Twenty-one Keigwin students are
represented by Keigwin students.
The Middletown Public Schools Art
Show March of 2012 was represented by 74
Keigwin students.
The Chinese banners decorated the
halls of Keigwin during the Cultural
Dinner in May. Almost all students were represented.
Both the Students and I have enjoyed another wonderfully successful year here at Keigwin.
Middletown Public Schools Page 30
Arts Department: Year in Review
MUSIC:
David Daddario
Performances of the Keigwin Middle School Band from the
2011-2012 school year included: Winter Concerts at both MHS and
Keigwin, the All-City Music Festival Concert, the Keigwin Cultural
Dinner, the Middletown Veterans Memorial Day Parade, and Spring
Concerts at both MHS and Keigwin. Additionally, the band embarked
on their 31st Annual Elementary Schools Concert Tour, visiting all eight
elementary schools this past April, to spark an
interest in joining Band!
Fundamentals covered in Band classes
this year included: rhythm counting,
conducting, music terms, and concert Bb, Eb, and
F Major Scales. Students also received and
signed a Band Contract, Winter and Spring
newsletters, and a practice CD of our scales and
all concert music.
For more information about the goings
on of the Keigwin Middle School Band, such as music fundamentals,
concert letters, band newsletters, MP3 recordings of concert
performances, and links to music stores and instrument repairmen,
please visit our website:
http://www.middletownschools.org/page.cfm?p=9275.
Middletown Public Schools Page 31
Arts Department: Year in Review
Pinar Gosterisli
This year, along with a large number of experienced string players, many beginner
students including viola players were recruited for the strings program at Keigwin. Students
performed at the Keigwin Winter Concert, participated in the All‐City Strings Festival, and
played at the Keigwin Spring Concert in early June.
The students in this program learned to perform with expression and technical accuracy.
Proper posture was enforced in every lesson. Students learned proper names of an instrument’s
parts, strings, and the importance of the bow. Tone quality and intonation became the crux of
developing a desirable sound. Students were taught the A and G Major Scales and were able to
understand the difference between whole and half steps. These scales, along with repertoire,
were performed in a variety of sixteenth note rhythms. Prior to the Winter Concert, students
were taught proper concert behavior and the responsibilities as individual players. At the
concert, they experienced performing together as a group and applied the concepts learned thus
far.
In the spring semester, the beginning students exhibited understanding of dynamics and
how to play with legato bow strokes and slurred bows. Violin and viola students learned to
play low second finger and cello students learned high fourth finger. All instrumentalists
learned extended positions on respective instruments. Advanced players worked on developing
a vibrato and position changes. The final performance was the Spring Concert using all of the
concepts learned throughout the year. Beginner level students played pieces such as: Allegro,
Perpetual Motion, Beethoven's Ninth. Advanced musicians played: Thriller, Banana Boogie,
Burst and Fiddles on Fire.
Elisabeth Stevens
The general music program at Keigwin is a survey course that is intended to develop
listening, writing and music literacy skills. Students experience many different styles of music
through daily listening activities that contribute to a broad exposure of genres including
classical, jazz, and world music. A monthly open-ended response writing sample is employed
to support the district’s writing emphasis in preparing students for CMTs as well as a variety of
math integrations. Students are also responsible for projects
throughout the year. This year students researched a musical
instrument of the orchestra resulting in a poster project that they
then presented to their class.
Students in general music also explore numerous topics
in music ranging from history to theory to basic keyboard skills.
All students are required to keep a journal/notebook as note
taking skills are especially emphasized. Most exams are “open notebook” to support the
organizational skills that are developing at this level. Progress in the keyboard lab is monitored
through the use of “star charts” where students earn a star for each successful playing
assignment. Rhythmic and note accuracy are assessed both informally and through the use of
rubrics so that students receive specific feedback toward improvement in both areas as their
skills develop.
Middletown Public Schools Page 32
Arts Department: Year in Review
Woodrow Wilson Middle School
ART:
Stacy Buckley
Computer Graphics
Students in 7th grade are being introduced to using basic tools in
Adobe Photoshop CS. Are learning how to edit and combine images to
create fluid pieces of art based on art history
research and pop art movements. The eight
graders are continuing to pilot the Memory collage common
assessment task developed by a group of teachers from around the
state, including Ms. Buckley (WWMS)
and Ms. Iovanne (MHS).
Mural Projects
After school student are
working on finishing painting the MC
Escher mural. This mural project is a replica of Metamorphose
which spans the length of a hallway. Some students are also
working on creating a Modrian mural in their free time when
they finish a project. They are focusing on leveling skills as well
as working together to create a finish project. I have also worked with
students in planning and executing teamed visual displays for classrooms.
Talking About Art
Students continue to learn how plan
out and reflect on their work which is an
extremely important part of the creative
process. They are learning how to describe
art using proper art terminology and
critiquing methods. They learn how to use problem solving skills to plan
and create the best work they can. They use
many materials from Oil Pastels, Water Color
Pen and Ink, Tempera and Acrylic Paints, Colored pencils,
Drawing Pencils, ETC.
Art Shows
This year there were over 160 students whose artwork was
displayed from WWMS at the Zilka Gallery and BOE. The work
ranged from painting drawing, sculpture and mixed media.
Middletown Public Schools Page 33
Arts Department: Year in Review
Julie Dunn
Grade 7 students were allowed to choose a sea creature and create that sea creature out
of wire. Students were allowed to add colored wire, beads, buttons, and other decorative items.
Students were able to come up with very creative ideas!
Seventh graders also learned about different architectural
styles and were able to choose their own style to create a 3D
model of a home. Students were asked to build their home
based on an environment of their choice. Students built
multiple level homes, decks, porches, balconies, garages,
gardens and furniture!
Grade 8 students were able to choose a letter, number
or word that was significant to them and their life in some
way. Students constructed the sculpture with a chipboard and paper
mache. Students were then able to paint their sculpture with colors and
patterns of their choice. Students also created
a clay box as their culminating 8th grade
sculpture assignment. They learn how to
construct a box out of clay and create a lid.
Students also choose a theme for their box
that represents them in some way. Students
create symbols and words which they create
and attach to the box as well as carve into the
box. Students are then able to choose their own colors to paint the
box.
Middletown Public Schools Page 34
Arts Department: Year in Review
MUSIC:
Justine Gatti
Throughout the year, 7th and 8th grade General Music students of
WWMS share ideas and collaborate as a keyboard ensemble, working
together learning the melodies, harmonies and rhythms of their favorite
songs on the radio today, in addition to some classics. Students are
encouraged and motivated to recommend personal favorite songs that
we could learn in class on the keyboards, demonstrating why they think
it would be a good song for us to study. Breaking off into separate
parts, students practice both individually and in small groups on their
specified piece of music within the ensemble, constantly striving to perfect their performance
with an overall goal to put parts together and perform the song as one large keyboard
ensemble.
WWMS General Music students not only learn how to
perform these songs, but dive into the complex theory of the
music behind these compositions, discovering exactly what it is
they are producing, and why those parts work together so well.
Students learn the definitions of melody, harmony, chorus,
verse, bass-line, background, how to construct Major and Minor
Chords, and what the role of their part is within a song; i.e. what
the harmony part does vs. the melody, or what the job of the bass-line is in a specific song. Once
students have mastered their music, they take on the role of teacher within their group to make
sure that everyone else on their part understands the music and will be able to perform with
others. These students take responsibility for their music and ownership over their class.
Evaluating and assessing their rehearsals along the way,
students ultimately work to a final performance of the piece,
record their work, and then have the opportunity to listen and
critique their musicianship. WWMS General Music students
have learned advanced music theory concepts and ensemble
responsibilities through popular songs by Drake, Wiz Khalifa,
Lil Wayne, Jay Z, Journey, R. Kelly, LMFAO, Michael Jackson,
and others.
In addition to the performance aspect of the class, WWMS General Music students have
also explored different avenues music has to offer, realizing how
integral music has become to human existence. This includes,
but is not limited to, a look into Musical Theater, the affect music
has had on our health and the prominent use of Music Therapy
in the world today focusing on Congresswoman Gabby Giffords,
music in our everyday lives- jingles, commercials, movies,
elevators, the grocery store, Music Production - what goes into
organizing a soundtrack- creating their own, and also, a look
Middletown Public Schools Page 35
Arts Department: Year in Review
into the backgrounds of the lives of some of their favorite artists.
Students also had the opportunity this year to learn about the history of the Ukulele, and
how to play this string instrument as well as Guitar. Learning about Major and Chromatic
scales, students learn how to determine notes on a stringed instrument as opposed to the piano,
how to tune the instrument, how to hold it, and how to perform chord progressions to popular
songs they enjoy. At the end of the school year, students began to collaborate on songs of their
choice in small groups, combining their skills on the different instruments we have learned,
essentially creating small bands.
Pinar Gosterisli
Students performed at the Woodrow Wilson Winter Concert, participated in the All‐City
String Festival and played at the Woodrow Wilson Spring Concert in May. Orchestra also
travelled to Hershey Park, PA to participate in Music in the Parks adjudicated event. String
orchestra received an “excellent” score from the two judges and performed with confidence and
skill. The students in this program learned to perform with expression and technical accuracy.
Students performed music representing diverse genres and cultures, with expression and
technical accuracy. This program recapped the previous year's concepts and techniques before
beginning new materials. Students learned two and three-octave scales with extended positions.
Cello players learned second and fourth positions while all instrumentalists learned to play
with complex bow strokes and exact bow lengths to get a unified tone as an orchestra. Students
learned more sophisticated dynamics and accents as well as the concept of form, such as: ABA,
binary forms, and Da Capo.
The Spring Semester brought about new concepts to be mastered. Students learned to
play with detached, marcato and spiccato bow strokes and to put the arm weight into bow
strokes.
Students learned to create different tone colors with different bowing and were
encouraged to experiment with bow speeds and placements. The year ended by perfecting the
pieces for the Spring Concert applying all of the concepts learned throughout the year. This
year’s students performed: Spanish Dance, Circle Dance, Cello’s Ole, Burst, and Sahara
Crossing.
Middletown Public Schools Page 36
Arts Department: Year in Review
Steve Matthews
The grade-level choirs have been working throughout the year on music fundamentals,
performing with musicality, and presenting a positive and appropriate demeanor on stage. The
7th grade chorus performed in the Winter Concert in December, as well as selected members in
the annual Holiday on Main Street the Friday after
Thanksgiving. The seventh grade group also performed in the
Spring Concert at Woodrow Wilson Middle School on Tuesday,
May 22nd.
The 8th grade chorus, in addition to working on proper
presentation, concert etiquette, and overall musicality, is more
heavily involved in the performance end of things, having
performed in the Winter Concert, Holiday on Main Street, and Spring Concert. In addition to
these, the eighth graders performed in the town’s annual All‐City Concert at Wesleyan
University on April 28th, where they were very well received with successful performances of
Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds”, and an arrangement of the Queen hit, “Bohemian Rhapsody.
This experience proved to be especially positive for the eighth graders, as evidenced by the
thunderous applause afterward.
Additionally, the eighth grade chorus performed at the Music In the Parks Music
Festival at Hershey Park on May 18th. The chorus had the opportunity to perform for judges,
consisting of veteran collegiate level choir directors, and
students from other schools participating in the festival. Our
chorus each year has always brought home trophies with at least
a rating of “Excellent” and a high place ranking. This trip has
been a great reward to students, and has proved to be a great
time to bond between teacher and students.
The select chorus, which is an audition only group that
meets once per week after school, performed with all of the above groups, both as a part of each
grade level ensemble, and separately on its own. The select chorus consists of both seventh and
eighth graders, and is a treble choir, meaning it consists entirely of sopranos and altos. The
music of the select chorus tends to be more challenging, to offer serious singers the opportunity
to stretch their musical legs.
Aaron Sinicrope
The Woodrow Wilson Jazz Band, 7th Grade Band, and 8th Grade Band have learned so
much this year!! The two concert bands learned some new major scales and several minor
scales. More importantly, we learned about why minor scales exist: they are the “musical
alphabet” from which sad and eerie songs are made. The Jazz Band also studied the pattern for
a “jazz scale” (or “blues scale”), something that every jazz player needs to know to belt out an
awesome solo.
Along with these fundamentals, we reviewed how important it is to have good posture,
instrument position, and focus. A player can know all of their notes and rhythms, but without
Middletown Public Schools Page 37
Arts Department: Year in Review
the right physical and mental attitude, they won’t play with enough intensity and accuracy. As
with everything, attitude makes a world of difference!
The 7th Grade Band always takes a year off from All City, but this year, we had about 20
7th graders who were talented enough to be asked to join the 8th grade for this performance—
and it was excellent!! Mr. Sinicrope was very proud of how well they represented Woodrow
Wilson. There was no time to take a break, though, because we had to keep working to get
ready for our annual trip to Hershey, PA on May 18. Again, with help from many 7th graders,
the 8th Grade Band and Jazz Band were adjudicated by accomplished and respected band
directors. They gave us feedback on what we do well and what we need to work on to play
better as an ensemble. It was a great experience for the kids—both to hear this musical feedback
and to spend the weekend in Hershey Park with their friends!! Our musicians did great, and
came back with the prestigious "Esprit de Corps" award for the school with the most spirit and
the best behavior! Congratulations!!
Middletown Public Schools Page 39
Arts Department: Year in Review
Middletown High School
ART:
Nicole Iovanne, Charlotte McCoid, and Patrick Shugrue
The art department at MHS is in the process of moving
forward with an increased number of students, quality of work
and interaction in the community.
Three years ago we had only four classes at MHS in
drawing and painting, with students few in number. How should we measure progress? We
could measure it by the number of students taking visual art; we could
also measure it by the quality of art work and the independent scoring of
the students work on the AP portfolio. Finally we could measure it by the
number of students accepted into good art programs at the post high
school level.
This year started with the 80th anniversary of the MHS art club
founded in 1931 by Mary E. Bennett. We
started a new tradition with a student
sponsored art club show. Junior Lydia
Tonkonow helped organize the show
along with the art teachers at MHS and
Ann Marie Cannata from the Buttonwood Tree and NEAR Inc.
The show was held in conjunction with Holiday on Main Street.
Guests included President Larry McHugh from the Chamber of
Commerce ans Mayor Dan Drew. The student art show is an example of art related events that
can highlight student leadership in the visual arts.
Our students entered the state scholastic art show
sponsored by the C.A.E.A. (Connecticut Art Educators
Association), held at the University of Hartford in January. It
was very selective and although 8 artworks were submitted,
only 4 were accepted. All of them were recognized for their
efforts. Two Advanced Pottery students received gold metals
and one honorary mention. An Advanced Drawing and
Painting student also received an honorary mention award.
Needless to say we are still in the rebuilding stage of the art
program; 95% of student work in the Wesleyan Art Show was
from students with one or two years of high school art.
For the first time since May of 1981 our students work
grew beyond the traditional high school space at the annual
system-wide art exhibit at the Zilkha Gallery, we actually had
three times the amount of art work than any previous year of the
Middletown Public Schools Page 40
Arts Department: Year in Review
art show for our high school students! The quality of work has
improved. Our students are encouraged to develop their own
compositions and draw from life. The visitors from the Old
Lyme Arts Academy stated that they would take any of our
juniors.
We had 25 students participate in the “Big Draw” at
Wesleyan University in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of
the Davidson Art Gallery. Professor Julia Randall and Professor Claire Rogan were very much
impressed with the caliber of our students! The students from Middletown High were in
charge of one event entitled “Tableaux Levant”. Our students were divided into three
categories, one group posed in period costume, the second group demonstrated drawing
technique, and the third group helped facilitate the concept of
drawing for the general public. The event was a success and
once again provided a stage for student leadership and success.
Two student shows happens in May. The Middletown
Superintendent’s B.O.E. exhibit highlights students who may or
may not have been part of the March event.
Finally, seniors in the arts have a final exhibit with
awards bestowed by the Middletown Commission on the Arts,
and the MHS’s Parent and Teacher Association at the end of the
month. Established artists judge student work and one is chosen
to be framed and exhibited for one year at the municipal
building. Also, MHS’s Parent and Teacher Association purchase
student work as part of the high school’s permanent collection.
Our students are also involved in the senior mural
project in which each class of the new high school presents a
senior mural designed and painted by the students. The 2011 mural is already hanging in the
north hall. The 2009 and 2010 murals are on the way! In order to have some consistency with
the murals it was decided that each mural would have four components, the blue dragon, the
MHS building, something of Middletown and the year of the mural.
In order to be fair to all the Middletown students of the past we started the Alumni
Mural project. Students from the past who attended the two Woodrow Wilson High Schools
and the three past Middletown High Schools are working on the
alumni murals. The mural for the first Middletown High 1894-
1973 is already sketched out by a member of the class of 1966,
Sandra DiPietro. The oldest alumni that came in to work are
Marion D’Amico from the Middletown High class of 1937!
The murals will be placed above the lockers starting in
the north hallway with the first Middletown High from Court
St, followed by the first Woodrow Wilson High 1931-1956. The
students will have their high school names with the year of
Middletown Public Schools Page 41
Arts Department: Year in Review
graduation! The alumni murals will have the Wildcat or Tiger and something of the time
period for each school.
The highly successful Benefit Bowl took place for the 5th year on March 28, collaboration
between the Arts and Family and Consumer science. Ceramic bowls are either made or
decorated by MHS art students or donated by other artists from
Wesleyan Potters. The FBLA students are responsible for the
food and the organizing of a dinner served in the bowl which is
taken home by the attendee. Students, parents, teachers and the
greater community support the event. Altogether, we raised
about $1700 for the Amazing Grace food pantry. Our biggest
obstacle was advertising with limited funds and fewer public
venues.
Facilities are good with a few exceptions. A HEPA
vacuum for the Pottery space is highly recommended due to the
high level of dust and the time it stays suspended in the air. The
photography room has no access to the outside nor windows for
natural light. It is hot and dry; there is low air flow in a room
that uses many chemicals.
All art teachers have six classes with limited time in a materials based program. We have
been very concerned about adequate funding for this past year
and are for the foreseeable future.
As we move forward some concerns remain. We need to
have students that are interested in art and take art for the full
four years in order to develop a portfolio. These classes are
imperative for the student to have access to a good art school or
university. Many don’t realize that a good art portfolio is as
important as the GPA and SAT scores for being accepted into a
good program! We are always working on new concepts that will improve our art program.
The art program was the first special subject introduced at Middletown High in the fall of 1898
when the Middletown Board of Education hired Mary E. Bennett to teach art!
Photo I classes had approximately 134 students enrolled. Photo II classes had
approximately 75 students enrolled. This year our capacity was dropped from 24 to 20 allowing
students more frequent access to equipment like cameras and enlargers. Darkroom
photography is a highly
technical process requiring
problem solving and patience.
Large classes take many weeks
to become self-sufficient with
equipment and developing
processes. The instructor and
groups of students are often split
Middletown Public Schools Page 42
Arts Department: Year in Review
between the computer lab and the darkroom on different tasks. Two paraprofessionals and
three peer tutors have helped with students in a few classes, and more are needed.
Our funding has allowed us to afford costly paper and film we
need for darkroom work and we have not had to ask our students for a
lab fee. Other districts (such as Amity High and Bristol Central) charge
their students for film and paper, some up to $35.00. Most students
taking photography heavily rely on the equipment we provide to them,
primarily 35mm SLR, 35mm point and shoot and digital point and
shoot cameras. Constant maintenance of this equipment and darkroom
equipment is essential to keep classes
continuing their work. It has been the
responsibility of the instructor to oil
and fix enlargers, maintain a wide variety of batteries for
cameras, recovery silver chemistry to send out to the refinery
as governed by EPA rules and contact manufactures when
equipment is in need of maintenance or replacement. Students
have access to hot shoe flash units & one studio light. A PTA
grant allowed us to purchase an Epson 2880 printer and professional 13x19 papers to print
digital work this spring. This will allow us to compete with other districts able to output
students’ work at a professional level and have work selected as a purchase award during the
Senior Show. A Professional Improvement Fund Grant allowed the instructor to bring current
information to students with a lecture by photographer and teacher Sandy Skoglund,
workshops with two Connecticut Photography teachers and an Adobe Flash course to update
digital skills. Photo II students continue to participate in a digital photography unit for the
Connecticut Arts Assessment Initiative with the State Department of Education.
Over 100 photography students had the opportunity to display their work at Wesleyan’s
Zilkha Gallery, The Board of Education offices and in the Senior Show in the MHS Media
Center as well as through regular MHS changeable exhibit spaces in the Media Center and a
special configuration of frames located outside our classroom. Three students submitted
photographs to Rosa DeLauro’s Third District Congressional Art Competition receiving
certificates of participation in April.
Another spring Photography field trip to The Bruce Museum and
the Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art allowed exposure to
photographers and artists such as I Spy series photographer and
Connecticut resident Walter Wick. Docents led tours gave students extra
insight into the work and how it was created. This trip was partially
funded by museum Title I scholarships.
Each year students ask for photography courses that go beyond
Photo I & II. Currently they are advised to contact guidance and /or
request to be a peer tutor the following year. Next year, there will be a
need for at least one college bound senior to produce a photography
portfolio for college. One way to expand art and technology offerings
Middletown Public Schools Page 43
Arts Department: Year in Review
would be to create an introductory course in digital art making. Also, more accomplished
Photo II students could benefit by continuing more independent photography studies if they
were to be imbedded within an existing Photo II class the
following year for a Photo III credit.
Middletown Public Schools Page 44
Arts Department: Year in Review
MUSIC:
Kimberly Everson and Marco Gaylord
Before school even began, the Marching Band was
practicing the halftime show during preseason two weeks before
the first day of school. The Blue Dragon Marching Band won
many awards in Division VI and had the largest competitive band in the state of Connecticut.
In the midst of marching rehearsals on Sundays, three
marching band competitions, and five football games, select
players also prepared for the Charter Oak Music Festival in mid-
November and Regional
auditions the weekend after.
All ensembles changed
gear from marching to concert
music to ensure a strong performance on Sunday, December
18th, 2011. Some students performed in all four ensembles at
the winter concert – Jazz Band, Full Orchestra, Wind Ensemble,
and Concert Band.
Upon our return from winter break, we quickly began
preparation for all the events coming up at the end of the year.
We simultaneously prepared all four groups for the Pops
Concert on March 25th, 2012
with concert music; the trip to
Disneyland from April 9th to
April 13th, 2012 with parade
technique; the All-City Concert on April 28th with stand tunes;
the Liverpool Legends benefit concert on May 5th, 2012; our
May concert on May 24th, 2012 with an “Around the World”
multicultural theme; the Memorial Day Parade with parade formation; the Strings All-City
Concert on May 30th, 2012; and finally a final rehearsal all
together to prepare for next year’s halftime show.
While the instrumental students were constantly
practicing for the next upcoming
event, the AP music theory
students studied for the AP
Exam on May 9th, 2012. In the
background, members of the Tri-M National Music Honors
Society raised enough funds to distribute over $1000 in
scholarships at the end of the year by working concession sales
at over twenty-five performances throughout the year in the Middletown High School Center
for the Performing Arts.
Middletown Public Schools Page 48
Arts Department: Year in Review
Michael Gosselin
Selected Chamber Choir students performed the National Anthem at the 10th
anniversary of 9/11 on the Green in Middletown.
Selected singers from Concert and Chamber Choir performed in the Charter Oak Music
Festival at Bacon Academy November 10.
Choir students lead the singing on the town green for Holiday on
Main Street kickoff ceremonies.
Chamber Choir singers performed at The Evening of Elegance Feb.
25 and the Exchange Club concert on Dec. 10.
Selected students performed at the
Adopt-a-Family event sponsored by the
Middletown Police Department on
Saturday, December 17.
Music students audition for and
perform in the Southern Region Music Festival Jan. 13-14,
sponsored by the CMEA and NAMFE.
Middletown Public Schools Page 49
Arts Department: Year in Review
Forty-eight selected music students travel to Holyoke
MA to compete in the Music In The Parks music competition on
May 4. Groups placed 1st in both the Mixed Choir and Madrigal
Choir divisions and scored ratings of Superior and Excellent.
Students took home the Overall trophy for highest score of any
choir and student Michael Cho won an individual award for best
soloist.
Selected students performed the National Anthem at the Annual State PTA meeting at
Fantasia in North Haven and Governor Dannel Malloy was in attendance.
Singers performed their three concerts on December 7 (Winter), March 19 (Pops) and
May 16 (Spring) and performed at Graduation on June 20.
Pinar Gosterisli
This year has been extremely busy for the High
School String Orchestra, performing in five concerts with
two different ensembles. Students performed at the
Middletown High School Winter Concert, the Pops Concert
and the Spring Concert. The orchestra performed with
“Beatles, Liverpool Legends”
in a rock music concert.
Students also performed in the All‐City String Festival as a string
orchestra and full orchestra. Students played a large repertoire of
music spanning many genres and cultural backgrounds. They also
played a varied repertoire of Latin jazz, rock music, movie
soundtracks, musicals, original compositions, and standard
classical repertoire by Bach, Mozart and Tchaikovsky.
After a short recap of last year’s concepts students began
learning flat keys in three-
octave scales using first to fifth
positions. Also, student started
working on vibrato in their
respective instruments.
The spring semester began with the ninth grade
students experimenting with bow strokes, speeds and
pressure to achieve different tonal colors for musical
expression. Students worked on getting a larger core sound from their instruments leading to a
larger, balanced in-tune orchestra sound. Orchestra worked on balance, dynamics and
uniformed bow strokes for obtaining a large and well blended orchestral timbre.
Middletown Public Schools Page 50
Arts Department: Year in Review
Ali Sinicrope
Students who participated in piano class this year began with a new book: Alfred’s All
in One Adult Piano Course. This new book allowed students to learn basic theory alongside
fundamentals for beginner piano. The book also included an accompaniment CD that was
distributed to every student so that they can listen to their music from home if they don’t have a
piano or keyboard to practice on. Additionally, our lessons were supplemented by Alfred’s
Theory Lessons on the computer where each student could learn and test on different topics.
All students in Piano Class are going to graduate Volume One of this method book by
June of 2012. This is a huge accomplishment as the lessons (especially towards the end of the
book) are difficult. The students, however, have exceled with this new method book and most
of the Piano One students have registered for Piano Two next year so they can continue their
studies with the second volume.
I am extremely proud of my piano students this year. Almost all of them came into the
class never having played the piano before and now they can not only play the music in our
book, they are independent learners who can find new music on their own and understand it
well enough to work out on their own. I’ve discovered some amazing talent this year as well—
and some of my students are even working on difficult pieces by Bach and Chopin to
supplement their studies.
We will conclude our year with a formal piano recital.
Middletown Public Schools Page 51
Arts Department: Year in Review
THEATER:
Christopher Briggs
The Theater Arts program at MHS is continuing its
successful run at bringing theater arts education to students.
The Acting classes continue to make strides toward
learning the craft of acting. More freshmen than ever were involved in the Acting classes and
they all plan on continuing throughout their high school careers.
In Acting I, students are introduced to the art of
improvisational acting. This type of acting gives students the
opportunity to explore many different types of characters and
emotions during one class session. It helps them get comfortable
working onstage and speaking in front of others. By not
focusing on a script, improvisational acting builds student’s
confidence that they can indeed express interesting emotions
and play fun characters. While learning the skill of improv, the
students start putting some of these new skills to use with
different monologues. In January, the Acting I class produced
an evening of monologues which was attended by over 100
family and friends. Many of the students overcame some initial
stage fright and surprised themselves by successfully
performing in front of an audience.
The Acting II students are working on improving their
improv skills by exploring longer more varied improvisational
scenes. They are also moving from performing monologues to
using their newfound skills in scripted scenes. Students are
exploring scenes from Tennessee Williams, Eugene O’Neill, Sam
Shepard, August Wilson, and Samuel Beckett just to name a few.
They will perform some of these scenes at a “Scene Night” at the
end of the semester.
Acting III had a very exciting year. These students have been working hard at
the art of long form improv. This type of improv takes a
singular suggestion from the audience and creates a completely
original 30 minute long play on the spot. Their hard work was
rewarded this past December with a performance with the
famous Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB). The UCB touring
company came to MHS to put on an improv show. During the
afternoon, the Acting class attended a workshop given by these
professional improv actors. The class was then given the opportunity to open the show that
night. The class decided to call their group “Improv in Black.” They did a 20 minute set to start
off the show and performed to both popular and critical success. One of the members of UCB
remarked after the show how impressive it was that a public school offered such an
Middletown Public Schools Page 52
Arts Department: Year in Review
opportunity for students to experience theater in this way. He was also impressed by the level
of talent and preparation that our students exhibited.
The Acting IV class is building on the successes of Acting III. They are working on a
variety of long improv forms and are attempting a short play consisting of three one-acts called
Inside/Out. They are working on preparing a performance night where
they will show off their budding improv skills and present the short play.
The Directing class this year not only directed each other in short scenes,
but they also wrote their own short play. They successfully wrote,
directed, and performed in this play. Students were amazed that they
could do all three things successfully.
Again this year, the Drama Club had a number of successes. We
were able to increase student involvement, especially
among our minority student population. In the fall,
the Drama Club produced the play Robin Hood and
Maid Marian. The young man, who played Robin Hood, senior Jalen
Manzie, made his stage premier in this show. He, along with the whole
cast, did an amazing job.
In the spring, the Drama Club produced Hairspray. With a cast
size that rivaled last year’s production of Grease, the auditorium was
packed for every performance of this fun, challenging show.
Both productions this year brought
some excellent positive press to the Drama
Club, MHS, and the whole Middletown School District. Next
year’s productions hope to once again increase student
involvement, and provide an excellent showcase of our student’s
talents.
Overall, we had another successful year full of active
student engagement and
performance.
Middletown Public Schools Page 54
Arts Department: Year in Review
Middletown Teen Theater & Middletown Children’s Theater
MTT
Ali Sinicrope
This season Middletown Teen Theater will be taking on the hit musical Legally Blonde.
MTT is directed by Ali Sinicrope. Ali is the Co-Founder of both MTT & MCT. She has spent
years developing both programs to offer the best possible theater experiences for kids and teens.
This summer, Ali will be directing Legally Blonde and producing Willy
Wonka. Ali directed her 20th production (Hairspray) this past year at
Middletown High School!
Aaron Sinicrope has been MTT’s Music
Director since we opened! This year, Aaron will
have double duty-- music directing both Legally
Blonde AND Willy Wonka. Aaron also will be
leading the pit band for both productions. Aaron is an accomplished
pianist, arranger, and conductor and teaches band at Woodrow Wilson
Middle School in Middletown.
Kate Ingram is returning for her third season with MTT after two
amazing years choreographing Guys and Dolls and Chicago! Kate has a
master’s degree in music education and has taught dance throughout her
adult life to all ages. After three years in Boston, we are thrilled that Kate
is again a resident of CT!
MCT
Ali Sinicrope
Middletown Children’s Theater will be performing Willy Wonka Jr.
this summer! The new NCT Camp Director is Stella Demand! Stella has
years of experience working for local YMCA camps as their director and
past experiences with MTT and MCT as our choreographer. Stella also
teaches Science at East Hartford Middle School during the school year.
Middletown Public Schools Page 55
Arts Department: Year in Review
This year we would like to introduce our new MCT artistic
director, Sloane Williams! Sloane comes to us from Bristow Middle School
in West Hartford where she teaches Language Arts and directs their
theater program. Sloane has many years of experience directing children’s
theater. We are so happy to have her with us this summer!
This year we would like to introduce Jon
Curns as part of the MTT/MCT staff! Jon is well
trained in Stagecraft and will be heading up our Technical Theater camp
for MTT this summer. Additionally, Jon will be working on all things
behind the scenes for Willy Wonka, as well! Jon is a stagecraft teacher at
Naugatuck Community College and Bridgeport Community College.
Rachel Newman returns for her second season of MCT as our new
assistant director! Rachel is a Language Arts teacher at WWMS, and
coaches the Drama Club there as well. Recently, Rachel directed Camp
Rock with her 7th and 8th grade students!
Auditions and rehearsals for both MTT and MCT begin in June,
and we open both shows in July. We look forward to another great season
providing the youth of Middletown an opportunity to experience the
magic of Theater!
Middletown Public Schools Page 56
Arts Department: Year in Review
Teacher Index: Art
Stacy Buckley (Woodrow Wilson)
Sean Callahan (Farm Hill, Macdonough, Snow, Spencer)
Julie Dunn (Woodrow Wilson)
Katrina Englehardt (Bielefield)
Nicole Iovanne (Middletown High School)
Alison Kaye (Lawrence, Macdonough)
Catherine Lendler (Bielefield)
Megan Martin (Moody, Snow)
Charlotte McCoid (Middletown High School)
Susan Meehl (Keigwin)
Patrick Shugrue (Middletown High School)
Kinga Zinowko (Spencer, Wesley)
Middletown Public Schools Page 57
Arts Department: Year in Review
Teacher Index: Music
Amy Chrzanowski (Bielefield, Snow, Spencer)
David Daddario (Keigwin, Lawrence)
Stephen D’Amato (Bielefield, Macdonough, Wesley)
Farah DeAngelis (Lawrence, Macdonough)
Kimberly Everson (Middletown High School)
Justine Gatti (Woodrow Wilson)
Marco Gaylord (Middletown High School)
Michael Gosselin (Middletown High School)
Pinar Gosterisli (Keigwin, Middletown High School, Woodrow Wilson)
Steve Matthews (Woodrow Wilson)
Lauren Otto (Elizabeth Swaim Strings Program)
Cynthia Peterson (Farm Hill, Moody, Spencer)
Liza Siegel (Farm Hill, Spencer)
Aaron Sinicrope (Woodrow Wilson)
Ali Sinicrope (Middletown High School)
Charlotte Soja (Bielefield, Moody)
Hallie Sorensen (Farm Hill, Snow)
Elisabeth Stevens (Keigwin)
Jeannine Westbrook (Wesley)