Dean P. Corey Academy of Fine Arts & Dual Language: October 2016

Greetings Corey Family !

This spring has been a wonderful exploration further into our A+ Arts integration and Dual Language Immersion. Our first group of dual language students are in first grade and moving along wonderfully. They recently had a wonderful informance where they researched famous Americans and presented their presentations to lots of parents and visiting students. Many of those students presented in both English and Spanish. Check out these videos of some of our famous Americans. (You can check out our Facebook and Twitter pages to see all of them)

100th Day

Kindergarteners presented their 100^th day of school parade and had a great time.

We were so proud of our kindergarteners who also presented their spring showcase. One of the most wonderful hidden perks of our programming is the amount of confidence that kids acquire. They are completely comfortable in front of audiences and it is such a joy to see them grow in their self-esteem.

DESTINATION IMAGINATION

We have taken our first steps at Destination Imagination this year. Our Rising Stars team recently performed this year’s show and they did a fantastic job. We look forward to our growth with this program. A special thank you to Ms. Barton for taking the reins with our Rising Stars group.

OPEN HOUSE

Open House this year was also a great success. We had the opportunity to showcase lots of theatre and informance presentations that happened inside classrooms. Teachers are embracing the A+ Arts Integration framework and they are excelling. Kids love to show their learning in unique ways. It is so very refreshing to see kids engaged deeply in the content and process. I am so proud of our teachers for finding creative ways for kids to show their learning. These risks are paying off. Keep up the great work team !

LEVITT PERFORMANCE - APRIL 25th

Stay tuned for our campus-wide performance at the Levitt Pavillion in downtown Arlington. Corey will be taking over the Levitt on April 25^th. We hope you can join us !

The start of school has been a busy one. Teachers were not able to get into their classrooms until 48 hours before students arrived. If you have been in that situation, you know how challenging it is. If you haven't been in that situation, I don't recommend it. Fortunately, we have a fabulous community who showed up in force and we made it to the first day of school.

A+ Training

A few days before the start of the 2016-2017 school year, we began our partnership with the A+ schools network. The A+ schools network began in North Carolina and is largely regarded as the premier organization for the integration of the fine arts and academics. Our staff loved the training and it is truly adding to the culture of our building. Students are enjoying the integration and parents have received the new integration with excitement and a positive energy.

The A+ model has its roots in Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligence Theory.

Under this theory, we appreciate that all children learn differently.

Instead of asking "How smart are you?", we ask "How are you smart?"

An Arts Integration lesson is different because teachers include a

specific arts objective and a specific academic objective.

Check out the results of our first implementation cycle here.

Dual Language Training

Dr. Varnell and Mr. Trevino also attended the Delaware Institute for Immersion Principals. This is an initiative started by the state of Delaware to support Dual Language Immersion (DLI) in schools. Half of the 50 participants were from Delaware and the other half were from outside of Delaware. Mr. Trevino and Dr. Varnell were honored to be included. This training along with the Arlington ISD support staff training helped to launch our dual language improvements for this year.

Celebrating 30 Years

Dean P. Corey Elementary has been around 30 years and has a wonderful tradition of excellence over that time. Dean Corey was the Director of Fine Arts in Arlington ISD, so it is fitting that our campus embraces the transition to a Fine Arts and Dual Language Academy. We had the honor of celebrating our 30 years with friends, family, alumni, and prospective families. Below are two slideshows celebrating the history (special thanks to John Padilla, Clay Starr, and Rick Higgins), and a slideshow of the happenings from that day. The slideshow from the days events can give you a deep look at the transition of the building now that construction is almost finished.

You can watch the 30th Anniversary Celebration here.

Dean P. Corey

30th Anniversary Program

History of Corey Elementary (1)

History of Corey Elementary (2)

30th Anniversary Celebration & Open House

Finally, we were honored and privileged to welcome Dr. Vistasp Karbhari, the President of the University of Texas at Arlington. We are pursuing partnerships with the language department and with the arts department that will increase opportunities for our students. Dr. Karbhari spoke with our fifth and sixth graders about the importance of college and how they can become a UTA student in the future.