April 27, 2011                                                                                         

Student Showcases Highlight the Arts 

On Friday, April 29, elementary students from DSBN schools across the region will come together at Governor Simcoe Secondary School in St. Catharines for the annual Elementary Arts Showcase. The event allows junior and intermediate students to celebrate a variety of musical and performing arts in a non-competitive, yet highly creative atmosphere.

“Through exercising their imaginations, the arts help students to express themselves, make new connections with their peers, and develop cognitive and physical skills,” says DSBN Arts Consultant Gerda Klassen.                           

The Showcase will feature dance, drama and musical performances by students in Grades 4 through 8. The performances will take place inside the Governor Simcoe auditorium beginning at 9:20 a.m.

Those interested in seeing student works of art on display are invited to visit the DSBN’s Education Centre in St. Catharines where the Elementary Visual Art Show is currently on display until April 29.

Each piece also includes a statement from the artist. “The ideas and motivations behind each piece of art are often very personal, and as such, are not easy to talk about. The artists’ statement gives the viewing public some insight into why a student chose a particular subject, the approach they took and what they want that piece to express,” says Klassen. “Preparing an artists’ statement is also an excellent literacy exercise that helps students develop their critical thinking skills.