teachmam

May 22, 2019

Teach MAM – Pineville Elementary

Teach MAM

Teach MAM: An Exciting Partnership to Strengthen Arts Education Across Louisiana

Teach MAM Pineville Elementary

“Those boys have my whole heart, and if I opened only one set of eyes to a different lifestyle—a different world—then my heart can rest easy,” says Heather Robinson, a paraprofessional and boys’ running coach at Pineville Elementary. She is one of many staff members at Pineville who have a passion for providing opportunities to students who are at-risk.

Pineville Elementary is a fourth through sixth grade Leader in Me school in Rapides Parish. With 94% considered economically disadvantaged and 8% considered homeless, the challenges of the school are great. At the beginning of the school year, the staff at Pineville worked with student leaders to develop their vision for the school year. Part of their aim is to provide music, art, and movement opportunities at little or no cost.

Students can choose from a variety of musical instruments to play, such as the flute, trumpet, baritone, saxophone, violin, cello, and the upright bass. The strings and band teachers begin work with students when they reach fifth grade. Students can also choose to sing in the choir.

Carolyn Scalfano, the art teacher, connects lessons to established artists, and student art is displayed in every hallway. After school, the students enjoy additional activities such as archery, long distance running, basketball, cheerleading, chess club, and student council.

The school also boasts a state championship in elementary robotics. One of the teams, the Lioneers, competed on the world stage and placed 29th out of 384 teams in robot skills challenges.

The principal, Dr. Erin Stokes, says that finding funding and time to teach specialty classes can prove to be difficult, but with the support of the community, including local businesses and non-profits, as well as creative scheduling, it can be accomplished. The staff members volunteer their time and see the benefits of TEACH: MAM (Music, Arts, and Movement) every day.

The administrators say that when students have the opportunity to move and be creative, they are more engaged in school, and relationships with staff members are strengthened.

March 8, 2019

Teach MAM – Certification Pilot

Teach MAM

Teach MAM: An Exciting Partnership to Strengthen Arts Education Across Louisiana

Teach MAM Louisiana First Foundation to Launch Teach MAM Certification Pilot in Five Parishes this Spring

The Louisiana First Foundation is excited to announce the launch of our first Teach MAM Certification pilot program in five Louisiana parishes this spring, in partnership with the New Orleans Arts Education Alliance (ArtsEdALL). The parishes selected will come from different regions of the state, represent both urban and rural school districts, and reflect the diversity of students served by Louisiana public schools. We will invite five parishes to begin the pilot program in March, and all participating schools will receive Teach MAM certification as well as a stipend to support their Music, Arts and Movement programming.

Beginning in March, participating schools from selected parishes will conduct a self-assessment using Teach MAM’s new rubric and certification process, which will help them receive statewide recognition for the work they are already doing to bring music, arts and movement to their students, while also providing them with guidance to expand and improve their programming. In April and May, schools will participate in user feedback sessions with ArtsEdALL and the Louisiana First Foundation to ensure the Teach MAM rubric and certification process are accurate and user-friendly for administrators and teachers to work with. Based on this valuable feedback from our pilot schools, we anticipate rolling out the full Teach MAM Certification program in Fall 2019, ensuring all students in Louisiana have the chance to make and appreciate art, music and movement during their school day!

February 1, 2019

Teach MAM – Mickey Smith

Teach MAM

Teach MAM: An Exciting Partnership to Strengthen Arts Education Across Louisiana

Teach MAM Mickey Smith

Mickey Smith, Jr. has many titles but his heart is helping others discover their “sound” (their unique personal-significance). Mickey is the head band director of Maplewood Middle School, president of Musicmakers2U, and board member of Jazz in the Arts. He has also authored a new children’s book entitled “Keep On Going”

Smith has won dozens of awards, including KPLC’s Class Act Award, the Mayor’s 2018 Arts Educator of the Year. He has also been a National Semi-Finalist for the Grammy Music Educator of the Year award in 2015, 2018, and again this year, where he is a top ten finalist!

Having said all this, statistically-speaking Mickey Smith Jr. should have been a lost cause, but he is living proof to what faith, drive, and focus can produce. Mickey reminds us all that anything is possible when you discover your “SOUND”. Mickey uses music education to remind us that we ALL have a sound.

Whether it is in the classroom or on the stage, Mickey\’s aim is not to simply teach but to reach. Mickey\’s saxophone opened doors for him to defy the odds and become the first in his family to graduate college. After college, Mickey began public service as a teacher. With his program SOUND180 Mickey talks to educators in a humorous and heartwarming way about the everyday challenges and choices teachers face in what Mickey calls “The One-Eighty”; helping them discover how to create a sound 180 days of classroom instruction and harmony.

Mickey remind us daily that, “Every child is one SOUND ADULT away from discovering their success!”

Mickey\’s \”sound\” is his unique motivational-mixture of message and music that entertains, educates, and elevates everyone to excellence.

Mickey makes his home in Sulphur with his wife and fellow educator Eugenia and their children William and Mikayla.

Find out more about Mickey and Smith Enrichment & Solutions at mickeysmithjr.com

December 12, 2018

Teach MAM – Thurgood Marshall

Teach MAM

Teach MAM (Music, Arts, Movement) is one of my initiatives to encourage schools to incorporate music, arts and physical education courses in their daily curriculum. Studies prove that all three help develop the whole child and lead to success both in the classroom and in life.

Success Prep Program Thurgood Marshall School

As a former music teacher, the First Lady understands the value music and arts education. Earlier this year, she had the pleasure of visiting Success Prep at Thurgood Marshall in New Orleans to celebrate the donation of new musical instruments for the students donated by VH1 Save the Music. Thurgood Marshall was honored to have been chosen as a recipient of this generous grant and has done an excellent job of implementing music classes in the students’ daily curriculum. All of the students, faculty, staff and administrators send thanks to Mrs. Edwards for using her platform and Teach MAM (Music, Arts and Movement) initiative for advocating for arts and physical education in every school in Louisiana.

You can learn more about the First Lady’s visit to Thurgood Marshall as well as VH1 Save the Music’s initiatives in Louisiana here:

https://www.vh1savethemusic.org/blog/first-lady-of-louisiana-helps-stm-celebrate-core-band-grant-in-new-orleans/

December 12, 2018

Teach MAM – Kenny Kerth

Teach MAM

Teach MAM (Music, Arts, Movement) is one of my initiatives to encourage schools to incorporate music, arts and physical education courses in their daily curriculum. Studies prove that all three help develop the whole child and lead to success both in the classroom and in life.

Kenny Kerth Teacher, Chalmette High School

The Arts are alive and well in St. Bernard Parish thanks in large part to outstanding music teacher, Kenny Kerth! Each year Chalmette High School starts the Christmas season with their variety show produced by Kerth. It’s a collaborative effort between the school’s music, dance, theatre, audio/visual tech, culinary, and ambassador programs. The show begins the first week of December, and this year’s theme is Christmas Through the Ages.

Every year, more than 200 students get hands on experience working with the production, and Kerth is most proud of the fact that all of the songs, scripts and set design are all written, performed and done by the students.

Talented in his own right, Kerth is a professional trumpet player who leads his own band and has won multiple awards including, Best of the Beat Awards as a member of the Bucktown All-Stars. He has performed with the Imagination Movers on the Disney Channel. In addition, he has been a voting member for the Grammy Awards of The Recording Academy since 2008.

Kerth has been teaching in St. Bernard since 1988. He started his career in special education before becoming the band director for Chalmette Middle School. Later, he moved to Chalmette High and is now teaching the Talented Music Program.

He holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in Music Business and Music Education from Eastern Kentucky University and a Master’s degree in Education Administration from the University of New Orleans.

Kudos to Mr. Kerth for his devotion to the students and keeping music education alive!