NCS: studio arts

An incredibly beautiful day, with more to follow; however the snow is melting fast. (In the 48 hours since the storm ended, students have cross country skied, built snow sculptures, snow shoed, and thrown dozens of snowballs.)

On a different note, Jessica Hoffmann Davis – grandparent of an NCS student – just sent me some wonderful books that she wrote when she was at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. They came in yesterday, and I have as yet not even had the time to thank her. I am excited about delving into them, and for now I will share one snippet from Framing Education As Art: Whatever the shape of the rationale, the arts seem always to need some reason beyond their own processes and products to make them worthy of real time in the school day. Why must we argue for a place for activities that provide singular shape and expression
to our understandings as human beings? Shouldn’t the arts be the most revered of subjects simply because they connect us to our unique and various cultures as well as to the shared culture of humankind?

Fantastic! I believe NCS has always been a school that would answer that last question with a resounding affirmative!
Hock