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State of the Arts

Educators have long recognized the value of music, art, drama and writing for students’ creative development and academic success. Yet the arts remain squeezed by tight budgets and test-driven performance standards. This series highlights efforts to protect and promote school arts programs.

In the mood for music? Student musicians present collage concert

State of the Arts Erin Albanese

‘Musical Moods,’ a recruiting tool for high school students, is a long-standing tradition, started 73 years ago. The performance debuts at 7 p.m. Friday, March 26 in a livestream format...

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Making merry music, from a safe distance

Kenowa Hills Alexis Stark

The holidays may look different this year, but Kenowa Hills students are still finding ways to lift spirits by sharing their musical talents...

Sticks and stones, paint and light bulbs

Godwin Heights Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

This holiday season, Godwin Heights Middle School students are learning how to care for their environment by creating Christmas ornaments...

Visual performing arts elective lets students explore broadcasting

Sparta Janice Holst

The daily newscast includes in- and out-of-school topics...

Have cart, will travel

Kelloggsville Phil de Haan

A Southeast Kelloggsville Elementary music teacher has a new cart for her ukuleles, thanks to her school, her husband and the Kent Career Tech Center...

Bringing individual value to shared space

Godwin Heights Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

An assignment based on a Detroit art project teaches students that they each help to build and shape their ‘neighborhood’...

Students learn resilience by piecing together art

Kelloggsville Phil de Haan

It’s Bruno Mars and breaking glass in Room 1505 at Kelloggsville High School this fall...

‘These kids just really want to be singing’

Grandville Beth Heinen Bell

Determined to bring back choir in a safe manner, this teacher made changes to her classes based on the latest scientific research and best practices by fellow teachers...

Marching on

State of the Arts Erin Albanese

The plan is to continue regular rehearsals and to host a number of community events, to be determined...

Celebrating senior singers with a final concert, virtually

Rockford Charles Honey

Over 120 choral students in grades 9-12 will join voices in a virtual choir to celebrate the graduations of about 45 senior singers, in a prerecorded concert to be posted on the Rockford Choirs YouTube channel...

Creating art anywhere

State of the Arts Erin Albanese

A new reality of art lessons during the pandemic is the resource savviness required to make it work, technologically and material-wise...

A student’s poem of hope for a tough time

State of the Arts Charles Honey

Tanith Frank, an eighth grader at North Rockford Middle School, sounds notes of courage and determination in her poem about getting through this challenging time, together...

The show might go on

School 2.0 Bridie Bereza

Months of preparation and rehearsal suddenly seem for naught as school plays and musicals are postponed...

The Best of Jazz

State of the Arts Dianne Carroll Burdick

Trumpeter Marcus Printup brought the jazzy notes of Duke Ellington to Byron Center High School recently, where he spent a full school day with the jazz band rehearsing classics...

Looping through layers of sound with a cool new pedal

State of the Arts Morgan Jarema

A looper pedal and related equipment for the high school orchestras were purchased through a grant from the Lowell Education Foundation...

A really big yellow chair gets new colors

State of the Arts Hannah Lentz

Students in Tonya Woods’ independent study class will be decorating the 'Big Yellow Chair' for the village of Middleville throughout the month of March...

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School News Network reports on the 20 public school districts in Kent County, which enroll more than 90,000 students. Founded in 2013, we are an editorially independent news site funded by Kent ISD, local districts and community sponsors, and powered by an experienced team of reporters, editors and photojournalists. We specialize in covering classroom teaching and learning, analyzing the many issues that enhance or discourage student success, and highlighting the education magic that happens each day in our public schools.

Northview grad is a future forest mapper

Teacher’s latest book focuses on motivation in education

Former principal returns to read, substitute teach at his old school

Fifth-grader publishes book, sequel to come

Future health care pros sample multiple career focuses

Young readers follow the recipe for perfect pound cake

Young engineers turn paper into a wild ride

Montessori students sound out the basics of bluegrass

Diving into social-emotional learning

‘The journey’s not over’: High-schoolers showcase Black history

Art contest celebrates kindness, compassion and community

Parade of Nations is celebration of diversity

State of the Arts

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