Equity, Diversity & Inclusion by Benita Scheckel
With the award of our Federal Arts Magnet grant, our school has gone from lowest performing, most undesirable elementary school in the district to being a school of choice, where parents are anxious to have their students attend. Our test scores are improving, our culture and climate has gone from one of bullying and fighting to becoming a certified kind school. Our students now receive up to twelve hours a week of discreet and integrated arts instruction. We have been able to build a dance studio, music studio, art studio and black box theatre. Our students have weekly access to prominent arts partners who deliver quality instruction in all four art forms, including media arts. We are an inclusion school and as such, our students with special needs are thriving within this arts enriched environment.