Riverside open house introduces youngsters to world of art

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, July 31, 2013

By Kimberly Hopson
L’Observateur

RESERVE – Parents of kindergarten and preschool-aged children had the chance to show their children the wonders of famous museums such as the Prado and the Louvre without leaving their hometown.
Riverside Academy’s pre-K and kindergarten wing held a special open house on Monday evening for prospective students and their families called “Tour of the World’s Greatest Art Museums.” Teachers in the wing hung signs designating the rooms as museums such as the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Guggenheim in Spain and Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands.
The instructors made up activities that incorporated artistic themes, which were both fun and educational.
Children were able to make sunflowers with ink pads, use an iPad to create music, learn the concept of symmetry using a smart table and enjoy sculpting using clay and Mimio technology.
“We’re trying to show how we integrate art with the different subject areas. I think the kids will have more fun learning, and when they have fun they remember more,” said Molly Duhe, an instructor.
“Through the A+ training, they stressed that when you create it, you own it. When a child creates something it becomes intrinsic to them. They’re more likely to remember it, understand it and transfer it to different subject areas,” said Lindsay Guidry, also an instructor.
Riverside Academy announced that it had been chosen to participate in the Louisiana A+ program in May. The program is a research-based whole-school network with a mission to nurturing creativity in students through an arts-integrated curriculum. This is the first whole school arts-integrated reform initiative of its kind in Louisiana.
The George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts and Office of the Lieutenant Governor support the program and believe the method of learning will greatly improve the standard of education in Louisiana — according to existing research by program organizers, schools with arts-integrated curriculums foster higher academic achievement, better attendance of both students and teachers, decreased discipline problems and stronger community involvement