P.S. ARTS kicked off its 35th year with a 3-day Professional Development gathering for our faculty and staff.
Designed to prepare our Teaching Artists and Coaches for the new school year, participants were immersed in hands-on artmaking experiences, thoughtful dialogue, and creative collaboration. This year, we welcomed guest facilitator Dr. Joy Brown-Bolden, an early childhood expert who helped guide our Teaching Artists through the brain science behind our youngest learners. Dr. Joy shared key elements of child development and Teaching Artists walked away with new knowledge and ideas for our TK and Kinder classes.
Our faculty also led rich, engaging sessions throughout the training. Teaching Artists shared strategies for reaching all learners, creating welcoming spaces of belonging for students, and ideas for engaging the school community beyond the classroom. Teaching Artists shared lesson plans and curricula, offering the opportunity to test out projects and activities collaboratively.
Theater Teaching Artist Hannah Butson led a workshop on Bunraku puppetry, inviting participants to explore the Japanese tradition of multi-operator puppets. In groups of 4, Teaching Artists, following a prompt, designed and created a puppet, worked collaboratively to operate the puppet bringing their prompt to life. Some groups wrote dialogue, others created a musical soundtrack. It was incredible to see the creativity and artistry of our faculty on full display. The workshop provided a launch pad for ideas across disciplines as it included elements of Visual Arts, Dance, Music and Theater.
Our P.S. Arts Motto and Theme for 2025-2026: The Freedom to Imagine, The Power to Create was on full display. Our faculty and staff left feeling invigorated and inspired for the year to come. We can’t wait to see all of the creative ways they will implement their PD experience and knowledge in the classroom!
