“I am Venus. I am named after a Greek Goddess!”- H.S.

Today, Inquiring Minds is delighted to share another post from Richland’s Performing Arts Teacher, Ms. Amy Pitt. The arts are an integral part of Richland’s curriculum, and provide a creative outlet for sharing understanding, as well as exploring powerful concepts, such as empathy – as Ms. Pitt explains.

The Grade 1 Class has been investigating our Solar System with Mrs. Brown and in Performing Arts class, they created characters for each planet based on their characteristics. These characters include a ballerina for Saturn (who wore a tutu for rings), or a super hero for Jupiter who is the “biggest and spins the fastest in our solar system!”. They performed their beautiful, heartfelt skit for the whole school during our Earth Day morning gathering backed by the touching Beatles hit “Here Comes the Sun”. When they were finished they stepped out of character to profess one wish each for our planet this Earth Day.

“I am Uranus, I have rings made out of dust! AAACHOOOO!” – M.N.

“Today on Earth Day, I wish that people would stop buying more stuff, so that factories can stop making more stuff, and we can stop polluting the ozone layer. Buying more things doesn’t make you more happy! –S.J.

“I am the Earth’s moon. It takes me 27 days to orbit the Earth and I am 4.5 billion years old!”- A.A.

“The Performing Arts offers children a chance to really feel something for what they are learning, as well as share what they know with the greater school community and beyond in a creative and entertaining way. Subject Integration is key for unlocking the magic and wonder of anything we investigate. Also, on Earth Day, going beyond the borders of our own planet and out into the world beyond, allows children to see the interconnectedness of the universe, not only how our decisions on earth affect our own planet, but how we are very much linked to the balance of the whole universe.” –Ms. Pitt