The other is Mills Lawn Elementary School in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Both schools will receive their commendations at a ceremony Oct. 28 in Washington. We were looking for a total program. The idea is that the arts program had to be practically perfect, and a model for other schools. We have the philosophy that art is a natural, creative expression.
Young kids do it on their own.
They get inhibited later on. The idea with art is that they have to make decisions. It's creative problem solving and using critical thinking skills. The visual arts program is not the only expression of arts education. In music classes, students regularly perform on a variety of instruments and discuss compositions, while the fourth grade performs a musical each year.