Summer is winding down, and the back to school rush is on. A new school year brings excitement, energy, and anticipation. As we think about the schools that our children will be attending this fall I’m taking a moment to celebrate the behind the scenes staff. Without them our teachers and principals wouldn’t shine. From custodians, lunch ladies, and crossing guards to bus drivers and PTO members there is a large team at every school working behind the scenes.
I’d like to commend the efforts of educators Marcin Rembisz and Kimberly Behan. They fight to take our schools from good to great. Under pressure to direct funding to math and science they got creative to ensure that arts programs would continue. They went out of their way to build new relationships at the state level, and secured funding from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts to preserve arts education opportunities for elementary students.
This funding covers a portion of the cost for Island Moving Company to provide Math into Movement, Creative Movement, and Literacy dance programs in public elementary schools across Newport County. Marcin and Kimberly could have written these grants to support only Newport Public School students, but in form true to a culture of excellence they chose to ensure that all Newport County children and school districts would have access. Marcin and Kimberly, thank you for having this vision and commitment.
During the 2017-18 school year IMC’s core curriculum based dance programs were delivered in over 191 instructional hours to over 2,000 students. Funding from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, local PTO’s, and private donors allowed the following Newport County public schools to be served:
Pell: Newport, RI
1st grade Math into Movement
2nd grade Math into Movement
3rd grade Literacy
Forest Ave: Middletown, RI
1st grade Math into Movement
2nd grade Math into Movement
3rd grade Creative Movement
Hathaway: Portsmouth, RI
1st grade Math into Movement
2nd grade Math into Movement
Melville: Portsmouth, RI
1st grade Math into Movement
Jamestown: Jamestown, RI
3rd grade Creative Movement
As our children return to another year of school, we buy larger shoes, start to pack lunches again, and think about the summer gone by. Island Moving Company has so much to be thankful for, and educators like Marcin Rembisz and Kimberly Behan are just one example of the ways in which we’ve seen the Newport Public Schools team excel.
We are excited and grateful for a new school year of education through dance with your incredible children and their passionate teachers. We can’t wait to see your students at school, and look forward to introducing them to the joy of dance and art.
Edward McPherson is the Executive Director of Island Moving Company in Newport. He serves as a volunteer on the Rhode Island Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Professional Development Committee. He was elected by his peers to serve as a volunteer on the selection committee for the Association of Fundraising Professionals national Distinguished Fellows Award.