2012-331 Arts - McDougle Elementary School PTA $893

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Arts in Education Grant—Spring 2012 McDougle Elementary School PTA 5 Arts Program Application Narrative School Profile McDougle Elementary is one of the largest K-5 schools in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School District, with 552 students. Its population is ethnically and academically diverse, with students from a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds. The demographic breakdown at the end of the 2011-2012 school year is as follows for grades Kindergarten through 5t' Grade: Gender Race/National Origin Female:266 African-American:79 Hispanic: 113 White:290 Male:286 Asian:44 Multiracial:25 American Indian: 1 Starting in the 2012-2013 school year, McDougle Elementary School will participate in the Title I Schoolwide program, meaning that the school's poverty level is at least 40 percent. With the support of Title I funding, the school will implement a comprehensive program to address the unique needs of this population. In addition, we have approximately 80 students classified as English Language Learners (ELL); this number fluctuates during the school year, as this is our most transient population. McDougle Elementary has three self-contained classrooms in its Exceptional Children program: two for autism and one Life Skills class, which is for students with severe and profound learning challenges. Although these classrooms are categorized as self-contained, inclusion opportunities with same-age peers are provided on a regular basis, especially in MES PTA cultural enrichment programs. McDougle Elementary also houses a Pre-K/Head Start classroom of 33 students that also benefits from MES PTA's cultural enrichment programs. Given the demographic and socio-economic composition of our school, a large percentage of our students benefits greatly from experiencing a diverse cultural arts program as they may otherwise have very few opportunities to do so outside the school context. The struggling economy, declining resources allocated to the arts, and limited fundraising opportunities make it necessary for the McDougle Elementary PTA to seek outside funding to support our Cultural Arts Program. McDougle Elementary has demonstrated its strong commitment to the arts since it opened in 1996. The NC Standard Course of Study determines the school's Arts curriculum. To enhance and complement the curriculum, the PTA presents at least four different performances each year, as well as artist residencies. Each performance is carefully selected to respond to the needs of our students. The criteria for selection include strong multidisciplinary linkages to the school's curriculum, particularly in arts education, language arts, science, math, social studies, and positive behavior; and being representative of a variety of cultures and art forms, such as dance, music, drama, storytelling and poetry, among others. Our goal is to expose students to a wide range of artistic expression throughout their elementary school years. The two performances for which we are seeking funding present a unique learning opportunity for our students during the 2012-2013 school year. School's Arts Programs In 2012-2013, the PTA Cultural Arts Program includes the following shows: • Flamenco Carolina (October 2012; supported by the Spring 2012 OCAC grant) • Hobey Ford's Golden Rod Puppets (November 2012; supported by the Spring 2012 OCAC grant) • Tired Souls, presented by Mike Wiley (January 2013; provisional support by the Fall 2012 OCAC grant) • Ballet Folklorico Mexico (April 2013; provisional support by the Fall 2012 OCAC grant) Page 4 of 22