Making a Mosaic at Worthington Hooker

Be sure to click (HD) above tor best version of the video.

At around 2:00 in the film

For the students of Worthington Hooker on Whitney Ave, they'll always remember the making of this work of art - partially because there's a short documentary about it.Filmed between January and June of this year, "Making a Mosaic at Worthington Hooker" is actually quite interesting to watch.

The students of the class were asked to create a timeline pertaining to human history over the course of the last couple thousand years, and to identify objects and visuals that they found to be Beth Klingher, a talented mosaic artist who brought her knowledge and experience to the classroom and helped the students create the mosaic.

At around 6:00 in the film

representative of each time period. Then they had to study the process of making a mosaic with HOT Schools Art Teacher

With additional support from the Yale University Art Gallery, the students were able to produce what became a great-looking piece of art which was mounted onto the exterior of their school, for future generations of students to see. This film documents the process from start to finish.

Produced for the Higher Order Thinking Schools (HOTS) Program.

CT Office of the Arts + NHPS

The Connecticut State Office of the Arts finds ways of encouraging kids to learn about Immigration while teaching empathy.

Students at W.Hooker Perform a Story of Immigration

As students at Worthington Hooker are learning about American history, they're also learning about not just the procedure of immigration over the centuries, but the experience of being an immigrant. The students, with the help of Doe Boyle, hired by CT Office of the Arts to assist New Haven Public Schools, encouraged the participants to write diary entries of those who were trying to become American citizens via Ellis Island in the 19th and 20th century. The students performed their composed diary entries to an audience of available parents and their peers during the middle of the school day towards the end of the year.

The PTA of Worthington Hooker hired Stereomedia to film and upload the performance, so that parents and grandparents of the performers would be able to see it at their convenience with a link and a password. The Parent-Teacher Association provided the password and the link.

Students acted out scenes from the imagined lives of immigrants

"Higher Order Thinking" is the term used to describe the method of teaching adcovcated by CT Office of the Arts for encouraging the process of educating students on the topic of empathy, hardly a subject normally taught in schools. Says Bonnie Koba, the Arts in Education Coordinator, "to walk through that process, so to research it, to experience it, and it connects students emotionally to their learning, which is really what we want to have."
She also says, "We do a lot of work to teach teachers to use the arts to teach kids. What we've learned is that if you have a way into the minds of young people that engages them and connects them emotionally to their learning, you have students that want to learn. And the arts do that for kids."

"I reviewed their writing and their journals and their paragraphs that they did everyday. And, with the children, compiled this into a script. Because it was worthy of dramatizing. Of presenting as our culminating project. Something on stage that had real power that could reach an audience," says Susan Arnold, the music director for Worthington Hooker School.  (Watch the video for more of her talk).

Songswere composed by Mike Kachuba with the kids. 

"It was very difficult for people back then who were coign to America. Immigrants had to come to new surroundings and they thought it would be beautiful and they would get so much money, but it was actually very difficult," said one student who performed the play when he was in 3rd grade.

"My ancestors were immigrants. They had pieces of letters and diaries, and I didn't get a chance to read those things," said one student.

Donahue at Screening in School Auditorium Nov. 7

Do you remember Phil Donahue?  He hosted a TV talk show (one of the first) for 26 years.  He's now an anti-war activist and he'll be giving a lecture on Thursday, November 7 at 7:00pm at Worthington Hooker School Auditorium.  It's a screening of the documentary, "Body of War." The music in the film is by Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder.  After the screening, Donahue will do some Q&A about it.  A summary of the film from Wikipedia:
Shocked by the September 11 attacks Thomas Young wants to defend his country and subsequently he joins the United States Armed Forces. As a soldier he is sent to Iraq and soon after his arrival a marksman's bullet maims him. Intercut with his personal story is footage from Congressional proceedings in Washington, D.C. which led to this disputed war.

Free admission.  This event is sponsored by 

PEPeace.Org / PeaceNews.Org

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"Revels" At Worthington Hooker School: Success!

The holiday performance of "Revels" (in its 31st year) was a great success last night at Worthington Hooker School on Whitney Avenue.

The play is based on the story of Saint George and the Dragon, which has obviously been extrapolated upon to include Father Christmas, and draws upon the international story of the celebration of this time of the year.  Altogether an amazing performance by the 3rd and 4th graders (*see correction).  A great performance.

Here is some more fun reading:

• Worthington Hooker School (wiki)
• Who was Worthington Hooker?  (wiki)

Not much information on Dr. Hooker on his Wikipedia page, but there is a lengthy amount of information pertaining to the history of Saint George and the Dragon, including a lengthy Wiki page, as well as another page concerning the painting by Renaissance painter Raphael.