Flamenco costume making during Friday Middle School electives.
This year, we have launched our middle school electives program. Each trimester, students choose between electives such as Latin, Outdoor Leadership, Activist Art, or FSP Newspaper. Each elective has a community engagement component as well as a direct link to the Quaker SPICES. This trimester, students chose between Show Choir, Outdoor Skills, Musical Instrument Making, Flamenco Costume Design, and FSP Newspaper.
Here are a few highlights from middle school students, so far:
"We get to do all the fun stuff in Show Choir... take off our shoes, sing music, and learn to do pentatonic clapping!" - Fifth-grade student
"In Show Choir, we are creating a video of different actions and singing separately, We learned really quickly that it is hard to do them at the same time...sing and dance that is!" - Fifth-grade student
" I wanted to create a community musical instrument with Jonathan because he's been talking about doing since as long as I've known him..which is a long time!" - Eighth-grade student
"Flamenco costume making was my first choice...but I didn't get my first choice. I'm in Show Choir which I'm really enjoying because you get to express yourself and do all the fun backstage filming too." - Eighth-grade student
"I chose Outdoor Skills with Aliza because I really wanted to be outside more...even though I'm outside all the time. I just like it outdoors." Seventh-grade student
"I chose Flamenco Costume Making because I really like sewing. I sewed a dress with my grandmother once." - Sixth-grade student
"I like drawing clothes that look like this...with ruffles and sequins. I thought it would be really fun to make clothes that I actually draw!" - Fifth-grade student
"I really like being able to work on what we want to. I'm making comics for the all-school newspaper." - Seventh-grade student
"I like being able to make something that the whole community at school will get to enjoy!" - Seventh-grade student