East Middle School drama club showcases student production supported by Erie Arts & Culture and Erie Insurance
Erie City School District Board of Directors · December 4, 2025
Summary
Erie Arts & Culture and Erie Insurance supported a drama club at East Middle School; 25 students performed excerpts from the play 'Box' and performances are scheduled Dec. 12 and 13. Superintendent Dr. Gibbs invited community participation in the district strategic planning sessions.
Erie Arts & Culture announced during the Erie City School District reorganization meeting that East Middle School students will stage a production of "Box," with performances at East Middle School on Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. and Dec. 13 at 2 p.m. The program is supported by Erie Insurance and provided a teaching artist at no cost to the district.
Why it matters: Arts partnerships expand after-school opportunities and can support student engagement and learning. The presentation highlighted local nonprofit support and named teachers and artists who helped launch the program.
What was presented: James Hain, Arts Education Manager at Erie Arts & Culture, described a collaboration with East Middle School in which a teaching artist worked with students once a week on acting and stagecraft. Hain named teachers who assisted—Stephanie Curidio, Diva Reichardt, Allison Halmi, Colton Benson and Sarah Sabiak—and introduced the teaching artist Sarah Fisher. Hain said 25 students are involved in the production.
Student performance and reaction: Students presented selections from the play; board members and attendees responded with applause and several remarked that the performance was powerful. The board invited the students forward for photographs and recognition.
Superintendent and community engagement: Superintendent Dr. Gibbs used her remarks to emphasize community involvement in the district's strategic planning. She thanked participants in 14 listening-and-learning sessions during her first 100 days and said multiple strategic planning sessions are posted, "approximately four sessions per day," to make participation convenient.
Next steps and announcements: The board reminded the public that its next meeting is Dec. 10 and announced a community session on the Harding Elementary renaming the following night, encouraging public input through focus groups and posted session schedules.
Details recorded on the record: Performance dates (Dec. 12 and Dec. 13), the count of participating students (25) and that Erie Insurance provided support were all announced from the dais.
