Rees Elementary named performing and visual arts academy; daily dance, theater added

Rees Elementary School has been selected as a performing and visual arts academy and will expand its offerings to include a full-day dance program and theater, district and school staff said. The program already covers music and visual arts and leaders said the additions will make the campus a four-discipline arts academy.

"So Rees Elementary was selected to be a performing and visual arts academy," said a district administrator (Speaker 1), who outlined the plan to add daily dance and theater instruction. The administrator said early arts exposure "gives them that passion for education," improves student motivation and builds discipline.

A Rees school staff member (Speaker 2) described tangible changes since the school year began. "Since the start of the school year, they've been able to participate in dance every single day," the staff member said, and added that a new dance team, the Rees Shooting Stars, has performed since "pretty much the middle of October." The staff member said families, students and staff have reacted with "great excitement."

Program leaders framed the expansion as both academic and social-emotional: the district administrator said the arts support whole-child development and social-emotional needs, and that teachers and district staff have noted rising morale and enthusiasm around the academy. The administrator said staff have been visibly embracing the program at district meetings and that other campuses are looking to replicate the model.

Looking ahead, the district administrator said the goal is to develop a feeder continuum so students who start arts training at Rees can continue at Miller Intermediate and then at Albright Middle School. "My hope for the program is to see that it continually grows, over the next couple of years, thus expanding to Miller Intermediate, and then up to Albright Middle School," the administrator said. The administrator also mentioned potential additions such as classical piano, classical guitar and digital photography.

School staff said parents have inquired about continuity beyond middle school and are watching to see whether the skills learned at Rees will carry through to high school. No formal board action or vote was recorded in the transcript; staff described program rollout, participation, outreach to families and plans for phased expansion.

The Rees Shooting Stars dance team and daily dance classes are in place for the current school year; staff said the program will be monitored and grown with the stated goal of creating a K–continuum of performing and visual arts academies in the coming years.