School Programs
Since launching our Head Start classes in 2022, Compass Arts has been working towards the goal of bringing more free arts programming to kids in our community. Thanks to partnerships with principals and administrators within the Beacon City School District, as well as valuable input and support from Superintendent Matt Landahl and members of the school board, Compass Arts was able to pilot free after-school arts programs beginning in 2024. We love working with these kids, and we love making programs that are accessible to kids who may not otherwise have access to arts classes. Scroll down to see what we’re doing in our local schools!
Photography Club and Ceramics Club at Sargent Elementary School (Fall 2024 and Winter 2025, Grades 4-5)
In the fall, teaching artist Flynn Larsen taught an introduction to photography on Monday afternoons at Sargent. Students learned how to see the world from new perspectives and understand the workings of a camera. The result was some beautiful images! For the winter semester, teaching artist Caty Therese taught her after-school students the basics of ceramics. They started with making and glazing pinch pots, then graduated to sculpting anything they could imagine – from a jar disguised as a stack of pancakes, to a chicken fountain. to a bear with a toothbrush backpack.
CACP in the Community
Modern/Contemporary Dance and Choreography at Rombout Middle School (Winter 2025, Grades 6-8)
Teaching artist Sasha Van’t Hul describes her approach to teaching as creating “a structured container that consists of some traditional dance technique and themes, but also a lot of creative movement and play so that the children can begin to develop their own dance vocabulary and unique style.” Her Wednesday students at RMS learned new movement techniques and choreographic tricks, which they decided to channel into a collaborative dance video of Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra.”
Musical Theater Singing at Rombout Middle School (Winter 2025, Grades 6-8)
On Tuesdays after school, teaching artist Katey Dolezal’s students could be heard enthusiastically singing show tunes like “You Can’t Stop the Beat” from Hairspray and “Breaking Free” from High School Musical. Says Katey, “This class offers a supportive and energetic environment where students can build confidence, improve their singing abilities, and collaborate with peers in group numbers. Whether they are beginners or have some experience, all students are welcome!”
Improv at Rombout Middle School (Winter 2025, Grades 6-8)
Teaching artist Connor Bond’s Thursday afternoon improv group explored a mix of improv games and styles to see what ignited students’ imaginations. “The weekly class explores scene work, character development, physicality, space and staging, combined with silliness and general chaotic fun,” says Connor. “For example, one class discovered an entire box of wigs which eventually became the most engaging hair salon long-form improv you could possibly imagine.”
Drama Club at South Avenue Elementary School (Spring 2024-Spring 2025, Grades 3-5)
Our biggest after-school program to date is the twenty-week Drama Club at South Avenue, taught by Gina Samardge and Gwynne Watkins, during which students rehearse and perform an entire musical! Kids in Drama Club commit to meeting every Tuesday and Wednesday for most of the school year. Many of them have never performed before. For the first few weeks of the fall, we got to know each other, worked on basic theater and singing skills, and established “shared agreements” about how the club should run. The rest of the time was dedicated to learning the show – a process that includes singing, choreography, dialogue and character work. In spring 2024, we performed the musical “Leap Day” and in spring 2025, we performed the musical “Space Pirates!” (co-written by Compass Arts teaching artist Gwynne Watkins). We encouraged student input throughout the process, and were lucky to have amazing parent volunteers and South Avenue librarian Mr. Burke helping us create the sets and costumes. Says Gwynne, “The most rewarding part is seeing how much dedication and heart the students put into the rehearsal process. They’re really committed to the show and to each other. We were so excited to share their hard work!”
Skits & Songs Club at JV Forrestal Elementary School (Fall 2024, Grades 3-5)
Skits and Songs Club was a fall after-school theater program rooted in music, writing, and improv. Kids in this program learned that all of their creative impulses are valid and worth exploring, no matter how out of the box! Over ten weeks with teaching artist Gwynne Watkins, the students wrote and staged a parody of the song “Oh What a Beautiful Morning” called “Oh What a Terrible Monday,” about the experience of taking a difficult math test. The club presented this song for families at the end of class, alongside “commercials” for imaginary products written and performed collaboratively by the students.
Say It Othello (Beacon High School, Spring 2024)
Taught by Hampton Fluker, this evening class at BHS explored the idea of “otherness” through performance of Shakespeare monologues. The program included both middle and high school students who identified themselves as people of color, LGBTQ+, and/or neurodivergent. “Say It Othello” provided an intensive study of acting technique and a supportive space to embrace and interrogate the differences that make us who we are.
Music and Art Classes at Astor Head Start (2022-present)
Compass Arts is celebrating our third year of bringing free art and music classes to Astor Head Start, a federally funded program that offers early childhood education, health, nutrition and social services to children from low-income families and children with disabilities. Our Head Start classes serve a total of around 65 children between the ages of 2 and 5. Our classes were developed in response to conversations with teachers and administrators at Head Start, in order to supplement their curriculum and allow the children to experience new ways of learning. We love helping these young students grow and flourish in art and music throughout the school year.
