Susanne Suprock
RIAEA President
2010 - 2012

Welcome 2010

Where did the first half of the school year go? I know how busy my classes have been, and I’m sure all of your classes and calendars have been just as hectic as well. We have had workshops, student teachers, scholastics preparations, graduate classes as well as getting geared up to put up large displays of student artwork. I know, because many of you have been in touch and have joined RIAEA for our first series of round table events and the RIAEA Art Educators awards ceremony recently held at Roger Williams Park; Museum of Natural History.

These events have allowed us to collaborate together as a collective group of art educators instead of working in isolation as many of the elementary art teachers do every day. If you haven’t, I urge you to participate in more of these free workshops for our members in the future. There are many more planned, so stay tuned to our website for the next round of professional development round tables and events. Professional development is such an important aspect of teaching; it helps us to grow as educators and directly benefits all of our students. I encourage you to learn something new every day! Get tech savvy. Go to the local and national conferences, and try something different! Stay relevant! Don’t become a relic!

Celebrate Rhode Island’s Outstanding Art Educators

In the month of October we celebrated the accolades of several of RIAEA’S outstanding art educators. This event was held at the extraordinary Museum of Natural History located in our very own Roger Williams Park. If you have never been, you really should visit! Your artists’ curiosity and creativity will be sparked! Mine was!

Three extraordinary art educators were honored; Bruce Lenore as the High School art educator of the year, Elizabeth Schenck for the elementary and RI, and Cathy Davis Hayes as special needs.  As I watched their presentations I was personally affected by their commitment, pedagogy, and dedication to art education; as well as their openhandedness to their students, the community, and their peers. Each one of them is obviously a generous giver of their ideas, their student art, their original sense of humor or serious side, and a true passion that is evident when they talk to you about teaching. Each one of them inspired me, as well as everyone in the audience that evening. Their passion makes one want to try to be more creative in their lessons, to never stop learning new things, and to have just a little more empathy when it’s needed.

News

Recently the RIAEA board had to decide whether to raise the price of our membership. Our National organization allows us to increase our dues every three years. We know that the economy is in a slump and the funding for education has been cut back in many of Rhode Island’s districts. We overwhelmingly decided not to raise our dues. It will continue to be the same as it’s been for the last seven years. We hope that you will continue your membership and enjoy all the new features that your membership affords you. The national site is truly amazing, especially the free e-portfolios that they have given to our members. It’s very user friendly! I created one in less than an hour!

So what in it for you?

·      Free member led roundtable workshops with ride credit

·      Reduced rates for RI scholastics

·      Award winning newsletter

·      Youth Art month activities, and contests for your students

·      Art educator awards

·      Art educator member show

·      State Art educator conference

·      Reduced rates for the National Art educator conference

·      A free digication e-portfolio off the national website;  http://www.naea-reston.org/

·      An Artsonia student galley off the national website

·      Eligibility for RI Art reach grants as well as the many grants offered on the national site.

·      Blogs

I hope to see many of you in January at Salve for scholastics this year, and at the up and coming round tables. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and much deserved winter break. There are many more events to look forward to in the near future; YAM, the National conference in April, the Members show and our final Spring members meeting in May. If you are doing something interesting in your classes, have received a grant, are involved in community service with your students, please let me know. Send a picture and a note so we can let other know what is going on across our state.

Take Care

Susanne  

suprocks@cox.net