District must invest in the arts
It’s been a hard school year for everyone: students, parents, teachers and administrators. The pandemic brought with it difficult decisions, adjustments and sacrifices. While one cannot imagine the weight that went into these decisions, a school district that has a stated vision of “focus and emphasis on the whole child” cannot afford cuts to music education.
Music and the arts are invaluable in providing the social and emotional learning our kids need right now. Many are still only beginning to return to in-person classes, have suffered trauma over the past year and need a place that can provide healing that will positively impact their other academic classes. Students in music classrooms are regularly taught collaboration, self-regulation, self-awareness and decision making. Research also suggests that experiences in the arts contribute to a fully functioning brain and body. Creating music and art is not a luxury for the elite, but a need fo
Park Record intern
Park City High School employees wait in line for free coffee and pastries in November as part of the Park City Education Foundation’s ongoing Educator Wellness Initiative.
Park Record file photo
With the stress that 2020 brought, the Park City Education Foundation wanted to give back to Park City School District teachers. As a result, they launched the Educator Wellness Initiative.
The goal of the initiative is to provide wellness programs for educators, including mindfulness training, food, yoga classes and gym memberships.
Melissa Nikolai, a language arts teacher at Park City High School, expressed her gratitude for the program.