Wide Variety of Workshops Engage Students on SHARE Day

Jim Clough and Colin Coolidge were fascinated to learn the process of crafting Civil War figures on SHARE Day. Don Gould assisted Richard Brewster in the process. Mr. Brewster has an extensive collection that he is always willing to share. Photo: Heidi Unger

AE/MS students enjoyed another wonderful SHARE (See How Arts Enrich Education) Day on March 16. Several new workshops were added for choices among the traditional favorites. Students spent the morning participating in engaging workshops. After lunch, the students came together for a presentation by the TIGER group from Plymouth State University.

Mary Clough, Bruce Clough, and Garrett Niemyer spent time at the Andover Fire Station learning photography skills with Larry Chase on SHARE Day. Photo: Lynne Tiede

SHARE Day would not be possible without the vast amount of support from the community. Gisela Darling has been the organizational genius behind SHARE Day for over 20 years. She gathers lots of help and support from within the community.

The workshops for students in grades three through eight each last for two hours, although golf and fly fishing are each double workshops. Students participate in two workshops.

Some of the offerings included: Bread Baking, Cake and Cupcake Decorating, Carving Block Prints, Cookie Baking, Climbing Wall, Creative Woodworking, Duct Tape Wallets, Fly Fishing, Golf, Hair Decorating, Horses, Improvisational Acting, Jewelry Making, Lacrosse, Marble Runs, Martial Arts, Miniature Civil War Figures, Mountain Biking, Notebooks, Para-cord Survival Bracelets, Photographing the Unusual and Odd, Pinterest Party, PrintShop, Reverse Decoupage, Reverse Tie Dye, School Garden, Soccer, Swing Dance, Zen Tang Ling, Woodlands Exploration, and Zumba. Don’t they sound interesting and fun?

The first and second grade teachers arrange for shorter workshops for their students. They have six workshops before lunch. The workshops included; Kite Making, Recycled Painting, Pillow Making, Kick Boxing, Zentangle, and Yoga.

The kindergarten classes and teachers also have SHARE day activities between the two classrooms. The kindergarten choices are short, engaging, and contain movement activities. Energy, enthusiasm, and excitement is all included and encouraged!

This is one of over 100 photos Mary, Bruce, and Garrett took for the Beacon on SHARE Day. Photo: Mary Clough

After the workshops, all students had lunch and then came back together for an assembly where they learned how they could take action and care for their environment. In addition, some of the workshops shared their mornings. Students in the Zumba workshop did a quick performance, students who went fishing talked about their workshop and even had a huge horn pout to show, and we saw the finished products from the Hair Decorating Workshop. Students also had a chance to tour the gym looking at all the displays from the morning workshops. The handicrafts were impressive.

School buses were loaded at the end of the day with tired students, kites, loaves of bread and bread dough, wooden stools, jewelry, photos, lots of creative art work, and possibly a fish or two. Sudents are already talking about what workshops they want to sign up for next year.

We are very appreciative to our community members who share their time, expertise, and passion with our students. Thank you!