GST BOCES Congratulates

Karen Navaie

  Arts Teacher in the News  

Lincoln Street School

During the summer of 2007,  Waverly Art Teacher, Karen Navaie,  participated in the Japanese Fullbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program.  This was an opportunity for Karen to receive professional development and to visit Japan.  The main objective behind the Fulbright program is to educate the educators who will shape the the next generation of citizens.  According to the Fulbright web site,

The program provides significant learning opportunities for American educators. Through their experiences in Japan, teachers and administrators are able to enhance their curricula and bring their students and communities a greater understanding of other cultures. In doing so, the program helps to fulfill Senator Fulbright’s dream of creating a more peaceful world through education and mutual understanding.

Karen's participation included traveling to Japan where she visited schools and private homes.  Upon her return,  she shared her experiences with her school and community and helped improve curricular and  teaching materials,  as well as providing workshops and other activities.  Part of this involved working with Japanese foreign exchange student,  Arisu "Alice" Shintaku to enrich her elementary art classes.

Arisu "Alice" Shintaku  

Arisu is an exchange student from Tobetsu-Oho Ishikari-Gun in Japan. During her time at Lincoln and Chemung Street school,  Alice shared the clothing, customs, crafts, and language of her native country with students.  She wore a traditional kimono to classes and spoke to the students in Japanese.  She spoke to the students a bit about Japanese food and popular culture,  such as the character "Hello Kitty."  Together with Karen,  the two of them taught the students how to count to 10.  Alice also taught the students how to make origami and other crafts. 

Arisu provided this photograph depicting her participation in a festival in Japan

                                        Cristina M.      Kaitlyn S.          Dan H.

Alice offers two of her own kimonoes for the students to try

Alex juggles and displays some of the artwork she has created throughout the year.

←Back to Arts Education in the News!