The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Maple Elementary partners with Fine Arts Association
About 80 third-graders at Maple Elementary School in Painesville received a fun, engaging and educational music lesson from a professional singer, composer, playwright and actor on May 12.
Darryl Lewis, who holds a master’s degree in music performance and a master of fine arts in acting, taught the students about song writing and music while focusing on the district-wide behavioral model.
Painesville Schools use the acronym PRIDE: Persevere, Respect, Integrity, Determination and Empathy in all buildings to promote positive behavior.
Throughout the day, he visited each third-grade classroom for about 45 minutes.
Maple Elementary School teachers Marie Stapleton and Jennifer Foss partnered with Fine Arts Association Education Director and Lead Director Jeannie Fleming-Gifford, who connected them with Lewis.
This arts program is completely funded by Lubrizol Corp.
Lewis began the lesson with a quick game of “Simon Says,” which really tested the students listening skills.
Following the game, he used storytelling to introduce symbolism and challenge the students to think critically.
The class was later asked to write a rhyme about respect and received the opportunity to make beats on an iPad.
Lewis used music to teach life-long lessons.
He currently holds a position at Kent State University in the Pan African Studies department and is the music director at Aurora United Methodist Church and artistic director of the Aurora Children’s Theater. He has received many awards and is a member of the Equity Actors Union.
Foss said she is pleased with the arts program and hopes to expand it.
“I’m really just blown away,” she said. “A lot of our students struggle with expressing themselves in positive ways and this program really focuses on our five core values.”