AGOURA HILLS : Willow School’s Art Court Concept Copied Elsewhere

A visit to Willow Elementary School’s art court may inspire a new trend after being used as a model by Red Oak Elementary School, where it is being visited by administrators and teachers from other parts of the state.

At first glance, the outdoor art court at Red Oak in Ventura County’s Oak Park looks like a semicircular patio with a counter and sinks.

But Principal Jeff Hamlin wants people to see what he sees--a place where the creation of art becomes a tool to excite students and help them become lifelong learners.

Hamlin said he and a parent committee visited Willow School in Agoura Hills to observe its art court before adopting the concept, which is now being seen by others.

“We have a very strong philosophy about the infusion of the visual and performing arts into all areas of the curriculum,” Hamlin said. “It helps children to connect with the content and subject matter.”

To explain the process, Hamlin points to most people’s early learning experiences. Most, he said, remember the classroom store that helped hone math skills, the second-grade garden project, or the models of missions built during the study of California history.

The information learned during those hands-on activities, he said, is recalled, but not many remember the name of their math book.

For example, at the art court, fifth-grade teacher Joni Chancer used the painting of desert and mountain scenes to help students learn to write about comparisons and contrasts of ideas. Not only did students create their own contrasting works of visual art, but they also used words to create a similar contrast in their writing.

Hamlin said the creative works in the art court are only part of the process of teaching children to make critical decisions about what is important and how pieces of information fit together.

The manipulation of data is another way to assess performance and determine what the students have learned. For example, Hamlin pointed to a new project in which students will be asked to prepare a video tape, write a song or a play to illustrate what they have gained from California history lessons.

Hamlin said he believes his school’s approach can be successfully transplanted to other districts. Hamlin acknowledged, however, that at Red Oak, the availability of technology and the support of the school’s Parent-Faculty Assn.--which raised nearly $50,000 for the school last year--offers an opportunity to put into practice the philosophy of using the arts to enhance all areas of the curriculum.