Inside Shore Country Day School’s new 30,000-square-foot Lawrence A. Griffin Center for Creativity, there’s no shortage of inspiration for students, faculty, parents, and guests of the Beverly institution, founded in 1936. From brilliant mixed-media assemblages by Pre-K Picassos to university-quality stage productions featuring middle and Upper School impresarios, Shore’s ambitious arts center is the energy epicenter of the campus, stocked with tools and technology for creative education.
Prospective families and visitors are invited to take a look inside this “toolbox for inspiration” beginning October 2 at Shore’s “First Friday” open houses.
“It’s almost indescribable–the way the faculty have adopted this idea and leaped at the opportunity to incorporate the center into their teaching, no matter what the subject,” says Upper School Science Department Chair Robin Koval. In exploring the structure of human joints with her seventh graders, for example, Koval this spring added a new creative element: students designed and built their own knee, elbow, or shoulder joints using techniques and materials of their choosing. “The impact on learning has been undeniable,” she states.
Named after Larry Griffin, Shore’s long-time Head of School and the driving force behind the vision for the facility, the Center for Creativity houses a state-of-the-art 375-seat theatre that rivals university and professional facilities; two light-filled studio spaces equipped for a full range of visual and ceramic arts; Upper and Lower School music rooms outfitted with Zimbabwean marimbas and Orff and electronic instruments; a digital audio production studio; private music practice rooms; the grand “Kiva” gathering space and gallery; and the extraordinary Innovation Lab, where students from every grade explore subject areas as diverse as science, history, and music through hands-on work with professional equipment and materials ranging from wood to carbon fiber and circuit boards. The Innovation Lab is where Koval’s students constructed their working human joints.
“Creative education takes creative space,” asserts Shore’s Griffin, “and that’s what we’ve built here: a place where Upper and Lower School students, faculty, parents, and visitors can explore and discover new inspiration and ideas that cross all academic boundaries. It’s really what this school is all about.”
That spirit of creativity is on full display throughout the facility–especially in the atrium-like Kiva, where students assemble for “Morning Meeting,” where parents and visitors mingle before productions in the Theatre, and where artist and Lower School art instructor Shay Cajolet regularly highlights the work of her young creators through constantly changing wall displays. Recently, the Kiva was protected by “Guardians of Nature,” imaginary creatures that encourage all to help preserve the environment.
“A project like ‘Guardians,’” asserts Cajolet, “brings together themes in art, science, history, and ethics, and inspires students to think creatively and collaboratively in addressing challenges.
This, in turn, helps encourage many typically unmeasured aspects of student development, such as teamwork, resilience, and curiosity.”
Those character skills, says Upper School Head Ben Kennedy, are foundational to Shore’s approach to education. States Kennedy, “We are one of only a handful of Massachusetts independent schools to implement what’s known as the Mission Skills Assessment, a research-based suite of tools to measure how our curriculum instills in learners specific critical skills–such as creativity, ethics, and time management–that have been proven to correlate with real life outcomes.”
Character is also the reason Shore requires drama as part of every student’s career at the school, reveals Theatre Arts chair Sarah Carlin. “Whether performing on stage, operating the sound or light boards, or supporting from behind the scenes,” she says, “working with peers in the Theatre nurtures confidence and inspires boldness–hallmarks of a Shore education.”
The stunning Theatre gives Shore students endless opportunities to shine. Professional-quality staging of musicals such as The Music Man; a highly regarded choral program including male and female a cappella groups; and a full slate of concerts and assemblies throughout the year mean that performers from Pre-K to Grade 9 have their moment in the spotlight.
Students of all ages, too, crave time in Shore’s unique Innovation Lab, a dedicated “makerspace” where academics and the arts come to life through hands-on discovery and invention. Music instructor Jenny Lienhard’s fourth graders spent time in the Lab exploring the science of sound.
“We started with an oscilloscope app on the students’ iPads,” relates Lienhard. “They used the app to measure the frequencies of traditional mbiras–often called thumb pianos. Then, with help from Innovation Lab Manager Cam McNall, the students constructed and fine-tuned their own mbiras using custom tools and recycled materials.”
Meanwhile, says McNall, 8th grader and competitive skier Charlotte Marks was busy building her own skis as part of an Independent Study project. “She led the entire process,” shares McNall, “from researching epoxies to designing and constructing skis of a sophisticated layered material.” “Nearly 60 percent of Shore students complete this kind of project,” adds independent study program manager Jill Atkinson. “It’s a unique opportunity for middle school students to delve deeply into a topic of their choice.”
Indeed, reflects Head of School Larry Griffin, “the Center for Creativity is the cornerstone for learning at Shore. In addition to becoming fluent writers and speakers, our children learn expression through building and creating, composing and performing. Nowhere will you find a better stage for creative inspiration.”
Echoes Co-Director of Admissions Lee Carey, “I am still pinching myself each time I walk in the door of this remarkable place–it is truly the ultimate setting for sharing the passions and talents we seek to stretch and cultivate in our children.”
Prospective families are invited to visit the Center for Creativity during Shore’s “First Friday” open houses beginning October 2, at a Middle School Open House November 18, and at a Family Open House January 24, 2016. More information is available at www.shoreschool.org.