Photos by Sean Roney
Students flood forth for a high-five with Chad Smith as he walks through the school cafeteria. Below, Mary Chapa Academy Principal Rosalinda Silva, left, shows Chad Smith the student art on display at the school.
BY SEAN RONEY
FOR GREENFIELD NEWS
GREENFIELD — Hundreds of students at Mary Chapa Academy gathered upon the school’s blacktop with signs ready on the first morning of June, awaiting their famous visitor who had come to see the artistry they produced.
Chad Smith, the drummer for Red Hot Chili Peppers, soon walked through them on his tour of the school, giving high fives to the students who surged forth throughout the day to meet him.
Smith was visiting as part of MCA’s performance as a Turnaround Arts School, something he has done annually for the past four years.
“The first time I came, I really didn’t know what to expect. The kids were pretty quiet and reserved,” Smith said. “Fast forward to today, it’s like a different school. They’re so full of joy. The posters, the singing, and the whole school in one place, almost 900 children. That energy was so uplifting.”
The objective for Turnaround Arts is to integrate art into as many areas of instruction as possible, to make education as engaging as possible. At MCA, all teachers have made that effort, no matter the subject being taught. There are also numerous visual, dramatic, and performing arts programs, held both during the way and as extracurricular activities. Many students give up their lunches and recess time in order to participate in these programs.
Officials from Turnaround Arts at both the national and state level discussed school performance with the Greenfield school staff. Principal Rosalinda Silva explained English learning is up, with 75 students having earned a reclassification from learning to proficient.
“That’s a big success for all of our English learners and their parents,” Silva said. She noted shifting toward proficiency allows students to focus on the material being taught in the classroom rather than language.
Silva also noted the reduction in truancy, which she said has been one of the largest factors in student success.
“Our kids want to come to school everyday. They love Mondays,” she said.
In regard to the role of Turnaround Arts in that shift, Silva said, “It’s created this atmosphere where school is fun, learning is fun, it’s a wonderful place to be. They would rather not be anywhere else than here.”
“They just seem like they’re really onto something and the kids are happy,” said Smith. “They want to be here and it’s being led through the arts.” He went on to say, “They were really proud and excited to share what has been happening at the school all year.”
Silva added, “Turnaround Arts have been the key partners here because they’ve exposed us to so many resources and professional development opportunities and so many ways to network with their partners in the community that have an art background.”
She noted that being in Greenfield, it would otherwise be difficult for MCA to have access to Monterey Bay-area facilities.
Silva explained the current goal at MCA is to continue improving English proficiency and increasing math performance through the continued use of art. There is also sights set to sustain the program by sharing the teaching strategies with new teachers.
Smith noted his observation that though some staff has changed at the campus, the program has carried on in leading the students toward success.
“Everything about it seems to be going in the right direction,” he said.
