Lake City Elementary receives state arts grant

The South Carolina Arts Commission has awarded Lake City Elementary School an Arts in Basic Curriculum grant worth $5,205 for the 2009-10 school year.

The support will help the school improve its arts-integration program and bring in artists in residence to teach dance and drama to its students, according to a press release.

This funding will allow the school’s students and staff opportunities in dance and drama, including West African dance classes, math-integrated dance lessons and school performances to which the community will be invited.

“The South Carolina Arts Commission Grant will enable our school to build our arts program to include all five arts areas of dance, drama, creative writing, music, and visual arts,” said Principal Renee Kirby. “It will also allow us to improve our use of arts integration in the classroom allowing teachers to use innovative strategies to teach core subjects. Arts integration and this grant will help students physically became a part of their learning and the concepts being taught to be more personally relevant.

“This funding helps us achieve our mission of ‘Building Excellence, every child, every day, every chance.‘”

This is the second year the school has received the Arts in Basic Curriculum grant and the third year it has received the Arts Curricular Innovation grant, given by the South Carolina Department of Education.

Local residents can see how Lake City Elementary is using its grant funds by visiting the school, at 906 N. Matthews Rd., or visiting the school’s Web site, http://lcps.florence3.k12.sc.us.

For more information on the South Carolina Arts Commission, visit http://www.southcarolinaarts.com or call (803) 734-8696.