Seven Laurens County School District 55 Schools Receive State Arts Grant Projects Funds

The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) announced in late October 2024 that seven schools in Laurens County School District 55 (LCSD 55) will
receive funds for their Arts Program under the SCDE Arts Enhancement Program Grants.

Almost $70,000.00 (SeventyThousand Dollars) has now been given to LCSD 55. The schools and lead educators who submitted the grant applications are Laurens District 55 High School- Kristopher Briggs (Orchestra) and Anne Lane (Visual Arts), Sanders Middle School- Rebekah Hinton (Band), Laurens Middle School- Sarah Rinaudo, EB Morse Elementary School- Margaret Davis (Art) and Majorie Tobias (Music), Hickory Tavern School- Melissa Yarchowicz (Art) and Sean Burns (Music), Laurens Elementary School- Jessica Tate (Art) and Gregg Hinton (Music), Waterloo Elementary School- Cindy Wright (Art) and Sara Glogowski (Music).

Cindy Wright, Waterloo Elementary School (WES) Art Teacher and LCSD 55 District Arts Coordinator shared that WES will hold an Artist in Residence event with multi-awarded artist Billy Jonas. Among Jonas’s many awards is 2002 First Place Gold from the American Federation of Independent Musicians. Jonas will hold the Music From Anything: Recyclable Object Instruments, Bangin’ & Sangin’ 101, and songwriting/song-making
workshops.

WES will hold an event for the community and parents showcasing the instruments they make and applying the skills they learn from Billy Jonas. WES Principal Emily Parks said, “I am excited for the students at Waterloo Elementary who will benefit from this grant opportunity to further their learning of Art and Music
integration. Thanks to Ms. Wright, Waterloo Art teacher, and Ms. Glogowski, Waterloo Music teacher, our students will have the unique and fun experience of using recyclable materials to create musical instruments. Arts integration is important as we strive to support students in all areas of their education. I am grateful for the opportunity provided by the grant funds from the SC Department of Education. I cannot wait to see the instruments they create with Mr. Jonas!”

Laurens Elementary School (LES) Visual Art Teacher Jessica Tate is thrilled with the grant and the opportunity to engage their students in Polynesian art, music, and dance. Students will create Polynesian-inspired artwork with Mrs. Tate, learn how to play the ukulele and Polynesian-style drums from LES Music Teacher Mr. Gregg Hinton, learn the hula and haka dances from LES Physical Education Teacher Nathan St. Onge.
Tate exclaimed, “This will be a great experience for our entire school. I hope this becomes one of our students’ fondest memories of elementary school. I’m so excited I might just break into the hula right now!”

LCSD 55 is thankful for the services of District Grant Writer Ginny Cartee, M.Ed. Cartee has been diligent in writing grant applications for LCSD 55. She took the role of part-time grant writer and special project manager in 2014 but she has been with the district for forty-three years.

Cartee said, “All the arts have been important to me throughout my lifetime. I enjoy working with paper and ink. I also enjoy being part of the Laurens County Chorale. I understand how the arts can provide positive experiences and opportunities for students to build soft skills and meet people. These opportunities increase student confidence and can inspire students to stay in school and build lives that positively impact the community. I think of writing these grants as a way for me to use my skill set to support the youth of our community. Laurens County has given me so much over the past five decades, now as a senior, I see this as my time to give back. I think of grant writing for the next generation of teachers to work with a new generation of students as my way to make our
community a better, brighter, and more hopeful place.”

EB Morse Elementary School (EBM) is a second-time recipient of the SCDE Arts Enhancement Program Grants. In 2022-2023, EBM used their funds to immerse students in Asian art and music. This year, the funds will be used to study African art and music. Teachers Marjorie Tobias and Margaret Davis shared, “We are so very grateful to Ginny Cartee, our District Grant Writer, and Cindy Wright, our District Arts Coordinator for their help, support, and guidance during the grant submission process. The administration at our school is very supportive of our fine arts programs and understands the impact the arts can have on students being successful learners.”