Scene Snaps
Scene Snaps: Love of Learning
May 2021—This month, readers revealed the many faces of educators and learners who grace the Sarasota region. Be dazzled by their commitment and creative spark!
Children First Head Start learners prepare for Kindergarten with fun sensory play and classroom activities. Lead Teacher Suzanne Burns explores dental health with learners in the Blue Crayon classroom.
New College of Florida student Ollie Murillo, shown in the Ecology Lab with Associate Professor Emily Heffernan, extracts compounds from a plant collected on campus to test whether the compounds have anti-microbial effects on two strains of bacteria. She is also testing whether the extracts inhibit seed germination.
Adonia and Colette are fascinated by a sixth-grade chemistry experiment at Hershorin Schiff Community Day School. Meanwhile, second grader Jonah discovers an insect in the school garden’s “Pollinator Bed” and preschooler June takes notes on a patient’s condition during a play-based learning unit on medicine.
The teen ensemble troupe of The Players Centre for Performing Arts rehearsed weekly for April performances of a comedy by Ian McWethy. Says director Amanda Heisey, “Many of the student actors were required to play multiple roles, and the show itself took place outside in a courtyard. It was a good learning experience for everyone involved, and the students performed beautifully.”
Chuck and Noriko Sidlow bring light-hearted clowning and learning empowerment to young and old throughout the community via “The World of Chucko.”
On a Sarasota visit to celebrate his 9th birthday, Anthony Person asked “Grampy” Kenney DeCamp, aka Dr. Mime, to help him learn to mime. Together, grandson and grandfather practiced moves known as “the wall, pulling the rope, and climbing the ladder.”
Educator Meghan O’Brien discusses fossils with a camper during Spring Break Camp at The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, while another camper practices techniques that paleontologists use to discover and unearth fossils.
Astronomer Howard Hochhalter shows adults how to view the moon during the museum’s “How to Use Your Telescope” workshop in January.
The young musicians in The Venice Symphony Youth Orchestra have been rehearsing weekly and will finally get to perform live on May 1 at a free concert for the public. The students, age 8 to 18, perform in two ensembles and meet at the Symphony’s rehearsal space at Venice High School. Donna Smith is the VSYO Symphonic Strings Ensemble Director and Nicole Rawley is the Concert Strings Ensemble Director.
Martin Hollander, says partner Sandy Siegel, never had piano lessons as a child. But at age 80, he began studying it at Fletcher Music. Now he practices daily and gets a lot of joy from playing popular music.
Annette Maddox, Ed.D., an ESE teacher at Rogers Garden-Bullock Elementary School in Bradenton, and her class have been meeting online every day. Here, she and her students share a show-and-tell about toys made from recyclable materials.
Ian Harris follows along with a reading Zoom call.
Young students, from Kindergarten to 3rd grade, enthusiastically create collages during the very first outdoor session of Temple Emanu-El Religious School on March 7. Submitted by Sabrina Silverberg.
Thirty-eight students at State College of Florida, members of SCF’s Symphonic Band, took the stage of the Neel Performing Arts Center for an April concert on Facebook Live. These students rehearsed and performed 6 feet apart, wearing masks and using flute defender shields, without a live audience. Conductor Dr. Robyn Bell says, “I am so proud to have taken this journey with these amazing music students.”
Residents of The Lake Club learn and enjoy floral arranging with help from Robin Kornett and Melissa Estep, aka “Two Blooms.”
At Sarasota High School, students in Debra Markley’s photography classes—Madison Siulverthorne, Kenya Taylor, and Kenya Moore-Gray—worked on contributions to the “Student Black Muse,” a visual arts exhibition commemorating Black History Month.
Here, Steve Sadoskas and niece Alaina Semler proudly display culinary achievements during a week-long family gathering of 4 adults, 6 kids—ages 12 to 95. Children paired with adults to create whatever meals they could dream up and deliver. The teams made elaborate plans and set the table with menus each night.
Madalyn and Alexis Sadoskas explore their creativity with Grammy Leslie Butterfield by coloring placemats.
Julianna gets an early start on gaining global perspective with help from her geography studies at NewGate School.
Judy Herman has fond memories of studying with artist and instructor Laurie Maves. Here, Judy awaits critique of her painting.
“Rita Story” (sounds like read-a-story!), played by Kelli Karen Smith, introduces kids to the magic of books through the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading. The winner of a “Reach Out and Read” gift basket enjoys personal attention.
The marine science class at Sarasota Military Academy taught by SMA-CPT Jeanette Marks has been following the Piney Point reservoir breach in class, as it will directly impact the health of Tampa Bay and therefore the Gulf in general. Students were tasked with researching the history of Piney Point or identifying solutions and modeling them.
Join us! Enter before May 10 for the theme:
Coastal Living and Gardening
What does coastal living mean to you? Do you spend time on the water? Or in your garden? Show us the beauty of how you live on the Gulf Coast, and your photos may appear in our June issue! Email photos with a description of what’s in them to wendy@scenesarasota.com by May 10.
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