December 2020

In this Issue:
The Arts and COVID-19: LaMurl Morris, Director of Fine Arts
When Are We Going to Use This?: Kendall Eley, Academic Dean
The Arts and COVID-19
LaMurl Morris, Director of Fine Arts
We will soon celebrate the conclusion of the first semester of in-person instruction during the 2020-2021 school year. Our school community has faced challenges during the first semester; however, we are thankful that our students, faculty, and staff have remained healthy, and we have been able to move the educational process forward. During the summer, as our school’s administrative team was preparing for the school year, I read an abundance of research regarding fine arts and COVID-19. As I continue to read about the virus, I am following the results of one of the largest scientific studies regarding instrumental and vocal music in the COVID-19 environment. The study is funded by the National Federation of State High School Associations, the College Band Directors National Association, the National Association of Music Teachers and 124 other organizations. As new information is released from this ongoing study, none of the conclusions are encouraging for fine arts teachers. Many professional theatre companies, orchestras, and conservatories are strictly online or have closed, some permanently.
Since July 27th, the Prince Fine Arts Department has successfully conducted the following activities: band camp, five presentations of The Wizard of Oz, the fall concert, two presentations of the lower school musical Back to the Beginning, the Christmas concert, auditions for the middle school production of Aladdin, private lessons, daily fine arts classes and rehearsals, Improvables rehearsals, Pep Band and Jazz Band. We do not take this success lightly but are very grateful to the students, faculty, and parents who have worked diligently to support the fine arts program.
How have we been able to accomplish these goals during the pandemic? There are many factors that have contributed to our success in rehearsing and performing during the current environment.



  • Our Administrative Leadership Team spent hours researching and planning for the reopening of our school. We continue to consult with our medical advisory team and our new school nurse to ensure the safety of our school community.

  • The leadership and members of Prince Avenue Baptist Church have been very generous in providing facilities for the band and performing arts classes and for rehearsals for our cocurricular activities. The church facilities have enabled us to social distance our musicians during classes and rehearsals.

  • Our fine arts teachers have demonstrated flexibility, creativity, and problem-solving skills while delivering college preparatory content, conducting rehearsals, and encouraging fine arts students in their discipline.

  • Our senior fine arts students have exhibited leadership by guiding their fine arts classmates and holding them accountable for their actions both during the school day and outside of school.

  • Athletic Director Richard Ricketts and the athletic department have led the way in setting guidelines and procedures for practices and games during the pandemic. The fine arts faculty has implemented many of those guidelines and procedures where applicable to our classes, rehearsals, concerts, and productions.

  • Our student population is healthy, and students are willing to following the guidelines established by the school administration.

  • Our fine arts parents have graciously supported and prayed for the fine arts faculty and students. We would like to thank our parents for their trust, flexibility, and understanding as we have navigated this semester.
  • Most importantly, we have received blessing, grace, and guidance from our loving heavenly Father. We are very humbled by the love and grace God has extended to our school, and we are grateful for His provision.

As we approach the second semester and the 2021-2022 school year, we look forward to accomplishing the tasks and goals that are before us. We reflect upon the lessons learned from this semester, and we are thankful for our many blessings that include good health, provision, and our school community.
When Are We Going to Use This?
Kendall Eley, Academic Dean
Many parents over the years have heard the question, “When am I going to use this?” from their child. It may be because of frustration over concepts they do not understand, procrastination over an assignment they do not want to do, or simply a desire to not do an assignment. If you have not experienced this as a parent yet, you will, and if we are completely honest, we have probably thought (and possibly said) the same thing. 

Truthfully, many of us will not directly use factoring polynomials, deciding what part of speech a word is in a sentence, or many of the other skills taught in school.  HOWEVER, that does not mean that those skills are useless. The subjects we teach in school, along with the skills and concepts in those subjects, are tools educators use to teach skills that are required in all walks of life - skills such as perseverance, thinking, and explaining are needed for success in many professions. 
Long assignments such as essays, free response questions, and multi-step equations are great examples of teaching perseverance. These take more time to complete and require close attention to detail to get all aspects correct. As one gets older, these assignments become more complex to increase skill level in a similar manner that lifting weights helps to develop stronger muscles. When building strength and endurance, one does not continually lift the same amount of weight using the same exercises. One must increase the weight and repetitions to get stronger. In the same manner, one must increase the length and difficulty of assignments to develop a skill such as perseverance.  
Thinking can be developed as teachers ask the right types of questions and as students learn to ask the right types of questions. Questions such as, “How do you . . .?”; “What do you think . . .  ?”;  or “How would you . . . ?” are excellent examples of ways to help students learn to think of more than simply getting the right answer.  Students must develop the ability to not only answer the question exactly as it is written but to also answer similar questions that require the same skills but appear to be totally different. 
When one can explain something well, that person truly understands the subject, and he or she is more likely to become a leader in that field.  By asking students to “explain,” “show that,” “prove,” or “defend” a particular point of view, we are developing in them a depth of understanding that will help them become more confident in their abilities.  As they become more confident, students engage more and gain a greater depth of understanding thus leading to better understanding which leads to more confidence. 

So many of you will not need to use the quadratic formula after your last math class, but the skills you gain from mastering it, and all the other skills and concepts taught in your classes, will help to make you a stronger person that is better prepared for the future that lies ahead.