SAVVYkids | October 2022

Fine Arts are Fantastic at PCSSD

Fine art programs in school have been proven to help students with motor skills, language and math, and help students with problem solving and decision making. All of these reasons, and more, is why the Pulaski County Special School District is dedicated to providing high quality fine art instruction to students across central Arkansas.

This year, PCSSD has a number of new fine arts educators bringing their skills and expertise in their creative field to students. There is a new band or choir director in three middle schools and one high school.

Mr. Christopher Cross is the new choir director at Joe T. Robinson Middle School. “This year, my plan and focus is to help students develop independent and group artistry,” said Mr. Cross. “I want them to develop and engage their imagination. I believe a vocal music program is a system of uniquely gifted individuals learning to develop their talents in community with other artists. Each artist learns from one another how to develop their perspective gift.”

Mr. Ray Cross is the new middle school band director at Mills Middle School.

“Teaching music to children is the best job in the world, in my opinion, and having the opportunity to do exactly what I want to be doing in my first year, I could not pass up,” said Mr. Cross. “I am looking forward to building relationships, helping scholars succeed at their highest level, and to hone in on my personal craft as a music educator.”

Mr. Joshua Jackson is the new head band director at Maumelle High School. “The Maumelle Band program and its students have a reputation and tradition of working hard to achieve superior results both as a music ensemble and as individuals,” said Mr. Jackson. “I wanted to have the chance to be a small part of this wonderful program, to work alongside my colleagues, Mr. Williamson and Mr. Meadows, and of course teach the wonderful band students of Maumelle High School.”

And Mrs. Anna-Wray Robinette is the new choir director at Sylvan Hills Middle School. “My plan for this year is to give my students as much knowledge and experience as possible,” said Mrs. Robinette. “Most of all, I want to give them a positive musical experience that will help them appreciate music for life.”

These educators are great additions to PCSSD’s long list of existing talented educators and we are looking forward to watching them grow and pass on their passion to our scholars.

ABOUT PCSSD

Pulaski County Special School District spans more than 600 square miles in central Arkansas and requires highly skilled and passionate personnel to adapt educational policies and personalization to 26 schools. Every school is accredited by the Arkansas State Board of Education. PCSSD has served schools across Pulaski County since July 1927.

PCSSD is committed to creating a nationally recognized school district that assures that all students achieve at their maximum potential through collaborative, supportive and continuous efforts of all stakeholders.

OCTOBER 2022 NEWS & NOTES

OCTOBER IS PACKED WITH FESTIVALS AND FUN. WE CAN’T INCLUDE EVERYTHING HERE, BUT WE OFFER THE HIGHLIGHTS.

SOLID STANCE FOR UNITY & COMMUNITY

Oct. 1

12-4 p.m.

Solid Stance for Unity & Community is offering this awesome, free event for one and all at Unity Martial Arts. FREE seminars will take place all afternoon. You can spectate or jump right in and learn some techniques. Cuong Nhu karate, self-defense and Iyengar Yoga demonstrations will be performed by Unity students, and there will be games, activities, food trucks and door prizes.

Solid Stance is a new community nonprofit whose goal is providing training and stability to at-risk members of our community.

HOWL-O-WEEN PARTIES IN THE PLAZA

Oct. 15, 22, 29

Head to the Little Rock Zoo dressed in your Halloween best to see a magic show, meet fairytale characters and enjoy a ride on the scaredy cat carousel.

HARVESTFEST

Oct. 22

Presented by the Hillcrest Merchants Association, HarvestFest in Hillcrest is an all-day event that celebrates the season. There’s a wide array of activities for kids and adults, vendors selling their wares, food, a beer garden, live music and a dog show!

LITTLE ROCK BIG BOO!SEUM BASH

Oct. 27 5:30-8:30 p.m.

Area museums offer trick-or-treating, games and more. Pick up a game card at any participating location and collect stamps for visiting each museum or cultural attraction — then turn in your game card to be entered into a grand prize drawing for a new tablet.

ARKANSAS STATE FAIR

Oct. 14-23

It’s the fun-for-all, fair-for-all Arkansas State Fair! The question is, will you take the traditional route and eat a funnel cake and turkey leg or go for something more adventurous like Fried Spaghetti & Meatballs on a Stick and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Walking Taco?

CENTRAL ARKANSAS PRIDE FEST

Oct. 15

Let your Pride flag fly! Enjoy food trucks, live music, drag performances, vendors and a parade at Argenta Plaza in North Little Rock. It’s fun for the whole family.

CAMP ALDERSGATE

FISH FRY

Oct. 16

11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Who doesn’t love a good fish fry? And this year’s event is back and in-person. Camp Aldersgate is also introducing “Camp Crawl”—a chance to walk in the shoes of a camper by participating in an immersive camp experience.

Check the website for more info and pricing. campaldersgate.net/ signature-events/fish-fry

BALLET ARKANSAS PRESENTS “DRACULA”

Oct. 20-23

Just in time for Halloween, Ballet Arkansas offers this bold retelling of Bram Stoker’s legendary novel and features chilling imagery, edge-ofyour-seat choreography and, of course, vampires!

Check balletarkansas.org/tickets for showtimes and ticket info.

This year's participating locations are Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, Historic Arkansas Museum, Little Rock Visitor Information Center at Historic Curran Hall, MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, Museum of Discovery, Old State House Museum, Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center and Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum.

ANNUAL WORLD CHEESE DIP CHAMPIONSHIP

Oct. 30

12-4 p.m.

Head to the Rivermarket to enjoy dips from amateurs and professionals around the country and cast your vote to crown the World Cheese Dip Champions. Pro tip: bring a muffin tin to hold the sample cups. (Anyone remember the first year when they ran out of chips, and people were driven to doing cheese dip shooters?)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Pumped for pumpkin patches: BoBrook Farms (Roland), Motley’s (Little Rock), and Roseberry Farms (Benton) to name a few. Check farm websites for dates and hours of operation.

By Katherine Wyrick

As a kid, I ran away from home to hide in the generous canopy of my neighbor’s magnolia tree. I took with me a boxy floral suitcase that held my favorite stuffed animal, a cellophanewrapped Twinkie pilfered from my dad’s secret stash, and a copy of “Black Beauty.” I’ve always believed that a book is the best companion — especially when on the lam.

In this issue, we’re celebrating books, and there’s no better time with the Central Arkansas Library System’s Six Bridges Book Festival taking place Oct. 20-30. We look at what’s scheduled for kids and families as well as ask a few local young adult/children’s authors and a teacher for their book suggestions.

SIX BRIDGES BOOK FESTIVAL

On the agenda for kids this year at Little Readers Rock at the Hillary Rodham Clinton Children’s Library & Learning Center, Sat., Oct. 22: It’s a full day of fun family events, including an author visit, a performance, activities, snacks, book giveaways and more. Throughout the day, Little Readers Rock will have stations to play Go Fish, take a photo and receive free books.

Begin the day with AMFA ArtStart! Put on your art goggles and thinking caps as you examine the whimsical Toys Designed by Artists collection from the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts and discover “How to Spot an Artist” with the book by Danielle Krysa. Kids will also harness the power of the sun to create unique designs on nature print paper and be guided through creating an origami lotus flower for the “Art Garden”

community installation, part of the grand opening celebrations at the newly renovated AMFA.

Afterward, head over to the theater where Little Rock’s favorite kids’ magician Tommy Terrific will perform. (Sidenote: We hired him for my son’s birthday party many years ago, and our rascally dog sneaked behind the curtain and ate some of the props. To Tommy’s credit, he took it all in stride.)

Midday, kids can get a Grab and Go lunch from the front desk and also participate in a food-related activity.

Some may need a nap at this point, but if not, the exceptionally talented artist Charly Palmer makes a special visit in the afternoon to discuss his debut children’s book, “The Legend of Gravity,” inspired by his childhood Milwaukee. His remarkable exhibition “Telling Stories: Illustrations & New Works” will be at Hearne Fine Art from Oct. 7-Dec. 1.

Then, it’s on to “Chinese Folk Tales and Fu Characters” with Ashley Wang, co-chair of Little Readers Rock, who will read an exciting Chinese folk tale and then help kids make a craft.

Northern Irish author/illustrator Oliver Jeffers is one of my family’s favorites. His work is quirky, droll and just the right amount of tender. We’re eagerly anticipating his latest, “Meanwhile Back on Earth …: Finding Our Place through Time and Space,” which serendipitously comes out this month! The library is hosting an exhibition of Jeffers’ work, “Oliver Jeffers: 15 Years of Picturing Book,” that will include more than 80 pieces. And 400 of his books will be given away over the course of the exhibition!

As part of the book festival, and in honor of the exhibition, kids can learn how to make their own crayons, an activity inspired by Jeffers’ book “The Day the Crayons Quit.”

A costume party and parade will also take place. Ghosts, goblins, princesses, cowboys, princess cowboys — all are welcome. Don’t have a costume? You can make a mask. (An aside: You can donate gently used Halloween costumes by Oct. 3 at McMath Library for its costume swap on Oct. 8.)

The day ends with a boisterous, energetic concert from the popular duo mömandpöp.

There’s also a chance for students to engage directly with writers as part of the CALS Writers in the Schools (WITS) Initiative. A slate of diverse authors will all visit area schools over the course of the festival to speak directly with students.

Visit SixBridgesBookFestival.org for more info.

Third grade teacher at Pulaski Heights Elementary

With her signature shock of pink hair, whimsical earrings, affinity for superheroes and gift for making learning fun, Ms. Hall is a treasure — the teacher we all wish we'd had and the one former students remember for the rest of their lives. Here’s her short list.

Favorite Children’s Books: “The Book with No Pictures” by B.J. Novak “Julián Is a Mermaid” by Jessica Love “The Monster at the End of this Book” by Jon Stone “The Wild Robot” by Peter Brown “Wonder” by R.J. Palacio “The Lifters” by Dave Eggers

What she’s working on now: Wrangling and teaching a new class of lively third graders.

BARBARA HALL

READ LOCAL

We’re not short on local talent in these parts. Here’s but a sampling:

• Dog advocate and author Pat Becker writes books about the special bond between dogs and their people. She also supports other writers who do the same. Find all her work at Patbeckerbooks.com.

• Just released — “Beanies, Ball Caps, and Being Bald: Different Isn’t Bad, Different Is Just Different” published by local Et Alia Press, written by Tracy Peterson with Matthew Shelby and illustrated by Lindsey Witting. Based on a true story, this book opens up conversations about physical difference and explains the basics of alopecia to children.

A Q&A WITH MONICA CLARKROBINSON: AUTHOR, ACTOR, EDUCATOR, LIBRARIAN

Did you know you wanted to write books for young people, or did you just know you wanted to tell stories and it evolved from there?

I've been in love with story my whole life in all its forms — poetry, novels, plays, movies, oral storytelling, everything! Stories connect us across all our differences. I came to writing for children and teens first because those are the books I personally love the most! There's some part of me that will always be 13, I think. I also love writing for younger people because I believe that the right book at the right time can change a kid's life. I know there were books like that for me when I was a kid.

Why do you think kids need books?

Kids and teens need books that mirror their own experiences and give them windows into the experiences of others. Books can give them a sense

AYANA GRAY

New York Times-bestselling author of the “Beasts of Prey” trilogy and Little Rock resident

Favorite Children's Books (Classics)

“Charlotte's Web” by E.B. White

“The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” by C.S. Lewis

“Outcast of Redwall” by Brian Jacques

Favorite Children's Books (Contemporary)

“Aru Shah and the End of Time” by Roshani Chokshi

“Ghost Squad” by Claribel A. Ortega

“Amari and the Night Brothers” by B.B. Alston

What I’m working on:

“I'm currently writing the third and final book in the Beasts of Prey trilogy, which should be published in a year or so!”

of being seen and understood, and they can also help build compassion for others. It can show them lives and problems and cultures different from their own, which is in essence what an education is all about. A reader is a self-led, lifelong learner. As writers, educators, librarians and parents, we're not just building readers — we're building people!

What makes a good children’s book?

I believe a great children's book must first be written for the children, not the adults or the award committees. I know a book is terrific when it hooks me from page one with a relatable child's voice, when the character pops off the page, when it takes me right back to what it felt like to be 10, 12 or 16.

How do you think your work in the theater and as a voiceover artist inform your writing?

My work and training as an actor have informed my writing so much. It helps the most with getting in the minds of the characters I write and inhabiting them in my words and dialogue. Everything I do comes from that same desire to resonate with a character and to hook an audience or readers into caring about them deeply. I do read my writing out loud a lot, pretending I'm the audiobook narrator. It helps me find places where the voice isn't right or it doesn't feel authentic.

My current favorite kids' books:

Picture books for younger kids:

• “We Are Water Protectors” by Carole Lindstrom, illustrated by Michaela Goade

• “We Are in a Book” by Mo Willems (An Elephant and Piggie Story)

For older elementary and middle grade readers:

• “The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise” by Dan Gemeinhart (any book by him, honestly)

• “Fighting Words” by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

• “Starfish” by Lisa Fipps

• “Melissa” by Alex Gino

And for teens:

• ANYTHING by Elizabeth Acevedo, but especially “The Poet X”

• The “Gone” series by Michael Grant

• “Last Night at the Telegraph Club” by Malinda Lo

Find out more about Clark-Robinson’s work at monicaclark-robinson.com, and be sure to check out her award-winning books:

“Let the Children March,” a Coretta Scott King Illustration Honor award book and International Literacy Association Nonfiction Debut winner, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for Kids, illustrated by Frank Morrison

“Standing On Her Shoulders,” a Junior Library Guild Spring 2021 Gold choice, Scholastic's Orchard Press, illustrated by Laura Freeman

And forthcoming in 2024 from Quill Tree Books, “Teacher to a Movement: Septima Clark's Legacy of Literacy and Liberation,” co-authored with Yvonne Clark-Rhines and illustrated by Abigail Albano-Payton

TRENTON LEE STEWART

New York Times-bestselling author of “The Mysterious Benedict Society” series among other books and an Arkansas native/Little Rock resident

A few favorite books for the especially young: “The Gruffalo” by Julia Donaldson “The Squirrel’s Birthday and Other Parties” by Toon Tellegen “Uno’s Garden” by Graeme Base

For the slightly less young: “Frog and Toad Quartet” by Arnold Lobel “Finn Family Moomintroll” by Tove Jansson

For the almost old: “A Wrinkle in Time” by Madeleine L’Engle “Watership Down” by Richard Adams “Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow” by Jessica Townsend

What I’m working on: “I’m currently working on a children’s mystery adventure novel called ‘The Starfish and the Scorpionfly.’ ”

Unprecedented Child Health. Defined and Delivered.

Arkansas Children’s is the state’s only health system built just for kids. By working within the communities we serve, it’s our mission to make children better today and healthier tomorrow.

We are Champions for Children where they live, learn and play.