An Orchard is Planted
Thanks to the support of the incredible community of students, teachers, custodians, staff, and administrators at Corona Arts and Sciences Academy, an orchard was planted yesterday.
The idea began three years ago, when we first met the visionary stewards at Guardians of Flushing Bay. Together we have developped pathways to reconnect our middle school students with the natural world. We walk the neighborhood, care for rain garderns and tree pits, observe and listen. This past fall, we were awarded a generous grant from the New York City Office of Sustainability. Not knowing how exactly one makes an orchard happen, we expanded our community to include the extraordinary teachers and arborists at Trees NY.
It is our shared belief that the best way to learn is to get a little dirt under our finger nails. Yesterday, we did that together.
“The scientific evidence is impossible to ignore: the forest is wired for wisdom, sentience, and healing.”
― Suzanne Simard, Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest
“I think I probably would call it grace, every moment of escape, how many actual millions of them do we carry in the suitcases of our bodies? No let’s say the trees of our bodies, because grace shares a root, you see it there don’t you, with gratitude. Amazing.”
― Ross Gay, Inciting Joy: Essays
Spring Showcase
It all begins with imagination. For the past three months, your young artist has been following their curiosities, experimenting, practicing, discovering - come celebrate their extraordinary achievements.
5:30 PM - Band Concert in Gymatorium
6:00 - 7:00 PM - Gallery Walk (5th Floor) - Media Arts & Visual Arts
7:00 PM - Dance Performances in Gymatorium
Winter Showcase
It all begins with imagination. For the past three months, your young artist has been following their curiosities, experimenting, practicing, discovering - come celebrate their extraordinary achievements.
5:30 PM - Band Concert in Gymatorium
6:00 - 7:00 PM - Gallery Walk (5th Floor) - Media Arts & Visual Arts
7:00 PM - Dance Performances in Gymatorium
Rain Garden Stewardship
Students will go on a walking tour of Corona’s “Rain Gardens” with our community partners, Guardians of Flushing Bay.
What are ways that we could tell the public about the role of rain gardens?
What are relationships that students already have with natural spaces—a park, a tree, the beach, their home country's natural spaces, etc. What are ways that those spaces take care of them + vice versa?
What are the different ways that people take care of plants/animals/each other? How is this work often invisible? How could we make the role of care work more visible?
Spring Showcase
As the year comes to a close, your young artist has been continuing their media arts odyssey, deepening their curiosities, experimenting, practicing, discovering beyond - once again, come celebrate their extraordinary achievements.
5:30 PM - Band Concert in Gymatorium
6:00 - 7:00 PM - Gallery Walk (5th Floor) - Media Arts & Visual Arts (Including collaborative work with Publicolor)
7:00 PM - Dance Performances in Gymatorium
CCW Trip #7 - New York Hall of Science
In addition to exploring the museum’s permanent collection, we will explore the NYHoS’ “Connected Worlds,” an interactive video environment, where students can lend a helping hand across several simulated ecosystems, activating a Mars Rover by sending signals from nearby computers. Media Arts can literally connect worlds!
CCW Trip #6 - DEP Training / Stewarding Corona’s Rain Gardens
Students will continue our work caring for Corona’s “Rain Gardens” with Rebecca Pryor from Guardians of Flushing Bay.
Thanks to our new, year-long partnership, Media Arts students will be trained by the New York Department of Environmental Protection on how to care for (steward) 10 bioswales adjacent to CASA. This work is essential to maintaining a sustainable balance with respect to water management in our community.
CCW Trip #5 - Citi Field
We are going Behind the Scenes at CitiField - including stops on the warning track, the dugout, Mets bullpen, and VIP spaces throughout the ballpark. As Media Artists, we will also visit the media side of things. We will have access to the TV and Radio booths, as well as the Writing / Press booth.
Winter Showcase
It all begins with imagination. For the past three months, your young artist has been following their curiosities, experimenting, practicing, discovering - come celebrate their extraordinary achievements.
5:30 PM - Band Concert in Gymatorium
6:00 - 7:00 PM - Gallery Walk (5th Floor) - Media Arts, Visual Arts, & Creative Writing
7:00 PM - Dance Performances in Gymatorium
CCW Trip #4 - Doña Cuquita Pizzeria
CCW Trip #4. Students will visit and tour local Corona business Doña Cuquita with owner and pizza chef, Smith. We will learn about dough making and the importance of time. We will then make and eat our own pizzas.
What can pizza teach us about life?
What relationships do we have with food? Where do we get our food? Who makes our food? Why do we like what we like?
What are the different ways we take care of the people who make our food?
CCW Trip #3 - Corona’s Rain Gardens
CCW Trip #3. Students will go on a walking tour of Corona’s “Rain Gardens” with Rebecca Pryor from Guardians of Flushing Bay.
What are ways that we could tell the public about the role of rain gardens? (this would be good for PSA art)
What are relationships that students already have with natural spaces—a park, a tree, the beach, their home country's natural spaces, etc. What are ways that those spaces take care of them + vice versa? (this could be good for more emotion-forward videos)
What are the different ways that people take care of plants/animals/each other (list various types of care work)? How is this work often invisible? How could we make the role of care work more visible? (good for emotion-forward videos or PSAs)
CCW Trip #2 - TIBI
CCW Trip #2. Students will travel by subway to Tibi, a fashion company based in the Wall Street area of lower Manhattan. Along the way, we will be actively experimenting as media artists. What is this place? Why are we here? What does this community have to offer? How can we engage with this community?
CCW Trip #1 - Museum of the Moving Image
CCW Trip #1. Students will travel by subway to the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens. At the museum, we will experience a behind the scenes tour and take part in an animation workshop. Along the way, we will be actively experimenting as media artists. What is this place? Why are we here? What does this community have to offer? (Frank Sinatra High School, Kaufman Astoria Studios, …) How can we engage with this community?