News from the Arts
January 2022 • Princeton Public Schools
Welcome to News from the Arts
Updated Arts Health Protocols
The arts continue to thrive in Princeton Public Schools. We are so proud of our students, their resilience, and the joy that they bring to their work. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize our arts teachers across the district, who have given countless hours and tremendous effort to ensure that your children continue to have a positive and meaningful experience in the visual and performing arts.
Over the last 22 months, we have worked closely with our school physician and the Princeton Health Department to determine the best path forward during the pandemic. We have gradually moved through several phases of re-opening in the arts department. We began the 2021-22 school year with outdoor music instruction, and we moved to indoor music instruction in November. While engaged in indoor activities that generate additional aerosols (like singing, playing wind instruments, acting, and dancing), students wear face masks and are spaced apart at six feet of social distance. We ordered special face masks and bell covers for every child who plays a wind instrument in our program. In December, we hosted several indoor performances with a limited live audience. While we work through the latest challenges associated with the Omicron variant, we will need to limit performances with an audience for the month of January, but we will continue to provide in-person instruction using the safety protocols that have been implemented in our program. It is our hope that we will continue to move towards a more "normal" spring. Our complete arts plan can be found on our district website. Please feel free to contact Patrick Lenihan if you have any questions.
Thank you for your continued support of our arts program.
Bethel Park Falls Exhibition
The PHS Fall Drama production, Bethel Park Falls, engaged over 100 students, both on and off the stage. An exciting collaboration developed between Set Designer Jeffrey Van Velsor and Visual Art Teacher Bridget Schmidt in designing and constructing the set for the show.
Ms. Schmidt and Mr. Van Velsor shared, "This was the first major collaboration between the Visual and Performing Arts. For us, it was a thrill to see the students’ work go from the Shop, to the Studio, to the Stage, and then installed within a gallery atmosphere. It highlighted the creative and collaborative process, while giving each artist individual recognition for their contribution to the dramatic installation. We are proud and impressed with the journey this work has been through. The process included: raw materials cut by the Build Crew, turned into works of sculpture by the Art Students, then assembled into a large installation piece on stage by the Tech Crew, given life by the Actors, and finally installed as individual works of art in Numina Gallery. Each piece was handled by multiple students along the way, contributing something of themselves, to form this collaborative narrative."
PHS December Big Band Dance
On December 23, the PHS band program presented a virtual concert of jazz music from the 1940’s to today, featuring the Tiger Bands, Nassau Bands, Jazz Ensemble, and Studio Band. This concert was recorded live without an audience and will be available on our YouTube channel through the end of this week. We recognized Mr. Grimaldi's retirement at the end of the video.
PHS Band Program Gives Back
PHS Winter Concert
Since 1946, the annual PHS Winter Concert at the University Chapel has been a Princeton community tradition. Featuring all of the PHS choirs and orchestras, the program includes a variety of repertoire, a candlelight processional, and an energetic finale. We were so fortunate to be able to use such an incredible and beautiful space for this event on December 22. We made a video recording of the performance that will premiere on our YouTube channel on Wednesday, January 12, 2022, at 7:30 PM. The video will be available for approximately two weeks.
In addition, the performance will be aired on WWFM, the Classical Network, on Friday, January 14, 2022, at 8:00 PM. We are honored to be one of the few high schools to be featured on this radio network. You may listen live on 89.1 FM or at www.wwfm.org.
Congratulations to all of our students and directors Robert Loughran, Vincent Metallo, and Sarah Pelletier.
PHS Drama Students Participate in Virtual Theatre Arts State Competition
Congratulations to all of the students who represented PHS and to Director Julianna Krawiecki!
AANJ Emerging Artists Exhibition
PMS Winter Art Show and Concert
Please join us for a virtual concert featuring the Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Grade Choirs, the Concert and Symphonic Bands, and the String Orchestra, Symphony, and Chamber Orchestra performing repertoire from around the world. The concert will be recorded without an audience and premiered on our YouTube channel. The concert will be preceded by our annual winter art show, also presented virtually, which will feature artwork by our first semester art students.
Wednesday, February 2, 2022
Art Show: 6:00 PM
Concert: 7:30 PM
Links to both events will be posted at www.princetonk12.org/TheArts.
Tentative Upcoming Events
- District Collaborative Art Show: February 25, 2022, 6:00 PM, PHS Numina Gallery
- Gospel Festival: March 4, 2022, 7:30 PM, PHS PAC
- PHS Spring Musical: Curtains, March 24-26, 2022, 7:30 PM, PHS PAC
- PMS Spring Musical: High School Musical, Jr., April 1-2, 2022, 7:30 PM, Virtual
Contact Us
Princeton Public Schools
Email: patricklenihan@princetonk12.org
Website: www.princetonk12.org/TheArts
Location: 217 Walnut Lane, Princeton, NJ, USA
Phone: 609-806-4315