Julia Roberts Goad DINGESS - The Artistic Director and Conductor
of the West Virginia Symphony visited Dingess Elementary School
Thursday and learned how music is being integrated into the
curriculum. The school is participating in SCALE, Student
Centered Arts Learning Environment, a program that works to
integrate the arts into education. Maestro Grant Cooper observed
Dingess music teacher Allen Riffle as Mrs. Baisden’s first grade
class enacted a skit the students had written. The skit was
based on the story of Little Red Riding Hood. “This is
fantastic,” Maestro Cooper said. “The whole point is to find a
new way to inject energy and curiosity into education. The core
of successful learning is approaching everything thoughtfully.
Every opportunity to use the arts creates involvement and
memorable lessons.” Riffle said the Red Riding Hood theme was
used with all grades at the school, in each subject. “We sat
down with kids from each class, and they provided input and
wrote a short skit,” Riffle said. “Then w