School | Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture

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The Bulletin highlights Arab Arts & Heritage Celebration

May 19, 2009

Students from John Moffet Elementary School prepare for a percussion performance at the Arab Arts and Heritage Celebration last year.

A View of the Arab World Through Art

by Erin Maguire, The Bulletin
published May 19, 2009

More than 200 students from seven city schools will showcase Arab culture in the form of dance, poetry, music and art Thursday, at the School District of Philadelphia’s atrium on 440 N. Broad St. from 11:15 a.m. until 1:15 p.m. The program is the second annual Arab Arts and Heritage Celebration, presented by Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture and the School District of Philadelphia. It is free and open to the public, and attendees will have the chance to drink Arab coffee and meet with students in sessions following the event.

Dennis Creedon, the administrator of the School District’s Office of Comprehensive Arts Education, and Hazami Sayed, Al-Bustan’s executive director, will open the event, which will begin with a 4-minute video highlighting Palestinian poet Naomi Shihab Nye’s February visit to Philadelphia schools. Students were encouraged through reading Ms. Nye’s poetry to explore their own heritages and express themselves through art. Ms. Nye’s work — which served as the catalyst for this year’s Arab Arts and Heritage Celebration — has a diverse intended audience, from children to adults, and centers on the universal themes of heritage and peace.

Click here for the full article.

By Chloe Tucker | Posted in In the Media | Also tagged al-bustan, arab arts, concert, Drama, Media, Naomi Shihab Nye, youth | Comments (0)

A Wonderful Visit from Naomi Shihab Nye

February 27, 2009

February 2009

Nye assumes her position in the midst of her fans

On the morning of February 13th, I rushed through the auditorium doors of Moffet School, waved quickly to my students and started preparing for the kids’ presentation to the beloved poet. After catching my breath and settling in, I started to look for her. Could Naomi be back stage waiting for the program to begin to assume her position up there? My eyes darted to the stage, and I realized that there was no backstage! And out of the corner of my eyes I spotted a big person in the crowd of 4th and 5th grade students. Naomi Shihab Nye had assumed her position: right in the midst of her fans.

After the warm welcome by Ms. Fredericks, Moffet’s wonderful 5th grade English teacher, the students began their program as a gift of appreciation to Naomi. The first group of fifth graders performed an original group poem, set to background percussion music, and their 5th and 4th grade peers followed, performing individually. The students wove tapestries of their lives, their foods, their grandmothers. Inspired by Naomi’s work they taught us about the simple things that matter most. And the after-school poetry students closed the presentation, and welcomed Naomi on stage with a dramatic interpretation of her poem “Red Brocade.”

When Naomi made her way to the stage, she waved around a little notebook and told the kids that “it is the only tool for being good writers”—which she soon discovered that they already are.

The highlight of the presentation, for students, teachers, and Al-Bustan staff alike, was the song that Naomi offered the students. Picking a guitar from the school’s collection, she sang “Lullaby Raft,” a song so powerful that she has published a book with the song’s words illustrated by Vivienne Flesher. Ms. Ney left a very deep impression on the kids, and for days afterwards, they reminisced about the lullaby that Naomi sang.

- Nehad Khader, Teacher/Education Program Coordinator

By Nehad Khader | Posted in From Our Teachers | Also tagged Author, Moffet, poetry, Reading, workshop | Comments (0)

Integrating Drama and Arabic

October 26, 2008

October 2008

Over the past two years I have been co-teaching the Arabic and Drama Weekend Workshops and it’s been a blast!

Students in Arabic & Drama Workshops led by Nahid Elgadi and Nehad Khader

In fall 2007, students participated in 45-minutes of Arabic language instruction, and then we transitioned into improv theater games to reiterate what they just learned for the rest of the class. I found that the repetition involved in improv really helps kids memorize vocabulary and use Arabic in an interactive way.

The following semester in spring 2008, I worked with Nehad Khader, the Arabic teacher. We wanted to create a class that would truly immerse our students in Arabic language through drama. Students learned the foundations of a good play and created their first original work in Arabic. We took elements from improv such as freeze to break up the acts of our play, we learned about shouting out to the audience and enunciating our lines. After chosing a story line we created a script in Arabic that participants so enthusiastically memorized. All our hard work paid off in time for our April 2008 debut at Al-Bustan’s Camp Open House at Springside School. Students showcased their amazing acting abilities while their families and curious on-lookers gasped at their fabulous Arabic language skills.

This fall semester we weren’t able to continue with the Arabic and Drama weekend workshops due to few registrants; so my colleague Nehad modified the workshop format to work in an in-school class which she taught to 4th grade students at Feltonville Intermediate School.

Hugs,
Nahid Elgadi, Drama Teacher