Advocacy
Arts Night
Parents and students at PTO Arts and Crafts Night.
Laura Petrovich-Cheney
As an art teacher, I wanted
to advocate for and
advance the practice of
art education within
my school community. I wanted
parents to know how much their
children enjoy creating art. Often,
parents only see the product of their
children’s art successes through
completed projects. I also wanted to
strengthen my relationship with my
students and their parents.
Research shows that having more
parents in the school for positive
reasons strengthens their relationship with
teachers,
the administration,
and most
importantly, their own children. My goal
was to facilitate artistic and educational interactions between children,
teachers, and parents through art,
and the result was a Parent-Teacher
Organization Arts Night.
requested the form be sent back to
me to reserve a family’s spot for the
event. I ordered enough supplies so
that everyone who attended, including the parents, could create at least
two projects out of the four projects
planned for the evening.
Preparation
During the week leading up to Arts
Night, an announcement was made
during the morning greeting to make
sure students didn’t forget. Several
hours before the event, a few parent
volunteers and I laid out newsprint
paper to
protect the
cafeteria
tables,
arranged
the art
supplies, and filled the cups with
water for painting.
Together, the parent volunteers
and I made a few samples for the
participants. We set up all the art
supplies on the tables to minimize
disorder. On each table was a place
card with the project name, samples,
and basic directions written in English and Spanish. My principal, vice
principal, PTO board, the Spanish
teacher, and I greeted the participating families as they arrived. For the
next two hours, we walked around,
assisted anyone who needed help,
and made connections. Imagine my
elation at seeing the vice principal
helping a student create clay figures!
As the event unfolded, I talked
with students and parents about the
interactions and gained valuable
insights. I learned that one student
taught her father how to paint with
watercolor. She didn’t realize that
her father never had art classes in
school. Another student told me
that, after the event, her mother and
stepfather bought her and her sister
a painting kit and easel because they
learned just how much the girls
loved to draw and paint.
Imagine my elation at seeing the
school vice principal helping to create
clay figures with a student!
Planning the Event
First, I presented my proposal to
the PTO board, principal, and vice
principal and requested funding for
the supplies. The PTO board staff
approved my proposal and offered
assistance. The evening’s activities were scheduled to be held in
the school’s cafeteria, which could
hold a maximum of 125 people. The
PTO and I decided to take reservations for this event. I created flyers
in both English and Spanish and
Results
These strengthened relationships between parents, teachers,
and administrators established an
avenue for family input and involvement within the school community.
Children and parents created a positive interaction through art-making;
parents and teachers developed a
positive rapport; children witnessed
their parents developing a deeper
appreciation for the arts; and parents
made connections with other parents within the school community.
Most importantly, I learned that
I became a valuable and connected
member of my school’s community
by sharing with parents and students
through the medium of art. Every
winter when I host this event, the
response is incredibly positive from
families, and art is more appreciated
and valued at my school.
Laura Petrovich-Cheney is a K– 6 visual
arts educator at Clifton Avenue Grade
School in Lakewood, New Jersey.
Luvtoteachart@aol.com
