profile on progress :
NEW FIELD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BUILDS COMMUNITY THROUGH THE ARTS
New Field Elementary School , located on the far north side of Chicago in the Rogers Park neighborhood , serves a remarkably diverse student population . The school ’ s 700 Pre-K to 4th grade students hail from nearly 40 different countries ; approximately half are Limited English Proficient and 80 percent come from low income families . Since its founding in 2003 , New Field has continually used the arts to address the challenges posed by this kind of diversity — and to build upon the strengths such diversity offers . This enduring commitment to the arts led the school to a rating of Excelling in the arts ( Category 1 ) in 2015-16 , an improvement from being rated as Developing ( Category 3 ) for each of the previous three years . partnerships with arts partners like Design Dance , Ravinia Festival , Raven Theatre , Lifeline Theatre , Old Town School of Folk Music , and Chicago Children ’ s Choir , among others .
Design Dance , for example , is a long-term partner that collaborates with New Field teachers on residency programs that teach geography and culture through movement . This partnership has allowed New Field to offer arts programs in areas that it would not be able to address on its own . Principal Patiño has noticed how instruction in dance has impacted other academic areas , including reading and math , and believes that “ movement is another wonderful way to tap into the whole child .”
According to Principal Carlos Patiño , a centerpiece of New Field ’ s arts programs is its collaboration with community arts partners . New Field is committed to developing and maintaining arts partnerships that fit within the school ’ s curriculum and larger strategic priorities . This commitment has led to
New Field ’ s successes are a result of continual commitment from the school ’ s administration and all of its teachers . Through school-wide coordination , New Field has held a steadfast commitment to building a stronger learning community through the arts .
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