Students Explore the Arts! * River City Belle

The Steward School in Henrico County has always been known for a strong arts curriculum. This year, three Steward students turned the unusual circumstances of the 2020-21 school year into one of creativity, ingenuity, and accomplishment!

• 7^th grader Gabby Marshall won third place in the national Inaugural Poem Contest, sponsored by the Academy of American Poets. Her poem, “The Power of Hope Today,” can be read here. Her English teacher, Mary Hopkins, suggested she enter. “I knew she’d be excited about it,” Mrs. Hopkins said. “She has the soul of a poet. She put so much heart into her work.”

• Sophomore Hayden Ashworth wrote a full-length play, “On the Subject of Acquitting a Spirit,” which was performed and filmed (outside) as the school’s “mainstage” fall production. “The process taught me that you can’t do anything perfectly the first time through,” Hayden said. “I’d actually written half the play when I realized it wasn’t working, so I had to go back and change a lot of the material. Looking back now, I can see it as a measure of my growth as a writer.” Read a full interview with Hayden and watch the play.

• Senior Josh Stein wrote an original concert band score, “Into the Trenches,” which music teacher John McAlister will include in the school’s spring concert on May 20. “In my 30 years of music education, I have never had a student create a concert band work anywhere close to the magnitude of what Josh has put together,” Mr. McAlister said. Check the school’s online newsroom later in May to listen to the show!

When schools, parents and teachers, like those at Steward, empower children to explore their creativity, it’s amazing to see children gain confidence and succeed in school!