For the fourth consecutive year, Pea Ridge School art students have claimed the top ranking among all Arkansas schools with their online art gallery.
Receiving the Artsonia Leadership Award for 2013, Pea Ridge schools were cited for outstanding family and community involvement in education as well as having superior technology integration in the arts. This is the fifth year that Pea Ridge has had an Internet presence in the arts.
“This year we won the top award due to parental and community involvement more than anything else,” John McGee, Pea Ridge art teacher, said.
“We weren’t the topranked site for most of this year but when parents and supporters became aware of our lower ranking, we had a surge of support and involvement that not only put us back into the top spot, our national overall ranking rose from 45th to 17th.”
The Pea Ridge Art Gallery is made up of artwork done by local students kindergarten through fifth grade. Work done in the classroom is photographed and uploaded by McGee and is available for viewing for perpetuity.
Parents and supporters get involved by viewing the art and also becoming members of the respective students fan clubs. Persons who become fans of a particular student are sent e-mails with a photo of the student’s artwork each time one is uploaded. Visitors to the art gallery can make comments about any artwork seen. Registered parents screen the comments which are then published on the website.
“This had been our best year for community involvement,” McGee stated. “Our fan membership is 1,819 which ranks us best in Arkansas and sixth nationally. Van Buren Rena is second with 910.
We have the fourth most comments in the U.S. with 3,127, leading the state over Flippen Elementary which has 1,480. Nationally, we produced the most art with 19,200 pieces, almost 4,000 more than any school in the country.”
“The whole concept of the online gallery is meant to instill pride in the individual students as well as informing the public as to what the art program inPea Ridge is accomplishing. Friends and relatives can view what the students have done and that has done wonders for motivating our young artists to do better work and to strive to do their best,” McGee said.
The host website company, the Artsonia corporation, assigns “Hall of Fame” status to students who have contributed art and who have a vocal following. Students receive the designation by having five pieces of art on display, having five registered fans and receiving five comments.
This year saw a record number of Pea Ridge students attain the Hall of Fame status with 167 on the rolls when school dismissed for the summer. An all-time class record was set by the fifth grade class which had 62 students to be honored. Students who did not achieve the status have until June 30 to complete the requirements for 2013.
Parents can register at the school site at: www.
artsonia.com/pearidge2 with friends and supporters being able to join fan clubs and enter comments as well.
Pea Ridge students earning the Artsonia honor include:
Kindergarten: Ava Clark, Brayden Cook, Caleb Massey, Jace Dye, Jake Ryals, Jayden Spillman, Lacey Adams, Layton Noland, Macy Trammel, Miley Humphrey, Noah McDonald and Seth Wilkerson.
First grade: Daniel Martinez, Daniel Thurman, Kaden Millar, Molly Ross, Morgan Gaston and Taylor Marheineke.
Second grade: Andrew Shackleford, Brenden Spillman, Cadence Massey, Evan Anderson, Hannah Williams, Jessica Gibson, Madison McDonald, and Meghan Gaston.
Third grade: Allie King, Amelia Sweet, Bradley Dean, Caleb Neil, Camilya Richards, Christian Carriere, Cora Rapier, Dallice White, Ethan Rogers, Hagen McGarrah, Hannah Brown, Heidi Millar, Isabella Cruz, James Adams, Jesse Adams, Joe Adams, Kamree Dye, Keeli Brown, Khalyn Kastner, Lauren Wright, Mikaya Humphrey, Morgan McTier, Patrick Herron, Ryan Law and Tyler Quam.
Fourth grade: Abby Ryals, Aidan Dayberry, Ana Martinez, Avery Escajada, Bayleigh Cloud, BenjaminGibson, Brandt Bowen, Brody Carney, Caliber Landis, Caylen Mathis, Charles Wood, Chase Cook, Chris Roggendorf, Cody McGarrah, Dillon Brouse, Evan Larsen, Gavin Billis, Harmony Reynolds, Heather Cato, Jackson Revelle, Jacob Smith, Jake Ingram, Jeremiah Wachtel, Jimmy Flanagan, John Shockely, Kailee Boone, Karenna Foster, Karma Romine, Laura Hansen, Layton Powell, Mac Bowen, Makenzie Undernehr, McKinley Travis, Morgan Humphrey, Neil Scrogham, Rebecca Trammel, Robert Gibson, Samantha Huffman, Tierra Bates, Tiffany Hyman, Tre Wiggins and Zaelea Harris.
Fifth grade: Aaron Ricketts, Adam Trammel, Aden Christensen, Alexia Whitehead, Alicia Bowker, Artur Kucharewicz, Blake Garrard, Breanna Hamilton, Caden Murr, Cassidy Mooneyhan, Celine Franke, Chandler Snow, Cheyenne Morris, Cheyenne White, Danielle Brazil, David Snarr, Devon Garcia, Dylan Workes, Ellie Ewald, Emily Loewe, Emily Luport, Emma Scholtes, Eric Snarr, Gardenia Gibson, Garrison Artman, Hailey Taylor, Holden O’Neal, Jackson Merritt, Jacob Jarding, Jaden Hyman, Jake Adams, Jake Horton, Jamison Toms, Kadense McDonald, Kailyn Shackleford, Katie Patton, Keaton Weston, Keera Todd, Kimberly Ivy, Kyle Hall, Kynley Burton, Lance Hodge, Lance Nunley, Lilie Richards, Lilian Peters, Lorena Razuri, Lyric Sears, Mackenzie McTier, Makayla Parsons, Matthew Davila, MazonHarris, Meghan David, Miguel Ortiz, Natasha White, Nathan Thurman, Paige Wright, Peyton Anderson, Peyton Losey, Riley Jones, Samantha Bott, Samuel Beard, Samuel Zamarron, Seth Temko, Shae Gilbertson, Stephanie Harris, Stormy Porter, Zach Woods and Zachary Roggendorf.
School, Pages 9 on 06/05/2013