Wayne Township Education Foundation
News Details
![Photo of Wayne Township Preschool students being introduced to basic rhythms, counting, songs, and dances]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1722874565/waynek12inus/xnusjjm2ljdhp1o42avg/melodies-of-diversity-760x520.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1722874565/waynek12inus/xnusjjm2ljdhp1o42avg/melodies-of-diversity-760x520.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1722874565/waynek12inus/xnusjjm2ljdhp1o42avg/melodies-of-diversity-760x520.jpg","width":760}])
August 2024
Children as young as three years of age have experienced music from around the world, thanks to a grant from the Wayne Township Education Foundation.
“The purpose of this program was to introduce our entire building of preschoolers to the rich and diverse world of music,” said Sarah Kusaya, Wayne Township Preschool teacher and author of the grant.
“We’ve done this by providing them with hands-on experiences with a variety of world music instruments,” she said. “Through interactive and engaging activities, we created a multicultural learning environment promoting cultural awareness, musical expression, and cognitive development.”
How did Sarah meet these lofty goals? Through the work of guest world music teacher Dan Kusaya.
Dan, who is originally from Zimbabwe, brought an amazing array of multicultural instruments to the preschool (bongos, maracas, djembe drums, and marimbas, for example) and introduced the students to basic rhythms, counting, songs, and dances.
Besides being a lot of fun, the program helped the preschool’s students and staff celebrate their diversity. There are more than 15 home languages other than English spoken by preschool students, and 63 percent of the students have special needs.
The lessons Dan provided students once a week during the Spring 2024 semester were a huge hit.
“The children loved it!” said Sarah. “It was a daily discussion of when Mr. Dan was coming for drumming. You would hear the students repeating the drumming in class, the hallways, and recess. It all culminated with the students doing a little drumming performance at the end-of-the- year family celebration, followed by music and dancing with Mr. Dan.”
This grant was one of many funded by WTEF during the 2024-25 school year, and the program it supported is one of many creative and engaging endeavors at Wayne Township Preschool. For more information on our preschool, please visit https://wpre.wayne.k12.in.us/.
ABOUT THE WAYNE TOWNSHIP EDUCATION FOUNDATION
The Wayne Township Education Foundation (WTEF) provides community leadership to enrich, engage, and stimulate teaching and learning in the Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township. WTEF accomplishes this by supporting school programs and resources, while recognizing excellence among students and staff. To learn more about WTEF, call 317-988-7966, visit wtef.wayne.k12.in.us, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter @WayneTwpEdFound.