Bilingual ‘Frozen Storytime’ Expands with Chatham Education Foundation Grant

SILER CITY, N.C. — Kindergarteners attending “Frozen Storytime” this winter will enjoy a story about the mythical kingdom of Arendelle — and take home their own copies of a bilingual story book — thanks to a grant awarded to the Jordan-Matthews High School Dual-Language Program by the Chatham Education Foundation.

The $1,000 grant is part of the Chatham Education Foundation’s work to strengthen local communities by partnering with community residents, businesses and foundations to enhance opportunities for public school students.

In “Frozen Storyime,” dual-language high school students portray Princess Elsa, Olaf and other beloved characters from “Frozen: The Broadway Musical.” After reading “Disney Frozen II” to the children in Spanish and English, high school students talk with the preschoolers about the story and acting before giving each a bilingual story book to take home.

The initiative was announced earlier this year, when Chatham County Schools helped launch “Frozen Storytime” for all pre-K students in public schools across the county. This Chatham Education Foundation grant expands “Frozen Storytime” to all dual-language kindergarteners, which incudes students at North Chatham Elementary, Siler City Elementary, Silk Hope School and Virginia Cross Elementary.

“Frozen Storytime” was created by JMArts and the Jordan-Matthews Dual-Language Program as part of the school’s Season of Frozen, a series of special events over coming months to celebrate JM’s North Carolina school premiere of “Frozen: The Broadway Musical.” The school was one of about 50 selected in a national contest to be the first school to present the full Broadway musical in their state.

It brings younger students into the celebration and gives older, dual-language students an opportunity to use their language skills, provide volunteer service and inspire younger students just beginning their dual-language journey.

Jordan-Matthews was selected to present the statewide premiere in a nationwide competition sponsored by Educational Theatre Association, Disney Theatrical Group and Music Theatre International. Centering on the theme “Love Is An Open Door,” the competition was designed to promote inclusion and outreach in high school theater programs.

“Frozen” performances are April 19 and 20 at 7 p.m. and April 21 at 3 p.m. at the Jordan-Matthews High School Auditorium. Tickets will available in a presale to JMArts members beginning December 1 and then in a public sale beginning February 1.

Several free community events associated with the production will be held through April. Details will be announced on JMArts social media and listed on a web page dedicated to the “Frozen” production at jmarts.org/frozen.

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“Frozen Storytime” was created to celebrate Jordan-Matthews High School’s upcoming production of “Frozen: The Broadway Musical,” the first time the full Broadway musical will be performed by a school in North Carolina. The statewide premiere was awarded to the Siler City school as part of a nationwide competition with the theme, “Love Is An Open Door.”

JM Arts Students to Explore World-Class Work with Grant from Galloway Ridge Chatham County Charitable Fund

SILER CITY, N.C. — Eight Jordan-Matthews High School arts students will have an opportunity to experience world-class art and performances in New York City over spring break thanks in part to a grant from the Galloway Ridge Chatham County Charitable Fund.

Offered annually by JMArts, the Jordan-Matthews Arts Foundation, the New York Arts Adventure provides an opportunity for students to experience the pinnacle of their arts and learn directly from world-class professionals working in the city. The five-day trip also provides new cultural and artistic perspectives that can shape their art and work.

This year’s trip is still being planned, but already on the schedule are extended conversations over lunch about theater with Washington Post drama critic Peter Marks and about life in the arts with Jessie Austrian, a Broadway actor, theater director and a founder and co-artistic director of Fiasco Theater.

Past trips have included a conversation over lunch with Tony Award-nominee Andy Grotelueschen and post-show conversations and onstage or backstage tours on Broadway with cast members from “Kimberly Akimbo,” “Six,” “Tootsie,” and “The Band’s Visit.”

JMArts President Rose Pate said this generous grant from the Galloway Ridge Chatham County Charitable Fund helps meet the arts foundation’s goal of making the life-changing New York Arts Adventure available to all students, regardless of their family’s economic circumstances.

The grant provides seven arts experiences chosen with the participating students. Already, the group has selected “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club” on Broadway, expected by many to be the theater event of the season; an afternoon at the Museum of Modern Art; the Off-Broadway production of “The Play That Goes Wrong”; and a morning street art tour in Brooklyn followed by a hands-on graffiti workshop. One evening, part of the group will head to the New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center for “Alice Sara Ott Performs Ravel” while others return to Broadway for the musical, “& Juliet.” Two other performances and related events are still being arranged.

The Galloway Ridge Chatham County Charitable Fund supports local nonprofits, special school projects, food, shelter and community service projects. A fund committee of eight Galloway Ridge residents volunteer their time to make the grants possible, and money is donated by Galloway Ridge residents to make a difference in the lives of their Chatham County neighbors.

Last spring, the fund partnered with JMArts to offer “Sharing our Musical Voices,” a songwriting workshop over several weeks taught by singer-songwriter Mark Dillon that culminated with a free, public concert in downtown Siler City with singer-songwriter Jordan-Pickett, where Jordan-Matthews songwriters from the workshop performed their original work.

Becky Spence, chair of the Galloway Ridge Chatham County Charitable Fund Grants Committee, said the New York Arts Adventure is another project that can make a difference. “The JMArts program enriches the lives of students with special trips, as well as community theater and other musical performances,” she said. “We are pleased that the Galloway Ridge Chatham County Charitable Fund can contribute to these art experiences for students from Jordan-Matthews.”

More information about JMArts, including the New York Arts Adventure and other events throughout the arts season, is available at JMArts.org.

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Jordan-Matthews students on the 2023 New York Arts Adventure stop for a photo with Washington Post theater critic Peter Marks after their extended discussion over lunch at Joe Allen Restaurant. Marks has served four times as chair of the jury selecting nominations for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. (Photo by Chip Pate)

Jordan-Matthews students on the 2023 New York Arts Adventure get together on 46th Street with 2019 Tony Award nominee Andy Grotelueschen after their lunch discussion about navigating a life in the arts. When he was performing the role of Jeff Slater in “Tootsie,” Grotelueschen took JM students on stage and backstage after a matinee performance to see how the musical worked. (Photo by Chip Pate)

One of the performances selected by students on the 2023 New York Arts Adventure was “Champion,” a new, jazz-inspired work by Oscar-nominated and five-time Grammy Award winning trumpeter and composer based on the life of African-American boxer Emile Griffith. Their trip to Lincoln Center included ninth- and 10th-row seats at the Metropolitan Opera House. (Photo by Chip Pate)

Artist Stephanie Aleman wins JM art contest; work selected for JMArts Holiday Cards

SILER CITY, N.C. — Stephanie Aleman, a junior from Siler City, has been named winner of Jordan-Matthews High School’s fifth-annual holiday art contest.

Her color pencil work, “Love in Winter,” will appear on holiday cards sold by JMArts, the Jordan-Matthews Arts Foundation, to raise money for JM artists. Aleman received an award certificate and $100 for rights to reproduce the work.

Holiday cards feature the drawing on the front with a blank area inside for personal messages. The back lists the name of the artist and work, along with a very short artist statement.

Aleman’s work was chosen, in part, because of how it reflected this year’s theme, “Love Is an Open Door.” That also is the national theme for the United States of Frozen contest that awarded rights to one high school in every U.S. state and territory to produce a statewide school premiere of “Frozen: The Broadway Musical.” JM was selected to produce the North Carolina premiere.

The holiday art contest is just one special event organized around JM’s production of “Frozen,” scheduled for April 19-21. Recently, JMArts and Chatham County Schools announced a series of bilingual preschool story times, where dual-language high school students will read “Disney Frozen II” to students and give each one their own copy of the book.

“We were thrilled with the student response to this year’s contest, due to art teacher Laura Newman’s support of the project,” said JMArts President Rose Pate. “This image beautifully captures the theme of ‘Love Is an Open Door,’ which was also the national theme of the United States of Frozen contest.”

Preorders for JMArts Holiday Cards are now being accepted online at JMArtsHolidayCards.com. Cards are available online in packets of 15 cards and 17 envelopes for $15, a price that also includes domestic shipping. The domain forwards to a Google form, where you can place your order and pay online either with a credit card or Venmo, or send payment by cash or check.

Cards also will be on sale soon for $12 per packet, cash or check only, at Jordan-Matthews High School. Other retail locations will be announced on JMArts social media.

Previous JMArts Holiday Cards featured “The Perfect Winter Morning” by Lilli Otterbach, “Arctic” by Vielka Gonzalez, “Winter Solace” by Maggie Thornton and “Lighthouse on Christmas Eve” by Natalia Pozos Velasco.

More information about JMArts — including a schedule of upcoming arts events, information on membership and more about this spring’s statewide premiere of “Frozen: The Broadway Musical” — is available online at JMArts.org.

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“Love in Winter,” a color pencil drawing by Stephanie Aleman, is the featured work on this year’s JMArts Holiday Cards.

Artist Stephanie Aleman, right, receives her award certificate and $100 check from art teacher Laura Newman, left, and JMArts President Rose Pate. (Photo by Chip Pate)