ARUNDEL — For an elementary school student, there’s nothing quite like the thrill of playing music with an accomplished band, seeing your artwork displayed at a museum or hunting for buried treasure.

Students at Mildred L. Day School in Arundel have had the opportunity to do all three, which recently earned Arundel recognition as one of six “Imagination Intensive Communities” in Maine.

The award, presented by the Maine Alliance for Arts Education and the Maine Department of Education, grew out of a statewide census of arts learning that showed unequal access to arts programs for students throughout the state. As part of the recognition, schools receive $750 to cover expenses for the application and for hosting a judges panel’s visit to the school.

“I encouraged our team to apply for the Imagination Intensive Schools recognition because our school really has evolved some dynamic and imaginative approaches to learning,” said art teacher Audrey Grumbling, via e-mail, who submitted the application for the award. Grumbling has contributed, in part, by having her students show their work at the annual Barn Gallery Regional Student Art Exhibit in Ogunquit.

First grade teacher Cathy Bansmer, who helped with the award application, said her focus is on integrating the arts, as well as the new Spanish program, into school day lessons. The school regularly hosts themed-learning events such as “Dinosaur Night,” “Maine Night” and “Japan Night” that include artwork, music and writing.

“We know when we can incorporate more than one discipline that kids find more value in it,” said Technology Director Michael Richards. He said the school has also been fostering creativity by using technology in the core content areas. One example: Fifth grade students recently shot film at a Seashore Trolley Museum ribbon cutting event and later learned to edit the footage into a short video.

“It’s not just, ”˜Let’s type a story,’” he said. “We integrate technology into the fabric of what we’re doing.”

“We’ve been doing this for a long time,” said Bansmer, adding, “It’s nice to be recognized for doing above and beyond.”

Perhaps the most striking dedication has been in the music department, where first-year teacher Jeanne MacDonald-Johnson has regularly given up part of her lunch hour and after-school time to offer free, private instrument lessons this year.

“It’s kid-central all the time,” she said of her work.

MacDonald-Johnson recently created quite the buzz among teachers and students alike with a concert she arranged with the Alumni Band of Biddeford-Saco, which she directs. Students sat in with the band to hear them play and then played a piece along with them.

“It was so amazing, I still get chills just talking about it,” said Spanish teacher Genevieve O’Connell, who called the idea for the concert “innovative.”

“It was great to see how the students’ jaws dropped while these adults played really challenging music,” said O’Connell. “It brought many of us to tears”¦”

“It was huge, kids were talking about it for a week afterwards. Watching their eyes bug out of their heads ”“ it was so cool,” said MacDonald-Johnson. “To see somebody other than a music teacher (performing music), ”¦ they think, ”˜Oh, I can do both and be good at it.’”

Innovation can also be found in the physical education classes at M.L. Day, where teacher Jon Woodcock has started a geocaching option for older students, using a grant from the Education Foundation of the Kennebunks and Arundel to purchase GPS units.

Students punch in the coordinates and follow the units to find boxes of goodies that are buried on the school property.

“Modern day treasure hunting is what it is,” said Woodcock. “It’s definitely something I didn’t do in school.”

Geography, history and the outdoor experience go along with the activity, he said, and he encourages students to use their imagination while they hunt. Woodcock said the Imagination award is fantastic and also humbling, especially following the school’s consolidation with two larger towns to form Regional School Unit 21 last year.

“There have been changes that are challenging,” he said. “Yes, we are a small school, but there are a lot of good things going on here and (the award) helps to highlight that.”

As part of the consolidation, Woodcock will be teaching at Kennebunkport’s Consolidated School next year as well and plans to expand the geocaching program to include that school.

Woodcock’s scheduling change is part of the budget cuts that were made for next year, which have made the Imagination award somewhat bittersweet.

The M.L. Day School art, music and physical education programs will be cut nearly in half next year, teachers noted. Grumbling, who is now full time at M.L. Day, will be splitting her time between the Arundel school and Consolidated School. MacDonald-Johnson has been prepared since spring to lose her position, and though she may be able to stay on next school year if another arts teacher retires or resigns, students will see less of their music teacher, whomever it is.

“Will it be harder to offer the same programs in this reduced time? Yes,” said Grumbling, via e-mail, but added, “I have confidence in the devotion of our teachers to continue our zeal for excellence in our visual and performing arts programs.”

“We have to make sure with all the depleted resources that we have to keep the arts, it’s so important,” agreed Bansmer.

A website is being developed to showcase the six Imagination Intensive Communities, with a view toward creating a network for other schools to implement similar ideas, according to a release from the DOE.

A gala for award recipients is planned for the fall, in Augusta.

— City Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 322 or kristenm@journaltribune.com.