Thursday, March 28, 2024
FAPA is the Fine & Performing Arts Parent Association, the largest arts booster at Mepham High School.
It encompasses the following arts programs: art (drawing, painting, sculpting, digital graphics and photography); theater (acting, voice, sound, lighting and tech); music (orchestra, band, chorus, chamber and jazz); and broadcasting (film, video and broadcast).
FAPA engages students participating in the arts, supports arts programs and funds scholarships for arts students.
Courtesy Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District
As residents checked into Mepham High School on Saturday for the Fine & Performing Arts Parent Association’s inaugural Winter Festival, they heard holiday melodies echoing in the halls. Handmade Christmas crafts covered the walls, and student musicians collaborated on carols. In the first few minutes, a young girl played patty cake with a “Sensory Santa.”
For the first two hours of the Winter Festival, activities were subdued, to cater to children with special needs, so they could enjoy the event without feeling overwhelmed. Band students played their instruments softly, and children were occupied as they waited to meet Santa. Volunteers brought squishy toy, which children could use if they were having a hard time.
“It’s a calming mechanism,” explained Debi Astrow, a co-president of FAPA and a former president of the North Bellmore Special Education PTA. As an advocate for those with special needs, Astrow said she wanted to create a place for families to enjoy winter activities without worrying about long lines or large crowds. “Here, it’s easy to get to Santa.”
Sensory Santas are employed at sensory-friendly events to give special-needs children one-on-one time with old Saint Nick. The Santas are trained to take cues from parents and caregivers to meet a child’s individual needs, and quiet activities are made available to entertain children while they wait.
FAPA Co-president Joanna Laverty said the event was also a way to showcase each art program Mepham has to offer (see box). In the lunchroom, art students assisted children with face painting and ornament decorating, and band students played Christmas tunes with vocal accompaniment from MephAcapella. In one hallway, choir students sang sweet harmonies, and in another, orchestra students strummed classical holiday songs. In the music room, broadcast students set up a green screen, anchor desks and cameras to give children a shot at reporting the news.
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