TEMPE, Arizona (November 5, 2025) Six teachers in Kyrene School District will partner with professional artists this year through the City of Tempe’s Arts in Schools residency program, and students will reap the rewards. The artist residencies will each provide 16 classroom sessions throughout the year for students at Kyrene de los Niños, Kyrene del Norte Dual Language Academy and Kyrene Middle School.

Funded by Tempe Community Arts, the Arts in Schools residencies benefit both students and teachers, giving students new opportunities to explore creative techniques while offering teachers collaboration and support to enrich their instruction. Far beyond your typical arts lessons, this program allows students to experience the arts as a living, dynamic part of their community.

The focus this year covers a wide range of artistic experiences, from visual arts and orchestra to theater and technical production, giving elementary and middle school students opportunities to explore creativity in many forms.

Kyrene de los Niños:
 

• Art teacher Linda Sun will collaborate with visual artist Megan Hennessy to help 5^th grade students improve their creative and technical skills by making felt collages, mixed-media sculptures and yarn punch needling.

Kyrene del Norte Dual Language Academy:
 

• Music teacher Scott Harnisch will work with guest artist Pat McCleve to support 70 students in Norte's theater program. Pat will accompany the rehearsals and provide vocal coaching for student performers in the upcoming Mary Poppins musical.

Kyrene Middle School:
 

• Orchestra teacher Julio Contreras will lead 13 middle school trumpet students in one-on-one sessions with guest musician Rick Castillo. The residency will help strengthen the school's Mariachi program.
   
• Band Director Selena Ryan will collaborate with guest musician Brian Murphy to develop the musical skills and techniques of 93 band students. Students will work in small sections to improve tone, timing and technique.
   
• Art teacher Chiu-Chu Ting will work with visual artist Raf Rios to teach art students industry standards in comic panels and storyboarding concepts. Students will use inspiration from songs and translate them into visual storytelling.
   
• Theatre Director Erin Passmonick and guest artist Meghann Powell will work with 108 tech and stage crew theater students to learn the best practices and technical skills for costuming theatre productions.
   

By connecting classrooms with local artists, the Arts in Schools program strengthens ties between Kyrene students and the broader Tempe arts community. These collaborations inspire creativity, build confidence, and show students how artistic skills thrive in real-world settings. Kyrene is grateful to the City of Tempe for supporting this program and for continuing to invest in experiences that enhance the high-quality instruction occurring in classrooms across the district.

Kyrene School District is one of the top elementary school districts in Arizona, comprised of 25 schools (17 elementary, six middle, two K-8). The District’s boundaries encompass all of Ahwatukee, parts of Chandler, Tempe, Guadalupe and the Gila River Indian Community. Kyrene enrolls approximately 12,000 students annually, offering many educational choices to enhance learning (arts integration, dual language, traditional, IB, leadership, and gifted.) Kyrene also offers a variety of on-site community programs before/after school and during school breaks. To learn more, visit kyrene.org or call 480-541-1000.