As Marion County students kicked off their new school year last month, they received an unexpected surprise in the form of several new courses to choose from, many of which have never been offered in the district, and it's a good example of the phenomenal job the Marion County School District is doing in searching, finding and utilizing all available resources for its students.
Just prior to launching the new academic year on Aug. 5, the Marion County School Board announced a major modification to the district's curriculum with the implementation of several new and enhanced performing arts programs. Both East Marion and West Marion already have lengthy histories of successful academic and athletic programs. However, opportunities have been limited in the areas of creative and performing arts -- but not anymore.
The revised curriculum is among several changes that occurred this year within the Marion County School District. Newly-appointed Superintendent Michael Day is now at the helm, following the retirement of long-time Superintendent Wendy Bracey on June 30.
During the board's first official meeting on July 22, Day announced the list of new course offerings and introduced Gary McCullum as the new performing arts director, who will spearhead the programs that are designed to enhance and broaden the students' educational experience.
The new courses include, in part, gospel choir, show choir, creative dance, step dance, theater, art, creative writing, photography, speech and debate. McCullum is in charge of overseeing the new performing arts program, which is a major portion of the district's overall plan of expanding its entire curriculum that includes athletics and academics. Developing the entire expansion resulted in the creation of 35 new positions to facilitate the new programs.
"The responses that I’ve received have all been great. Students are actually excited about the possibility of showing off their skills. Even some of the parents have reached out to me to tell me their excitement about the groups," McCullum said. "Most have generally said that they are just grateful to have these outlets for their children to participate in. For what I do, you do not have to be the fastest, strongest, or even smartest. One just needs to be willing, and this is the nature of the arts."
Beyond the extra opportunities these programs offer the students, Day explained the silver lining is that all 35 of the new positions are funded entirely through ESSER allocations, so no local tax money will be used for this facet of the project. Those funds, however, can only be used for programs specifically related to learning loss associated with the COVID pandemic.
“Infusing these new programs into our curriculum will allow us to showcase our kids’ talents and make us more competitive, and that’s always a good thing,” Day said. “All the schools in our county are like a big family, and I’m working closely with Dr. (Jason) Harris at Columbia Schools to possibly implement a series of inter-county competitions in not just athletics, but also involving the new creative arts and academic offerings we’re about to launch.”
A main objective in providing many of the new programs is to allow students more access to compete for scholarships in all three of the main educational disciplines: academics, arts and athletics.
Day said these new and enhanced course offerings will benefit the entire district because they will open a lot of doors of opportunity in various fields that local students have not had in the past.
The goal this year for McCullum is to build a series of programs that will continue through the ages, and for the seniors who are about to graduate to be talking about this experience for the rest of their lives. He is also highly motivated to work directly with area colleges and universities to assist in obtaining scholarships for local students.
McCullum said one of his initial goals was to gather the collegiate-level interests of his students, including their three top choices, which he reached out to each of the institutions on their lists to obtain scholarship offerings and requirements.
On Sept. 7, he personally drove to Pearl River Community College, William Carey University, University of Southern Mississippi and Jones College, where he spoke with the directors of the arts programs on each campus (with specific students in mind while speaking with each of the directors).
"I wanted to find out how much money my children could obtain just through the use of their gifts/talents. Most of the surrounding colleges offer either half tuition or full tuition for participating in their ensemble. This is the gateway. Regardless of their majors, students will have an opportunity to obtain their dreams, visions, and goals all from simply using their gifts and talents," McCullum said. "Growing up, we didn’t have a lot of money, and definitely not enough to pay for college. It wasn’t until I met Mr. Bridges, my high school choir director, who opened my eyes to the endless possibilities within the world of the arts. He led me to William Carey University, where I met the late Dr. Donald Odom who ended up shaping my life and granting me scholarships that paid for my college education."
Certain renditions or segments of some of the programs were already offered, but according to Day, many were limited to only high school students. Beginning this year, the majority of the new and existing courses will be expanded to allow younger students to participate.
Although the majority of the new programs will allow students to participate from fourth through 12th grades, certain programs that involve actual competitions with other schools will be limited to those in ninth through 12th grades.
However, Day said, several of the artistic and athletic courses were developed to include “feeder programs” that are specifically designed to prepare the younger students to compete at the next level as they enter their freshman through senior years of high school.
Day said there will also be more emphasis placed on incorporating junior high students into the enrollment eligibility and nearly all of the new and existing programs where they are currently unable to participate.
“Education is obviously our main focus, but it’s important to realize how our schools are directly connected to the success of the economic development of our community,” Day said. “Whenever anyone or any business is looking to relocate to a certain area, one of the very first questions they ask and take into consideration is the quality of its schools, which essentially means that schools can be a major drawing card for economic development.”
McCullum said he enjoys working with students to prepare their audition pieces so they can chase their dreams on the campuses of universities nationwide. He said his goal is not to stack a wall with trophies or create one of the best vocal groups in the area, but to be here and help open the eyes of local youth so they can see the world that awaits them and make them realize that they already have the ticket needed to see it all -- they just have to be willing and dedicated.
"There are no prerequisites needed for these courses, you just need a willing heart. This year, with me being completely new to the district, I left registration open to any child who signed up or even showed interest and I can teach everything else," McCullum said. "They don’t need to have anything but a willing heart and a working mindset. I can teach everything else, they just need to be ready for some fun and hard work."
McCullum, who gets up every school day to travel an hour and 15 minutes, said there is literally no part of his job that he doesn't enjoy. He said he gladly comes to this community to serve these young minds because they make him laugh, they're able to learn and grow together, and they give him purpose.
"A challenge that I face is that the kids sometimes don’t really know what the programs are, so they're reluctant to try out. If you’ve never done show choir or speech and debate, and some new teacher with a signup sheet isn’t going to make you jump over tables to come put your name down," McCullum said. "So, I work double-duty to prove myself to the kids. I may dance in the hall or play music on my speaker as I walk around the building, just to get them to laugh or smile. From there, I introduce myself to them and build a bond, then I just ask if they want to take their gift to the next level."
Depending on the program, some involve certain expenses that are required to participate, such as wardrobe, costumes, instruments, competition fees, etc. And of those programs, some are likely to cost more than others. However, McCullum vowed to never let cost be a hindrance to the potential success of a promising student.
"If an opportunity arises that I feel would benefit my children, whether it's the chance to perform on a 'big' stage, or a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, or a potential scholarship opportunity, we're going to take them," McCullum said. "Most of these events have an entry fee, but we fundraise our tails off. Being poor growing up meant that I was left out of a lot of things because we couldn’t afford them. I vowed to never let a child experience that same feeling that I did, so none of my students will ever be left behind due to a financial reason."
McCullum said that, in terms of raw talent, Marion County is the first place he has ever worked where there is such a high volume of students teeming with talent, noting that everyone can either sing, dance, and/or act. He perceives his role as assisting them in fine-tuning their talents into a choreographed fashion. He said anyone can grab a microphone and sing alone, but the challenge is to join 20 other singers and sing together in a foreign language to ultimately project the sound of one unified voice. That, he said, is his role at Marion County Schools.
"I’ve always wanted to help people. Ever since I was in grade school, most of my friends would come to me for advice about things, so service has always been a part of my life. When I met Leander Bridges II, the course of my life changed forever when he instilled in me integrity, Godly principles, and the notion of being educated and having 'swag.' He taught me to value my gift and to respect it," McCullum said. "Those teachings led me into the hands of the late Dr. Donald Odom, who continued to build my musical talents and my heart to help others. I wouldn’t be a fraction of the man I am today without those two men keeping me set on God and keeping my mind focused on service."
"My goal is to create successful, life-long learners and productive citizens using the vehicle of music. If I create a professional opera singer who struggles with understanding life and all of its turns, then I have failed. I’ve only created a recording artist who battles with substance abuse because they were never given tools to help them deal with their issues or situation," McCullum said. "Also — if I create one of the top performing groups in the universe, but I can’t tell you where the kids went after they left my program, then I have still failed. I just want my kids to understand that they are loved and are great in whatever shape or talent level they possess. Now, if that leads them to a higher level of success, then glory to God!"
Below is a tentative event schedule for the East Marion Gospel Choir, although it is subject to change (particularly due to the impact of the COVID pandemic):
- Oct. 28 - East Marion Fall Showcase.
- Nov. 4 - Possible performance at PRCC.
- December - Christmas performances (dates/times TBA).
- January - National Anthem at Pelicans/NBA (date/time TBA).
- Mar. 25-27 - Southern Star Music Festival (Atlanta, Ga).
- April 5 - William Carey University Competition.
