CCSD Fine Arts Office

Photo/video highlights of the Burke High School Bulldog Band playing under the lights this past Friday 🎶🎺🎷🥁💙🤍

📷🎥: Quanza Washington

Let’s give a warm welcome to our new Haut Gap Middle School Orchestra Director, Adrienne Counes! 🎶🎻

Ms. Counes is originally from Long Island, New York and holds a Master’s Degree in Music Education from Long Island University. This will be her 25th year teaching in the classroom.
Before coming to CCSD, she taught at both the middle and high school levels in Berkeley and Horry County.

Some of Ms. Counes’ favorite things to do include painting, ice skating, horseback riding, shopping, and bringing her dog Bella to the beach to watch her jump over the waves. She also enjoys playing her violin in local symphonies. On her time off from work, she spends as much time as she can with her family and close friends.

We are glad to have Ms. Counes joining the CCSD Visual and Performing Arts Department this year! 💙💛

This past Friday, some of our Camp Road Middle School Band students joined the James Island Charter High School Pride of the Island Band to help cheer their team on to victory! 💙🧡🎶🏈

📷: Ms. Sptizer & Dr. Bowles

Thank you to the Lucy Beckham High School and Wando High School Marching Bands for helping to create such a great atmosphere for Friday's annual cross-town rivalry game! 💙💚❤️🤍🎶🏈

📷🎥: Lucy Beckham High School, (IG), and (IG)

Thank you to the Burke High School Bulldog Band and Dance team for helping us kick off the new school year! 🎶💙🤍

Congratulations to CCSD Fine Arts alum Neo James, whose film 'Submerged' tied for first place in the Animation Category at this year's One Earth Film Festival Young Filmmaker Contest!🏆🌎🎞️

Continue reading for a press release from the One Earth Film Festival, which features Neo discussing the inspiration/process behind his work and how to see the film when it debuts on September 17!

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Charleston County School of the Arts graduate Neo Sky James will win the Animation Prize in the One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest for his film "Submerged." This award is a $1,000 Scholarship ,which he will share in a tie with Jody Wu from Taipei National University of the Arts in Taiwan for her film "Hope."

In the 4-minute animated film “Submerged,” a teenage boy has two contrasting dreams: one in which his house becomes a beautiful blue aquarium filled with exotic fish, sea turtles, and jellyfish, and another in which his home turns into a colorless, polluted body of water, filled with plastic bags, cans, straws, and debris. When he answers a knock at the door, a surprise awaits. Finally, the boy wakes up to reality, feeling compelled to do something to make a difference.

Neo succeeds in creating the feeling that this home is an underwater aquarium through color, subtle reflective lighting, and underwater sound. The viewer feels a sense of floating and swimming through inventive angles in his dream sequences.

Explains Neo in his contest submission: “This is a short film which highlights the beauty and wonder of marine life while raising awareness about the importance of marine conservation. The making of this film has been an independent, self-driven, self-taught passion project of mine involving hundreds of hours of online research, tutorials, and YouTube videos.”

He concludes, “My appreciation and love for the marine world and 3D animation has increased tenfold while creating this film.”

Since its inception in 2013, the One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest has grown from a local Illinois project to a highly competitive international competition garnering 403 submissions. Countries such as Brazil, Australia and Mexico and states such as California, Georgia and Indiana will be represented among this year’s winners at the Global Awards Celebration at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 17, in person at the Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St., in Chicago, or online virtually anywhere in the world. “Submerged” will premiere at this special event.

Free tickets are available at this link: tinyurl.com/yfc23awards

Let’s give a warm welcome to our new West Ashley High School Orchestra Director, Cody-Lee Keener! 😼🎻

Mr. Keener is originally from Franklin, North Carolina. He holds Bachelor’s Degrees in Music and Secondary Music Education from Western Carolina University. This will be his second year teaching in the classroom. Before moving to Charleston, he taught at Murphy Middle School and Murphy High School in North Carolina.

Some of Mr. Keener’s favorite activities include going to the movies and composing music for film, video games, and musicals. He is also very passionate about conducting and teaching others how to conduct.

We are glad to have him joining the CCSD Visual and Performing Arts Department this year! 💜🖤

Enjoy a gallery of our CCSD student artwork that will be digitally displayed on Ride CARTA buses from the following schools! 🖼️🚍🚏

High School

James Island Charter High School
School of the Arts High School
R.B. Stall High School
Wando High School

Middle School

Moultrie Middle School
Murray-LaSaine

Elementary School

Murray-LaSaine
Whitesides Elementary School

Let’s give a warm welcome to our new North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary Strings teacher, Sophie Snell! 🦉🎻

Ms. Snell is originally from Summerville, South Carolina and holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of South Carolina. This will be her third year teaching in the classroom. Before joining CCSD, she taught at Alston Middle School in Summerville.

Some of Ms. Snell’s favorite activities include running, weightlifting, anything outdoors, and reading. She also loves watching South Carolina Stingrays games.

We are glad to have her joining the CCSD Visual and Performing Arts Department this year! 🧡💙

Let’s give a warm welcome to our new Military Magnet Academy Band Director, Isaiah Simpson! 🎶🦅

Mr. Simpson is originally from Laurens, South Carolina and holds a Bachelor’s Degree from South Carolina State University. This will be his first year teaching in the classroom.

We are glad to have Mr. Simpson joining the CCSD Visual and Performing Arts Department this year! ❤️🤍

Let’s give a warm welcome to our new Orchestra Director at James Simons Montessori and Simmons-Pinckney Middle School, Darilyn Esterline! 🎶🎻

Ms. Esterline is originally from Georgia. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from the University of Mary Washington and a Master’s Degree in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment from Walden University. She is also certified as an Education Specialist in Teacher Leadership.

This will be Ms. Esterline’s 31st year (!) teaching in the classroom. Before moving to Charleston, she taught for 20 years at Whitewater High School in Fayetteville, GA. During her time there, Ms. Esterline was awarded Teacher of the Month multiple times and recognized as Teacher of the Year. Her ensembles also consistently received Superior ratings at Georgia’s Large Group Performance Evaluation.

Some of Ms. Esterline’s favorite things are spending time with family (her main reason for moving to South Carolina), baking, and hanging out with her dog.

We are glad to have her joining the CCSD Visual and Performing Arts Department this year! 💙❤️

Loved getting to hang out with Ms. Williams 2nd Grade Theater class at Sanders-Clyde Creative Arts School as they began working on their characterization skills 🎭🐊

Mrs. Mumford introducing her 1st Grade Music students at Laurel Hill Primary to Mr. Bee, who will be helping them to take roll and learn how to sing as a group 🎶🐝🐢

Very proud and excited to have artwork by our North Charleston community students on display for the city’s traffic box beautification program 🖼️🚦🤩

Solfège + Taylor Swift = Starting the year off right in Ms. Fitch’s 7th Grade Chorus at Cario Middle School 🎤🎶💙

Let’s give a warm welcome to one of our new West Ashley High School Visual Arts teachers, Scobey Thompson! 😼🎨

Ms. Thompson is originally from Newnan, Georgia and holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Georgia. This will be her fifth year teaching in the classroom. Before moving to Charleston, she taught at Central High School in Carrollton, Georgia.

We are glad to have her joining the CCSD Visual and Performing Arts Department this year! 💜🖤

Let’s give a warm welcome to one of our new Wando High School Band Directors, Dr. Andrew Blair! 🎶

Dr. Blair is originally from Charlotte, North Carolina. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Western Carolina University and a Master’s Degree and Doctoral Degree from the University of Georgia. This will be his 13th year teaching in the classroom.

Before moving to Charleston, Dr. Blair taught for eight years in North Carolina and spent the last five years teaching at the University of Georgia. Some of his favorite things to do include spending time with his wife, son, and 2 dogs, being outdoors, and watching UGA Football.

We are glad to have him joining the CCSD Visual and Performing Arts Department this year! ❤️🤍

Some photos from today's Beginning of the Year Professional Development Session at Lucy Beckham High School School for our 6-12 Visual & Performing Arts teachers 🩰🎭🎶🎨🧑‍🏫

Let’s give a warm welcome to our new St. James-Santee Elementary-Middle School Visual Arts teacher, Meredith Howell! 🎨🐝

Ms. Howell is originally from right here in Charleston and is a CCSD Fine Arts alum. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of South Carolina. This will be her first year teaching in the classroom.

We are glad to have her joining the CCSD Visual and Performing Arts Department this year! 💛💙

Let’s give a warm welcome to our new Hursey Montessori School Music teacher, Lizzy Rickel-Cote! 🎶

Ms. Rickel-Cote is originally from right here in Charleston and holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of South Carolina. This will be her eighth year teaching in the classroom. Before joining CCSD, she taught at Fort Dorchester Elementary, Oakbrook Elementary, and Eagle Nest Elementary, where she was the school’s 2022 Teacher of the Year.

Some of Ms. Rickel-Cote’s favorite things to do outside of school are going to the beach and traveling.

We are glad to have her joining the CCSD Visual and Performing Arts Department this year! ❤️🤍

Let’s give a warm welcome to our new Northwoods Middle School Chorus Director, Sarah-Grace Shawver! 🎶

Ms. Shawver is originally from right here in Charleston and holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Liberty University. This will be her first year teaching in the classroom.

Some of Ms. Shaver’s favorite things include horseback riding, baking, and the Memphis Grizzlies.

We are glad to have her joining the CCSD Visual and Performing Arts Department this year! 💙🤍

Let’s give a warm welcome to our new Lucy Beckham High School Dance teacher, Kim Chesley-Breland! 🐅🩰

Ms. Chelsey-Breland is originally from Madison, Wisconsin, but has lived in the Charleston area for 20 years. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Dance from Marymount Manhattan College with a Minor in Musical Theater.

Although this will be Ms. Chelsey-Breland’s first year in the classroom, it will not be her first year teaching Dance. She is a certified Ballet and Tap instructor through Dance Masters of America and has won numerous Best Choreography awards from different organizations. Many of her students are members of the University of South Carolina Dance Team and the Clemson Rally Cats Dance Team Her students have also gone on to major and minor in Dance at the University of South Carolina, the University of Alabama, and the the University of Central Florida.

When she’s not teaching Dance, Ms. Chelsey-Breland loves going to the beach and traveling.

We are glad to have her joining the CCSD Visual and Performing Arts Department this year! 💙💚

Some photo/video highlights from the Wando High School Chorus 2023 Back to School Picnic 🎤🎶🧺

📷🎥: (IG)

Let’s give a warm welcome to our new North Charleston High School Dance teacher, Heather Merritt! 🩰

Ms. Merritt is originally from Atlanta, Georgia and holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Utah. This will be her 16th year teaching in the classroom. She was previously the Dance teacher at Fort Dorchester High School.

Ms. Merritt also enjoys creating artwork and loves the outdoors. Some of her favorite activities include fishing, boating, and going to the beach.

We are glad to have her joining the CCSD Visual and Performing Arts Department this year! 💙💛

Let’s give a warm welcome to our new School of the Arts Middle School Band Director, Alice Aldredge! 🎶

Ms. Aldredge is originally from Raeford, North Carolina and holds a Bachelor’s Degree from East Carolina University. This will be her 35th (!) year teaching in the classroom. Before moving to Charleston, she taught in the state of North Carolina and most recently at River Oaks Middle School in Summerville, South Carolina.

Ms. Aldredge is a National Board Certified Teacher, a past President of the North Carolina Bandmasters Association, and a recipient of the North Carolina Bandmasters Association Award of Excellence. During her time teaching in North Carolina, she was named Teacher of the Year at Carver Middle School and Northwest Cabarrus Middle School. Ms. Aldrege is also an active guest clinician and adjudicator across the southeastern United States.

We are glad to have her joining the CCSD Visual and Performing Arts Department this year! ❤️💛

Let’s give a warm welcome to our new Carolina Park Elementary Visual Arts teacher, Jessie Rogers! 🐺🎨

Ms. Rogers is originally from Huntersville, North Carolina and holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of South Carolina. This will be her first year teaching in the classroom. Before moving to Charleston, Ms. Rogers student taught at H.E. Corley Elementary and Dent Middle School in Columbia, South Carolina.

We are so glad to have her joining the CCSD Visual and Performing Arts Department this year! 💚💙

Some photos from today's Beginning of the Year Professional Development Session at Ashley River Creative Arts Elementary School for our K-5 Visual & Performing Arts teachers 🩰🎭🎶🎨🧑‍🏫

Let’s give a warm welcome to our new North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary Dance teacher, Lacey Bates! 🩰🦉

Mrs. Bates is originally from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She holds Bachelor’s Degrees in Dance and Arts Management from the College of Charleston and a Master’s Degree in Teaching from Holy Names University. This will be her third year in the classroom, although she has been teaching Dance for a total of 10 years.

Mrs. Bates has taught Dance classes at various public schools, non-profits, and private studios in both Charleston and San Francisco. During her time in California, she was an instructor at San Alonzo King LINES Ballet. She also taught kindergarten for two years.

In addition to being a teacher, Mrs. Bates is also a professional dancer who spent the last 5 years working in the San Francisco area. She is thrilled to be back home in the Lowcountry with her husband Randy and their fur babies.

We are glad to have her joining the CCSD Visual and Performing Arts Department this year! 🧡💙

Let’s give a warm welcome to our new Visual Arts teacher at Jane Edwards Elementary and Minnie Hughes Elementary, Amy Anderson! 🎨😼

Ms. Anderson is originally from the Detroit area and holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Michigan State University. This will be her third year teaching in the classroom.

Before moving to Charleston, Ms. Anderson taught in Michigan and Virginia. Two things in life that she loves the most are reading and taking a good nap.

We are glad to have her joining the CCSD Visual and Performing Arts Department this year! ❤️💛

Let’s give a warm welcome to our new Mt. Zion Elementary Visual Arts teacher, Brenda Reyes! 🎨😼

Ms. Reyes is originally from Mexico, but has lived in Charleston since she was 4 years old and is a CCSD Fine Arts alum. This will be her 15th year in the classroom. She holds an Associates Degree in the Arts from Trident Technical University, a Bachelor’s Degree in Art Education from Winthrop University, and a Master’s Degree in Art Education from Boston University.

Ms. Reyes is returning to CCSD after previously teaching in the district at Midland Park Primary, North Charleston Elementary, and Pinehurst Elementary, where she was school’s 2018 Teacher of the Year. She has also been an instructor for CCSD’s Summer SMAART Program and presented at the National Art Education Association Conference in Boston in 2019.

We’re definitely glad to have Ms. Reyes back with CCSD Visual and Performing Arts Department this year! 💙🤍

Let’s give a warm welcome to our new School of the Arts High School 10th & 11th Grade Visual Arts teacher, Hailee Potter! 🎨

Ms. Potter is originally from Minnesota and holds a Master’s Degree in Photography from the Savannah College of Art & Design. This will be her fifth year teaching in the classroom. Before moving to Charleston, she taught at the Uppingham Boarding School, Georgia Southern University, and Pensacola State College. She is also currently a part-time Professor of Foundation Studies at the Savannah College of Art & Design.

In her spare time, Ms. Potter plays competitive kickball and softball.

We are glad to have her joining the CCSD Visual and Performing Arts Department this year! ❤️💛

Let’s give a warm welcome to our new Northwoods Middle School Visual Arts teacher, Kayla Gau! 🎨

Ms. Gau is originally from Virginia Beach and holds a Bachelor’s degree from James Madison University. This will be her fourth year teaching in the classroom. Before moving to Charleston, she was a teacher at Green Run Collegiate High School in Virginia. Her artwork was also recently awarded an Honorable Mention in one of the state’s Teaching Artists Exhibitions.

One of Ms. Gau’s favorite things to do is travel. This summer, she embarked on a month-long road trip to northern Canada.

We are glad to have her joining the CCSD Visual and Performing Arts Department this year! 💙🤍

Let’s give a warm welcome to another one of our new Cario Middle School Band Directors, Kalyn Todd! 🎶☄️

Ms. Todd is originally from Savannah, Georgia and holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Columbus State University. This will be her 11th year teaching in the classroom. Before moving to Charleston, she taught at Lee County Middle School West in Leesburg, Georgia and Westglades Middle School in Parkland, Florida.

Ms. Todd has been a featured presenter at the National Association for Music Education Conference, the Florida Music Educators Association Conference, and the Florida Bandmasters Association Summer Conference.

Two of Ms. Todd’s favorite activities are weightlifting and reading self-development books.

We are glad to have her joining the CCSD Visual and Performing Arts Department this year! 💙🤍

Let’s give a warm welcome to our new North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary Theater teacher, Curtis Tention! 🎭🦉

Mr. Tention is originally from Georgia. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Jackson State University and a Master’s Degree in Humanities from Central Michigan University. This will be his ninth year teaching in the classroom.

Before moving to Charleston, Mr. Tention taught at the Museum School of Avondale Estates, the City Schools of Decatur, and the Cobb County School District – all in the state of Georgia. During his time in Cobb County, he was named Riverside Elementary School’s Teacher of the Year.

Some of Mr. Tention’s hobbies include hiking, working out, and listening to a variety of music.

We are glad to have him joining the CCSD Visual and Performing Arts Department this year! 🧡💙

Let’s give a warm welcome to our new Laing Middle School of Science and Technology Chorus Director, Brianna Barnett! 🎶

Ms. Barnett is originally from Atlanta, Georgia. She holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Music Education from Georgia College and State University. This will be her seventh year teaching in the classroom. Before moving to Charleston, she taught at East Coweta Middle School in Senoia, Georgia and College Park Middle School in Ladson, South Carolina.

Choirs under Ms. Barnett’s direction have consistently received Superior ratings in performance and sight reading at state concert evaluations and festivals. Her students have often been selected for All-Region and All-State honors and performed across the southeast.

Ms. Barnett is an active member of the Charleston Symphony Chorus and a former member of the Grammy award-winning Atlanta Symphony Chorus.

We are glad to have her joining the CCSD Visual and Performing Arts Department this year! ❤️🤍

Let’s give a warm welcome to our new St. Andrew's School of Math and Science Music teacher, Buddy Huckabee! 🎶🔬

Mr. Huckabee is originally from Kings Mountain, North Carolina. He holds two Bachelor’s Degrees from Western Carolina University and a Master's Degree from Garner-Webb University.

This will be Mr. Huckabee’s 25th year in the classroom (!). Before moving to Charleston, he taught at York Chester Elementary School, Macon Middle School, and Franklin High School – all in North Carolina. He was the 2004 York Chester Elementary Teacher of the Year, the 2008 Macon Middle School Teacher of the Year, and the 2022-2023 Franklin High School Teacher of the Year, where he also taught Theater. During his time leading the Franklin High School Marching Band, the program was named the Bowl Games of America Marching Band Regional Champion three times.

Some of Mr. Huckabee’s favorite hobbies include hiking, camping, working out, and cheering on the University of Georgia and Atlanta Falcons football teams. He recently developed a passion for building crazy LEGO sets and is a huge collector/fan of the ‘Peanuts’ comic strip -- he even has a dog named Snoopy.

We are glad to have him joining the CCSD Visual and Performing Arts Department this year! 💙🤍

Let’s give a warm welcome to our new C E Williams Middle School South Campus Chorus Director, Justin Watkins! 🎶🐺

Mr. Watkins is originally from right here in Charleston, South Carolina. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from the College of Charleston and a Master’s Degree in Choral Conducting from Florida State University.

This will be Mr. Watkins’ seventh year teaching in the classroom. Before returning to Charleston, he was an instructor at the Achievement First Endeavor Elementary School in New York.

Two of Mr. Watkins’ favorite activities are singing and playing piano. He is also a huge Golden State Warriors fan.

We are glad to have him joining the CCSD Visual and Performing Arts Department this year! 💙🤍

Let’s give a warm welcome to our new Lambs Elementary Visual Arts teacher, Emily Bowers! 🐑🎨

Ms. Bowers is from Kershaw, South Carolina and holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Winthrop University. This will be her third year teaching in the classroom. Before coming to Charleston, she taught in Berkeley County.

Ms. Bowers’ artwork has been published in books at both the collegiate and national level. She has also presented at the South Carolina Art Education Association Conference multiple times.

In her free time, Ms. Bowers enjoys hiking, going to the movies, and attending concerts. Her favorite sports teams are the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Cincinnati Bengals.

We are glad to have her joining the CCSD Visual and Performing Arts Department this year! 💙🤍