Northwood High School Arts Education Foundation

09/19/2026

One of the simplest—and most enjoyable—ways to support arts education is to show up. Concerts, exhibitions, plays, musicals and competitions give students meaningful opportunities to share their work. Your presence tells young artists and performers that their effort matters.
Coming up this fall:

Sept 26 — Panther Creek Invitational, Marching Chargers
Oct 3 — Middle Creek Mustang Classic, Marching Chargers
Oct 9 — John Brown’s Big Band at Northwood, ChathamArts Artists-In-Schools
Oct 10 — West Johnston Competition, Marching Chargers
Oct 24 — Capital City Band Expo, Marching Chargers
Oct 31 — Cary Band Day, Marching Chargers
Nov 5 — CCS All-County Band Concert, Seaforth HS
Nov 5–7 — Northwood Theatre presents Neil Simon’s Rumors
Nov 17 — CCS All-County Choral Concert, Chatham Central HS

Attend. Applaud. Encourage. Help student artists know their community is behind them.

Visit NHSAEF.org to learn more about supporting arts education at Northwood.

09/18/2026

Stop by this weekend and check out the NHS Art displayed at this year's Chatham County Fair. https://chathamcountyfairnc.com/2026-76th-annual-fair/

09/17/2026

It's Arts in Education Week—Here’s something worth celebrating: for the eighth consecutive year, Chatham County Schools has been named a Best Community for Music Education by the NAMM Foundation!
This national recognition reflects the commitment of our music educators, students, families, schools and community supporters.
It also reminds us that strong arts programs don’t happen by accident. They grow when communities value arts education and provide the instruction, resources and opportunities students need to succeed.
Congratulations to everyone helping music education thrive throughout Chatham County!

09/16/2026

Great arts programs begin with dedicated educators.
During National Arts in Education Week, we celebrate the Northwood faculty members who encourage students to explore, practice, take creative risks and discover what they can accomplish:
Kristen Oakes — Dance and Arts Department Chair
Noelle Imel — Instrumental Music
David Smith — Choral Music
Kyleigh McCormack — Theatre Arts
Michelle Pinto — Visual Arts

Thank you for sharing your knowledge, creativity and commitment with Northwood students every day.

09/16/2026

For more than 50 years, Northwood has offered students instruction in four arts disciplines: visual arts, music, theatre arts and dance.

Through an early National Endowment for the Arts grant Superintendent Perry Harrison brought dance to NHS in the 1970s. That visionary effort helped establish Northwood as North Carolina’s oldest comprehensive public high school arts education program.

Generations of students have found their voices, developed their talents and built lasting connections through the arts. During Arts in Education Week, we celebrate that history—and recommit ourselves to protecting these opportunities for the students who come next.

09/15/2026

It’s National Arts in Education Week!

This year’s theme—Every Student, Every Community—celebrates every student’s right to a quality arts education.
At Northwood, students discover opportunities to create, perform, collaborate and grow through visual arts, music, theatre and dance. Throughout the week, we’ll celebrate Northwood’s remarkable arts legacy, introduce the educators guiding today’s students and share ways our community can help keep the arts strong.
Learn more about the Northwood High School Arts Education Foundation at NHSAEF.org.

09/14/2026

ARTS IN EDUCATION WEEK 2026

BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

A PROCLAMATION

Whereas, arts education, including dance, media arts, music, theatre arts, and visual arts, is an essential element of a complete and well-rounded education for all students; and

Whereas, arts education enables students to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills, imagination and creativity, discipline and collaboration, alternative ways to communicate and express feelings and ideas, and cross-cultural understanding, which support personalized pathways to academic success across the curriculum; and

Whereas, arts education contributes to increased attendance and graduation rates; elevates academic achievement; and prepares students for college, career, and citizenship readiness; and

Whereas, arts education contributes to personal growth outside of the classroom including increasing a student’s likelihood to participate in civic life, volunteerism, altruism, and community engagement; and

Whereas, to succeed in today’s economy, students must masterfully develop traits that business leaders demand in a twenty-first-century workforce such as communicating through words, images, sounds and movement; and

Whereas, North Carolina supports statewide partnerships and cross-sector collaboration to promote and advance comprehensive arts education for North Carolina school children, including arts education, arts integration, and arts exposure; and

Whereas, the arts are an integral part of life in our state and are essential to a complete education, which contributes to the vibrancy and vitality of communities and the nation; and

Whereas, our public schools are charged with the education and development of well-rounded students:

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, I, JOSH STEIN, Governor of the State of North Carolina do hereby proclaim September 13-19, 2026, as “ARTS IN EDUCATION WEEK” in North Carolina and commend its observance to all citizens.

09/14/2026

Every Child, Every Community

It’s National Arts in Education Week! The arts build confidence, critical thinking and community. Celebrate the impact of the arts for students all week by sharing how your education was made better .

NC Public Schools