Spring Semester 2007 Visual and Performing Arts News
Summer school brochures have been distributed to students. The Summer Arts Academy will include the 3rd-5th grade Junior Arts Academy (exploration in dance, theater, music, and art) and the 6th-8th grade Academy (focused study in one area). The exciting news is that we are expanding the program and offering a 1st-2nd grade Junior Arts Academy as well. Registration is currently taking place at the BHEF office (255 S. Lasky Drive)
Debra Joseph, along with the visual arts teachers across the district, is organizing BHUSD’s District Wide K-12 Mark and Logotype Contest. Entries are being accepted through May 18th by the art teachers from all students to create a new logo for the district. The winning entry will be announced during the High School Student Art Show at the Municipal Gallery.
On Thursday April 26th, we participated in the Beverly Hills Cultural Arts Roundtable. It has been 11 months since the inaugural Roundtable was held. The purpose of the Roundtable is to bring together representatives from the various organizations and agencies that provide the Beverly Hills community with cultural experiences.
Beverly Vista’s Choir, Band, and Orchestra received silver ratings at the Forum Festival Friday, April 20th. This was a festival where our students sang and played in from of adjudicators for a rating. El Rodeo’s advanced band is attending the Forum Festivals Performance on May 18th.
The spring is full of end-of-the-year events in the visual and performing arts! Check out the attachment for a list of all of them happening in the month of May and the beginning of June.
The BHUSD Summer Arts Academy, “Gotta Have Arts,” was a huge success! Congratulations to a most talented group of teachers/Artists: Dana Berk, Gil Young, Jory Lindsay, Christopher Rieder, Elizabeth Call, and Paige Adams.
The Arts Academy “Summer Showcase” was held on July 25th. Teachers, parents, community members, and District Personnel, including Alissa Roston, Sandy Clifton-Bacon, and Rich Malfatti, were there to support our talented children. The Junior Academy performance (grades 3-5) included multicultural, patriotic, and fun 50’s-style swing choral works and dances. The children used the beautiful masks they had created in their visual art class as a prop for one of their dances. The Arts Academy students (grades 6-8) featured their actors in two short numbers. The dancers not only performed a group number, but also performed the pieces which they choreographed, as well.
Dana Berk, the Academy Administrator, and I will plan next year’s Academy based on this year’s program. 2007 will have another exciting summer arts program – as the parents and students of the Academy are already planning on it!
Visual and Performing Arts Update: June 1, 2006VAPA LibraryArts teachers are currently submitting their requests for the possible $10,000.00 Arts Library Donation. We are submitting the entire $10,000.00 request, as well as having a $5,000.00 proposal ready. If you have not yet submitted your request, please send it in by Friday.
Barricade ProjectMike Federman will be the point person for the Barricade Project. He has done research, made sketches, and is currently planning with the Arts for All committee on how he can design the program with his planning committee.
Visual and Performing Arts Update - May 18, 2006
VAPA Library:
I have contacted a very generous donor who is interested in giving 10k (possibly 5k) to have a shelf of resources for you. I'd like your input on this:
Please send me a wish list of books, DVDs, or CDs that you would like to have in our District. In conversation, I have asked a few of you to provide me with your requests, but if you can email your suggestions to me by the 26th of May, I will write the Grant. My feeling is that we will get the full 10,000.00 – however, I'd be happy with 5,000.00, too! This "library" will be housed in my office at the District. This same generous donor (a local Bank) has also offered their lobby for an Arts for All reception – and can exhibit the Artwork for a month. This reception can include all of you – and the money received from donors that evening will be equally split for the programs in participation.
Barricade Project:
We've been offered a wonderful opportunity to have a SIGNIFICANT space of canvas (like 600 feet?) for the Canon/Wilshire barricade location. I believe that Alissa Roston has already mentioned this to Chris, Deb, and Mike. We’d like to see how you want to arrange this... so, hopefully, if the Visual Arts teachers are at the May 31st meeting, you can start your discussion then. The details (if, how, when...) can start that day OR if you would rather have a separate meeting for that, it can be arranged.
Summer Arts Academy:
Thanks to our talented group of teachers, those of you who were in the planning of this new Academy KNOW that it will be a fun and educational opportunity for the children. As any new project, the details keep progressing, but I am confident that this will be a terrific new adventure for all involved.
High School Teachers: If you have any students that you feel would like the opportunity to serve as a "TA" for this Academy, please have them contact me. We are able to issue community service credit for their assistance. Possibly 15 hours a week. I will be working out those details - but, if you have names of students who would like this opportunity, please let me know. More information to follow on that!
K-8 Teachers: Please encourage your students to sign up - most PTA's have invited me to talk about it, however, a reminder from you would be helpful. If you'd like for me to come in and speak to the students, please let me know.
Instrumental Music Teachers/Artists in Residence:
As you know, the Strategic Plan included the hiring of 2 instrumental music teachers. As there are 4 Visual Arts teachers at the K-8s, 4 choral music teachers, now there will be 4 instrumental music teachers, as well. This enables the choice of both strings and band. The details are being worked out with the principals and the instrumental music teachers. Again, as part of the strategic plan, it is part of our Grant (as I am). We are also trying to boost up the Dance at K-8. Thanks to Janet's guidance on this, we might just be able to make that happen! As for Theatre, I do need input from the High School Teachers to see HOW you’d like to see this happen. The first step is the Summer Academy. It’s a start...
As for Artists-in-Residence: Part of our Grant Money needs to be used to bring in Artists in each of the disciplines. I will leave that up to you to give me names of artists you would like to spend a week/day with you. Because of planning, please let me know by the end of July.
Arts Website:
I have just received permission to add an Arts Calendar to the Educational Services Website. As you do your planning for next year's shows/concerts/benefits/competitions... - please include me on your email list. I think this will be good for all of us to see what is happening in our Arts Community. Your thoughts: would you prefer a reminder every month? Or do you just want to send me your dates at once? In my classroom, I had no time to think about those things. However, a reminder helped me to zap back an email with my dates. I'll leave that up to you. I know that there are many wonderful things happening at your schools, but I usually hear about them too late... so, by having an Arts Calendar, the community will have the opportunity to plan to be at your events by checking the website.
City Arts Roundtable:
This is new - the City has included us in their planning for Arts Events. As the K-8 Visual Arts teachers have suggested, I have requested their time for a City exhibit in November. I am awaiting a reply on the actual date, and will get that out to you ASAP. I would be more than happy to arrange that for the High School, as well, however, you may already have that arranged. There are more opportunities coming up (the Barricade project, concerts, etc). If you are interested in joining me for the next meeting, I would like to take one or two teachers with me. I do not have the date/time of that as of now.
District/City Beautification:
Thank you to Elizabeth, who has helped me to order more frames for the District Office. We want to make sure that your students' work is seen! I would like to order display cases for ceramics and 3-D art. Please give input on the sizes you would like to order. Also, some local businesses have offered their support. A couple pieces have been placed in the community already. If you would like to offer your artwork, musical talent, etc. to members of the community, I will be happy to arrange it for you. Sometimes unique requests come up – and I'll let you know (example – the K-8's for "Dogs." Sparky's pet grooming is hanging some of our student work).
AFI Screen Education
Mitch Aiken, Director of the Screen Education division of the American Film Institute, has offered an opportunity/scholarship to 2 of our general education teachers in BHUSD. This program works nicely across all subjects and grades, and there is usually a good mix of K-12 teachers in the workshops. The workshop will be held at the AFI in Los Angeles, August 7-10.
