Category Archives: School arts

Poster contest pushes school attendance – Daily Republic

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By Susan Hiland

The Solano County Office of Education is kicking off a countywide poster contest to help spread the word about the role that school attendance has on student achievement.

Students will be given the chance to create a poster with messages that will focus on the importance of regular school attendance – and could win prizes for their efforts.

Chronic absenteeism is a red alert that students are headed for academic trouble, the county education office said in a press release announcing the poster contest. Research shows that chronically absent students are less likely to succeed academically and are more likely to be suspended and eventually dropout.

via Poster contest pushes school attendance Daily Republic.

30th Annual Arty Awards Gala at Solano College Theater – Benicia Patch

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By Susan C. Schena

Solano Community College (SCC) proudly hosts the 30th annual Arty Awards Gala to honor live theater.

The Performing Arts Network (PAN), whose roots date back to 1990, is taking over the event. The Arty Awards Gala will debut this year’s premier affair in Solano County at Solano Community College, Theater Building (1200) on Sunday, Sept. 14.

The Welcome Reception is at 5 p.m., the ceremony is at 6 p.m., followed by a reception.

“The unique trait of the Artys is that 50 percent or more of the nominees’ work is from the youth of our local high schools’,” stated Darcia Tipton, SCC Theater Arts Faculty. “In addition, our College students have nominations, so it’s exciting to recognize the artistically creative work that the students in the community are producing!”

via 30th Annual Arty Awards Gala at Solano Community College Theater – Schools | Benicia, California Patch.

Sheldon kindergartners open art gallery – Daily Republic

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By Amy Maginnis-Honey

The kindergarten classroom at the Sheldon Academy of Innovative Learning became an art gallery Thursday, as the children, serving as docents, showed their guests self-portraits done in the vein of artist Frida Kahlo.

Next to their drawings was a brief written statement on who their favorite artist was, complete with two reasons saying why the student chose that artist.

The art gallery debut was the culmination of about three weeks of work that began with kindergarten teachers Mary and Peter Rosenfield introducing their nearly 60 schoolchildren to the cave paintings of Lascaux. A book, as well as viewing and touring the caves on YouTube and Google images, were employed in the lesson.

via Sheldon kindergartners open art gallery Daily Republic.

Armijo High sets International Week – Daily Republic

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By Ryan McCarthy

Armijo International Week begins Monday at the high school and includes multicultural performances and games that start with Folklorico, Salsa and Cumbia dancers for Cinco de Mayo.

A round of Loteria, or Mexican bingo, is also planned, said Vanessa Walling-Sisi, adviser to the International Club at the high school.

Students on Tuesday will perform K-Pop, Korean Pop songs, she said.

via Armijo High sets International Week Daily Republic.

Vallejo classes win recycled art contest – Vallejo Times Herald

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By Lanz Christian Bañes

Two Vallejo classrooms celebrated victory Saturday when they took the top prize in their division for best recycled art piece.

“We rolled up paper and put them together to make a heart,” said Federal Terrace Elementary School second-grader Zuzeth Ibarra, 8, about the project.

The heart sculpture was a collaboration between Elizabeth Lewis’ second-grade class and Lani Ramos’ kindergarten class at Federal Terrace. Ramos brought the idea to Lewis to submit a joint entry for the annual Recycled Sculpture and Art contest.

“It looked really nice,” said second-grader Adriana Vittelli, 8.

via Vallejo classes win recycled art contest – Vallejo Times Herald.

Congressional art competition open to high school students – Daily Republic

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By Adrienne Harris

Local entries for the U.S. House of Representative’s Artistic Discovery Contest will be accepted through the end of this month.

Rep. John Garamendi, D-Walnut Grove, welcomes high school students who live in the 3rd Congressional District to submit their original artwork for judging by a panel of local artists assembled by his office.

The winner’s artwork is featured at a year-long exhibit in the U.S. Capitol alongside winners from other congressional districts throughout the nation. The winner and a chaperone will also receive a pair of complimentary airline tickets to Washington, D.C., for a ceremonial unveiling of the artwork, courtesy of Southwest Airlines.

via Congressional art competition open to high school students Daily Republic.

SCOE Adult Transition Program Students Participate in Art Contest – SCOE/Facebook

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Nine students from the SCOE Adult Transition Program entered their original artwork in the Association of California School Administrators (ASCA) and F3 (Fagen, Friedman & Fulfrost LLP) “Celebrate Success” Art Contest. The Art Contest is part of the F3 Education Awards Foundation Celebrate Success scholarship program. The student artists were David DelPonte, Mark Escobia, Mathew Owens, Abigail Maxim, Carlos Jacob, Cameron Goins, Jonathan Saunders and Kaitlyn Brownlee.

From over 500 entries statewide, Mark Escobia’s piece was one of the ten winners! Mark is in Aliya Cromartie’ s class at the Fairfield-Suisun Adult school. He will receive an award of $250 for his artwork!

via SCOE Adult Transition Program Students Participate in Art Contest.

FSUSD Teen creates campus art – Daily Republic

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By Amy Maginnis-Honey

Fairfield High School junior Kahlid Walker is about to make a lasting impression on the campus.

Outside the visual arts classroom will hang a mural of five 2-foot-by-5-foot panels he has put together, as well as painting the focus of the piece, a reclining woman whose face was inspired by the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s artwork on their CD, “Mother’s Milk.” Her positioning was influenced by Manet’s “Olympia.”

via Teen creates campus art Daily Republic.

Program pairs college students, elementary children for foreign language – Daily Republic

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By Amy Maginnis-Honey

K.I. Jones Elementary School fifth-grader Zenab Eid already knows three languages – Arabic, English and now French. The last she learned through Solano Community College’s Cross Age Teaching Program.

The partnership between the college and Fairfield-Suisun School District pairs college students and elementary children from K.I. Jones, B. Gale Wilson and Suisun Valley elementary schools. The college students get some hands-on teaching experience. The children have the opportunity to learn Spanish, French or German.

via Program pairs college students, elementary children for foreign language Daily Republic.

Sylvan madrigal show in Vacaville debut for students, teacher – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

The gradual shift in the Will C. Wood High music programs is well underway, with Colby Hawkins, a former Wildcat and member of the Sylvan Choirs, taking over where David Barthelmess left off in September, when the longtime teacher retired .

In December at the Marshall Road campus, a lot of attention turns to the choirs’ annual madrigal dinner, a tradition Hawkins, 28 and a graduate of Brigham Young University, plans to maintain by launching tonight at the Opera House his first performance as leader of the school’s acclaimed December show.

via Sylvan madrigal show in Vacaville debut for students, teacher – The Reporter.

Creating More Compassionate Classrooms | Edutopia

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By Joshua Block

I had been trying to start class for several minutes. Our normal post-weekend check-in had failed. Instead of hearing updates from each other, students were having side conversations about the school dance. Once I regained everyones attention, two girls walked in late and the whole class stopped to watch as they gave each other a consoling hug before they moved toward their seats.

I was losing patience. This was not the strong start I had envisioned for the first in-class workday of our project. “Who is ready to share the main question for their project?” I asked in an attempt to refocus everyone and manage the energy emanating from 33 frenetic 15- and 16-year-olds.

via Creating More Compassionate Classrooms | Edutopia.

Fairfield High band marches in Thanksgiving Day parade in Chicago – Daily Republic

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By Ryan McCarthy

Fairfield High School’s Scarlet Brigade Band will march in the Thanksgiving Day parade in Chicago and can be seen on WGN TV of Chicago and WGN America.

The band is one of only 20 chosen from high schools throughout the country. The live national broadcast is from 6 to 9 a.m. PST. The Scarlet Brigade is scheduled as Event 21 B and their performance can be viewed during the first part of the parade.

via Fairfield High band marches in Thanksgiving Day parade in Chicago Daily Republic.

Fairfield-Suisun school board urged to bring back music – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

With some audience members holding green and orange signs reading “It’s Elementary! Music for our Children,” more than a dozen speakers on Thursday urged Fairfield-Suisun Unified leaders to restore funding for more music instruction in the district’s elementary schools.

Meeting in district offices on Hilborn Road, trustees heard students, parents, teachers and music instructors essentially say the same thing: find the money to pay for it, because music instruction needs to begin in the primary grades; and it boasts many spinoff benefits, among them increased academic achievement, especially in math and reading.

via Fairfield-Suisun school board urged to bring back music – The Reporter.

Rodriguez High graduate displays art in San Francisco – Daily Republic

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By Daily Republic staff

Artists display their work, church members clean up the neighborhood, students of the month are honored and more – all part of good news around Solano County.

Nick Pino, who attended Oakbrook Elementary and Green Valley Middle School before graduating from Rodriguez High School, will have his artwork on display at the Alternative Press Expo convention in San Francisco.

via Rodriguez High graduate displays art in San Francisco Daily Republic.

Fairfield-Suisun school board sets budget priorities – Daily Republic

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By Mike Corpos

FAIRFIELD — The Fairfield-Suisun school board agreed on four main budget priorities Thursday for the 2013-14 school year, with a boost in employee compensation topping the list.

The decisions came after an extensive discussion during a budget workshop.

As each board member listed his or her priorities. Four topics rose to the top of the list. The board handed them off to the district administration to research and come back with dollar figures attached.

via Fairfield-Suisun school board sets budget priorities Daily Republic.

Barthelmess leaving Will C. Wood choir program after 23 years – The Reporter

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By Karen Nolan

Will C. Wood High School’s Sylvan Singers knew this year would be different, but until school started last week, they did not realize how different.

On Thursday, the first day of choir class, they were greeted by a parent from the Sylvan Choir Boosters and Principal Cliff De Graw, who brought a letter to read to them. It was from their director, David Barthelmess, who founded the Sylvan choir program soon after he began teaching at Wood 23 years ago.

via Barthelmess leaving Will C. Wood choir program after 23 years – The Reporter.

Week 1 of School: Selling the Value of Literacy | Edutopia

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I sell literacy. I do. If I don’t sell kids on wanting to learn to read and write as well as they can, they won’t. Sometimes it’s an especially hard sell for kids in middle school, both for those who are competent in these areas but choose to be illiterate, and for those who have always struggled with these skills. You’ve heard the old axiom, “What you plant in September, you reap in June,” so it’s crucial to set the right tone from the start. Here’s what I do.

via Week 1 of School: Selling the Value of Literacy | Edutopia.

Back to School: A Surefire Strategy for Building Classroom Community | Edutopia

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Anne Shaw, Director, 21st Centry Schools

Unlike many of the current posts and articles in educators’ discussions these days, this post does not address anything related to technology or the CCSS. It addresses a topic of much greater importance — the emotional environment of the classroom. Without an excellent, intentionally designed, emotional environment (one which builds authentic community in the classroom), the standards and the technologies are of little value. As Steven Covey and many others have said, “First things first!”

via Back to School: A Surefire Strategy for Building Classroom Community | Edutopia.

The Reporter: School district says it can’t buy Vacaville Music store

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By Kimberly K. Fu/KFu@TheReporter.com

After just a few days on the market, Vacaville Music already has a handful of potential buyers.

But none are with the Vacaville Unified School District, which store owner Rosanne Avila thought could be the perfect fit.

“It was still the best place to start because it is about the kids, always,” she said.

via School district says it can’t buy Vacaville Music store.

SCOE’s Facebook Wall: Solano County Student Art Faire (photos)

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The Solano County Student Art Faire Exhibit opened last night at SCOE’s main office with an artist’s reception. Over 300 art pieces are on exhibit from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Friday, May 24. Our main office is located at 5100 Business Center Drive, across from Costco, in Fairfield. Come by and see the exhibition – we have some incredible artists in Solano County!

via The Solano County Student Art Faire Exhibit opened last night at SCOE’s main off….