BPS ARTS BLOG

2010-2011 BPS Arts Calendar of Events: Now Available!

2010-10-08T10:28:00.015-04:00

The BPS 2010-2011 Arts Calendar of Events is a practical tool for arts planning through out the school year. It includes District-Wide Arts Professional Development, District-Wide Arts Festivals, and other Arts Events. Please print and post this calendar for your classroom.

Click on the images to enlarge and print:

Opportunities for BPS Students and Teachers

2010-09-13T11:16:00.005-04:00

There are many new opportunities for BPS Teachers, Schools, and Students.

GRANTS, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS, CONTESTS, and MORE!

Check out BPS Arts Website to learn more:
http://bpsarts.org/

Arts Specialists Forum I

2010-09-07T12:30:00.003-04:00

Please join the BPS Arts for
Arts Specialists Forum I September 23, 2010 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Location TBA Details to follow soon...
To register for this event RSVP to Nicole Prefontaine, Arts Technician by Wednesday, September 22nd, 12:00 p.m. nprefontaine@bpsarts.org (617) 635-9653

Irving School Seeking Resources

2010-09-07T12:24:00.004-04:00

Hi All,

I am very excited to share news that we have created three new arts spaces at the Irving Middle School in Roslindale: a black box theater, a dance studio, and a visual arts studio. The spaces have been constructed with major help from Parents, Students, Teachers Administrators, and members of the surrounding Roslindale community of Boston...a true collaboration. The project is part of our "Arts at the Irving" initiative through which 75% of our students will "major" in either Dance, Theater, Visual Art, or Chorus through study of a chosen discipline for two consecutive years! I hope to welcome you to see the spaces soon.

Of course, we still need some help and are seeking resources. In particular, if you know of a way that we can locate a donation any of the following it will be GREATLY appreciated:

1. Black (fire-retardant) stage curtains...10' x 30'

2. Small stage lights...We have a 24 channel board but our par 64's are too large for the space....Baby Lycos or small par cans would work very well....

3. Flats or other scenery

Please contact me if you may be able to support us in locating these resources. I can by contacted through BPS email at: gallen@boston.k12.ma.us. Thank you.

Wishing everyone a great start to the school year!

Greg Allen

Greg Allen, M.F.A., M.Ed

Theater Arts/Chorus Teacher

Irving Middle School

105 Cummins Highway

Roslindale, Ma 02131

$750,000 Arts Grant for the BPS

2009-10-27T16:43:00.003-04:00

If you haven't heard already...

The BPS Arts Expansion Initiative announced earlier today a $750,000 grant from the Wallace Foundation for Arts Planning in the BPS.

The BPS also announced the names of four schools that will receive a VH1 Save the Music award:

Haley Elementary School, Hennigan Elementary School, Everett Elementary School and King K-8 School

Check out this article in today's Globe!

Click here:BPS Arts Expansion Initiative

Congrats to all! And thank you for all the important work you do!

Do the Best You Can With What You've Got!

2009-09-15T19:25:00.002-04:00

If you want to see video of the closing activities during our BPS Arts Institute at Lesley University, visit our BPSArts Home Page and go to the BPS Arts Media section. Enjoy!

BPS ARTS INSTITUTE

2009-09-14T13:01:00.016-04:00

The BPS Arts Institute was great success!

The Arts Institute was hosted by Lesley University on September 9th, 2010. What a wonderful way to open the new school year with approximately 85 Arts Specialists district wide, representing all arts disciplines!

We had the privilege of hearing remarks from Dr. Carol Johnson, BPS Superintendent, Dr. Rev. Gregory Groover, Chairman of the School Committee, Martha McKenna, Provost at Lesley University, Steve Seidel, Harvard University, and Patty Bode, Tufts University.

Dynamic workshops were led by Professional Storyteller, Onawumi Jean Moss, Instructor and Project Director at Lesley University, Sue Cusack, Director of Arts Education at Tufts Universtiy, Patty Bode, and Artistic Director, Anthony Trecek-King and Asst. Artistic Director, Michele Adams of Boston Children's Chorus.

What a great way to kick off the new school year!
Thank you to all who were able to participate!

A very sincere and special thanks to Martha McKenna, Sue Cusack and Lesley University, Dr. Carol Johnson, Dr. Rev. Gregory Groover, Laura Perille and EdVestors, Onawumi Jean Moss, Steve Sidel, Patty Bode, Anthony Trecek-King, Michele Adams and Boston Children's Chorus.

The theme of the Institute was Expect Achievement: Quality Arts Education is Essential for Successful Schools.

Let us know what you think about Expecting Achievement or just let us know what you thought about the Arts Institute. It would be great to hear from you!

Good luck to all Arts Specialists as we begin the new 2009-2010 School Year!

U.S. Secretary of Education Talks About the Arts

2009-08-19T06:59:00.004-04:00

Listen to Mr. Arne Duncan, U. S. Department of Education Secretary, commenting on the role and state of arts education. This sound file includes pre and post interview commentary. Read the letter, listen to this interview and tell us what your thoughts are.

http://www.supportmusic.com/ccc_ArneDuncan.mp3
http://www.supportmusic.com/Arts_Education_Letter.pdf

Arts teachers, we need to get more involved! If we don't want to see our resources and arts funding continue to disappear, we need to do our part to connect with the community and let our elected officials know how we feel about the state of the arts in our city and state. Only if we unite our efforts to actively advocate for the arts we will be successful. There are many state and national organizations out there working hard to bring more arts to our kids. Help out! Find out how you can make a difference. Join our conversation and you will already be making a difference while you connect with colleagues from around the city.

Thinking About Thinking

2009-03-17T20:41:00.005-04:00

What exactly does it mean to think critically? Since thinking is "invisible," how can teachers identify it and recognize when it's taking place? Susan Barahal

Susan Barahal's Thinking About Thinking article was published in the December 2008 edition of the Phi Delta Kappan Magazine. I've included a link here for download. Click on the article image to download a copy.

After reading this article I realized that Susan's challenge to student teachers could also be a call to veteran teachers to think about how we are planning for, and assessing if our students are thinking critically. When you think about the arts in our schools and the arts teachers role in providing the experiences our students need in order to develop critical thinking skills, you realize how important it is for arts educators to consider Susan's question:

What exactly does it mean to think critically? Since thinking is "invisible," how can teachers identify it and recognize when it's taking place? Susan Barahal

I will open these questions to all arts teachers out there. What's your answer?

Governor Declares March Arts Education Month

2009-03-11T20:08:00.002-04:00

Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts has issued a proclamation declaring March as Arts Education Month in Massachusetts. Simultaneously, the MA State Senate passed a strong resolution encouraging communities to support arts education and to publicize arts events around the state. Visit the MAEC website to read more information.

Family Day at the MassArt Galleries

2009-02-26T17:03:00.006-05:00

What a great event. We saw a few Hennigan students there with their parents and Mrs. Clarke-Mason with her family. Read my comments below to find out more.

Original Posting:

This coming Saturday, February 28, MassArt will be celebrating it's first ever FAMILY DAY! Get your portrait done by a student artist and tour the galleries with your family. I will be there with my kids and hope to see you around. Here is a link for more details:

FAMILY DAY AT THE MassArt GALLERIES!

If you attend this event, come back to this blog and let us know if you liked it.

The Arts Advantage: Expanding Arts Education in the Boston Public Schools

2009-02-12T17:27:00.004-05:00

What an exciting time for arts educators in the Boston Public Schools. I say that with excitement and sadness at the same time. BPS is facing very difficult financial challenges which will result in many teacher layoffs. Despite the sad reality of a deep national recession, and the possibility of many of us loosing our jobs, I want to take a few minutes to celebrate the hard work of all who were involved in the effort of considering the state of the arts in the Boston Public Schools. Dr. Carol R. Johnson understands the importance of the arts for our children. In the many years I've been teaching for the Boston Public Schools I've never seen our school department's leadership undertake a task like this one. Dr. Johnson, with the support of The Boston Foundation and many others, have created a Boston Public School's Arts Expansion Planning Team. Did you read that? AN ARTS EXPANSION PLANNING TEAM! Today, the planning team announced their recommendations:

Recommendation #1: Expand Equity and Access

Recommendation #2: Build District Capacity

Recommendation #3: Launch the BPS Arts Expansion Fund

Recommendation #4: Convene High-Level BPS Arts Advisory Board

To read all the details and/or download the full report click here. If you want to hear Dr. Johnson's remarks during the unveiling of this exciting new initiative, look for our podcast. I will be uploading remarks and interviews regarding this event. I also had the chance to have a candid conversation with our new Boston Public Schools Arts Acting Senior Program Director, Cleopatra Knight-Wilkins. Don't miss the interview! LET'S TALK ARTS TEACHERS! Post your comments!

Shepard Fairey in Boston!

2009-01-31T14:41:00.011-05:00

"The ICA is presenting the first museum exhibition of the artist behind the iconic portrait of President Barack Obama. 200 works, including a new mural commissioned for the ICA, trace the influential street artist's 20-year career."
This was an excerpt from the ICA's website and email announcements.

http://www.icaboston.org/exhibitions/exhibit/fairey/

Watch CBS Videos Online

Contours of Inclusion Conference

2009-01-31T14:24:00.003-05:00

The Graduate College of Education at University of Massachusetts, Boston and VSA arts of Massachusetts are partnering to host a conference May 15th, 2009 at UMASS, Boston called "Contours of Inclusion: The intersection between the Arts and Universal Design for Learning." They are inviting all art educators with Boston Public Schools to join them for the day long conference to explore the intersection between arts-based instruction and the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to support learning across disciplines for all students. Tracey Hall, A Senior Researcher, from CAST (The Center for Applied Special Technologies) will be their Keynote Speaker and give participants an introduction to the principles of Universal Design for Learning. The Patrick O'Hearn school will also be highlighted with a performance from the students and a presentation from Bill Henderson, the principal, with a few teachers. The conference is supported by the Partnership for Arts-based Instruction and Inclusion which is a collaboration between VSA arts of Massachusetts, Lesley University and the University of Massachusetts Graduate College of Education. This partnership is funded by the Jessie B. Cox Charitable Trust Fund at The Boston Foundation. PDPs available.

Please click here for a pdf that serves as a "Save the Date" for the conference. They will be posting registration forms with workshops in early March. Learn more...

The Banjo Lesson

2008-12-03T15:25:00.004-05:00

Our very own, Hennigan theatre teacher, Mr. Paul Sedgwick presents The Banjo Lesson, a solo theatre piece with music. I had the great opportunity to view part of this piece at a Boston Public Schools arts workshop. Paul transported us back in time and took us in a magical journey through the history of the banjo. Set this date in your calendars and treat yourself to a masterful theater piece. To learn more about Paul Sedgwick and his work visit www.thebanjolesson.com.

The Banjo Lesson
December 18, 2008 at 7:00 PM
Community Music Center of Boston
34 Warren Ave. Boston, MA

Harvard Radcliffe Orchestra Concert

2008-12-03T15:17:00.003-05:00

The Harvard Radcliffe Orchestra would like to offer the Boston Public School community discounted tickets to their concert on Friday, December 5, 2008 at the Sanders Theatre. Discounted tickets can be purchased for $2.00 at the Box Office at Sanders Theatre starting at 5 pm on the evening of the concert. Tickets can only be purchased at the door in this way and are subject to availability. We have arranged with the Sanders Theatre Box Office for tickets to be $2 each for Boston Public School students, parents, all teachers including music teachers and band directors, and Boston Public School staff members, the Boston Public School community. To get the discount mention the $2 offer for Boston Public Schools.

The concert program is as follows:

Weber - Overture to Oberon
Yannatos - Lear Symphony (No. 6)
David Kravitz, baritone solo
Mahler - Das Lied von der Erde
Jamie Vaneyck, mezzo-soprano
Charles Blandy, Tenor

Sanders Theatre
45 Quincy Street
Cambridge, MA
Free parking at the Broadway Garage
Directions at http://www.boxoffice.harvard.edu/directions.html

Digital Audio Recording Workshop

2008-11-25T05:31:00.005-05:00

What a great tool for music teachers! Those who participated in the digital audio recording workshop received a Tascam TR1 portable digital recorder. Mr. Colin Sapp facilitated the workshop and shared tons of information and tips with workshop participants. Here is a link to a short sound file of the recording activity done by workshop participants. Let me know what you think.

MAEC Leadership Symposium

2008-10-28T19:26:00.004-04:00

Today was the Massachusetts Arts Education Consortium Leadership Symposium at the Zeiterion Theater in New Bedford. I really enjoyed having the opportunity to see many of my colleagues and meet many arts advocates who are working really hard to advance the arts agenda in our state, nationally and internationally. I had the privilege to interview our keynote speaker Ms. Karen L. Erickson. To hear the interview go to the podcast box and click on the play button. The podcast is at the right hand side of this posting. If you attended this symposium, have any thoughts you wish to share about the podcast or the idea of arts advocacy, leave your comments. Click on the comments link to share your thoughts with us.

UTOPIA! VIRTUAL MASTERPIECE!

2008-10-23T17:02:00.003-04:00

During our discussion group at the Roland Hayes yesterday a great art teacher said that we have been denied one of our greatest resources, each other. Our creativity has been reinventing itself in isolation. Now we have the opportunity to reach out and collaborate. Let’s imagine together. Let’s create a virtual masterpiece.

Here is a question for all my colleagues. If you were the principal in your school, if money and resources where plentiful, and if you could hire the best talent out there; how would your school integrate the arts everyday? What kinds of arts programs would you implement? How would your teachers motivate students? How would you use the resources available to you? COME ON, LET YOUR CREATIVE THOUGHTS TAKE OVER! SHARE THEM WITH US!

Museum of Fine Arts Boston

2008-09-28T10:32:00.004-04:00

The MFA offers many programs and FREE professional development opportunities for arts teachers. They offer museum visit + studio experience for students. Transportation grant to get your students to the MFA, etc. Please take a minute and look at their newsletter and also visit their website.

Shakespeare Now High School Art Contest

2008-09-28T10:21:00.003-04:00

The Shakespeare Now Theatre Company is inviting Massachusetts high school students to submit design entries for the program cover of their fall production. This year they are presenting Shakespeare's ROMEO AND JULIET.
Shakespeare Now! Theatre Company also travels to schools with performances of Shakespeare's plays and workshops with students. They may have performed at your school over the past years.
ROMEO AND JULIET will run Nov. 3 - 21, 2008 for students and general audiences at Mass. College of Art, Boston, Ma. The contest winner will have his/her artwork seen by people from all over Massachusetts, and will be credited in the program. For more details about this contest visit www.bpsarts.wikispaces.com.

GIFTED IN THE ARTS TWO DAY CONFERENCE

2008-09-26T17:05:00.002-04:00

What a treat! Honestly. For many of us who attended this two day conference at the Four Points by Sheraton in Norwood this was a great opportunity for networking and getting inspired. I want to thank the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Univesity of Massachusetts, Amherst, all members of the planning team, and all the wonderful students who performed for all of us at the conference. I heard many of my fellow arts educators talk about the sad conditions under which many of us are working and our struggles to turn around our arts programs to better serve our community. It is a reality that the arts are not a priority for many in positions of leadership, yet this conference took place thanks to the leadership of many others who truly support us and our students' right to a well rounded education. Hats off to them! These two days were inspiring. Our conversations exposed the fact that many of us should advocate and get more involved. I hope you take the time to post your thoughts on this blog and join with other arts educators to begin this very important networking process so we can all support each other. Oh yeah, and what about talented students?

Teen Video and Film Program at the ICA

2008-09-21T06:21:00.004-04:00

Hello Everyone,
The information below is from Mr. Joe Douillette.

Hello Teachers, Administrators and Youth Workers!

I run the Fast Forward Teen Video and Film program at the ICA, a filmmaking program provided free of charge to high school students. The work of Fast Forward students has been celebrated around the globe, and many former students have gone on to arts-related colleges and careers. The class meets weekly at the ICA for the full school year, culminating with a screening of work at the ICA on May 8^th, 2009. This year I am accepting 18 new students. I am focusing my recruitment on sophomores and juniors, although any interested student should apply. No experience is necessary. We train the students as long as they are interested in learning and creating. If you have students interested in this opportunity to make video and films, let me know the best way to introduce them to it:

-A short presentation in your classroom
-Fliers, applications and a DVD of work provided for you to distribute
-Free tour of the museum and a presentation in our Digital Studio (during or after school)
-Presentation at an assembly in your school/program
-Provide the student(s) my contact info and have them get in touch with me directly

Our deadline for applications is September 30^th, 2008. So, please, be in touch soon!

Sound Mixing, 3D Design and Filmmaking for High School Students at the ICA in Boston this fall!

2008-09-21T05:58:00.007-04:00

Free for Boston Public School students!
For more information go to www.icateens.org
AND CLICK ON TEEN NEW MEDIA CLASSES
For an application go to http://www.icaboston.org/ica/assets/pdf/TNMP_Application_FA_08.pdf
or contact Krista Dahl at kdahl@icaboston.org or call 617-478-3178
Open House information sessions on October 2^nd, and 9^th, 3 – 6 PM at the ICA.

Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts Card Contest

2008-09-15T17:11:00.003-04:00

The 2008 VLA Holiday Card Contest is here. VLA is looking for artwork from Boston Public High School artists for their holiday cards. Your artwork should reflect the positive vibe of the season: unity, diversity, peace, freedom, winter wonderland... (No religious themes will be eligible.) All artwork must be received or postmarked by Friday, October 24, 2008. For more information visit the VLA Holiday Card Contest site.

OFA Ceramics Program

2008-09-15T16:49:00.008-04:00

Mosaics

Saturday afternoons, 2 - 4 pm

October 18 - November 22, 6 sessions

Sunday mornings, 9 am - 1 pm

January 11 - 25, 3 sessions

Instructor: Lisa Houck

This course will provide an in-depth experience with mosaic design, fabrication, and mounting practices. Each participant will create a mosaic with traditional Italian glass smalti. Participants will gain experience with the unique design potential of this media and learn more about its rich history. The instructor will share her recent experiences with large public and private art commissions for tile and mosaic projects. The $100 lab fee covers the cost of one square foot of materials.

*option: 1 graduate level credit through Framingham State College, Fee $65

Lisa Houck www.lisahouck.com
MFA Tufts University/School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Lisa is interested in creating a world of color and pattern, with compositions that are complex enough to suggest something new each time you view the artwork. Clay and mosaics are her media for public art projects.

To download registration form or view other courses, visit our web site.

For any questions, email Shawn Panepinto or call at 617-495-8680 with any questions.

Office for the Arts at Harvard

Ceramics Program

219 Western Ave.

Boston, MA 02134

t. 617.495.8680

f. 617.496.9787

www.fas.harvard.edu/ceramics

TEEN CURATORIAL PROGRAM

2008-09-14T06:48:00.003-04:00

The Cloud Foundation seeks teens (ages 14 - 19) attending Boston-area Public high schools who want to explore performance, visual art, film, and media and who are ready to try something new!

We're hiring! The Cloud Foundation's Teen Curatorial Program gives teens attending metro-Boston public high schools a chance to critically consider their peers' works of art, film, and performance, and to conceptualize and create a teen event series. The Teen Visual Art, Spoken Word, and Film Curators work with professional artists to create exhibitions, film screenings, and spoken word performances, and to design marketing and promotional materials. The curatorial groups jointly design and coordinate the YouthFusion event series, which brings more than 300 young artists and performers and over 1,000 audience members to Cloud Place every year. All Teen Curators are paid a monthly stipend.
The Teen Visual Art Curators meet on Mondays from 3:30 - 6:00 at Cloud Place
The Teen Film Curators meet on Wednesdays from 3:30 - 6:00 at Cloud Place
The Teen Spoken Word Curators meet Fridays from 3:30 - 6:00 at Cloud Place
To apply and to learn more, visit www.cloudfoundation.org/programs/teencurators.html

FREE ART AND PERFORMANCE WORKSHOPS FOR TEENS!

2008-09-14T06:37:00.000-04:00

Free art and performance workshops for teens led by local, professional artists in the Cloud Place studio, media lab, and performance space at 647 Boylston St. in Boston.

To apply, download an application form at www.cloudfoundation.org/programs/index.html and email it to info@cloudfoundation.org or fax it to 617.262.2848. Application deadline is September 29th.

Contemporary Dance
Tuesdays & Thursdays 3:30 - 6:00pm | September 23 - December 18, 2008
This semester-long class will focus on dance and movement as a means of self-expression. Each class will include a lesson in technique from various disciplines including ballet, jazz, hip-hop, and modern dance with emphasis on understanding basic movement vocabulary. ...read more.

Performance Art
Wednesdays 3:30 - 6:00 | October 1 - December 17, 2008
Don't confuse performance art with theater! Performance artists create live actions using the body to promote (or provoke) a response from their audience. This workshop will look at different ways to approach an audience, and will explore creating work for different types of audiences: public, private, solo, and digital. ... read more.

Art As Process
Saturdays 10:30 - 3:30 (lunch provided) | October 4 - December 13, 2008
A transformative visual art workshop for young people who want the challenge of investigating new and unique ways of making art and expressing their own ideas visually. The workshop explores painting, drawing, sculpture, and other media with an eye toward combining materials in unusual ways. ... read more.

Digital Animation
Saturdays 10:30 - 2:30 (lunch provided) | October 18 - December 13, 2008
This 8-week workshop introduces teens to the principles of digital animation from flipbooks, to pixilation, to stop-motion, to claymation and puppetry. Participants learn to use a variety of animation software platforms to create their own short animated films in the Cloud Place media lab. ... read more.

If you have any questions about the Teen Curatorial Program or the Artists' Workshops, please contact Cloud Place at 617.262.2949 or info@cloudfoundation.org

From the Top

2008-09-02T20:53:00.006-04:00

From the Top celebrates the passion, dedication and personal stories of the nation’s outstanding young classical musicians. Through entertaining radio and television broadcasts, online media, and a national tour of live events and outreach programs, these performers inspire the pursuit of excellence, and encourage participation in the arts as an integral part of a vibrant and civil society.

From the Top’s training and mentorship programs prepare young musicians to connect with new audiences, serve as positive peer role models, and give back to their communities in many ways.

From the Top records its NPR radio and PBS television programs before live audiences across the country. From the Top is pleased to extend a discount of $5 off for Boston Public Schools families for radio tapings at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall in Boston. Find upcoming shows at www.fromthetop.org, and redeem the BPS discount at the box office.

2008/2009 Annual Children's Art Exhibition

2008-09-02T20:23:00.004-04:00

This year's theme asks children to express how they are and can be a hero for the planet. Educators and parents may upload children's artworks to the Crayola Online Gallery by November 1, 2008. For more details about the prices and instructions visit www.crayola.com/artexpo

processTHIS: Conversations in Photography

2008-08-30T21:36:00.004-04:00

The Photographic Resource Center at Boston University is thrilled to host its third year of processTHIS, which was developed to bring students from a variety of schools together to study, discuss, and create photography/art, and meet masters in the field. Last year students had the opportunity to meet with photo luminaries including Andrea Robbins & Max Becher, Arno Rafael Minkkinen, Ralph Gibson, and Tina Barney, in addition to creating a book of their own work. You can listen to the students' interviews on the website.

http://www.bu.edu/prc/youthed.htm

TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM, SCHEDULE A TOUR OR VIEW THEIR BROCHURE DOWNLOAD THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS FROM

http://bpsarts.wikispaces.com/DOCUMENTS

HURRY! HURRY! THEIR APPLICATION DEADLINE IS Monday, September 22, 2008.

What's a VoiceThread anyway?

2008-08-24T18:40:00.005-04:00

I am so excited about this new tool. I know that all of you arts people will loooooove it! Voicethread allows you to upload videos, images, documents, presentations or a combination of media. Once its uploaded you can have several individuals sign in to your voicethread and comment, critique, or contribute to your ideas. You have to take a look at this. I think I will use it with my VTS project. ENJOY! Then let me know what you think. Post your comments please. I'd love to hear from you. VISIT THEIR WEBSITE DIRECTLY TO CREATE YOUR OWN VOICETHREAD.

New Teacher Institute 2008

2008-08-21T17:24:00.008-04:00

This afternoon was the New Teacher Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston. A few experienced arts educators met our new arts teachers. We shared lots of valuable information and had some great idea exchanges. I want to take this opportunity to send our new teachers this message:

Welcome new arts teachers!
It was great to see you all this afternoon at UMass. Hopefully you learned a few tricks that will help you face the challenges ahead. Boston Public Schools is a challenging school department but one that has a lot to offer. I'm sure that with a little creativity you'll be able to have a great time and learn a lot from your students. Keep in touch. Feel free to post to our blog or wiki. Don't feel that you are by yourselves, we are here to help and share ideas!

To hear some of our comments browse through our podcast. To hear today's recordings click on the New Teacher Institute podcast play button. If you wish to download any of the pictures just double click on the slideshow.

The day was absolutely gorgeous so we took some outdoor pictures around UMass. Enjoy the slideshow!

Kids In Need Teacher Grant Upcoming Deadline. Hurry!

2008-08-20T18:16:00.004-04:00

THE DEADLINE FOR ALL GRANT APPLICATIONS IS SEPTEMBER 30, 2008.

Kids in Need Teacher Grants provide K-12 educators with funding to provide innovative learning opportunities for their students. The Kids In Need Foundation helps to engage students in the learning process by supporting our most creative and important educational resource--our nations' teachers. Applications for the 2008 Teacher Grants are available here.

This was an excerpt from the Kids In Need website.

You could receive between $100 and $500 to fund a great classroom project! Take a look at their webpage for more details and examples of projects. Fill out as many applications as you can. Good luck!

http://kidsinneed.net

Mildred Avenue Theatre Troupe Wins Gold Medal!

2008-06-20T08:23:00.005-04:00

Congratulations to the Mildred Avenue Middle School theatre troupe! The BPS arts community is proud to announce your great accomplishment!

The theater troupe from the Mildred Avenue Middle School in Mattapan recently brought home a gold medal from the Massachusetts Middle School Drama Festival, held on May 3, 2008. Several students also earned acting awards.
The Mildred Avenue Drama Club impressed the judges with their performance of The Dancers, a one-act play by Horton Foote, at the competition held at Mildred Avenue Middle School. There were 27 participating middle schools from throughout the state.
The production was directed by theater arts teacher Stephanie Fredericks. Four students from the school won "Excellence in Acting" awards: seventh grader Julie Vo, seventh grader Jahmar Lewis of Dorchester, eighth grader Ayesha Butler of Roxbury, and sixth grader Keturah Brewster of Dorchester.

A few excerpts from the judges write ups:

"The cast sank its teeth into this play from the first moment and never let loose...This opening scene establishes a few of the riches of this cast: these actors are so distinct, so much larger than life, but completely believable. The more they commit to the truth of their action, the more hilarious it becomes, without having to 'play' the comedy. The performances are so truthful, and the relationships so believable, because these actors have clearly been encouraged and allowed to use themselves, rather than trying to create a character."

"The remarkable thing about this entire production is that the cast was able to sustain the energy, the concentration and the commitment over the entire piece. Congratulations on creating a fine piece of theatre."

"The cast and crew certanly deserved every whoop and holler they earned from their audience! Bravo for such a mature and well-realized piece of theatre."

The Hennigan School presents "Mouse Tales"

2008-06-11T11:47:00.002-04:00

Please join our school community and enjoy this wonderful performance by Hennigan students. Mouse Tales is free to all with a suggested donation of $1.00 to help pay for the theatre rental. The play will be on Wednesday and Thursday, June 11th and 12th, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. in the Media/Arts Building Auditorium at Roxbury Community College.
The theater building is located at the corner of Columbus Ave. and Malcom X Boulevard, across from the Roxbury Crossing MBTA station, the Reggie Lewis Athletic Center, and Madison Park High School. Limited on-street parking is available as well as a parking lot at the corner of Columbus Ave. and Cedar Street. Hope to see you there!

New BPS ARTS Podcast!

2008-05-28T21:07:00.002-04:00

Here is another resource to enable more communication between bps arts educators. The new BPS ARTS podcast will feature interviews with teachers, students and others in our school community. Listen to our first interview. Greg Gazzola and Gina Quigley comment on this new blog. To hear or subscribe to this podcast just follow the instructions on the podcast icon. Give us ideas for this new resource. Which interviews or topics would you like to hear about in our podcast?

PBS Design Squad Competition

2008-05-16T11:52:00.004-04:00

Hi Everyone,
I got an email from WGBH about the TRASH TO TREASURE competition. I'm thinking about combining this with my industrial design lesson. I'll also encourage my son and my daughter to create a few designs. Here is the information:

Recycle, reuse, and re-engineer everyday materials into an out-of-the-box invention.
Your invention should:
• Move things or people or
• Protect the environment or
• Be used for indoor or outdoor play

GRAND PRIZE
• $10,000
• A Dell™ laptop powered
by Intel®
• A trip to Boston to
see your design built

4 FINALISTS
Receive Dell™ laptops powered by Intel®

The winner and his or her product will appear on
the Design Squad™ show or Web site!
For ages 5–-19. Enter online from April 1 to June 30, 2008

Design Squad Website

Visual Arts Senior Exhibition "Handful of Madness"

2008-05-14T16:08:00.001-04:00

Comment from Kathleen Marsh:

Hi and thanks for developing this forum! I wanted to let everyone know about the Visual Arts Senior Exhibition entitled "Handful of Madness" at Boston Arts Academy. It is up for the rest of the month...I invite any teachers who would like to bring kids to come to the exhibition, the seniors would love to host you. Let me know your good times--contact me at kmarsh@bostonartsacademy.org.

ARTS PEOPLE, LET'S TALK!

2008-05-12T19:00:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the BPS ARTS teachers blog. Let us know what you're doing. There is so much action going on in our classrooms and so little time to share ideas! Hopefully our blog will help us communicate more often, share resources, discover new tools, and learn about what's happening with the Arts around the world. Come on, don't be shy! Let us know what's going on in your school. Tell us about the new things happening with your art program. Share new ideas with other arts teachers. Share your success and your challenges with us. We are all here to help!

WHAT IN THE WORLD IS A WIKISPACE?

2008-05-12T18:38:00.000-04:00

What in the world is a wiki? It's a software which allows communities to share information fast through the internet. When you create a wikispace you are creating a webpage that could be edited by multiple people. You also have the option to lock pages so that only the owner of that wiki could edit. You could assign privileges to specific members so they can edit pages. Wikis include many cool features to allow us to communicate. One of them is the discussion forums. This is one of my favorite features. A wikispace could have multiple pages. Each page comes equipped with it's own discussion forum. For example, we have a wikispace called BPS ARTS. Within this BPS ARTS wikispace we have the following pages: VISUAL ARTS, MUSIC, DRAMA, DANCE, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, EVENTS, DOCUMENTS AND HOME.

If you are a visual arts teacher, like me, you might visit the VISUAL ARTS page regularly. You can click on the discussion tab to leave a comment about an upcoming activity at your school, or a request for ideas for your next art project, etc. The next day, another teacher might read your comment and leave you a reply. IT'S ALL ABOUT COMMUNICATION! Let's take advantage of it. Learn how to navigate through our wikispace. Leave your ideas, questions or comments. Share events with the rest of our BPS ARTS community!

BPS ARTS WIKISPACE

Grace Aznive Scholarship

2008-05-08T21:02:00.005-04:00

It's time for the Grace Aznive Scholarship contest. Portfolios are due in the BPS Arts Office on Friday, May 23rd at 12:00 PM. Any BPS high school senior who is planning to be a visual arts major at a post-secondary institution may apply for the $1000 scholarship. Students who have already submitted their artwork to the advanced placement board may submit digital images. Awards will be announced on Friday, May 30, 2008. For more information on rules, regulations, and how to apply, visit our wikispace.

BALLROOM DANCING WORKSHOP April 12, 2008

2008-04-27T20:40:00.002-04:00

Dan and Dierdre Radler of Ballroom Dance New England, both nationally recognized and award winning ballroom dancers, came to the Boston Teachers Union on Saturday, April 12th to give a three hour workshop for Boston Public School teachers and staff. Participants learned the Fox Trot and the Salsa, as well as receiving a free DVD and 3 PDPs.

2008 Youth Arts Month Exhibit

2008-04-06T16:41:00.003-04:00

Congratulations to all student artists from Boston Public Schools for sharing their talents with all of us. Their wonderful artworks were exhibited at the Mayor's Youth Arts Month Exhibit in Boston City Hall. This exhibit will be up until May 5, 2008. Special thanks to Greg, Gina and Nancy for their hard work to make this exhibit a success. Congratulations to all BPS arts teachers and families who constantly support our students and made this event possible. We commend our new Superintendent, Dr. Carol Johnson, for her kind words and support to our students, families, teachers and principals. Here is a short video for those of you who couldn't make it, and those of you who want to enjoy it again. Watch our new Dr. Johnson give a speech to promote the arts.