RAD – Riverview Art Discoveries

FREE TEACHER PREVIEWS
AT SEATTLE CHILDREN’S THEATRE

      The Seattle Children’s
Theatre invites classroom teachers who have booked their class reservations to
bring one guest to a FREE Teacher Preview Night on the Wednesday night before
the opening night of each new play.  Come see their final production for
this season, The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Other Eric Carle Favorites,
on May 2.  A professional development workshop will be offered from 5:30
to 6:30 pm before this Teacher Preview.  Participants will receive
curriculum exploring the themes and style of the show.  For $10 teachers
may earn three clock hours.  To reserve space in the workshop call (206) 443-0807, extension 1123, or email educationoutreach@sct.org.
For more information about Seattle Children’s Theatre Education programs, visit
http://www.sct.org/forteachers.

THE NATIONAL GALLERY
ONLINE RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS

      From London’s
famous National Gallery, this online resource provides images and information
for the entire National Gallery collection.  Get advice on how to incorporate
paintings into the classroom, review background information on artists, and
download lesson plans for each piece of artwork. To view this valuable teacher
resource, go to www.nationalgallery.org.uk/education/visits/resources.htm

ARTS ED TOOLKIT

      Arts Ed Toolkit is an
education program provided by Ovation TV in partnership with Cable in the
Classroom.  This initiative offers arts teachers a broad range of program
content and education resources, designed to enrich teaching and learning
experiences in the arts.  Toolkit materials are suitable for secondary
students and include video clips of documentaries, films, and complementary
curriculum units that align with the National Visual Arts Standards.
Visit their website at http://ovationtv.com/educators/login.

GET READY NOW FOR ARTS
EDUCATION MONTH

      The Washington
State Arts Commission is again partnering with ArtsEd Washington and the Office of Superintendent of Public
Instruction to proclaim the month of May Arts Education Month,
a celebration of the importance of arts education for all students.
Schools, arts organizations, community groups, and individuals can all get
involved to highlight and help strengthen arts education efforts around the
state.  Start planning now to invite local officials to your arts
education events, and to engage local media in covering the value of arts
education.  The Bethel School Board will make a resolution in support of
arts education at the April 24 meeting at Thompson Elementary.  Tools and
resources to help you promote Arts Education Month in your school
and community are on the Washington State Arts Commission website (http://www.arts.wa.gov/education/arts-education-month.shtml)
and ArtsEd
Washington’s website (http://artsedwashington.org/news/arts-education-month

SEATTLE SYMPHONY’S EDUCATOR DISCOUNTS

Did you know the Seattle Symphony offers a 15% educator discount on their concerts for schools and educators? Simply say that you are a teacher when you call or visit their Ticket Office and you will receive a 15% discount on tickets to most Seattle Symphony performances, whether you are seeking clock hours or just want to enjoy a great concert. For tickets, call the Seattle Symphony Ticket Office at (206) 215-4747 or visit us at the corner of Third Avenue and Union Street in Benaroya Hall, from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm on Mondays through Fridays, or from 1:00 to 6:00 pm on Saturdays. You may also attend a Wyckoff Masterworks Season Concert with a Pre-Concert Talk one hour prior to performance for 3 clock hours through the Washington Music Educators Association (WMEA). A sign-in sheet and registration information will be available at the Head Usher Station in Benaroya Hall’s Grand Lobby.

Ready… Set … ART!

Stillwater Elementary’s 2011 Arts Day took place on Thursday May 19.

“There are no mistakes in art, only opportunities,” said one helper at Arts Day.

 Arts Day is a day where there are different opportunities for creativity, such as visual arts, music, dancing, and theater. Each child chooses four activities to attend. Oil pastels, mosaic, clay, and calligraphy are a few of the many classes available. (Due to an unfortunate event, calligraphy didn’t happen this year.)

There were also dances such as Thriller and hip-hop. Or you could attend theater and all sorts of activities with music, including visual music and drumming. Another thing people do, and which looked interesting, was recycled art, taking old bottles, old forks and utensils, cups and similar items to build wind chimes, houses, and lots of other things.

“Clay sculpture was my favorite activity,” said second-grader Ava Powell. “I also liked theater.” Mikaela Ji also said that clay was her favorite activity.

There were other favorites, such as oil pastels, which was Emily Bodenbender’s favorite art project. Gisselle Cano enjoyed Thriller dance. Another favorite of the students was watercolor, which Sophia Beal enjoyed. Brooke Downing loved drawing.

Parent helpers had lots of fun at Arts Day, too. “It was great,” said Ramona Bodenbender. “I had lots of fun helping the person teaching clay.”

Throughout Arts Day, some of the adults were taking pictures, which were shown at a school assembly at the end of the day.

Arts Day was a fun experience for everyone.

We’re all looking forward to next year’s Arts Day!

                                                                     —Sophie Powell

                                                                        Age 10

                                                                        Stillwater Elementary

Our District has a strong commitment to educating the whole child and therefore to the Arts. An all Arts day has been popular at a few of our Elementary campuses for a few years but this year each and every school will be hosting their own all arts day. What began as a good idea has blossomed into a meaningful day for students, teachers, principals, docents and our community of teaching artist who bring their music, improv, pastels, clay,  watercolor and printmaking ink into our classrooms in hands-on  workshops that leave everyone enriched and smiling. 

• Erma – May 5^th
• Carnation Artastic Day – May 12^th
• Stillwater Arts Day – May 19^th
• Cherry Valley will be bringing  in specialists for workshops through-out the month (not on one day) due to construction.

Please contact the arts team lead at one of the  schools  if you are interested in volunteering to help during one of these All-Arts Days.

Reaching all students, Giving Teachers New Pathways

When Arts Impact began in 1999, the program was founded on key features of successful professional development and education practices: a concept-based approach to teaching and learning, use of performance-based assessments as a shared practice between teacher and student and employing authentic arts integration.

Given the limited amount of time for classroom study based on the wealth of curricula areas in standards-based education, focus on arts-infused learning enables student to identify and apply authentic connections between two or more disciplines and understand essential concepts. 70% of all Riverview teachers have been trained in the Arts Impact model. Foundational arts lessons and integrated arts lessons can now be easily accessessed on the Arts Impact website. http://www.arts-impact.org/lessonplans/