|
|
Happy new year from the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) fine arts program! 2022 has barely started, yet we are already seeing incredible work from Virginia's fine arts education programs. Virginia's fine arts education programs strengthen communities and allow students to develop important skills relevant to 21st century workplace readiness such as creative thinking, critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and communication. Thank you to every teacher, student, parent, and education leader who supports and enables outstanding fine arts opportunities for students in Virginia's public schools. Be sure to check out the great collection of local news stories in this month's newsletter.
If you have great news to share about the arts in your school or division, please reach out to Kelly Bisogno, fine arts coordinator at kelly.bisogno@doe.virginia.gov, or Michelle Milligan, fine arts music specialist, at michelle.milligan@doe.virginia.gov.
|
|
VDOE Fine Arts Leadership PLC Meeting
VDOE is hosting opportunities for fine arts division leadership to hear from the VDOE fine arts program staff on current topics facing art education, as well as an opportunity to collaborate as a professional learning community. The next meeting will be held virtually on Friday February 11, 2022 from 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Register here. Meetings are not recorded.
In addition to discussing topics brought by the group, the agenda for the February meeting will include learning about grant opportunities for fine arts education and the 2022 VDOE Innovation in the Arts Project.
|
|
Virginia Art Administrators are Best in the Nation
Congratulations to Andrew Watson for being awarded the National Administration and Supervision Educator of the Year of the National Art Education Association (NAEA). This is the nation's highest honor for an arts education administrator, and we are so lucky to have Andrew here in Virginia! Andrew is the Visual and Performing Arts Supervisor for Newport News Public Schools.
Congratulations to Michael Gettings for being awarded the Southeastern Region of the NAEA Administration and Supervision Educator of the Year award! Michael was the Visual Arts Curriculum Specialist for Chesterfield County Public Schools.
Congratulations to Aaron Stratten for being awarded the Virginia Administration and Supervision Educator of the Year award! Aaron is the Art Education Specialist for Fairfax County Public Schools.
It is an honor to work with all of Virginia's outstanding fine arts administrators! All three of the above administrators have been instrumental in VDOE fine arts projects including the review, revision, and implementation of the 2020 Visual Arts Standards of Learning.
Do you know of other award-winning Virginia fine arts educators and leaders? Please send information to kelly.bisogno@doe.virginia.gov.
|
|
Great News!
Check out these outstanding local news stories featuring Virginia's outstanding fine arts education programs.
-
Suffolk art students to paint downtown area for holidays - SUFFOLK, Va. - Talented Suffolk art students will use their skills to paint and decorate storefront windows in the Downtown area to give a more festive look to the area. On Tuesday and Thursday, over 118 art students from elementary through high school will put their painting skills to use to bring holiday cheer to businesses. Participating schools include Kilby Shores Elementary School – the very first participants when the program started twenty years ago, Elephant’s Fork Elementary School, Southwestern Elementary School, and Oakland Elementary School. Also participating are John Yeates Middle School, John F. Kennedy Middle School, Forest Glen Middle School, Lakeland High School, King’s Fork High School, and Nansemond River High School.
-
For kids grappling with the pandemic's traumas, art classes can be an oasis - (NPR) School's a little different this year, so art teachers are using their classes to help kids cope… Whether it's a mosaic, writing a poem or learning to play an instrument, making art is about solving problems. "That ability to make something from nothing," says James Haywood Rolling Jr., also builds "resilience."
-
Franklin High School theatre troupe makes school history, Tidewater News, 12/9/21 … The 2021 Franklin High School theatre troupe placed second over the weekend at the Virginia High School League Class 1 State Theatre Festival, which is the best finish in the history of the school’s program. “It’s really great,” Franklin Theatre Coach Teri Zurfluh said. “These kids worked really, really hard this season. None of them had ever done competitive theatre.”
-
CES students combining books with music to show life lessons - CROZET, Va. (WVIR) - Students at Crozet Elementary School are combining books and music to put on creative performances. Fourth graders created costumes, sound effects, and props to go along with their performance of The Giving Tree.
-
Charlottesville Ballet offers free dance classes to Walker Upper Elementary School students - CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - Charlottesville Ballet is giving more than 30 huge gifts to students at Walker Upper Elementary. Sara Clayborne is the co-director of Charlottesville Ballet. She and Stacy Reedal, the 5th grade assistant principal, teamed up to bring dance classes to students… Clayborne says this experience is offered to students to give every kid an opportunity to be exposed to dance. Kids were chosen for the “Chance to Dance” scholarship who showed a special interest in the classes brought to the school.
-
New music program coming to Albemarle County Public Schools - ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. (WVIR) - An Albemarle County Public School [Liz Vaughn] orchestra director is starting a new free program for students. Junior Strings prepares elementary school students who will be attending Henley Middle School for orchestra. The goal is to help expand the music program in the older ACPS schools and get rid of barriers for children who want to play, but financially have not been able to.
-
Student musicians from local schools perform holiday classics in 'Sounds of the Season' 2021 - Part 1 and Part 2 - HAMPTON ROADS, Va. - Do you hear what I hear? It's the Sounds of the Season! After a hiatus due to COVID-19, talented student musicians from schools across Hampton Roads are once again performing your favorite holiday classics in this long-running News 3 special program.
-
Art show winners decorate parade route - Mayor Angel McPhaul worked with James A., Holeman, Jr., Principal of Sussex Central Middle School and Art Teacher Joseph Elliott to coordinate student artwork for the Annual Waverly SCYMAC Christmas Parade.
-
Stafford High School theater students to compete for national title - Congratulations to Stafford High School (SHS) Theater Program and theater director, Michael D’Addario for their first-place win at the Virginia Theatre Association conference this fall. The first-place win means Stafford is invited to compete against the top 20 high school theater productions from the southeastern U.S. at the SETC in March.
-
A teacher hoped to connect with students with disabilities. She found a way through music. - The Washington Post - In early 2021, [Annie Ray] approached her principal at Annandale High, Shawn DeRose, to ask permission for a trial run of her vision. He was on board, and she began holding lessons during her planning period for a handful of Cat-B students. They loved it. She loved it, too. In the fall, with DeRose’s encouragement and funding, she expanded the lessons to a full class. This academic year, she is teaching nine Cat-B students for 80 minutes every other day, helped by two school staffers trained to work with special education children.
-
Paint the Plows: Salem High School students show some creativity by decorating snowplows - Students from Matt Bolen’s art class brainstormed ideas and designs and quickly went to work creating designs for the three plows. “Perry The Plowdipus” and “Sub-Zero” were completed on time; however, the third plow, “Shaquille SnowNeal” had to be attached to the truck a bit early and before it was fully complete.
|
|
|
We hope to see many of you at the February Fine Arts Division Leader PLC meeting. Please reach out anytime you have questions, concerns, or ideas related to fine arts education in Virginia public schools.
Sincerely,
Kelly Bisogno and Michelle Milligan
|
|
Contact
Kelly Bisogno, Coordinator of Fine Arts
Virginia Department of Education
kelly.bisogno@doe.virginia.gov
(o) 804-225-2881
(fax) 804-786-1597
P.O. Box 2120
Richmond, VA 23218-2120
Michelle Milligan, Music Specialist
Virginia Department of Education
michelle.milligan@doe.virginia.gov
(o) 804-371-4919
(fax) 804-786-1597
P.O. Box 2120
Richmond, VA 23218-2120
|
|
|
|
|
