ARTS NEWSLETTER #6- 19 APRIL 2007
GREETINGS FROM ARGY’S CUBBY with a view of the STATE HOUSE DOME at the Department of Education
ART’S NEWS
I hope your vacation is wonderful! I didn’t seen much of the statehouse dome the last week before school vacation, I spent most of it in beautiful Aroostook County visiting schools in Presque Isle, Caribou, Fort Fairfield and Fort Kent. My first stop was the Presque Isle Mall where I had the chance to see the artwork from Presque Isle Schools and musical performances by students in grades K-12. It was a great example of a long-term partnership with the business world and schools. The mall was crowded with students, school personnel, and community members. I went on to visit 16 arts classrooms in 10 schools, spoke with 8 administrators and met with 24 arts teachers. Much to my surprise my last day was a snow day for Fort Kent Schools (something that is rare in that part of the state). Once again I am reminded of how much we have to be proud of, teachers doing superb work with kids in arts classrooms. My only disappointment was that I didn’t see any moose during my travels.
NEWSLETTER
Three hundred and sixty three (363) people are receiving the Arts newsletter through the Arts List-serve. I am hoping there will be 400 by June 1st. If your colleagues are not receiving the newsletter and wish to, please email me so I can add them argy.nestor@maine.gov
DANCE EDUCATION WEEK
Let’s celebrate with Maine dance educators National Dance Week- April 20-29. www.nationaldanceweek.org ...and World Dance Day is April 29! This year's theme is "Children of the World" www.cid-unesco.org WHOOOO HOOOOO! Dance up and down the hall, dance in class, dance in the teacher’s room, grab a partner or dance alone. Just dance!!!
ARTS CONFERENCE-Oct. 5,6, 2007
A state-wide arts conference sponsored by 7 of our professional arts organizations in partnership with the Department of Education will take place at the Samoset in Rockport. THANK YOU if you let me know of your plans to attend. If you have not emailed me and think you might want to attend, please drop me a note argy.nestor@maine.gov before April 26th (our next planning meeting for the conference). If you have communicated with someone in your professional organization, please don’t respond to me as well. We just need a tentative number (this is not a definite commitment) to inform the Samoset.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE-ARTS BILL
Attached is the information on LD 1385- An Act to Strengthen Arts Education.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE-SCHOOL DISTRICT REORGANIZATION
The Appropriations subcommittee on education presented its proposal to the full Appropriations Committee on Monday, April 9th. Attached are the details of that Reorganization plan.
TEACHER OF THE YEAR
The arts were well represented recently at the state house while four arts teachers were recognized. Their school districts nominated them to be the 2008 Maine Teacher of the Year. Please send them a note and congratulate them. Music teacher Joe Fagnant, Houlton High School, 7 Bird Street, Houlton, 04730; Art teacher Charlie Johnson, Mt. Desert Island High School, 1081 Eagle Lake Rd PO Box 180, Mt. Desert, 04660; Music teacher George Shabo, Loranger Middle School, 148 Saco Ave., Old Orchard Beach, 04061; and Music teacher Kris Vigue, 199 State St., Stearns High School, Millinocket, 04462. Charlie and George have been selected as regional finalists. YAHOOOO! The next step will be a visit to each of their schools from the selection committee. This is a great opportunity for them to demonstrate all of the good work that each of you do in your classrooms and the integral part the arts play in educating children. We are soooooooo proud of you and wish you well as you enter the next phase in the selection process!!
IN THE NEWS
Gray-New Gloucester Middle School Music teacher Gretchen Preneta and art teacher Barbara Weed have worked with 6th, 7th and 8th graders to create illustrated songbooks filled with traditional Haitian and American music. For more information please see the attached article (or try the link) from the Portland Press Herald, April 5th. http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/local/070405haiti.html
If you are in the news please send me the link argy.nestor@maine.gov
ARTS ARTICLES
Art-Centered School Reform Model Yields Results
http://www.worldandi.com/subscribers/printversion.asp?num=25386
WEB SITES and BLOGS
*** Two web pages with student artwork, ideas and units you might want to check out http://fc.sad57.k12.me.us/~MJHS_Art/ and http://union.msad40.org/art.htm The first is from Lucille C. Hussey, art teacher at Massabesic Middle School and the second are pages from D.R. Gaul Middle School in Union where I taught for many years.
*** Lisa Gilman has created a blog that is being used to document the art work that Winthrop Middle School students are doing in the creation of a wall. Students are working with Lisa, children’s book writer Margy Burns Knight, and graduates of Winthrop High School who presently attend art school. If you want to learn more please go to Lisa’s blog http://wmsart.blogspot.com/
Anyone else have an arts blog or arts web pages? Please let me know argy.nestor@maine.gov so I can learn more.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
*** Figures of Speech Theatre, a puppet/actor/movement theater based in Freeport, is looking for a performer with solid acting skills, a good sense of movement, and a flexible schedule to do regional touring with Far East - Tales from China and Japan. We'll teach the puppetry skills! If you're interested in consideration, please send info to Carol Farrell at figures@concentric.net ***Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, in Newcastle, is seeking an energetic, business oriented, Executive Director to steward the organization through its next level of expansion. Applications are due April 30th. For more information please contact: Kate Blacklock, Chair, Executive Director Search Committee, kateblacklock@cox.net
If you know of arts teaching positions or other related jobs and would like them included in this newsletter please send them to me argy.nestor@maine.gov
GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
If you are interested please check out the attachment of grant opportunities.
Argy’s Arts Blog
Thank you to those that have posted comments on the Arts Blog. If you have not had a chance to go there please do so, read what others are saying and post a comment. Thanks! http://mearts.edublogs.org/
OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
*** Some of you may have seen this product. Ray Miller and an engineer friend created the Hear Fones. They are designed to give you acoustic feedback of your own voice. Please go to http://www.hearfones.com/ if you are interested in learning more.
*** Songs that Teach is a website with ideas for integrating music with other content and a variety of other resources: http://www.sara-jordan.com/
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
*** If you are interested in a professional development opportunity in technology please email Barbara Greenstone (MLTI specialist) bgreenstone@mainelearns.org or me argy.nestor@maine.gov and we can make arrangements.
*** MEPAN conference…. Maine Performing Arts Network spring conference is taking place outside of Bath, at the Sebasco Harbor Resort, May 14 and 15th. The conference entitled: “Performing Arts New England: Building Knowledge & Connections” will bring together presenters, artists, and representatives from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the New England Foundation for the Arts, and the Maine Arts Commission. Registration and more details are available at www.mepan.org.
HONDA’S COOL COMMERCIAL
If you haven’t seen Honda’s cool commercial PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE take a minute and click on the link. It will be well worth your time! For those of you that want to learn more about Honda’s Cool Commercial check out the attachment!
http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/honda.php
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"In a world that is changing as rapidly as the world is changing today, what is really important in a work force is to have creative people. And I can't think of a better way to train people to be creative than to train them in the arts.”
Marilda Gandara Alfonso, President and Executive Director, Aetna Foundation, Inc.
