This year, all Cherry Chase students will have six weeks of once-a-week lessons in each of the following disciplines: Dance, Visual Arts, Music, and Theatre, for a total of 24 weeks. The lessons will be provided by Starting Arts, a group of skilled, professional artists.
Starting Arts is a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is the promotion and preservation of quality arts education in public schools. Since 2001, Starting Arts has partnered with school communities and districts in the San Francisco Bay area to provide both during and after school programs in visual and performing arts for children in grades K through 12.
Unlike many arts education providers, Starting Arts actively promotes all four arts disciplines: Dance, Theatre, Music and Visual Arts. Starting Arts recruits skilled professional artists eager to share their knowledge and passion with children. Classes are standards-based, offered in both independent (art alone) and integrated subject formats. Starting Arts' instructional focus includes performance/exhibition as well as art knowledge and appreciation. Starting Arts is all about "doing it"!
Tremendous abilities are fostered by arts education. Studies have shown time and again that arts education improves overall academic performance. Acknowledging this, federal, state and local agencies have adopted comprehensive arts education standards in an attempt to plant arts solidly into the core curricula of public schools. Despite this support, budget shortfalls dating back to the 1980's have resulted in the steady disappearance of arts education from schools nationwide.
For more information on Starting Arts, please visit their website at http://www.startingarts.com.
Additionally, www.menc.org/information/advocate/facts.html lists important facts on how music helps our children excel in academics, society and in life.
After-School Cherry Chase Strings Program
We are happy to announce our sixth year of Strings, again with our violin instructor, Mrs. Dana Scoby. Mrs. Scoby is founder of Maestro School of Music and is involved in many orchestral programs throughout the Bay Area.
Lessons will be offered to 1st-5th graders, with Strings Levels 1, 2, and 3/4. The lessons are held once a week after school, Tuesdays and Wednesdays as follows:
Tuesdays:
2:45-3:45 Strings 1 (Group 1T)
3:45-4:45 Strings 3/4
Wednesdays:
2:45-3:45 Strings 1 (Group 1W)
3:45-4:45 Strings 2
Arrive 10 minutes prior to lesson start time. Lessons are held in the library. Lessons begin on September 18, 2007.
Cherry Chase Strings is available to ALL students so there is the possibility of a scholarship if your own budget constraints do not fit at this time. Program donation levels are:
Platinum level: $180
Gold level: $160 RECOMMENDED
Silver level: $130
Bronze level: $100
Fee waivers are possible.
Enrollment deadline is September 11, 2007.
For further information please contact our co-chairs Bradley Ishihara (bishihara@comcast.net) and Cristina Milesi (cristina.milesi@gmail.com).
After School Cherry Chase BandWe would like to welcome our band director, Stacey Lewis, back for her third year at Cherry Chase. Stacey has a lot of new ideas and music for this time around, and she looks forward to seeing many returning students and well as all the new beginners.
After-school band will be offered to 3rd-5th graders. Beginning classes will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:45-3:45 PM. Intermediate Classes will be held on Monday and Wednesdays from 2:45-3:45 PM. Intermediate band players start Monday, September 19, and Beginning band players start Tuesday October 4th.
Fees for the year are still being determined. Band packets with detailed information and authorization form is available at the front office. Forms and money must be in by September 15.
For further information please contact Joan Lewis (lewis357@msn.com) or Sandy Bright (brightsan1@yahoo.com). Thank you for your interest and we hope to see you in the Cherry Chase Band!!
If you would like more information about any of these programs or would like to help with any of them, please email Marie Helene-Bauguil (mhelene@comcast.net).
