June 15, 2018 Wrappin' Up the Wrap Up

What did WE do?

I wanted to share out one last Blog for the end of the 2017/18 school year, before you all get to cleaning up, wrapping up the year and saying farewell to your students...  This year, we...

• Received almost $10,000 in grants to support art and music projects and programs
• Engaged in Learning Walks to identify where we are in lesson planning and use of content vocabulary
• Engaged in Professional Development in content specific groups including:
• Blended Learning- Using Blendspace and Video Tutorials
• Accountable Talk in Art and Music
• Close Reading in Art and Music
• NAfMe Music Webinars
• Engaging Students in Music Through Movement
• Using the Google Classroom
• Station Rotation
• All City Performance Planning
• Curriculum Mapping with Live Links
• UMD Assessment in Music
• And More!
• Taught over 1,000 students to play an instrument
• Performed at Parades and Performances, both in our schools and in the community
• Held Amazing Musicals!
• Had students win Scholastic Art Awards!
• Had an Art Ap 2D Student granted full tuition for 4 years at Mass College of Art!
• Organized several weekly practice nights for Band and Orchsetra students to practice for Cll City, as well as Chorus!
• Competed in METG Theatre Competition
• Sent students to perform in SEMSBA Festivals
• Sent Band, Orchestra, Chorus and Theatre students to Disney 
• Had hundreds of parents and community members at the Annual K-12 Arts Expo- Thousands of pieces of art were presented for the community to see
• Had the first Festival of the Arts night in conjunction with the Durfee Spring Concert- what a success!
• Art teachers participated in school based events by sharing art work in Multi-cultural Nights, Parent Nights or Shows
• Art teachers participated in fund raisers for schools
• Music teachers helped in making graduations a success by prepping students for songs/performances
• AP 2D Art and Music Theory Students worked soooo hard- fingers crossed for high scores!
• I've probably forgotten tons!

And most recently, the Durfee Alumni Concert was held in the Nagle Auditorium, and the Jazz Band did an AWESOME JOB playing and premiering a MARY ZEMA ORIGINAL called "Fuego."   Mary said that the students were amazing to work with and Matt MacMullen was gracious enough to take on this challenging piece with his students!  Ms. Zema even got to play along with the band!  Such a great tradition and event... Thank you to all who worked so hard to make it a success...  Lara Beth Terry, Gary Bigelow, Nicole Laprise, Jay Treloar, and the whole team!  What a great night!

All of this work would not have happened without you, directly or indirectly- whether you are an elementary, middle or high school teacher, you had an impact on Our Kids and Our Programs.  Thank you, thank you!  

Planning for Next Year:

• I am looking at all recommendations in evaluations to build next year's PD menu.  This way, teachers can draft their professional practice goals to identify areas of need, and I can support those needs through PD time.
• In addition, I am noticing a few teachers would like to refresh their memories on the use of Blendspace and FlipGrid, so we will revisit those on a needs only basis.
• I will continue to provide time for mapping the curriculum as needed, so that teachers can update the living shared documents with live links to all lessons in Blendspace.
• I have submitted all supply orders- you should see those soon.  Please clean out storage areas and make room for new supplies for the first half of the school year
• Buildings are sharing their Master Schedules with us, so as soon as I have all of the elementary schedules, I will hand them over to Band and Orchestra teachers so they can build their schedules.  As soon as they have these, they will reach out to building principals to let them know when they will serve the 4th and 5th grades.
• Next year's calendar of events will be shared with all staff in an email by the last week of the year, so teachers can plan.  The K-12 Arts Expo is set for Thursday, April 25th, with Durfee Concert (part I), and the Durfee Festival of the Arts is the Thursday May 2nd with DHS Concert (part II).  We will be dividing up the Durfee Concert next year into two evenings, so that Chorus, Band, Jazz Band, Orchestra don't have to condense repertoire.   They will perform on the consecutive Thursday evenings right after the Art Shows.

I decided to have some fun with this end of the year Blog thing...  here goes.  

End of the Year Fine and Performing Arts Teacher Superlatives

• Most likely to have one million friends- Nicole Laprise, Linda Cabral

• Most likely to be found enjoying nature- Katie Grinnell, Mark Carvalho

• Most likely to bring a pet to school- Heather Pereira, Karen Souza

• Most likely to be seen on the big screen- Gary Bigelow, Lara Beth Terry

• Most likely to win Jeopardy- Don Smith, Jayson Newell

• Most likely to travel the world- Valerie Martin, Stephan Hettinger

• Most likely to throw it down in a rap battle- Kelsey Raposa, Bill Brown

• Best advice and artsy wisdom- Ana Arsenio, Brenda Gaudette

• Most friendly- Caroline Herrero, Emily Plunkett

• Most enthusiastic- Alex Ollivierre, Jenn Mattei

• Most likely to create world peace- Rochelle Petttenatti, Bob Beauregard

• Best musical wizards- Zack Roberts, Jodie Laprise

• Most likely to pull a Thelma and Louise- Barbara Mullen, Christine Mandeville

• Most distinguishable voice- Sondra Arnold, Gary Bigelow 

• Most school spirit- Matt MacMullen, Becky Jontos

• Most Likely to break out in song in an elevator- Michela Gardner, Mary Zema (wouldn't THAT be a duet?)

• Most likely to be found in an art store throwing down $$- Steph Pereira, Sharon Arruda

• Best Mona Lisa Smile- Karen Graca, Steph Tierno
• Most able to shift teaching gears from K to 5 in .6 seconds- Deb DaCosta, Beth Laginess

• Best teacher poker face, regardless of how silly the students get- Deb Cabral, Teresa Moniz

• Best wardrobe (including necklace made by a student)- Kerin McGillicudy

• Scariest teacher/death glare- Victoria Arons, Jay Treloar 
• Most likely to be mistaken for a student- Victoria Arons and Chelsea Valois hahahhah

• Most likely to scold you for eating food near the computers (and not sharing)- James Barron

Most likely to be eating food near the computers- Fitz Lamarre  ;)

• Most Likely to Be Accidentally Called Mom/Dad- Donna Murray, David Arruda

• Most likely to catch a student texting in class- Linda Cabral, Sandra Tavares

So, I am excited to end another year with you all, and even more excited to start it all up again in August!  Have a wonderful vacation- get some rest, have some fun, try new things and see you on Tuesday, August 28th at the FRPS Orientation Day!

Jackie

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And it's JUNE!

Love these ladies!

Congratulations to Audrey and Mallory Figueiredo and Samantha McCauley who were awarded the 2018 Durfee Junior Book Awards for Art and Music

Kuss Orchestra at the Lake Compounce Adjudication Festival!

I absolutely CANNOT believe it is June.  Where did this year go?  

As the last month of our school year begins, I want to share a little poem written by a 5th Grader at Spencer Borden as she reflected on our BIG 5th Grade Trip to the Rhode Island Philharmonic last week..  Valerie Martin shared it:

As a follow up to our visit to the Providence Philharmonic I asked fifth grade to write acrostic poems to reflect upon their their experience.  Although there were many lovely and funny results, I especially wanted to share this one by Sonija Wang...

Music we can not see

Unique sound fills the hall

Songs we play with our souls 

I see and I feel along 

Conductor giving instructions 

How cool is that?  It's this type of learning experience that I feel builds culture and aesthetic appreciation in Our Kids.  Let's keep planning great experiences like these so our students build a love for the arts, and can express that love and appreciation with words like Sonija's.

In the News This Week:

• K-8 Monthly Department Meeting was Thursday.  Here are some outcomes of the meetings:
• K-5 Art- Reflecting on tasks in K-5 Curriculum Map, teachers listed the new art tools they would like to use next year across the district to ensure they are all differentiating for learners with similar art tools..  Here are the items I will be looking to purchase for next school year:
• (They came up with a list of materials that if the department would add to our supply list for next year. Many are great for adaptations for children’s with disabilities and to differentiate lessons) We also talked about using these things at station rotations!  Thank you to all who attended!
  
  
  Bingo Daubers
  Finger sponge daubers
  Mask modes (to make masks) 
  Plaster wrap
  Papier-mâché mix
  Texture plates
  Foam rollers
  Paint scrapers
  Chalk pastels 
• K-5 Music: Teachers reflected on the RI Phil Event, discussed need to add Blendspace Links to K-5 Music Map, and listed some feedback to work on for next year:
• We cherish the workbooks.  We hope they don’t go away!
• Students overall enjoyed it and wished the trip was longer.
• We would have liked another listening piece.
• The Friday before Memorial Day is tough.  A different day would be better.
• In addition, teachers discussed the option to attend the Zeiterion's 2019 Concert:
• 3rd Grade: Learning in Concert- All schools present at the meeting would love to be involved.  Letourneau, Fonseca, Henry Lord, Doran, Greene, & Viveiros
• 6-8 Music and Art Team:
• We discussed the professional practice team goal for the 2018/19 School Year, and how that can support us in building a simple, user friendly 6-8 Map (similar to the K-5 Art Map) with links to Blendspaces and Power Points on the Drive.  Part of our PD time each month will be allotted to this goal, and we will be implementing a monthly department "virtual meeting" time where teachers will log into the drive on the last Thursday of the month for an hour to add curriculum to the map.  I will monitor input using the revision history.  Moving into the tech world!
• Here is a link to the curriculum map for Art K-5: LINK
• The professional practice team goal will be shared with the team in September, but will sound something like: The Middle School Art and Music teams will collaborate (via the drive during professional development time) to build a Curriculum Map that includes Objectives, Lesson Plans, Links to Blendspaces/Presentations and other resources.  All teachers will contribute components of the map to ensure collaboration and consistency across the district's middle schools.  

Calendar Items:

• Durfee Sculpture Exhibit at the Narrows!  See LINK
• Durfee Graduation- Friday June 8th- 7PM
• Band Parent Night- Monday June 4
• String Parent Night- Tuesday June 5
• Durfee Faculty Meeting- Tuesday June 12
• Durfee Alumni Concert- Wednesday June 13

Have a wonderful weekend!

Jackie

Memorial Day Weekend!

Greetings ARTS BLOG friends!

As we jump into this long weekend (the last weekend in May!), we salute our heroes all around us, through our actions, our art and our music.  This weekend, Durfee Band and Chorus will be performing at three events in support and dedication to those who have served our country.  They will perform today at Oak Grove Cemetery, followed by the Salute to Heroes Tribute.  On Monday, the band will march in the Memorial Day Parade, accompanied by fellow middle school band members.

In the news this week...

Check out these bugs that are popping up all over Durfee!  Ms. Pereira's students have designed and constructed these crazy big insects and they will be causing an "interactive infestation" of our office spaces!  So fun!

And here are a few seniors creating their annual tribute mural on the walls of Durfee High School!

Here are a few pictures from Morton's Arts Night!  

Great work!

And a pic of the Durfee Band getting seniors PUMPED at the First Annual College Signing Ceremony!

But, take a look at the Letourneau 5th Graders ready to ROCK THE HOUSE at the Rhode Island Philharmonic, as they were asked to perform ON STAGE! In front of THOUSANDS!  Woooo Hoooo!

And the Durfee Band and Chorus at today's Oak Grove Cemetery/Salute to Heroes Celebrations (with a quick stop at McDondald's to REFUEL...)

So proud of all of these accomplishments...  
Great work, FRPS Arts Fam!

In addition, the BMC Durfee High School Senior Awards Ceremony was held Thursday evening, and the following students were given a dedicatory book award:

Music Award- Dan Mello, Reece Ashley

Theater Award- Aryana Webb, Zachary Medina

Visual Art Award- Nichel Nhem, Nolin Freitas

Renaissance Award- Zachary Medina, Zachary Broome

So proud of OUR KIDS!

Here are some calendar items...

• Monthly Department Meeting for K-8 Teachers is THURSDAY MAY 31st!  We will meet as follows:

• K-5 Art- Meet at Silvia Elementary at 3:45

• K-5 Music- Meet at Letourneau at 3:45

• 6-8 Music- Meet in my office at Durfee at 3:45

• 6-8 Art- Meet in room 77 (near my office) at 3:40

• The Durfee Band and Chorus will be traveling to perform at three events for Memorial Day weekend- Two on Friday the 25th (Oak Grove Cemetery and Salute to Heroes), and then the Memorial Day Parade on Monday!

• Teachers on one year plans should have had their Summative Meetings with evaluators by Friday May 25th.

• Teachers on two year plans should be completing their collection of evidence and scheduling their meetings with evaluators- All two year evaluations are due by 6/08 to district.

• Thursday, May 31st- K-8 Department Meeting

• Doran Fine Arts, Art Show and Concert, June 13th, 3:30 to 5PM

• Middle School Concerts:

• Talbot- June 6th- Spring Concert/Arts Festival 6:30PM
• Kuss- May 29th 7PM
• Morton- June 11th 7PM

Have a wonderful long weekend!

Jackie

Spring is in the AIR! 5/18/18

Happiness is... an AP Art student after they submit that PORTFOLIO!!!!  Best of luck to them!  Here are a few of our very tired AP Students doing what they LOVE...

Reflecting on our growth and the season...
Spring has definitely sprung...  As I visit schools, I see students outside at recess having an awesome time in the sun- no more winter coats! The trees are green, and my allergies are a mess! Woo-hoo! 

The Annual Durfee Spring Concert and Arts Festival went off with a BANG last week, "Kicking Off the Season" for other K-8 schools' shows and concerts, inviting the community to be a part of what we do and celebrate each year.  And what an amazing show it was!  In reflection, we are thinking about planning the 2018/19 Spring Concerts as a "Dual Evening Event."  This means that Orchestra would perform on the night of the K-12 Arts Expo, and one week after, Band and Choral groups would perform during the night of the Durfee Arts Festival.  Reason being?  We are growing!  As a department, we will come up with final dates and share those with you next week (the 2018/19 School Calendar is out- time to plan!)

In the Fine Arts world, we have also seen growth!  Our numbers are up in art classes at Durfee, and that is the outcome of a great, solid K-12 arts education program.  Kudos to you all for planning lessons that are rigorous and challenging for our kids, and also letting them have the freedom to make artistic choices along this journey.  The Sculpture students' work for the Quequechan Rail Trail Project will be displayed AT THE NARROWS from May 28th to June 25th.  They will be included in a gallery of work from a variety of local artists, and the focus of the show is our cities mill history.  Kudos to Barbara Mullen and her students, as well as Ms. Pereira and Ms. Gaudette who assisted!  These amazing 12 shoes will be returning to Durfee after the Narrows show, to be displayed in the main entrance..  So cool!

Puttin' a little BUG in your ear... Ms. Pereira's Art Foundation students are sculpting insects to create an art installation at Durfee!

Tid Bits:

• ART: I have received supply orders from art faculty, and will submit these to Russ Lewis once I approve them.  Thank you!  You should see the supplies soon for the 2018 Fall Semester.  We will have a second chance to order in January 2019.
• MUSIC: K-5 We will be traveling with our 5th graders on Friday May 25th to the RI Phil!  So excited to see all of the students participate.  Becky Jontos' students will actually be performing ON STAGE at THE RI PHIL for an audience of THOUSANDS!  Buses have been ordered and I will confirm them on Monday.
• Next week is the LAST FULL SCHOOL WEEK IN MAY!  How did that happen?

On the Calendar:

• Monthly Department Meeting for K-8 Teachers is THURSDAY MAY 31st!  We will meet as follows:
• K-5 Art- Meet at Silvia Elementary at 3:45
• K-5 Music- Meet at Letourneau at 3:45
• 6-8 Music- Meet in my office at Durfee at 3:45
• 6-8 Art- Meet in room 77 (near my office) at 3:45
• The BIG RI PHIL MUSIC Field Trip for 5th Grade (880 students) will be on Friday, May 25th!
• The Durfee Band and Chorus will be traveling to perform at three events for Memorial Day weekend- Two on Friday the 25th (Oak Grove Cemetery and Salute to Heroes), and then the Memorial Day Parade on Monday!
• Teachers on one year plans should have had their Summative Meetings with evaluators by Friday May 25th.
• Teachers on two year plans should be completing their collection of evidence and scheduling their meetings with evaluators- All two year evaluations are due by 6/15 to district.

Upcoming Events:

• Thursday, May 31st- K-8 Department Meeting
• Doran Fine Arts, Art Show and Concert, June 13th, 3:30 to 5PM
• Middle School Concerts:
• Talbot- June 6th- Spring Concert/Arts Festival 6:30PM
• Kuss- May 29th 7PM
• Morton- June 11th 7PM

Have a wonderful weekend!

Jackie

The Week in Pictures!