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Arts a la Carte Department of Visual & Performing Arts February 2015 - March 2015

Westfield Public Schools Westfield New Jersey

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Congratulations to Westfield High School students accepted to a 2015 CJMEA Region Ensemble:

2015 CJMEA Region II Orchestra

Dale Beyert, Trumpet Soo Min Chung, Violin

Amy Liang, Cello

2015 CJMEA Region II Symphonic Band Albert Chen, Bari Saxophone

Michael Hauge, Clarinet Alistair Kapadia, Bassoon

These students were selected through audition amongst hundreds of other auditioning students from throughout the Central New Jersey Region to perform in the CJMEA Region Symphonic Band and Symphony Orchestra. On Thursday

January 29th these students auditioned for the New Jersey All-State Ensembles with hopes of joining the best musicians in the state at the New Jersey Music Educators Association Conference held in New Brunswick in February, 2015.

Congratulations to the following WHS students who were accepted into the 2015 Region Mixed and Women's Choruses:

These students will be performing with other students in the Region on February 1st at Monroe High School. These students were chosen from over a thousand auditioned students.

2015 CJMEA Region II Mixed Chorus Noah Bram

Catherine Moore Abby Rothenberg

Laura Surace

Max Wasilewski 2015 CJMEA Region II Women's Chorus

Lauren Brumfield Alison Jaruzelski

Melanie Snyder

Congratulations to our Intermediate students who were chosen to audition for the 2015 CJMEA Region Ensembles!

Roosevelt Intermediate: 6th grader Alex Cha, Clarinet; 7th graders Clea Demuynck, Alto Sax and Max Tennant,

Trumpet; 8th grader Michael Charlton, Percussion

Edison Intermediate: 6th graders Jamie Beyert, Clarinet, Anna Qiang, Clarinet, Aprina Wang, French Horn and Kailey

Zhao Flute; 7th graders Alex Joseph, Clarinet, Andrew Kapadia, Percussion and Brooke Walden, Flute; 8th graders

Austin Chen, Trumpet, Colby Chen, Trumpet, Mateo Gonzalez-Nolde, Clarinet, Justin Joseph, Tenor Sax, Sara Shen,

Flute and Ethan Useloff , Trumpet

Congratulations!

Please see page 21 for ways you can help or donate to the WCA.

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Arts a la Carte February 2015 - March 2015

Westfield

High School

Art

The Computer Graphic Design I classes are working on “Totally

Tubular” package designs. The

cylindrical shaped package design is created using Adobe In-Design

in conjunction with Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator.

Students had to create an original product to be contained in the

cylinder, which included an original product name, catch phrase, company

story, original illustrations and

logos. The final labels will be printed out and attached to the

cylinders. Look for some of them

at the District-Wide End of Year Art Show.

Crafts Exploration students have been hard at work learning about

and creating various types of carved sculptures. We began the

subtractive method unit by

designing and carving an initial and decorating it with an indented

Zentangle pattern. We moved on to carving a Bas Relief in plaster.

Our last project will be carving a 3-D sculpture out of soapstone.

World Crafts Sampler students were immersed in the ancient

techniques of marbleizing paper. The students experienced

traditional method and the contemporary style of marbleizing

with colored chalk on the surface

of the water. After the marbleized papers are pulled, handmade

journals were crafted. The students wrapped up the last

assignment of the fall semester

with creating a “Dream Catcher” or learning how to knit /crochet - the

personal preference of a cup cozy or infinity scarf. The students read

historical excerpts of the origins and cultural backgrounds of the

crafts, with attention paid to the

artifacts and their uses in society.

February 2015 - March 2015 Arts a la Carte

Ceramics 1 students finished out

the 1st semester by throwing on

the wheel. Every student was given one full class period to throw

a bowl. It is not an easy process to pick up in one 43 minute class,

but our students did amazing work! Not all of the bowls are

even, but they are all functional

and students had a blast!

Portfolio Prep & Art History (ART IV) Seniors have been

hanging their Sr. Exhibition displays up in the second floor of

the High School. It‟s wonderful to

walk out in the hall all times of day and see faculty, staff and students

gathered around, really spending time with the art work.

Seniors have taken their art history

mid-term, writing critiques about

two intriguing works. They developed their thesis around

different style indicators which they researched. They continue to

not only work on breaking down a

complex work of art using the critical method, but they are

developing their inquiry skills as well. This curiosity leads them to

an in-depth study of works from different periods, movements and

cultures. They continue to work on

independent pieces of art developing their personal portfolio.

Working with value recognition, value massing and value

dominance, Composition students

have started their acrylic painting investigation. They will be working

on “brush time” getting the feel of paint, mixing and creating value.

As they become comfortable with the mechanics of painting,

compositional strategies will be

reintroduced to create more and more complex individual pieces.

Drawing students continue to

progress with their technical skills.

They have been working on linear perspective by sighting and

understanding the dynamics of the ellipse. They have been

incorporating illusions of depth into their drawings and have begun an

intense study of value.

Foundations of Art students are

currently working on a unit in color theory, centering on types of

colors, color mixing, color value,

color harmony and the psychology of color. Students have completed

a series of color scheme self-portraits and fabric study still life

paintings, learning how to mix tints


and shades of colors to achieve a wide range of values (lightness

and darkness of a color). Students learned how to rationally organize

color, creating monochromatic, complementary, triadic and

analogous color schemes. While

painting their self-portraits (monochromatic self-portraits are

shown below), students were introduced to master works of art,

such as those by Van Gogh,

Vermeer and Warhol, which have implemented these same

techniques and ideas. Students are continuing to work on their

landscape paintings, which is the culmination of their unit in

painting.

Music

WHS Choral Department

On December 17th the Mckinley

and WHS singers combined to sing Dona Nobis Pacem at the in-school

concert at WHS. In attendance were the students at WHS as well

as the local senior citizen

community. It was fantastic seeing the collaboration between the

younger and older Westfield students as they joined in song.

On December 18th, the WHS choir students held their evening winter

concert. The night featured all of

the choral groups at WHS as well as the WHS Symphony orchestra.

(Photo credit: Howie Frisch)

On February 6th, the WHS Choraleers will be hosting a “Night

of Love Songs” in Cafeteria B at WHS. The night will feature solos,

duets and group numbers involving the students in WHS‟s

auditioned choral ensembles; Bella

Cora, Concert Choir and Chorale. Refreshments will be served and

there is $5 student / $10 Adult suggested donation for entrance to

the event. There will also be a

silent auction with donations of products from local businesses. All

proceeds from the night‟s events will go towards raising money for

the WHS Choir department trip to Scotland/England. Come out to

what I know will be a lovely

evening of song by the singers at WHS.

On March 24th, the students in the

WHS Chorale will be presenting

their annual “Mostly Madrigals” dessert concert in Cafeteria B. The

concert will highlight performances of various Renaissance Madrigals

conducted by the students

themselves and will feature the works of Morley, Dowland, Byrd,

Whitacre, Lawson and Paulus, among others.


Over spring break, 63 students in the WHS choral department will be

embarking on a nine-day tour of Scotland and England. The singers

will have the incredible experience of singing in centuries-old

cathedrals and castles as well as

touring many well-known historic sights.

The Westfield High School

Choir and Band would like to

thank the community for its support in their annual Christmas

tree pick up fundraiser on January 3, 2015. This event was a great

success under the leadership of Choir President, Katherine Ko and

Band President, Albert Chen. More

than 310 trees were picked up from Westfield area homes by

about 65 music students and parent volunteers. Thank you to

all the Westfield residents who

registered for this service, including those who kindly made

an additional donation.

Proceeds from this event will go

directly to the upcoming choir and band performance tours to

Scotland / England and Austria / Czech Republic, respectively. A

special thank you goes out to the Westfield Conservation Center and

the Department of Public Works

for accommodating. The Choir and Band would like to invite the

community to their free spring concerts at the Westfield High

School Auditorium. The Band

concert is May 14th and the Choral Concert is May 19th, both at 7:30

PM. In addition, the Choraleers will host A Night of Love Songs at

7PM on Friday, February 6th, in Westfield High School Cafeteria B.

This event will feature both group

and solo performances by members of the Choraleers,

Concert Choir, and Bella Cora. Desserts and coffee will be served.

Suggested donation is $10 per adult. Please join us!

WHS Music Students with a batch

of trees they dropped off at the

Conservation Center

On Wednesday January 14th the WHS Music Department hosted

their 3rd Annual 8th Grade Day.

Accompanied by their music teachers, students from Edison

and Roosevelt Intermediate Schools were bussed over to WHS

for an interactive day of discussion and music-making alongside the

WHS Wind Ensemble, Concert

Choir, and Chamber Orchestra. Guest speakers included Principal,

Mr. Peter Renwick, Director of Guidance, Maureen Mazzarese and

upperclassmen music students.

The day is designed to give rising 9th grade students a glimpse into

the WHS Music Department as they begin preparing to register for

classes for the upcoming 2015/16 school year.

A new addition this year was an evening concert featuring the 8th

grade bands from Edison and Roosevelt Intermediate Schools,

the Westfield High School Wind Ensemble and the Westfield High

School Marching Blue Devils!

WHS Bands gear up for

European Tour; 48 WHS Band students are preparing for an 8-

day tour of Austria and the Czech

Republic. The band will depart on Tuesday April 7th and will first visit

Prague. While in Prague the group will tour Castle Hill, give an

evening benefit concert at Na Marjance, participate in a service-

learning project and visit the

Terezin WWII Concentration Camp Memorial. On Saturday April 11th

the group will travel to the village of Cesky Budijovice where they will

tour the local castle before

continuing to Vienna. While in Vienna, the group will visit Hofburg

Palace, the Hunertwasser House and the gardens of Belvedere

Palace, where they will give an

outdoor performance. On Monday, April 13, the group will continue

onto Salzburg where they will travel to the Austrian Alps to give

a joint performance with a local Alpine Brass Band. While in Vienna

the group will visit the Mozart

Museum along with other local sight-seeing opportunities. On

Wednesday, April 15th the group will return home to Westfield High

School.


We would like to invite you to support these 48 students before

they leave the country by attending our “Europe Tour Send

Off Concert,” which will be held on Sunday, March 29th, 3PM, at the

Temple Emanu-El in Westfield.

Admission is free.

Wind Ensemble to perform at Metropolitan Wind Band

Festival. The WHS Wind

Ensemble has been invited to perform at the Metropolitan Wind

Band Invitational to be held at Roxbury High School on Saturday,

April 18th. This event is being run in conjunction with “Music for All”

organization. There are currently

only three regional concert band festivals of this kind held in the

United States and this particular festival is the only of its kind on

the Eastern Seaboard. In 2014, the

first year of the festival‟s existence,

13 of the finest ensembles in our

region were invited to perform and the WHS Wind Ensemble is excited

to be included in the select group

of ensembles to participate in 2015.

Jazz Bands

The WHS Jazz Ensemble and Stage Band are scheduled for the

following performances throughout

the winter and spring months: February 27th - Stage Band at Scotch Plains-Fanwood HS Jazz

Festival, Time TBA

March 7th – Rotary Club Pancake Breakfast, WHS Cafeteria, Jazz

Ensemble at 8:30 am; Stage Band at 10:30 am

March 27th – Jazz Ensemble at Scotch Plains-Fanwood HS Jazz

Festival, Time TBA

April 25th – Both Bands at Livingston HS Jazz Festival, Time

TBA May 1st – Both Bands at Annual

WHS JAZZ NIGHT, 6PM

June 5th – Both Bands at Spring Jazz/Percussion Concert, 7:30 pm,

WHS Auditorium

Indoor Color Guard Under the direction of Cheryl

Gillick and Ashley Pierce, The WHS

Winter Guard has begun their second fully competitive Winter

Guard season! An ensemble made up of 10 WHS students. The Guard

rehearses twice a week and is

scheduled for the following upcoming

performances sanctioned by the Mid

Atlantic Indoor Network: March 7th - South Brunswick HS Show

March 28th – Somerville HS Show

April 18th – Bridgewater HS Show April 25th – MAIN Championships

at South Brunswick HS

The WHS Winter Guard will also be

giving a special performance at the June 5th Jazz & Percussion

Ensemble Concert beginning at 7:30 pm in the WHS Auditorium.

For more information regarding the Westfield High School Bands,

please visit our website at www.westfieldhsbands.org The Symphony Orchestra is

starting to put together a program

for their May concert, which will feature a wide variety of artists

and musical styles.

The Chamber Orchestra has

also been keeping quite busy. Just recently they participated in an 8th

grade recruitment/ orientation day with the RIS and EIS string

students. They performed for the 8th graders, as well as, alongside

them. They were also available for

some one-on-one question time to the 8th graders in hopes of easing

their transition to the high school next year. In February, the

Chamber Orchestra, along with the

Wind Ensemble, will be traveling to Franklin, Washington and Wilson Schools for their annual Demonstration

Day and performance. In March they

will travel to Jefferson, McKinley and Tamaques Schools, as well.

We are also pleased to announce on March 26th, all orchestra

students will be able to attend master classes here at WHS given

by members of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. It is an

excellent opportunity for our

students to have close contact and time with professionals in the arts.

Drama

The Westfield High School drama

students are once again engaged in furthering their studies of the

world of theatre. In Drama 1, the students have just completed their

exploration of Medieval Theatre and its contributions to world

theatre. In addition to the

historical aspects of the period, the students also examined the

specific elements from the time period still seen in contemporary

theatre via the performance of

scenes from Arthur Miller‟s classic drama All My Sons. The Drama 2 students are

completing their study of Shakespearian theatre, focusing on

comedy this marking period. This

study will conclude with performances of scenes from The Comedy of Errors.

In Drama 3, the students have

been exploring Realism and contemporary American drama.

This study will conclude with performances from John Logan‟s

play Red and the Marsha Norman

drama „night Mother.

http://www.westfieldhsbands.org/


WHS students are also continuing their exploration of the world of

theatre behind the scenes in Stagecraft. The students are

engaged in learning the various jobs that exist in the technical

theatre and the numerous

employment opportunities they present. Currently, the students

are learning the fundamentals of scenic painting and the various

techniques used within the

theatrical production process.

WHS Spring Musical

The Westfield High School Theatre

Department will be presenting Urinetown, the Musical, as their

Spring Musical production on March 12, 13 & 14, 2015. One of

the most uproariously funny

musicals in recent years, Urinetown is a hilarious tale of

greed, corruption, love and revolution in a time when water is

worth its weight in gold. In a Gotham-like city, a terrible water

shortage, caused by a 20-year

draught, has led to a government-enforced ban on private toilets.

The citizens must use public amenities, regulated by a single

malevolent company that profits

by charging admission for one of humanity's most basic needs. Amid

the people, a hero decides he's had enough and plans a revolution

to lead them all to freedom! Inspired by the works of Bertolt

Brecht and Kurt Weill, Urinetown is an irreverently humorous satire in

which no one is safe from scrutiny. Praised for reinvigorating the very

notion of what a musical could be, Urinetown catapults the Broadway

musical form into the new

millennium with its outrageous perspective, wickedly modern wit

and sustained ability to produce gales of unbridled laughter.

The original Broadway production opened at Henry Miller's Theatre

on September 10, 2001 and garnered rave reviews, as well as

ten Tony Award nominations. The WHS production, featuring over

100 student actors, technicians

and musicians, clearly demonstrates the myriad talents of

the WHS fine arts students and their various disciplines. Tickets

will be available for pre-order in

late February by visiting the WHS Theatre Department website at

www.teacherdjd.wix.com/whstheatredept

Roosevelt

Intermediate

Art

The 6th graders are having a blast with their painters cap sculptural

art project. Here they are given a

white cap and have to make it into a piece of sculpture…. either

functional or not!

The 7th graders are working on an Elements of Design project

incorporating the 7 elements of

design. They are using colored pencils on a 12” X 12” white

paper and mounting it on an 18” X 18” sheet of white paper,

continuing the design with an

ebony pencil.

The 8th graders in Mrs. Cohen's class are working on painting

ceiling tiles for the cafeteria. They all have a food oriented theme and

are created with tempera paint. Ferraro's, Shake Shack, Gigi's

cupcakes, Gatorade, Chick-filet,

Ben and Jerrys, Captain Crunch, Chipolte, Pop Tart and

Marshmellows. The students are working in groups of 3-5 students

and are totally enthralled with this

project!

The 2nd quarter 6th grade students in Mr. Greenwood‟s class started

off the quarter by reviewing the elements of art. The elements of

art are the basic properties of a

work of art – line, shape, form, color, Space, texture and value.

Artists covered with the 6th grade were Georgia Okeeffe and Vincent

Van Gogh. Sixth grade students

made watercolor Okeeffe paintings. Also covered this second

quarter was commercial art design concepts with poster design. The

subject matter for this years‟

poster was Dr. Martin Luther King. To finish the quarter the 6th grade

students will take a look at Pop art and its use of commercial objects

in art. The students will be focusing on food items.

The 2nd quarter 8th grade students in Mr. Greenwood‟s class also

worked on Martin Luther King posters for the District wide

contest. Eighth grade students also

worked on paper sculpture with geometric designs based on the art

of Hena. Lastly the 8th graders are completing a project designing 3-D

double sided billboards. Many of the subjects of this project

examine before and after imagery.

Sixth graders in Mr. Thompson‟s

classes have just begun work on a Mehndi design project. Students

have been exploring the historical

http://www.teacherdjd.wix.com/whstheatredept

http://www.teacherdjd.wix.com/whstheatredept


significance of Mehndi art while discussing ways to personalize

their own designs. Everyone will trace his or her hand 4 or 5 times

on white paper, then fill up their hand shapes with Mehndi inspired

designs. Hand shapes and designs

will be traced over in Sharpie and then cut out. Students will then do

a watercolor wash on a separate piece of paper. Once dry, their

hand designs will be glued on,

creating a colorful background.

The 7th grade students in Mr. Thompson‟s classes are finishing

up Pop Art candy paintings. After studying the life and art of Andy

Warhol, all students brought in a candy item to use as the subject of

their composition. Everyone drew

their candy extra-large on white paper, with an emphasis on

placement and cropping. Drawings were then outlined in bold black

marker, and painted with acrylic.

The results are outstanding! These will make for a dramatic display in

the student gallery by the main office.

The 8th grade class has been

working on an illuminated letter

watercolor project. This project is much more than just a fancy letter

though! We‟re calling it a symbolic self-portrait. After exploring the

history of illuminated lettering, students began a design with the

first letter of their name. We

brainstormed ideas for graphical images that might symbolize

aspects of each individual‟s personality. Students then drew

symbols, designs and patterns in

and around their letter. After a demonstration on basic watercolor

techniques, painting began. Students are now completing their

designs with careful watercolor

and permanent marker. The results so far are really

outstanding!

Music

RIS Chorus

The RIS 6th grade chorus enjoyed a successful winter concert,

singing a few seasonal favorites, as well as learning music from

different cultures. One selection

entitled “Ocho Kandelikas” (eight little candles) celebrated the story

of Hanukah. The song was sung in the language of Ladino, and

featured the RIS guitar ensemble

directed by Mr. Sabino Losco. In addition, selections included

“Believe” from the Polar Express, “Da Pacem Domine” (Bring Us

Peace) based on the choral work by Mechior Frank, and the

seasonal favorite “Jingle Bell Rock”.

The RIS 6th grade vocal music

classes are busy learning the piano

keyboard and practicing reading notes in treble clef. In addition

they are studying music from the Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque

and Classical periods. They will

be working on fun skits and music video focusing on composers of

these periods.

The RIS 8th grade Chorus enjoyed a wonderful and successful Winter

Concert. Students worked hard to

achieve a beautiful blend and enjoyed working on familiar and

new holiday selections. Selections included the well-known Ukraninan

carol “Carol of the Bells”, Mozart‟s

“Dona Nobis Pacem” from Missa Brevis and “Kindle the Candles

Tonight”. In addition, “Christmas on Broadway” proved to be the

students‟ favorite, featuring

holiday selections from Broadway shows.

The RIS 8th grade Chorus has

been having fun learning the piano and guitar. At the end of the unit

students will perform for each

other in a relaxed and informal performance. Students are also

working on their sight singing skills, a wonderful compliment to

the piano/guitar unit.

The Sharps and Flats had a big

week leading up to the annual Black History Month Assembly on

Friday, January 30th where they performed with the Newark Boys

Chorus. This event always provides

a great opportunity for our group to sing with such an accomplished

group. This year they sang "Shine On" a Traditional Spiritual

arranged by Rollo A. Dilworth. Our


Sharps and Flats are a great sounding group this year and the

experience proved to be very rewarding.

Our 7th grade groups have been

working on the skill of sight

singing. We have been labeling melodies on solfeggio and then

teaching themselves how to sing them. They have been doing a

great job and are surprised

themselves with their talent. We are having a blast in all classes

and learning as well.

RIS Bands The RIS concert bands are excited

to begin the second half of the

school year. Our winter concert was a huge success, and each and

every student should be proud of what they accomplished. The

eighth grade band‟s rendition of “A

Christmas Festival” was particularly enjoyed by the audience. Mr.

Doyle and Mr. Stier have never heard such applause at the end of

the piece! It was an appropriate response to a well-prepared, energetic performance.

The eighth graders participated the

annual recruitment day at WHS on January 14th (pictured to the

right). Students in eighth grade

band, chorus and orchestra spent an afternoon listening to and

working with their respective high school ensembles. This day gives

students a chance to see what high school music ensembles are

like, which will help them make a

decision about their musical futures. In addition to recruitment

day, the 8th Grade Band performed a concert on the evening of the

14th alongside the eighth grade

band from Edison Intermediate School and the WHS Wind

Ensemble. Each ensemble performed two pieces on their

own, and all combined to form a

“mega-band” at the end of the concert. This evening also featured

a “non-traditional” performance from the WHS marching band,

which included lots of drumming, singing, and students playing in

the audience! It was a fun night,

and Mr. Vitale, Mr. Sindorf, and Mr. Doyle are extremely excited

about the future of the Westfield band program.

The 6th and 7th Grade Bands also had fantastic performances at their

December concert and will begin preparations for the June concert

in the coming months. Right now,

students are working on basic fundamentals and skills. Through

study and practice of major scales, students are improving areas such

as tone quality, articulation,

intonation and music theory. Practicing major scales also helps

students learn new notes and improve their range. All of these

skills will help when students begin learning new music.

RIS Jazz The Accidentals and Morning Jazz

each performed two pieces during the winter concert and they are

currently preparing for an

upcoming festival. On Wednesday March 25, they will participate in

the 3rd annual “Terrill in Tempo” Jazz Festival at Terrill Middle

School in Scotch Plains. Each group is learning new tunes to

perform on this evening. On Saturday, March 7th (starting at

8:00 am), they will have another

public performance at the annual Rotary Club Pancake Day. The

Naturals and The RIS Jazz Lab will join them on this performance,

along with ensembles from EIS

and WHS. This is always a wonderful community event, so

come have some breakfast and support the students of Westfield!

RIS Chamber Music The RIS Chamber music program

is in full swing! We have seven groups currently rehearsing! There

are two 7th grade woodwind

quintets, eighth grade woodwind quintet, percussion ensemble, and

jazz combo, a 7th grade sax trio and a combined 7th and 8th grade

brass ensemble! The brass ensemble delighted staff and

students before the holidays by

playing Christmas carols in the main lobby of the school as

everyone entered the building. Mr. Doyle, Mr. Stier and Mr. Freeman

are spending every Monday and

Friday morning coaching these ensembles. Students are learning


how to rehearse in a small group without the aid of a conductor,

which promotes communication, teambuilding and leadership.

These groups will perform on June 2nd in the RIS auditorium, and may

perform at other school events

throughout the spring. We will keep you posted on when and

where!

The Afternoon Ramble

The Ramble is jamming! This year, Mr. Losco, Mr. Doyle and Ms.

Lasky are very excited to work with this special group of students.

This year‟s group features vocals, drums, guitar, bass, piano,

percussion, trumpets, saxophones,

clarinets, trombones and baritones! We have been working

on tunes by Elvis Presley, Chicago, Creedance Clearwater Revival, The

Rolling Stones and Imagine

Dragons…. and there will be more to come! The Afternoon Ramble

will perform at Jazz Night on May 1st, as well as other school events

during the spring.

The entire RIS Bands Department

would like to send a special thank you to the Westfield Coalition for the Arts and the RIS PTSO.

These two organizations have provided funds for new equipment

and fees for festivals and field trips and we are extremely grateful. The

students benefit greatly from their

generosity.

Drama

RIS Spring Musical

Roosevelt Intermediate School present "Shrek the Musical!"

Take one slimy green ogre with attitude, one less than delicate

princess, one sassy donkey and a vertically challenged would-be

prince; add music and a set that is

downright swampical and watch this fairy tale come true.

But,"Shrek the Musical" is more than a feel-good children's story: it

digs deep into our inner mush to

find the meaning of true beauty. Tickets: $7 in advance, $10 at the

door.

Performance dates: March 20th and 21th at 7:30pm March 22nd at 2:00pm

For tickets and more

information visit:

http://ris.westfieldnjk12.org

Edison

Intermediate

Art

The 6th graders in Mr. Black and Mrs. Hooper‟s class are working on

clay face mugs. They learned the

proper way to draw the face in proportion and are now learning

how to create this in the 3-D form. Students learned to roll a slab, coil

and how to properly attach clay using score, slip and smooth. Mrs.

Frees‟ will make mugs when they return for the fourth marking

period.

Ms. Hooper‟s classes also

completed a project referred to as the 7 Elements Collage. This

painting project reinforced the 7 Art Elements used by every artist

to create art: Texture, line, form,

color, value, shape and space. After gluing found objects onto tag

board, acrylic paint was added using a chosen Color Theme: Complimentary Color, Monochromatic Colors, Hot or Cold colors. Mrs.

Frees‟ classes were working on

faces in proportion using acrylic paint and both tinting (adding

white) and shade (adding black) to create a sense of 3-D with value.

The students also used some

recycled frames that were donated to matt their art work. They

reviewed color theory with this project. Students then moved

onto a project on the use of space and negative space. They are

learning about cultural art from

Panama and are creating paper Molas with the exacto knife.

http://ris.westfieldnjk12.org/


In the 7th grade, students have been studying Art history of

Optical Illusions in Mrs. Frees class with two projects using the

elements of art, line, shape and

value to create their original designs. The class is also creating

a mixed media piece using different patterns to relate back to

what they learned in the beginning

of the year with two point perspective. They are using gel

pens, oil pastel blending techniques and drawing methods

of hatching, crosshatching and stippling.

Ms. Hooper‟s students are working on a 2 Point Perspective unit which

includes using Dr. Seuss illustrations as an inspiration for an

imaginary Cityscape. After

studying artists from the Surrealism period (Salvador Dali,

Max Ernst and Joan Miro), each drawing incorporates a situation

that could not happen in real life. The Cityscapes will use colored

pencil to show value and illusion of

space. The students in both Ms. Hooper‟s class and Mrs. Frees

completed a Clay Rattle after learning the history of rattles.

Rattles are the oldest form of

music and have been made from animal parts, vegetation as well as

ceramic clay. Rattles have been used in ancient cultures around

the world for various spiritual purposes. Ms. Hooper‟s and Mrs.

Frees‟ students constructed their clay rattles by building 2 pinch

pots and joining the pieces together to create the main rattle

shape. Additional clay pieces were

added to create form and add detail. Themes for the project

varied from images of animals, human faces and inanimate

objects. The clay was decorated

using clay glazes. 8th Graders in Mr. Black‟s Crafts

class are working on plaster masks. They did research in the

library on the history of mask making and their cultural purpose.

They are building with recycled

cardboard and plaster. Students in Ms. Hooper‟s class completed a

unit on Print Making. Beginning with a String Print, students

learned the basics of the printing

process including how to evenly roll out the ink using a brayer,

pulling a print, “registering” a print (properly lining up a print) and

signing a print. A second project

was added using either Styrofoam or linoleum which allowed for

further experimentation of the medium to create multiple prints.

The students are beginning a 3-D

sculpture Vessel; a hollow container which will be both

decorative and functional. The Vessels will be constructed from

recycled plastic and glass cups,

covered with Paper Mache to create a uniform surface and

decorated with beads, and ribbon to add surface interest. Students

in Mrs. Frees Craft‟s class are working on finishing clay houses

for their unit on clay making. They

each had a chance to make paper from paper pulp and learned about

the ancient history of paper making. The students then used

the handmade paper and

embellished it with quilling art. They are creating flowers, animals

and different 3-D designs. They are moving onto working on

painting on wet plaster, or fresco next.


Music

EIS BANDS The Edison Bands ended 2014 with

spectacular performances! Many thanks to the students, parents, teachers and administrators who made those events so successful.

The 6th and 7th grade bands are spending the winter getting back

to the basics. A special emphasis has been placed on efficient

practice techniques as they work with the SmartMusic software in

class. With the program‟s help, students are able to assess their

personal performance and develop a systematic plan for improvement.

They are eager to employ the new

strategies on the spring concert music!

Entering into their last semester at

EIS the 8th grade band got a

glimpse at what lies ahead at the WHS Fine Arts Recruitment Day

pictured below.

On the morning of January 14th, they traveled up the road to the

high school to see a presentation by the music department, rehearse

alongside the wind ensemble and converse with high school

students. That evening, they stood

shoulder to shoulder with the RIS 8th Grade Band and the WHS Wind

Ensemble in an incredible performance of Brian Balmages‟

“Rhythms and Riffs.” The 8th grade

band loved their “high school preview “and they wish to thank

the high school teachers and students who made it possible.

Starting this winter, the EIS

percussionists are getting their

chance to move from the back row right into the spotlight with the

creation of the EIS Percussion

Ensemble. Interested percussionists

will meet on Friday mornings to

study percussion technique and “percussion-only” literature.

The Emerald Jazz Band is

devoting its winter rehearsals to

the study of improvisation. Each student is taking a swing (that‟s

jazz humor) at creating their own 12-bar blues solo! They‟ll follow

that study style up with “Basic

Basie”, emulated after the legendary Count Basie Orchestra.

Take a listen as they join several other district groups for the March

7th Pancake Breakfast.

EIS Orchestra The New Year has brought

about many exciting endeavors in the Orchestra classes at Edison

Intermediate School. After an amazing visit to the Midwest Clinic

in Chicago, Illinois, the string

students at EIS are now incorporating new techniques to

optimize their ability on their instrument. Whether it's playing

long tone scales, which helps build

intonation skills and can help the group stay focused or studying

Bach chorales to improve listening skills, the EIS string students have

already come a long way in their studies since implementing these

new methods. In addition, several string students will be auditioning for the Region II


Orchestra and we wish all of them the very best of luck! The Edison Orchestras have also

begun work on our new pieces for

the Spring 2015 Concert. The 6th grade Orchestra has launched into Haydn's, “Surprise Symphony”. The 7th grade Orchestra has mastered

"Happy" by Pharrell Williams and the 8th grade Orchestra's program

includes Mozart's "Abduction from

the Seraglio" and "For Good" from the hit musical, Wicked. With such

a great start to 2015, it's safe to say that it will be yet another

wonderful year!

Drama

EIS Spring Musical

Disney Channel's smash hit movie musical comes to life on Edison

Intermediate School‟s stage in Disney’s High School Musical.

With such famous songs as Getcha

Head in the Game, We‟re All in This Together, Stick to the Status

Quo and Breaking Free this musical promises to be a

showstopper.

Troy, Gabriella and the students of

East High must deal with issues of first love, friends and family while

balancing their classes and extra-curricular activities. It‟s the first

day after winter break at East

High. The Jocks, Brainiacs, Thespians, Skater Dudes and the

rest of East High find their cliques, recount their vacations and look

forward to the New Year. Basketball team captain and

resident jock Troy discovers that

the brainy Gabriella, a girl he met singing karaoke on his ski trip, has

just enrolled at East High. They cause an upheaval when they

decide to audition for the high

school musical, led by Ms. Darbus. Although many students resent the

threat posed to the "status quo," Troy and Gabriella‟s alliance might

just open the door for others to shine as well.

Disney's High School Musical is fun for the whole family. Starring a

large cast of Edison Intermediate School students including Kate

Armstrong, Katie Ceraso, Ally

Escaldi, Gabby Estrada, Jack Gerris, Ethan Jaffee, Pat McElyn,

Abbie Painter, Cooper Prieto, and Justin Venturina this show

promises to bring a lot of fun and

smiles to anyone in attendance. So come see Edison Intermediate

School‟s High School Musical. Pre-sale ticket price is $8 and $10 at

the door.

Performance dates: March 5th at 4:00pm March 6th and 7th at 7:30pm

Franklin

Elementary

Art At Franklin School, the Art

students in grades 2 through 5 are busy with color, line, shape,

texture and space. A variety of media is being used to help them

make art. It also assists them with

their art vocabulary and artistic expression. Under the direction of

Mrs. Coveney, many different projects are being introduced and

enjoyed.

The 2nd grade students observed

and discussed works of Pablo Picasso and how he painted

asymmetrical portraits. The students created their own

portraits using crayon and

successfully understood this concept. This idea was brought

into the classroom once they finished their unit on symmetry. In

order to complete their learning, radial symmetry was introduced

and it “rounded” out the art

making.

The 3rd grade students are learning about positive shape and negative

space. A body with its proper

proportions is in doable pose. The student becomes the model of this

pose and color enhances the drawing. Complementary colors

are introduced and warm and cool

colors are reviewed. Colored sharpies create a very pleasing

result.

The 4th grade students finished their “Lines of the City”.

Foreground, middle ground and

background could be seen within their cityscapes. Lines were

reviewed which they learned could create texture and movement as

they added them onto their

buildings using black sharpies. Contrast could be seen as color

sharpies were used and color was placed in their backgrounds for

their warm and cool skies.

The 5th grade students reviewed

the color wheel with the primary and secondary colors. They

observed and discussed the Scarlet Macaw with all its layers of colorful

feathers. The “woodless” colored


pencils were the medium of choice to create their drawings of this

most colorful bird. Success could be seen and a review of value was

a part of their art vocabulary. Many a project can be seen and

learning is evident.

Music

In many schools around the

country, students were challenged

to perform as many kind deeds as they could in one week. To aid

our Franklin students, we participated in the Great Kindness

Challenge, which provided them

with a list of kind deeds to complete within one week. In our

music classes, we practiced these acts of kindness to help build

community in all areas of our

school. The students even came together as a school to sing “A

Kind-Hearted Hand” at the conclusion of our kindness

assembly. We hope that these acts of kindness rippled out into

your own homes and beyond.

February‟s key concepts will focus

on pitch and melody, while building upon other learned

concepts. The 2nd graders have just discovered Re in their music

and are learning how to sing more songs using Re, use Curwen hand

signs to build note reading skills

and even compose short musical phrases using the pentatonic scale.

Third graders will develop their note reading skills as well, using

the entire diatonic scale. Our 4th

and 5th graders will be working on their compositional skills using

both staff paper and iPads.

With a strong foundation in

singing, the students at Franklin are developing their part singing

skills as they explore more canons, partner songs and individual part

work throughout the next few

months. To help secure and differentiate some of these parts,

creative movement as well as our new Orff instruments will be

incorporated.

We at Franklin would like to thank the Coalition for the Arts for their generous donation for the

purchase of new Orff instruments for the music classroom. For those

unfamiliar with the Orff approach, the use of speech, movement and

classroom instruments help

develop the curious, musical nature of students. The use of

barred instruments such as xylophones and metallophones

sized appropriately for young

students help develop musicality, creativity and ensemble skills.

Unfortunately many of the older instruments too big for the music

cart were damaged and

unplayable. So much of my summer was spent repairing and

cleaning the salvageable ones, but we still needed new instruments to

replace some of the old ones. After approaching the Coalition for

the Arts, they fully supported this

project and funded the purchase of one bass xylophone, two alto

xylophones, and two soprano xylophones. These were used in

our December Chorus concert as

several of the fifth graders accompanied their peers during

one of their songs. I look forward to further exploring these

instruments with all of our Franklin students as the year goes on.

Thank you for your support!

Jefferson

Elementary

Art Jefferson students have been

hoping for a big snowfall. They can‟t wait to get out there and go

sledding, build snow people, and

have snowball fights. While they are waiting for that, they can live

vicariously through their art.

In 1st grade, the little artists are

creating their snow-dreamscapes with their “Snowmen at Night”

lesson. They build dexterity by tearing paper in a controlled way

and creatively collage snow people who sneak away from their yards

at night to engage in crazy

activities with other snow people.

Second graders are about to use acrylic paint for the first time to

paint their pinch pot turtles. After

that they will be continuing with their unit on trees.

The 3rd graders are just beginning

their big group project, Aboriginal

X-ray Paintings. They will learn about the history of the Aboriginal

people of Australia, making connections between them and our

Native Americans. The paintings will be large depictions of

Australian animals done in the

Aboriginal style.

Fourth grade students are embarking on their One-Point

Perspective adventures. This is

always a tough lesson with hard concepts; but they always

manage to stick with it and try, try, try until they “get it”. The

beautiful, intricate cities that they create are breathe-taking. The


kids get to use professional grade watercolor paints from tubes for

the first time and they love it!

Paper mache monstrosities have taken over the 5th grade hallway…

YES, the fish are back! The children learn about Dan “The Monster Man” Reeder, a contemporary fabric mache artist based in Seattle, Washington. We study his website, www.gourmetpapermache.com, where you can see time-lapse

videos of him creating his art. The students get to see and touch one

of his actual sculptures which

inspires them in their creations. We are only in the paper mache

phase, but soon, we will be using wire, glass, fabric, glue, markers,

tape, paint and clay to construct

our sea-creatures.

Music

Jefferson School‟s Music Dept. WELCOMES Mr. Kyle Hill, a

Senior Music Education major from

Kean University. Mr. Hill will be working in the elementary vocal

music setting alongside Mrs. Woodfield until mid-March, when

he will continue his student teaching experience in

instrumental music at Scotch

Plains-Fanwood High School. Mr. Hill resides in Cedar Grove, NJ.

Throughout February and March, the students of Jefferson School

will continue to focus on their Winter Celebrations Unit and the

musical “Rocks” Pitch/Melody (February) and Texture/Dynamics

(March). February will celebrate

Black History Month, Groundhogs day, Valentines‟s Day, President‟s

Day and the Chinese New Year. March will celebrate Music In Our

Schools Month with morning

MUSIC TRIVIA MADDNESS!!

First grade students will study different melodic versions of “This

Old Man” and have some singing and movement fun with songs like

“The Groundhog Jig” and

“Skinnamarink”. They will also study the Norwegian composer,

Edvard Grieg and “The Adventures of Peer Gynt”.

The 2nd graders will continue their study of African American

Spirituals “Get On Board” and “Little Wheel A-Turnin‟”, take an

adventure on the “Lone Star Trail”,

creating new verses for a Valentine‟s Day song and enjoy the

folk song/story about “Abiyoyo” the giant by Pete Seeger.

Third Graders will be singing the

months and days of the year in our

Spanish song, “Uno de Enero”. To celebrate Valentine‟s Day, we will

find the humor in two funny cat songs: “Don Gato” and “But The

Cat Came Back”. President‟s Day

will include Charles Ives‟ “Variations on America” and

several melodic versions of “I Know An Old Lady”.

In the 4th grade, the students will

focus upon Patriotic Songs and folk

songs of the 49er‟s: “Oh, Suzanna”, “Clementine”, “Sweet

Betsy from Pike” and partner songs “My Home‟s In

Montana/Home On the Range”.

Beyond their monthly “rocks”, the 5th grade is busy at work on their

spring musical, “Dig It!: A Musical Tale to Ancient Civilizations”.

From Mesopotamia to Egypt to India, China, Greece and Rome…

the 5th graders are making

connections through music. Save the date: Wednesday, April 22nd

at 7PM in the Jefferson Auditorium.

Jefferson & McKinley Strings String students have excitedly

jumped into beginning music for the spring concert. We have many

exciting pieces that we will be starting in the next few weeks. In

addition, many of our fifth

grade students are preparing music for their All City Orchestra

auditions. We are hard at work and excited for all the new music

we have ahead of us!

McKinley

Elementary

Art

First grade students are quickly

moving through projects in the

New Year. We‟ve just completed an overlapping project where

students constructed a patterned design with cut paper and then

overlaid a symmetrical cut out on

top of this design. This project will be a great reference for

understanding negative and positive space in 2nd grade next

year. Our next project uses a grid

to separate 20 different 3” x 3” squares. Within each square the

students will draw up to five lines and change the direction of the

lines in the surrounding squares. Outlining their lines will help to

demonstrate an understanding of

visual movement within a work of art. The student‟s eyes travel

http://www.gourmetpapermache.com/


around their work and follow the directions of their twirling,

spinning, wavy, bumpy, slanted and straight lines. The project will

be finalized with watercolor paint to provide just the right color to

complete this focused art piece.

Understanding artistic vocabulary

is key to expressing the concepts of art. Second grade students

continue to add to their word wall

of art terms and review them each class to ensure their significance.

Contour lines will be investigated with a yarn portrait where

students‟ silhouettes and features are outlined using yarn. The yarn

helps to aid in the understanding

that contour lines separate negative and positive space.

Finally, oil pastel will be used to finish off the piece and give artists

an opportunity to make their

creative mark.

Very excited to be working with clay, the 3rd graders are all smiles

during our 45-minute art class. Working with the coil building

technique and understanding

repetition as used in art processes, these happy students will be

building their own coil sculptures. After they are built and air dry,

these students will prime their

works and use transparent glazing techniques to bring their works to

life.

Moving from a very layered under

the sea collage project, the 4th grade students will be able to

focus on a textured value

scratchboard drawing of one of their favorite animals. Learning

how to create value and texture through line qualities, the students

will also revisit past concepts in

their repertoire like foreground, middle ground and background to

bring more thought into their chosen compositions. We will look

at black and white as well as color

reproductions of Henri Rousseau‟s work to connect our learning with

one of the most imaginative artists of the 19th and early 20th century.

Fifth grade students have just

completed an observational value

drawing to better understand the effects of light and shadow. Next

we look deeper into this relationship through the

construction of a clay portrait. Convex, concave, incise lines,

overlapping and creasing their sculptures will add the necessary

shadows, contrast and dimension into their works. Seeing the human

head as a 3-D form will help us in

our next project when we return to drawing and painting.

Music

McKinley 1st graders have been

learning how music is made up of

patterns this month. They have been creating some of our

standard patterns used to write music. In addition, they have

created some unique patterns of

their very own.

The 2nd graders at McKinley have been learning about Rondo form.

We have listened to Antonio

Vivaldi's Spring to help us learn about Rondo form. They have

used listening maps to understand the sections of this piece.

Additionally, we have broken into groups and danced to represent

the sections while listening to the

music. The students have had a great time with this activity!


McKinley 3rd graders have been expanding their knowledge in

musical form this month. We have discussed and experienced several

form patterns with a variety of fun songs. Now we are using our

knowledge of musical form to

create our own form and compose short pieces of music in small

groups. It will be exciting to hear how they all turn out!

The 4th graders at McKinley have been learning about Theme and

Variation this month. We have listened to several pieces of music

to experience the theme and variation concept. Recently, the 4th

graders used their experiences to

create their very own theme with three variations.

The 5th Graders are busy learning

about different musical styles.

Each student researches a different style and then teaches

their style to their classmates. They get to use individual iPads

and brianpop to do their research

which is always fun! Over the next few months we will continue to

work on our musical reading skills and learn new music for our Spring

Concert!

McKinley & Jefferson Strings

String students have excitedly jumped into beginning music for

the spring concert. We have many exciting pieces that we will be

starting in the next few weeks. In

addition, many of our fifth grade students are preparing

music for their All City Orchestra auditions. We are hard at work

and excited for all the new music we have ahead of us!

Tamaques

Elementary

Art

Students in 1-R and 1-M learned

that sculpture is 3-dimensional,

having height, width and volume.

The students in Mrs. Massenzio‟s

class thoroughly enjoyed working

3-dimensionally, using Model

Magic, when they created

wonderful polar bear sculptures.

They learned all about polar bears,

their habitats and characteristics.

The children learned how to create

texture using various tools. This

lesson helps develop small muscle

dexterity and gave students a

chance for creative expression.

The 2nd grade students at

Tamaques created whimsical

birdhouses, complete with Model

Magic birds. Mrs. Massenzio

discussed various types of birds

and their coloring. Utilizing this

knowledge, the children were

excited to begin their own

creations. The results were

impressive, beautifully decorated

houses with bright and colorful

birds! This lesson reinforced how

to mix colors, science and small

muscle dexterity.

The students in Mrs. Massenzio‟s

3-F2 class created large, graceful

3-D butterflies. The class learned

all about butterflies and their

characteristics. Did you know that

there are about 18,000-20,000

known butterfly species

throughout the world? Butterflies

weigh as little as two rose petals

and have an average lifespan of

about 2 weeks. This comprehensive

lesson incorporated science, art

and symmetry.

The 4th graders in Mrs. Massenzio‟s

class enjoyed drawing castles in

the style of Medieval Europe.

Students learned about why and

how castles were constructed.

They learned about life in the

Middle-Ages, and were able to

appreciate the architectural

ingenuity of the people of those

times. Perspective, value and

texture were focal points in this

lesson.

Totem poles have played an

integral part in the culture of the

Pacific Northwest Coast Indians.

These Native Americans pass on

their history through the stories

each pole tells. In Mrs.

Massenzio‟s, the 5th grade students

learned about the history of totem

poles, how they are made and had

a wonderful “hands-on” experience

when they constructed their own

cardboard totems. In an effort to

work as authentically as possible,

the students learned about the

specific cultural designs, colors and

animals used by these Native

American tribes. The children were

so excited to see the impressive 10

foot finished pole!


Music

Tamaques & Washington

4th & 5th Grade Band News!

The Tamaques and Washington 4th

grade bands are busy preparing

for their Music In Our School‟s Performances. Selections for the

performance include favorites such as “Hot Cross Buns”, “Au Claire de

la Lune”, “London Bridge” and many others! The students are

excited to “make” music and

perform for their teachers and friends.

Many of the Washington and

Tamaques 5th Grade Band students

are busy practicing for their All City Band audition. The All City Band is

open to any student who is a member of the Tamaques or

Washington 5th grade band. The

students are required to memorize the concert Bb, Eb, F and Bb

chromatic scales as well as prepare the solo material found on page 38

in the Essential Elements 2000 method book. Good luck to all of

the Washington and Tamaques

Band students who are auditioning for the 2015 All City Band!

All City AUDITION Dates February 10th

- The Washington

5th Grade Band students will audition at Washington school

February 12th - The Tamaques 5th

Grade Band students will audition

at Tamaques.

Washington

Elementary

Art

Washington has swung into the

New Year with a variety of creative art experiments! The 1st graders

took a different approach to creating a landscape. While, they

still used a horizon line,

background and foreground, they filled each area of their landscape

with various textures. This effect made way for beautiful and

interesting landscapes!

The 2nd graders have been

preparing all month for The Chinese New Year, which will take

place on February 19th, marked by the new moon. In honor of this

celebration, the second graders

created landscapes that credit the mountains of China and dragon

mythology. Each student picked three Chinese words to add to

their piece to complete their

Chinese New Year tribute.

The 3rd graders have been studying proportion of the face

and how our faces change upon expressing emotions. They have

created a chart, which shows a

face displaying a different feeling or adjective.

The 4th graders have been

studying Fauvism and how the

Fauvist artists used vivid colors to show feelings. In studying Henri

Matisse‟s Portrait of the Green Stripe, the 4th grades have

understood the beauty of creating

portraits that use unrealistic and bright colors. “Les Fauves” means

“the wild beasts,” in French. The Fauvist artists were called this

because of their use a wild colors.

The 4th graders at Washington have been showing their wild side

through their Fauvist Portraits.

The 5th graders have embarked on

their modern art studies by

examining the art that was made during World War 1. They have

learned how much worldly events affect art. These 5th graders have

been working on collage portraits

inspired by the Dada movement. This movement coincided with

World War 1 and was a reflection of the artist‟s opinions. They have

discussed the ideas that were

floating around during that time and are showing their own

opinions through their collage portraits.

Wilson

Elementary

Art

The 1st grade students of Wilson School are continuing to learn


about Color Theory by studying primary and secondary colors.

They had a blast practicing color mixing while creating abstract

paintings. Then they applied their newfound mixing skills to paint

turtle drawings they created.

Second grade is also focusing on

mixing colors. They created large clown drawings and painted them

with primaries, secondaries and tints of the colors. The clowns look

great and the students are now certified mixocologists!!

The 3rd graders recently began

their weaving unit. Always a class

favorite, most students begged to take their looms home to work on

them as homework! They also come in handy as a fun project to

work on during recess on cold,

wintery, indoor days!

The students in 4th grade finished

up their unit on complementary

color sets with a fashion design lesson! They created an outfit for a

star or designed a new uniform for a sports team utilizing

complementary colors. It was a

perfect follow up to their apple paintings.

The 5th graders have begun

coloring their self-portraits with oil pastel. It is easy to decipher who

is who, as the students did an amazing job capturing their own

likeness. They will begin working

in small groups on Photoshop projects shortly!!

4th grade Minion Sculptures

Music

Fifth graders at Wilson School

have already begun working on their Spring Concert repertoire.

This year's program will have an international flavor, with songs in

Portuguese, Korean, French and

English! The evening's attire will reflect the concert's international

character. Note-reading continues to be a major focus for students,

especially the fifth graders. In

addition, we are using repertoire to review other music signs and

symbols.

Our 3rd and 4th graders have begun preparing for the annual Music in

Our Schools program coming this Spring! Each grade will present

specially selected repertoire. During the program, they will also

sing together as a mass chorus. The 3rd and 4th graders continue

to work on improving their note-

reading skills.

February is for Valentines and the 1st and 2nd graders are preparing

to sing for their parents during the annual Valentine's Day Assembly.

February is also African-American

His (Her) story month and what a great time for spirituals! We learn

about the historical context in

which they developed, thus increasing understanding of their

importance in our lives. On occasion we are treated to

(recorded) performances of

spirituals by outstanding singers, in addition to our own singing.

Lincoln School

Our Pre-K artists have been

learning all about line, form, texture and color. So in February

and March, we will put this knowledge to work using winter

and the February holidays as a

focus. In March, just about the time when we say we‟ve had

enough of winter, we‟ll put some color back into our lives with

rainbows and “glass” sculptures.

Pre-K class with

Dr. Seuss sculptures


Snowmen sculptures

Kindergartener using painted

paper for Eric Carle insects

In February, our kindergarteners

will be studying some of the very first artists. The Lascaux cave

drawings are estimated to be more

than 17,000 years old. We‟ll be going back in time in the art room

to create some of our own cave art and maybe discover some “fossils”

along the way. Once we are back

in the present time around March, we will be creating art for Lincoln

School‟s Sing-A-Long, scheduled at the end of the month. The

students will be learning about art in the cubist style and working in

groups to prepare the gym for this

fabulous show. Busy, busy, busy!

Lincoln School students celebrated Grandparents and Special People

on January 30th. The students sang a few songs and afterwards

accompanied their special people to their classrooms. The

kindergarteners all worked very

hard preparing to be on stage for the first time (pictured below at

rehearsal)!

Thanks to the generous support of

Westfield Public Schools and the Westfield Coalition for the Arts,

Westfield music teachers Amanda Gant (EIS), Trevor Sindorf (EIS)

and Chris Vitale (WHS) traveled to “The Midwest Clinic,” an

international band and orchestra conference in Chicago, IL. Joining

them in attendance were more

than 17,000 teachers, professors, administrators and musicians

representing all 50 states and 30+ countries. The four day event was packed with clinics hosted by internationally renowned educators,

exhibits and 40 concerts ranging from

the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to a middle school jazz band. Mrs.

Gant, Mr. Sindorf and Mr. Vitale are eager to share their

experiences with their students

this semester!


Westfield Coalition for the Arts

FALL 2014

Dear Westfield Parents: The mission of the Westfield Coalition for the Arts is to act as an advocate for the arts, including music, drama, visual arts, and dance in the Westfield Public Schools, by speaking out on behalf of the arts, maintaining public awareness and utilizing source of community, financial and philosophical support. Each year we award grants to different arts programs in the schools based upon applications submitted to us from the Westfield Schools’ faculty. This year, we were happy to award over $20,000 in grant money for the following: Special Guest Conductor of the Rutgers Children’s Choir, Dr. Rhonda Hackworth works with McKinley’s 5

th Grade Choir; new

String Instruments for Edison School; helped to fund cost for WHS Wind Ensemble to attend the Avery Fischer Festival in NYC; aided in the development and expansion of the WHS Winter Guard; purchased a new choral riser for the WHS choirs; bought materials needed for an interactive art project at Jefferson School where the 5

th graders

collaborated with professional, contemporary artist, Dan Reeder; Maureen Francis, opera-singer and voice teacher works with the WHS Concert Choir on elements of vocal technique and expression. We are so fortunate to live in a community that reveres the arts and believes strongly in nourishing the diverse talents of our youth. Demonstrate YOUR commitment to the arts by making a donation today. With your donations we are able to assist the vocal music, fine art, and theatre programs at the elementary, intermediate and high school levels. We are an independent, not-for-profit organization, and we depend solely on the generosity of parents and supporters. In addition, the Coalition is interested in your ideas, suggestions, and comments and hope that you will take the time to email us at [email protected]. PLEASE “LIKE” US ON FACEBOOK AND VISIT OUR NEW WEBSITE: www.WestfieldCoalitionForTheArts.weebly.com. We look forward to hearing from you! Thank you for your support.

~ Margaret Smith, W.C.A. President _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Yes, I/we would like to GIVE. I/we will donate

Benefactor $500 Sponsor $75

Angel $200 Sustaining Member $50

Patron $100 Donation $_______

In appreciation of your gift of $75.00 or more, your name will print in the Winter & Spring concerts programs. Name: __________________________________________________________________________ (If donating $75 or more, please print the name as you would like it to appear in the programs.) Email: _________________________________________________Phone: _________________________ Westfield Public School (where youngest child attends): _____________________________________

Yes, I am interested in volunteering with the Coalition. Check here:

Please make checks payable to Westfield Coalition for the Arts, and mail to:

WCA Treasurer, 562 Pierson St., Westfield NJ 07090

Arts a la Carte › uploads › 2 › 4 › 6 › ... · Arts a la Carte February 2015 - March 2015...

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Transcript of Arts a la Carte › uploads › 2 › 4 › 6 › ... · Arts a la Carte February 2015 - March 2015...