ARTS ACTIVE PARENT
January 2006
Monthly Newsletter of the Alameda County Office of Education Alliance for Arts Learning Leadership
(Volume 1, Issue 2)

Dear Alameda County Parents,

Are you an Arts Active Parent?
You take your children to public performances or museums. You do sewing, knitting or mosaic projects at home. When you pass a mural or a piece of sculpture on the street, you point it out to your children and talk about it together. You encourage and help your children to make their own cards and gifts. At home, your children hear you singing or playing guitar. They see you decorating your house or apartment for special occasions.

You make sure your children have plenty of access to visual and performing arts because you know it is part of a well-rounded education. Further, you believe that all children need the same opportunities. You are an Arts Active Parent. Your children are receiving what they need to become healthy, knowledgeable citizens - conscious, informed, respectful and engaged ­ prepared for inevitable change, ready to contribute to a diverse, interdependent community and society.

We need the arts in all of our schools to provide every child with a high quality education that develops well-rounded individuals prepared for the future. By creating classrooms where more students are engaged and successful, arts learning makes schools more successful. Arts learning is essential to achieving equitable public education for all.

What Can You Do?
Three Suggestions for January

1 - Is there an art teacher at your child’s school? This could be the music teacher or an instructor in visual arts, or both, whatever your child is involved with. Seek them out or write them a note this month, and offer your help. Maybe you can contribute some supplies for an art project, or spend some time there during the day and help with a class, or help with organizing a performance or exhibit. Helping your child’s art teacher is a great way to get involved at your school, and doesn’t have to be a really time-consuming proposition.

2 - Attend the Alliance for Arts Learning Leadership meeting on January 10, 4-5:30 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California. These monthly meetings are free and open to the public. (If you attend, be aware that the museum is closed on Tuesdays. The meeting is in the Museum café; you can be buzzed in through the door on 10th St.)

3 - If you would be interested in being an arts learning advocate during Art IS Education Month in March, please let me know asap. Opportunities may include giving “arts tours” of your school campus to an elected official, speaking at a meeting, distributing flyers at your school, etc.

Parents Making a Difference:
Emeryville

As a small district that is working hard to improve its programs, Emeryville Unified knows it needs the support and imagination of its parents. This year, parents are invited to four free art-making workshops that are designed to be a fun way to get to know other people as well as an interesting way for parents to explore their strengths and learn about their power as parents in the schools. The first workshop, pictured here, was themed Parent Voices: Discovering the Superhero in YOU!

Free and Inexpensive
Arts Activities for Families in January

Oakland Museum of California Free Sunday this month is January 14, 12-6 p.m. (does not include special exhibits) For info, call 510-238-2200 or visit their website.

SPARK on TV! Did you know that KQED Channel 9 airs a great show about local artists and arts organizations every week on Wednesday at 7:30, perfect for watching at home with your kids after homework is done! (Same show is repeated Fridays at 11 p.m.) In January, the shows will be as follow: (For details, click here. )
Jan 4 & 6 Global Village (Chinese acrobat, West African Dance, and Kulintang master)
Jan 11 & 13 Paint X (Painters exploring new forms of expression)
Jan 18 & 20 Masterworks (Art of the masters, including Kronos Quartet, Minimalist sculptor Richard Serra, more)
Jan 25 & 27 Opening Nights (Behind the scenes at some Bay Area Opening Nights)

MOCHA Museum of Children’s Art at 538 Ninth Street in Oakland offers inexpensive visual arts experiences and activity sessions. There are classes for preschoolers during the day, after-school guided arts activities for older kids, and family art workshops on weekends. The nominal $5 per child fee includes adult participation. Call 510-465-8770 or visit their website.

See Student Performances
(Most high school performances are not free, but your ticket price ­ about the cost of a movie ­ helps to support that school’s programs.)

Alameda County is bubbling over with young talent. Parents of younger kids often don’t think about taking them to see older kids perform. Start going to performances at your local high school, and you’ll be hooked by the talent, enthusiasm, energy, and expertise of these teen-aged performers. Elementary and middle school aged kids love to see their older counterparts performing, and the experience often inspires them to get involved themselves in drama, music, or dance. Here are some examples of January performances at our local public schools. We encourage you to check with your neighborhood high school if it’s not listed here.

Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble & Combos will perform Jan 15 at 7:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley. Tickets are $5 students, $10 individual, $15 couple.

Skyline Winter Dance Concert “In the Spirit of Dance” Jan 11-14, 7:30 p.m. at the Rawley T. Farnsworth Theater at Skyline High School, 12250 Skyline Blvd., Oakland. Skyline's Dance Production troupe performs its popular January concert. Tickets $8 general, $3 for children 12 and younger.

Foothill High School Choir Concert January 18, 7:30 p.m., Trinity Lutheran Church, 1225 Hopyard Road, Pleasanton, $10 general, $8 students & seniors

Opera Piccola’s after school Theater Workshop Presentation January 13, 7:30 p.m., Oakland Tech Auditorium, 4351 Broadway, Oakland. Montage about life in the city written and performed by Oakland Technical High School students. Admission FREE.

ENROLL IN AFTER-SCHOOL ARTS CLASSES

This month, many local arts learning organization are enrolling for spring classes. The opportunities listed here are only examples, and we encourage you to check with other organizations. These after-school and weekend classes are generally not free. Low income families should check with individual organizations, as some are able to offer partial or full scholarships.
Axis Dance registration deadline is January 9 for January 17 - March 9 classes.
8-week classes for children, teens, and adults with and without physical disabilities are $80. Call 510-625-0110 or email alisa (at) axisdance (dot) org for schedule. Classes taught at the Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts at 1428 Alice Street, Oakland. Visit their website.
The Crucible at 1260 Seventh St. in Oakland offers classes for youth (not young children) in a number of subjects, including Blacksmithing, Jewelry, Neon, and much more. For information, call 510-444-0919 x21 or visit their website.
Harmony Road Music School classes starting in January & February, all ages birth to senior citizen, on Piedmont Avenue in Oakland. Classes including World Music for Babies, Classical Guitar for children, Gospel Piano for teens & adults, much much more. Open house on January 22, free sample children’s classes and meet music teachers. Call 510-652-1222, visit their website. or email for a schedule & reservations.
La Pena Cultural Center, at 3105 Shattuck Ave. in Berkeley, offers classes ranging from Latin Guitar to AfroCuban Music Youth Ensemble to Kidz Funk Dance. Call 510-849-2568 or visit their website.
Oakland Public Conservatory of Music Winter Classes are January 23- March 10 on Franklin St. in downtown Oakland. Call 510.836-4649 or visit http://www.opcmusic.org for a schedule or further information. A wide variety of classes and private lessons for students 8 through adult, including jazz strings, ethnic music styles, much, much more. Visit their website.
Piedmont Choirs Spring semester tryouts are Saturday, January 21. Beginners boys and girls ages 6-10, older children with vocal experience. Low key tryouts are for placement purposes. 12 different choirs rehearse in Piedmont and Alameda. Call 510-547-4441 for information and appointment. Visit their website.

ALAMEDA COUNTY ALLIANCE FOR
ARTS LEARNING LEADERSHIP

For information about the Alameda County Alliance for Arts Learning Leadership, how it supports arts education in public schools, and how you can get involved, click here.

If you’re a leader in a parent group that helps to support arts programs, we invite you list your group by following the “Post Your Resources” link.

If you have comments about this newsletter or suggestions for future content, please reply. We are interested in hearing from parents of kids all over the county, in all kinds of schools, about your successes and challenges in supporting arts learning in your school.

We gratefully acknowledge the Walter and Elise Haas Fund for sponsoring the Arts Learning Parent Involvement Project to create stronger ties between homes and schools around the arts.

Very best wishes,
Kathy Kahn, Arts Active Parent Coordinator
Alliance for Arts Learning Leadership
Alameda County Office Of Education
1890 Leimert Blvd., Oakland 94602
510-482-5776