The annual Student Art Exhibitions showcase the county's talented young artists. Student artwork is displayed at the Tulare County Office of Education, and the public is invited to view the show. Entries are judged by local artists and those pieces receiving a Best of Show award are honored at a special reception in March during Arts Education Month.

Eleven SVA students submitted art for the exhibition and six were awarded Best of Show! Thank you Caroline Cantelmi, Asa Ford, Caroline Johnson, Juan Tovar, and Quinton Vedenoff for sharing your work!

Stop by the Artist's Open House on March 1 to congratulate Rylee Correa, Addison Dennewitz, Harper Dutton, Lucy Maitland-Lewis, Ainsley Prochnow, and Rita Rasner. 

Best of Show artwork will be on display through the month of March at the TCOE office. 

Best of Show Artist's Open House  March 1, 6:00-8:00PM

Best of Show Art Exhibition  March 1 - 31  

 

Save the date of March 8 to come join in the fun!

Pledge Forms went home this week, be sure to ask you child to start collecting those pledges!

Psychologist Lev Vygotsky coined the term "zone of proximal development" (ZPD) in the 1930s to describe the sweet spot where instruction is most beneficial for each student - just beyond his or her current level of independent capability. You can think of the ZPD as the difference between what a child can do independently and what he or she is capable of doing with targeted assistance.

Vygotsky stated that a child follows an adult's example and gradually develops the ability to do certain tasks without help or assistance. Vygotsky's often-quoted definition of zone of proximal development describes it as "the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance, or in collaboration with more capable peers."

Vygotsky among other educational professionals believes the role of education to be to provide children with experiences which are in their ZPD, thereby encouraging and advancing their individual learning.  Instruction focused within each student's ZPD is not too difficult or too easy, but just challenging enough to help him or her develop new skills by building on those that have already been established. Students are most receptive to instruction within their ZPD because it represents the next logical step in their ongoing skill development. 

A ligning classroom teaching strategies to students' ZPDs can help educators guide students in their learning more effectively. F or teaching and learning to be effective, instruction should focus on skills and knowledge that are attainable for students (not too easy, not too difficult, but just right). 

The concept of scaffolding is closely related to the ZPD. Scaffolding is a process through which a teacher gives aid to the student in her or his ZPD as necessary, and tapers off this aid as it becomes unnecessary, much as a scaffold is removed from a building during construction. 

Check out this short video on ZPD

Adapted from www.nwea.org and  www.innovativelarning.com. 

Arts Visalia, a local nonprofit organization, is holding children's art classes this spring. 

Arts Visalia offers classes for both adults and children in their on-site classroom. Classes are designed for both beginners and more advanced students to explore their creativity, expand their technical skills and learn at their own pace. Small class sizes provide a hands-on experience that encourages artistic engagement with instructors and fellow students.

To enroll your child, please fill out the enrollment form and return it to Arts Visalia. Class sizes are limited with enrollment on a first-come first-served basis. To guarantee a place in a class, tuition must be paid at the time of enrollment. 

Arts Visalia

214 East Oak Avenue

Visalia, CA 93291

(559) 739-0905

[email protected]