Have you ever waited for change to arrive and then been terrified when it was imminent? My 7-year-old is the youngest person in his class and has been desperately waiting to lose a tooth. A week ago, the dentist told him he had not one, but two loose teeth. I thought he would be thrilled at this news, so I was surprised to see a variety of emotions that did not include any sign of joy. The moment he had been waiting for was upon him and he was fearful and trying to avoid the inevitable. I explained to him that the baby tooth had to come out to make way for the adult tooth, but this did not help. As puzzled as I was, I chose to acknowledge these emotions. After several days, I mentioned the situation to a friend whose two children offered to share their experiences with my son. A video chat with friends didn’t instantly take away all of his apprehension, but he now knew he wasn’t alone and that things would be OK.
Many of us in arts education have been advocating and working for positive changes -- especially related to access and equity -- in our classrooms, schools, districts, and state. Then the pandemic forced instant change that we weren’t prepared for and brought challenges both personally and professionally for many of us. But we now have several paths in front of us for continued change in arts education. And it’s time to ask ourselves, what could arts education look like with a redesign? I’m thinking about new courses to engage more students, and funding sources to address fundamental components such as arts materials and equipment, safety, facilities, staffing, scheduling, and new curriculum aligned to the state standards. What comes to mind for you?
My son did lose his first tooth the same evening he talked to his friends, and once he got past the initial surprise, he was at peace. I imagine you are filled with a variety of emotions at this time too, and they are all valid. I encourage you to reach out to a colleague and have a conversation. Share your feelings during this challenging time as well as your hope for the potential changes that could positively impact the students and community you serve. Realizing that you are not alone and taking the time to pause and imagine what could be may help you continue to get through.
Please remember, I am here as a resource for you. You can reach out with your questions via email or phone. If I don’t have the answers, I will do my best to connect you with someone who does.
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VAPA Coordinator, San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE)
858-295-8881
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California Arts Education Framework Launch Event
It’s time to celebrate the new California Arts Education Framework at the Virtual Launch on March 1 from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. Gain a greater understanding of how the Arts Education Framework supports developing students’ artistic literacy, implementing the California Arts Standards, and providing equitable arts education for each and every student. Use this link to register for the launch event, and invite others to register too!
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Instructional Materials Fair for Arts Education
A free, virtual event featuring state-approved instructional materials for visual and performing arts will be held March 9. Get a firsthand look at the materials; learn more about the state adoption process for recommended, standards-aligned instructional materials; and explore districts' options in choosing the programs for their schools. Use this link to register for the Arts Education Instructional Materials Fair. Registered participants will receive the link to join live and can access the recorded sessions to view on-demand following the event.
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Native Ways of Knowing Series With Author Dr. Debbie Reese
K-12 educators and leaders are invited to learn from author and founder of American Indians in Children's Literature Dr. Debbie Reese, of Nambé Pueblo. Through six virtual sessions, grow your knowledge of culturally responsive instruction to improve representations and classroom climates for teaching and learning about California's first peoples and supporting Native American students.
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SDCOE Accessibility Collaborative and Training Series
Learn more about disabilities and how they impact students as part of the monthly Accessibility Collaborative and Training Series, offered by SDCOE's Professional Learning and Technology Research team.
Each month of the nine-session series brings opportunities for collaboration, exploration, and discussion about crucial, timely educational accessibility topics. At the March 9 webinar, participants will explore Universal Design for Learning and ways to optimize teaching and learning for all students. Additionally, participants will look at ways to design more accessible physical learning environments to support students. Visit the event registration page. There is no cost to attend.
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Introduction to Arts Integration
Building an awareness of how to use theatre strategies to integrate arts can activate your curriculum in any content area. Introduction to Arts Integration is a free, online, asynchronous course developed by La Jolla Playhouse to guide educators through a deep understanding of the value of standards-based arts integration, how to develop an ensemble mindset in the classroom, assessment through the arts, and ways to connect community arts organizations to schools. The course includes example lesson plans, teacher testimony, and resources to guide arts integration into standards-based curriculum.
This course was designed through the Kennedy Center Partners in Education collaboration between the La Jolla Playhouse, the Chula Vista Elementary School District, and the San Diego County Office of Education with funding provided by the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association Arts Initiative. Visit this page to register for the course.
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La Jolla Playhouse Tech Theatre Intensive for Educators
Join the professionals from the Tony Award-winning La Jolla Playhouse for a fun filled and action packed three-day professional learning intensive in technical theatre. This opportunity offers hands-on activities for the new theatre teacher who needs additional support to safely teach tech theatre as a course or the veteran theatre teacher who wants to reacquaint themselves with tech theatre best practices. Your three-day experience will be facilitated by veteran high school theatre teachers and La Jolla Playhouse teaching artists Julie Benitez and Kirsten Giard, experienced educators with nearly 60 years of teaching combined. You will also interact with professional artists and technicians working on La Jolla Playhouse productions. For more information, visit the La Jolla Playhouse website.
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Nominate a Star for Teachers are Heroes
Help recognize a teacher's incredible efforts in making a difference for their students by nominating an outstanding K-5 educator for Teachers Are Heroes. This program is presented by Audacy – home of KSON, Alt 949, and Sunny 98.1 – and the School of Education at Azusa Pacific University, Mission Valley campus, in partnership with SDCOE.
Between February and June, the Teachers Are Heroes team will honor 12 amazing teachers across the county with a surprise recognition (can be virtual or in-person), an award for the teacher, and fun prizes for their class, including gift cards to Sonic and Legoland tickets.
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K-8 Student Art Exhibit
This exhibition, sponsored by the California Art Education Association of San Diego (CAEASD) and supported by the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE), will be on view from April 4 to 28 at the Mission Valley branch of the San Diego Public Library at 2123 Fenton Parkway in San Diego. The exhibit will highlight the visual art education in San Diego County schools, showcase art teachers' skills, and the impact their work has on their students and the community. Publicly displaying student artwork engages parents, art education advocates, and community members in the conversation about the impact of visual art. It gives students an opportunity to take pride in their work and appreciate the art of others displayed.
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GROFF 2022
The Advanced High School art exhibition will be on view May 9-22 at San Diego City College Gallery, and the call for entries is open now until March 18. It is a juried show with up to six submissions allowed per teacher. The closing awards ceremony will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. May 22. Reach out to Elizabeth Wepsic with any questions and visit the 2022 GROFF Exhibition website to learn more.
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Arts Education Resource Organization (AERO) Arts Pack
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Arts Education Curriculum Units
Whether you are looking for new units to use with your students, plans to share with a substitute, or curriculum for students in quarantine due to COVID-19, you will want to check out the SDCOE units of study in grades K-12. Focused on grade-level essential learnings in each content area, these units were purposefully designed to integrate content (including the arts), and provide flexibility and choice. These open-source units are available in Google to ensure maximum flexibility for teachers to use them with their district’s preferred instructional platform.
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March is Arts Education Month in California and an excellent time to share the power of arts education with others. Whether you choose to do this through email, a newsletter, website, social media post, or any other means, Arts Empower San Diego has put together a toolkit on the Arts Empower website to make this task easier. A new set of weekly social media posts, as well as a short paragraph supporting arts education, for newsletters and other forms of communication is posted at the start of each month. Share the social media posts using #ArtsEmpowerSD and #theArtsMatter, and encourage your community to do the same! Visit the Arts Empower website today for the monthly toolkit. For more information about supporting arts education in your community, contact Pauline Crooks.
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Call for Poetry: Resiliency Through and Emerging from the Pandemic
SDCOE, in association with David's Harp and Write Out Loud, is calling for original poems from students in grades K-12 that address the theme Resiliency Through and Emerging From the Pandemic. This is a great way for students of all ages to express their experience of the pandemic. Poems can be based on real experiences or fictional imaginings, and all entries will be collected into a digital magazine for distribution. Free workshops are available upon request. The submission deadline is Feb. 28. For more information visit the Write Out Loud website.
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February is San Diego Museum Month
The San Diego Museum Council is bringing back in-person visits for the 33rd annual San Diego Museum Month, Feb. 1 to 28. This signature San Diego program showcases San Diego as a vibrant arts and cultural destination, with 50% off admission to more than 45 local museums and cultural institutions. There is something for every age and interest, including visual art and design, children and families, science and nature, history, wildlife, military, transportation, music, and cultural heritage.
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Introduction to Instruments Virtual Field Trip
These virtual field trips include band performances and demonstrations by local middle and high school students, enhancement activities, interactive games, and more. They're the perfect way to introduce your students to a school band program. Produced by Poway OnStage and sponsored by Bertrand's Music, this virtual field trip includes pre-show learning modules and extension activities. Learn more by visiting this website.
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La Jolla Playhouse POP Tour 2022: HOOPLA!
The 5th grade talent show is approaching, and everyone is abuzz at Baldwin Elementary. Winston wants to win the talent show with his cheerleading routine to prove to others that he’s more than the unfriendly “Fishboy” nickname they call him. Introverted artist Gina wants nothing to do with the talent show, and she knows that the overzealous (and generally unpleasant) twin sensations, Randy and Brandy, are probably going to win it all anyway. But with the persistence of Elliott, the school’s new kid and resident rebel, these unlikely friends form Hoopla, a dazzling hula hooping trio, and help each other navigate through the pressures of being a kid. POP Tour is traveling around San Diego County Schools in April. Book POP Tour today!
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Connect Kids With Classical Music
La Jolla Music Society offers schools a variety of free education events to expose students to classical music. The Discovery Series program for schools allows students to learn about and connect with exciting young artists. The artists currently being highlighted include award-winning pianist Conrad Tao, tap dancer and choreographer Caleb Teicher, and bassist and composer Xavier Foley. Learn more about this offering and other opportunities, including their complimentary education ticket program by visiting the LJMS schools page.
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Registration Open for iVIE Festival
Student filmmakers can submit their creative entries to the 21st annual Innovative Video in Education Awards and Student Film Festival, better known as iVIE. The K-12 student video competition and festival is scheduled to take place in person June 4.
SDG&E, as a presenting sponsor, encourages students to submit videos about electric vehicles. Additionally, there are several new categories this year including animation, a music-centric genre, and using TikTok to make a positive impact. Submitted videos are judged by media professionals and educators curated by Media Arts Center San Diego and prizes are awarded to top categories. See complete details at the submissions webpage. The deadline for submissions is April 11.
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Get up-to-the-minute information about what's happening at SDCOE and in our districts across the county.
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