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A CSCA Publication

What's HOT the week of November 15, 2021

November for Beginners

by Rita Dove

Snow would be the easy

way out—that softening

sky like a sigh of relief

at finally being allowed

to yield. No dice.

We stack twigs for burning

in glistening patches

but the rain won’t give.

So we wait, breeding

mood, making music

of decline. We sit down

in the smell of the past

and rise in a light

that is already leaving.

We ache in secret,

memorizing

a gloomy line

or two of German.

When spring comes

we promise to act

the fool. Pour,

rain! Sail, wind,

with your cargo of zithers!

New In This Week's Dragon's Fire

• Nov 14 General Meeting Rescheduled
• Reflections Update

Request for Art Supplies

Ms Janet kindly offers to help you clean out your homes this rainy month of Nov with a request for the following art supplies.

• Yarn! (for fiber arts projects)
• Old shoes! (for alteredshoe sculpture project)
• Magazines (for collage)
• Nuts & bolts, bottle caps, springs, beads, any small parts
• Old keys and padlocks,
• Rocks, small branches/sticks, shells, seedpods, other small items from nature
• Small old toys, game parts, figurines, toy cars, dice, playing cardsetc.
• Old watches, small clocks, jewelry
• Utensils, cookie cutters, other small kitchen items
• Old maps, ticket stubs, sheet music, doilies
• Felt, fabrics, lace

Your student can drop items at the art room. Thank you!

Credit for High School Classes Taken in Middle School

• Class of 2022 and 2023: Students in the Class of 2023 who took high school courses in middle school and would like those courses added to their high school transcript will need to complete and submit a Middle School to High School Transcript Credit Form.
• Class of 2024: Students who took high school courses in middle school during the 2019/20 school year will automatically have those courses added to their HS transcript. Please complete the Middle School to High School Credit Form Class of 2024 if you would like any of these courses removed or you would like to use a P/N grade instead of a letter grade. You will also use this form if you would like to add high school courses that you took in 6th or 7th grade to your high school transcript.
• Class of 2025 and Beyond: Students who took high school courses during the 2019/20 school year in middle school will have classes added by default to their high school transcript. To remove a course or request to use a P/N grade instead of a letter grade use the Middle School to High School Credit Form Class of 2025 and Beyond.

Completed forms and questions can be sent to Ms Hayes at mrhayes1@seattleschools.org.

Nov 14 General Meeting Rescheduled

Please note that we will be rescheduling our Nov 14 General Parents/Guardians meeting to sometime in the new year. We'll keep you posted as soon as we have firm plans for the rescheduled meeting.

This year's virtual Reflections celebration will be on Dec 12. You can register here if you'd like to participate. TCS has one entry in the visual arts category. We'll let you know how our entry places once judging has happened.

Please Donate to the 2021/22 CSCA Annual Fund

The Center School is a unique community with a small group of dedicated teachers and students from all over the school district. The Center School seeks to extend learning beyond the classroom and involve our students in the city and world beyond. To help support that effort, the CSCA seeks additional funds from families twice a year: the Annual Fund in the fall and the auction in the spring are the primary way the Center School Community Association raises money. You can donate now online via Paypal, where you have the option of choosing a one-time or monthly donation. You do not have to have a Paypal account to make a donation. Or look for the Annual Fund letter coming soon where you can contribute by check or credit card with the enclosed form. Thank you!

The Bulletin Board section publishes information about art, photography, film, theater, writing, and other programs and competitions outside of TCS that might be of benefit and interest to our students. If you know of an opportunity that our students might want to hear about, contact the Dragon's Fire at dfsubmitarticle1@gmail.com.

Penguin seeks youth artist-leaders who want to deepen their theater skills through an equity lens. The 2022 PAC is an artistic cohort centering around 4 weekend retreats. Retreats focus on:

• Connection, belonging, and relationship building
• Expanding your theatrical toolbox through an equity lens with guest artists
• Penguin season and strategic planning

Between retreats, PAC members have the opportunity to engage with Penguin Productions, work on special projects, and collaborate with Seattle Rep's Collective Playwriting cohort.

PAC members who attend 3 out of 4 Retreats are eligible for a $75 stipend or service learning hours. Additionally, an additional $50 will be available for up to 3 PAC members interested in taking on more responsibility, leading workshops, retreat planning and production of the spring event, and driving youth engagement and social media.

Applications are open to all youth ages 14–19. Previous experience not necessary. Space is limited. Apply now.

Black Girls Who Paint Award Fund

BGWP supports actual Black girl painters!

Each month, two girls between the ages of 6–18 will receive the Girls Award, a $100 e-gift card to an art store for supplies. Each Spring and Fall semester, two students between the ages of 17–21 currently enrolled at least part-time in a visual arts program will receive the Student Award, a $1,000 academic award to help offset the cost of art supplies, program fees, food, academic expenses, etc.! All award recipients are highlighted on our website and marketing materials.

To nominate a girl for our Girls Award (ages 6–18), apply here.



To submit your application for the Girls Award (ages 6–18), apply here.

NOAA West Photography Contest

To enhance our understanding of the diverse ways climate change impacts people and places in the Western United States, NOAA West is asking students in grades 5 through 12 for photo submissions showcasing what climate change means to you.

Winning photos will be featured next Spring (2022) on the NOAA Western Region website in conjunction with responses developed by NOAA's climate experts.

Each entry must include a photograph showcasing an example of climate change or an impact of climate change in the western United States, as well as a 3-5 sentence description of the climate change or impact, from your perspective. Entries will be judged on the photo's impact, creativity and relevance to the theme, and the written description (grade appropriate).

Deadline for submissions is Nov 15. Read more and register here.

Teentix Internship at Seattle Opera

Are you a storyteller who wants to work in the arts or for a nonprofit someday? Are you passionate about making the arts a space where more young people and People of Color feel seen and represented? Or—are you an artist who wants to learn about how to market your work? The TeenTix Internship at Seattle Opera is the ideal opportunity for you!

Currently, Seattle Opera’s marketing and communications department spends a lot of time trying to provide context about old works for our adult audiences. How should we be telling these stories today, in 2021? What kind of context would attract young people to attending an opera? Bring your ideas to a major arts organization while gaining real-world experience. With supervision from both TeenTix and Seattle Opera staff, the intern will serve as a youth adviser for Seattle Opera’s marketing efforts, and help the company inspire more youth to attend Seattle Opera events and performances.

Interns will focus on communications surrounding the opera Blue, and gain experience in supporting the success of a production through social media copy, email copy, press releases, blog articles, interviews, and more. Blue is an award winning opera about contemporary African American life, love and loss, church, sisterhood, and most importantly, family. The story follows a Black family in the joy of the birth of their son, and later in the grief of his death at the hands of a police officer. This story contains difficult, complex, and emotionally nuanced themes that the intern will learn to navigate and present from a communications perspective.

Teens 17–20 are encouraged to apply.

Read more about qualifications, compensation, expectations, and how to apply.

True Colors' Next Narrative Monologue CompetitionTM

NNMC) features newly created works from fifty of America's leading contemporary Black playwrights that engage students of all backgrounds in artful exploration of 21st century themes, while instilling confidence in all to find their voices.

Founded by True Colors Theatre Company in Atlanta, the NNMC mission is to celebrate the rich tradition of Black storytelling while giving voice to bold artists of all cultures. This Black storytelling lens is not exclusionary, but provides an inclusive portal to new worlds and the truths therein.

In each participating region, students progress through three competition rounds: Preliminaries, Semi-Finals, and Regional Finals. Then, the top two winners from each regional competition participate in the National Finals, receiving an all-expense-paid trip to New York City that includes workshops with theater professionals, tickets to a Broadway show, the chance to win a cash prize, and more!

Register here.

Listings in the Bulletin Board section for any specific commercial or organizational product, process, or service, or the use of any trade, firm, or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the public and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by The Center School or the CSCA.

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