From Marilynn Cunningham, Bluegrass Principal

Dear SCAPA parents, guardians and grandparents,

The teachers and staff are counting the days as we make plans for your SCAPA student/s to return to school on August 12, 2009. We feel the excitement and the anticipation of the first day of school. Can you recall that time in your life when you were leaving the vacation behind and beginning a new school year? If you can, tell your stories to your students. They love to hear them.

I want to welcome Cindy Bennett as our incoming Friends of the Arts (FOAS) President for the upcoming year. The relationship between SCAPA and FOAS is a productive one for our students.

Building relationships are important for student success. Family relationships are carved within the family, but school-parent relationships are formed within the professional learning community of schools and families. To work together we need to create structures to promote communication between families and schools.

The first structure for families and staff to come together will be the Back to School Picnic on August 30, 2009 from 2:00 – 5:00. Please set aside that time for SCAPA. There will be activities for students, opportunities for parents to get to know each other and ways for parents to get more involved.

I invite you to join with me this year as we collaborate in a professional learning community (a community committed to working together in an ongoing process of teaching and learning to achieve better results for our students, our artists.) Frankly, I will need your involvement—if you don’t have an idea of how to get involved and are willing to help, call me. We can talk about this and take the next step together. Therein becomes the power of conversation. See you on August 30, 2009 at 2:00.

Sincerely,

Marilynn Holt Cunningham, Principal, SCAPA Bluegrass

If you need help as a parent, remember, I am an email (marilynn.cunningham@fayette.kyschools.us) or phone call (859) 381-3332 away. Don’t hesitate to contact me. If we work together, it offers a structure within which your student may accomplish great things.

From Vickie Ritchie, LHS Principal

Dear Friends of the Arts,

As we approach the beginning of school, we have several dates to announce. Freshman Orientation is scheduled for August 4th. Freshman students may attend a Workshop on that day at 2:00 pm. We will welcome parents to an informational night at 6:00 pm with a parent meeting in the gym at 7:00 pm. Freshmen should have received an invitation letter the last week of July. If not, please contact the school at 381-3474 for more information.

We also have pre-registration for parents and students the first week of August. This is an opportunity to pay school fees, complete required forms and pick up schedules. Seniors and juniors are scheduled for August 3, sophomores on August 5, and all students on August 6. Students should have received a letter with specific times and more information. Again, if letters did not arrive, please check the website for a copy of the letter or call the school for more information.

We are looking forward to another wonderful year in the Arts! The students and staff continue to amaze me with their talents and accomplishments. I can’t wait to see what is in store for 2009-2010!

Sincerely,

Vicki Ritchie

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Preparing for Success

There are less than two weeks left to get ready to go back to school. There is shopping for school supplies and clothes to be done; orientations, registrations, fees and forms sessions, picnics, and receptions to attend; required summer reading to complete; more regular mealtimes and earlier bedtimes to be reinstituted; and the inevitable attempt to fit in all the things that haven’t been done that we intended to do before summer break ends. And somehow, come the morning of August 12th, off our kids will go to begin another year of school. But in all that rushing around will the truly crucial preparations have been overlooked?

Preparing for school success checklist:

Pleasant Disposition – Most situations are improved by a smile, a sense of humor, a readiness to laugh, and a genuine interest in others. It is impossible to be happy all the time, but smiling doesn’t take any more effort than frowning. When you smile you feel better, and when you feel better you do better. Children’s dispositions are improved by proper nutrition, adequate sleep, physical activity, time to work, time to play and freedom from adult concerns.

Optimistic Attitude – A ‘can do’ attitude is contagious. The belief that anything is possible if you are willing to put forth the effort either alone or with help is energizing. Certainly everyone has limitations, but oftentimes they can either be modified or overcome with determination. Children’s attitudes are improved when their talents are valued, they set realistic goals, they are encouraged to keep trying when things do not come easily and their efforts as well as their accomplishments are recognized.

Cooperative Spirit – Nothing eases a burden like having someone offer, “Let me help you with that.” A willingness to share the load makes even the most insurmountable task seem possible. Children’s desire to cooperate is increased by assigning age-appropriate chores, expressing appreciation for their contributions, offering to help them with a challenging task, and encouraging them to offer assistance to others.

Dedication to Excellence – The only thing you can always be the best at is being yourself. Anything worth doing is worth doing well. Why would you let anyone you care about be anything less than their best? Children are inspired to seek excellence when expectations are clear, age-appropriate, and realistic, tasks are divided into doable parts, examples of excellence are provided and demonstrated excellence is duly noted.

Good Manners – Popular culture would have us believe that being well mannered is old fashioned and unsophisticated. Crude and rude are in. Well please and thank you, excuse me, yes mam, no sir, after you and polite conversation may be old fashioned, but they will never go out of style. Children are more likely to exhibit good manners if these are consistently modeled, expected and reinforced.

Sensitivity to Others – The capacity to put oneself in another’s place and interact based on that experience is powerful. Treating others as we wish to be treated benefits everyone involved. Children are more likely to be empathetic when they are taught to accurately identify and appropriately express their feelings, they are treated with respect, they are taught that there is more than one way to do anything, and they are encouraged to consider the feelings of others.

Desire to Learn – The drive to know, to understand, to explore, and manipulate is fundamentally human. Watch any infant or toddler and this is obvious. The ability to learn and change is ageless. Children develop a lifelong love of learning when curiosity is encouraged, age appropriate answers are provided, reading is a daily occurrence, education is valued, and mistakes are considered opportunities rather than failures.

These attributes are unavailable in stores and are best acquired at home. They are most effectively taught by example. They are never out of season and considered invaluable. They fit all sizes and are recommended for all ages. While they will never appear on a test they will certainly increase the likelihood of school success. More importantly they will create character for life. Success in life begins at home.

Consider Gandhi’s message in his philosophy for life:

Keep your thoughts positive because
     Your thoughts become your words.
Keep your words positive because
     Your words become your actions.
Keep your actions positive because
     Your actions become your habits.
Keep your habits positive because
     Your habits become your character.
Keep your character positive because
     Your character becomes your destiny.

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Prior to her role as SCAPA Arts Facilitator, Carolyn Waterbury-Tieman was a Parent/Family Life Educator and licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She was the author of The Parents’ Toolbox for The Lexington Family Magazine as well as Pastoral Parenting for the Church of the Resurrection newsletter.

Calendar of Upcoming Events

(Please check the SCAPA website regularly for updates)

• Tuesday, August 4, LHS Freshmen Orientation
  
• Friday, August 7, 3-5pm, 7th Grade Fees & Forms Session, Multi-Purpose Room (MPR)
  
• Friday, August 7, 5-6:30pm, 8th Grade Fees & Forms, Session, MPR
  
• Sunday, August 9, 2-4pm, 4th Grade Ice Cream Social, MPR
  
• Monday, August 10, 4-5:30pm, 6th Grade Fees & Forms Session, MPR
  
• Monday, August 10, 6:00 – 7:30 - Sixth Grade Orientation, Helm Hall (HH)
  
• Monday, August 10, 7-9pm, Lafayette SCAPA Back to School Reception, Lafayette cafeteria
  
• Tuesday, August 11, 2:30-4pm, 4th Grade Fees & Forms Session, MPR
  
• Tuesday, August 11, 4:30-6pm, 5th Grade Fees & Forms Session, MPR
  
• Wednesday, August 12, 2009 - First day of School
  
• Tuesday, August 18, Innisbrook Fundraiser begins
  
• Friday, August 21, No School for Kids
  
• Monday, August 24, 4pm, Peter Pan auditions
  
• Tuesday, August 25, 4pm, Peter Pan auditions
  
• Tuesday, August 25, 4pm, FOAS Meeting, Creative Writing Lab
  
• Friday, August 28, Peter Pan cast posted
  
• Sunday, August 30, 2-5pm, Bluegrass SCAPA Back to School Picnic, MPR & outside
  
• Monday, September 7, Labor Day, No School
  
• Tuesday, September 8, 6-7:30pm, Parent Meetings for Peter Pan, HH and MPR
  
• Wednesday, September 9, Innisbrook Fundraiser ends
  
• Monday, September 14, Bluegrass SCAPA Open House, throughout building
  
• Tuesday, September 15, 8:15-10:55am, 8th Grade EXPLORE TEST, MPR
  
• Monday, September 21, 8:45-11am, School Pictures, HH
  
• Tuesday, September 22, 6pm, FOAS Meeting, Creative Writing Lab
  
• Tuesday, September 22, 6-7pm, Lafayette SCAPA Audition/Application Information Meeting, Lafayette Library
  
• Monday, September 28, No School for Kids

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Announcements and Reminders

New Kentucky Education Commissioner

Terry Holliday, superintendent of the Iredell-Statesville school district in Statesville, North Carolina, has been selected as Kentucky’s fifth commissioner of education. More info...

Become a Production Sponsor

SCAPA needs you! The time has come for parents and friends to consider advertising in the programs for all of the 2009-2010 productions. You may do so by completing the benefactors, patrons, supporter form which allows you to place your name, or the name of other family members such as grandparents, under the appropriate category in our production programs. If you own a business, perhaps you would like to purchase a business card ad where an exact copy of your card in black and white will appear in the programs. All names and business card ads purchased will appear in the programs for all six productions for the 2009-10 school year: Lost in Yonkers, Peter Pan, Amadeus, Dance SCAPA, And A Child Shall Lead, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. You may complete the form(s)) and mail them along with your check to FOAS, PO Box 866, Lexington, Ky. 40588. Your support is needed and is greatly appreciated!

If you know of someone who owns a business and who might be interested in becoming a sponsor for the 2009-10 production season, sponsorships are available ranging from $500 to $5000. or more. The sponsors of our productions make it possible for our audience members to enjoy our wonderful shows. Sponsors will receive ads in all programs as well as signage at the event venue.

• Benefactors, patrons, supporter form
  
• Business card ad form
  
• Becoming a sponsor form

If you know of a potential sponsor or if you would like to serve on the sponsorship committee, please contact the VP of Development, Tracy Lovan at (859) 948-1955.

New Bus Stop for SCAPA Students

Marcus Dobbs, the routing supervisor at FCPS transportation department, announced that there is going to be a SCAPA bus that will pick up/drop off at Boston Road/Mill Pond. This is a new stop and should be helpful for several SCAPA families in the area. If you have questions, please contact Carla Pleasant at Bluegrass SCAPA, 381-3332.

Innisbrook Gift Wrap & Chocolate Sale

The annual Innisbrook Gift Wrap & Chocolate Sale has been scheduled for August 18 through Sept 9. Last year we raised over $7,300 which was spent directly on our students during the school year! This is the Friends of the Arts School's (FOAS) biggest and only schoolwide fundraiser. The catalogs will be sent home with the students on August 18! Any questions, contact Kim Kearns (kskearns@aol.com) or Jennifer Gorena (gorenas@insightbb.com or 552-6434). We depend on and appreciate your support!

Attention ALL Bluegrass and Lafayette SCAPA Families!

Please join us for the Back to School Picnic on Sunday, August 30th from 2-5pm on the grounds and in the multipurpose room at Bluegrass SCAPA. There will be food, drinks, inflatable bounce houses, and a silent auction. This is a terrific opportunity to meet other SCAPA families and get the year off to a great start! Don't miss this event that is all for fun and fun for all!

2009-10 SCAPA Public Performance Production Schedule

SCAPA Directory Updates

If you have had any changes to your contact information, i.e., change of address, phone number, email address, please email those to Mary Kay Ra yens, mkrayens@uky.edu, as soon as possible. We would like to have the SCPAPA Directory available as close to the beginning of school as possible. Thank you for your cooperation!

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), under the direction of Paul Thomas and featuring SCAPA Lafayette senior actors Jimmy Betts, Tyler Stale and Blake Sugar man, will be performed Friday, August 28th and Saturday, August 29th in the Thoroughbred Theatre in Midway on Railroad Street with an 8:00pm curtain. The show will then move to Attars’s Restaurant, Cafe, Bistro at 112 Esplanade in downtown Lexington and run from Sunday, August 30th through Wednesday, September 2. Specific times and ticket information will follow as soon as available.

Arts Facilitator Seeking Alumni Liaison

The first fourth grade SCAPA class was established at Harrison Elementary School in 1987 which means (if my math is correct) that the first SCAPA class graduated in 1996. Therefore, we have fourteen years worth of SCAPA alumni families. This is an essential group that needs representation. I would like to invite any SCAPA alumni student or parent to serve as our alumni liaison. If you are interested in volunteering in this capacity, please contact me, carolyn.tieman@fayette.kyschools.us, so we can begin exploring how we can better stay connected to and serve this population. This could be one person or a committee, so do not fail to volunteer because you figure someone else already has. I look forward to hearing from you.

New FOAS Board Members, Representatives and Committee Chairs

Introducing our new slate of FOAS Board Members, Representatives and Committee Chairs. Please take the time to thank these people for stepping up to lead us through the next exciting school year at SCAPA. When they call you to ask for your help on one of our school's numerous projects, just say "YES."

Arboretum Birdhouse Display and Benefit Auction

The Arboretum has invited our students to create and submit birdhouses for their annual Birdhouse Display and Benefit Auction again this year. Birdhouses will be displayed in the gardens of The Arboretum from September 4-13. The display will end with a reception and silent auction on Sunday afternoon, September 13 from 2-4pm at the Dorotha Smith Oatts Visitor Center. Ribbons will be awarded this year for the Best Children’s Birdhouse (age 10 and under) and there will be a ballot box for visitors to vote for the Visitor’s Favorite Birdhouse. New this year, the Pat Morris Creativity Award will be presented for the Most Creative Birdhouse.

Entry forms are available for download. This is a fun summertime project for creative kids and families that raises money to benefit The Arboretum. Your student may choose to donate their birdhouse to the silent auction or they may reclaim it after the display period is over. Please consider participating in this worthwhile event. We would love to have a great showing of SCAPA birdhouses. I hope to see your student’s entry at the 8th Annual Birdhouse Display in September.

Forms and Fees Sessions

Parents! Please mark these days on your calendar to go to Bluegrass SCAPA and complete all the necessary paperwork and pay next year’s fees. This process saves everyone time in the long run. See you there!

FRIDAY, AUGUST 7
7th GRADE – 3:00 to 5:00
8TH GRADE - 5:00 to 6:30

MONDAY, AUGUST 10
6TH GRADE – 4:00 to 5:30

TUESDAY, AUGUST 11
4TH GRADE – 2:30 to 4:30
5th GRADE - 4:30 to 6:00

Volunteers Needed!

If you can help with the Forms and Fees Sessions that occur before school starts in August, please contact Sylvia Aldrich, 381-3332 ext. 1106, sylvia.aldrich@fayette.kyschools.us for more details. There will be separate days and different times scheduled for each grade level.

Friends of the Arts School (FOAS) Meetings

Mark you calendars for the meeting dates in 2008-09:

• August 19 - Meeting Minutes
• September 16 - Meeting Minutes
• October 21 - Meeting Minutes
• November 18 - Meeting Minutes
• December 16 - Cancelled
• January 20 - Meeting Minutes
• February 17 - Meeting Minutes
• March 16 - Meeting Minutes
• April 21 - Meeting Minutes
• May 18 - Meeting Minutes
• June 26 - Meeting Minutes

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Recent Events

SCAPA Student Summer Activities

1. Lauren Perkins, SCAPA junior, attended a week-long visual arts workshop at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in late July. Here she is demonstrating one of her two projects, a board game, during the open house for students and parents. She attended both a game design class as well as an animation class.
2. Joseph Wrightson, Megan Peterson, Will Swisher, Alaina Broderson, Katherine Bennett, Meredith Peterson, and Cassady Gorrell (from left to right) were members of the Lexington Children's Theatre's production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella July 30th - August 2nd.
3. Jacob Yates and Heeju Son at the Norse Festival on Northern Kentucky University's campus (June 13, 2009) in their string quartet called Bloody Strings.
4. Emma Jackson attended GSA as a vocal major at Transylvania University.
   
5. Brittany McGraw (left) attended a week-long musical theatre workshop titled "You Can't Stop the Beat" at the Lexington Children's Theatre.
6. Taylor Eldred (alumni), Katie Berger (alumni), Clark Davis (7th grader) (back row, left to right), Tamia Bowden (4th grader) and Joseph Waterbury-Tieman (4th grader) (front row) were in the cast of Summerfest's production of "Once on This Island" performed at The Arboretum.
7. Will Lovan (far left) attended Murray's trumpet workshop in June.
8. Abby Brockman and Ana Caballero dancing at Applause Nationals in Chicago.

SCAPA Marches for the Freedom to be Creative

Once again a group of SCAPA students and parents braved the weather to march in the downtown Lexington July 4th Parade. Most participants dressed in their SCAPA Artswear. Kennedie Nelson came as Peter Pan, Tamia Bowden and Ellen Jenkins were both Tinkerbells, and Joseph Waterbury-Tieman was a pirate. Several students carried posters celebrating their arts major. We played the soundtrack from Peter Pan and passed out candy along with red, white and blue 2009-10 Production Season handbills. We were cheered on by numerous SCAPA families and alums in the crowd.

Thank you to all the parents who donated candy for this event. You got to witness firsthand how much the kids enjoyed sharing it with the children attending the parade.

Next year, we hope to have a greater presence in the parade including an alumni and current student band. A flatbed truck and/or float would be wonderful! If you are interested in being on the planning committee for this event next year, please contact Carolyn Waterbury-Tieman, carolyn.tieman@fayette.kyschools.us, or Randy Gonzalez, rgonzalez@uky.edu.

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SCAPA Spotlights

This section is reserved for recognizing accomplishments by SCAPA students, parents, faculty and staff. Please send arts accomplishments to Carolyn Waterbury-Tieman (carolyn.tieman@fayette.kyschools.us). Space limitations will determine how many we can include in any given month.

Governor's School for the Arts Awards Recipient Clay Gonzalez attending GSA was given The David X. Thurmond Award (Director) for Instrumental Music-Trombone

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Academic News

Middle School Science

Ms. Randolph’s Classroom

Check out our classroom website that lists the weekly spelling words. This might come in handy if the book or pretest is accidentally left at home the night before the test.

Language Arts

Mrs. Aldridge's summer reading list:

• 7th grade reading list
• 8th grade reading list

Foreign Languages

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Arts News

Bluegrass

Band

• Band News

Lafayette

Band

• Lafayette Band News
  

Creative Writing

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Club and Team News

Bluegrass

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Arts Roundtable

The Arts Roundtable is a place where we can share valuable information about the essential role of the arts in our lives and the lives of our children. (Please submit items to Carolyn Waterbury-Tieman, carolyn.tieman@fayette.kyschools.us, by the 20th of each month.)

Submit information to Carolyn Waterbury-Tieman (carolyn.tieman@fayette.kyschools.us)

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Arts Bookbag

The Arts Bookbag is a place where we can recommend books about the arts that we have found to be informative and inspiring. (Please submit titles to Carolyn Waterbury-Tieman, carolyn.tieman@fayette.kyschools.us, by the 20th of each month.)

Recommended by Melanie Stivers

• New - The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life. Twyla Tharp. Simon & Schuster, 2005.

Recommended by Carolyn Waterbury-Tieman

• A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future. Daniel H. Pink. (2005, 2006). Riverhead Books, 375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014.
• The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything. Ken Robinson. (2009). Viking, 375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014.
• Out of Our Minds: Learning to Be Creative, Ken Robinson, Capstone, 2001
  
• 5 Minds for the Future, Howard Gardner, Harvard Business School Press, 2009
  
• Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, Malcolm Gladwell, Back Bay Books, 2007
  
• Outliers: The Story of Success, Malcolm Gladwell, Little, Brown & Company, 2008

Alumni News

ATTENTION SCAPA Graduates from the Class of 2000!

If you are interested in holding a ten-year reunion during the weekend of Lafayette's Homecoming (usually in September/October) or sometime during the 2009-2010 academic year, please contact Carolyn Waterbury-Tieman at (859) 381-3332 ext. 1102 or carolyn.tieman@fayette.kyschools.us. The Friends of the Arts School would be happy to host and help you plan a gathering for your SCAPA class! Hope to hear from you.

Submit information to Carolyn Waterbury-Tieman (carolyn.tieman@fayette.kyschools.us)

Arts Facilitator Seeking Alumni Liaison

The first fourth grade SCAPA class was established at Harrison Elementary School in 1987 which means (if my math is correct) that the first SCAPA class graduated in 1996. Therefore, we have fourteen years worth of SCAPA alumni families. This is an essential group that needs representation. I would like to invite any SCAPA alumni student or parent to serve as our alumni liaison. If you are interested in volunteering in this capacity, please contact me, carolyn.tieman@fayette.kyschools.us, so we can begin exploring how we can better stay connected to and serve this population. This could be one person or a committee, so do not fail to volunteer because you figure someone else already has. I look forward to hearing from you.

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Volunteer Opportunities

Please download a copy for each of the FCPS approved volunteers in your family. Completed forms may be turned in to Ms. Barbara Talbert at the front office of Bluegrass SCAPA. Thank you so much for your commitment to making SCAPA great!

• Bluegrass Volunteer Form
• LHS Volunteer Form

Please be aware that a records check is required in order to participate in volunteer activities in the Fayette County School system.

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FOAS Board Officers and Representatives

• Officers and Representatives

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