From Marilynn Cunningham, Bluegrass Principal

Dear SCAPA Families:

Often as a school administrator, I notice that holidays can bring a joy that inspires us all. On the other hand, the holidays can destroy routines that support us being successful in protecting the purpose of the holidays. It is a time of the year when we can get so busy with the celebration of a holiday, we destroy the everyday routines that are valuable in accomplishing what we want. Even though holidays are designed for reflection and celebration, we find ourselves forgetting this and becoming busy about all the unimportant things. Here is a list to offer you as a reminder of what you can do to stay in the routine of love and celebration during December.

• Check for homework, agendas, backpacks as always
  
• Take time out for reading a special book with your children
  
• Give more hugs
  
• Find time to talk about everyday things
  
• Say “I love you!” more and more
  
• Eat foods that are healthy
  
• Get a good night’s sleep and take naps
  
• Spend time talking together about memories formed during the holidays of past

The word responsibility is defined in the dictionary as being “accountable to” and “able to fill one’s obligations.” Last week, I listened to the author of the chicken soup for the soul books, Jack Cranfield. He attributes his own success to his “ability to respond” (responsibility broken down and reversed) to the public’s need to hear inspiring stories. He challenged us as an audience to begin deciding what story we want our life to tell and go about setting goals and making plans to assure we author a story to send the message we design.

My challenge to you is to plan and design your month of December. You take charge of your family instead of allowing other distractions to do so. Let’s celebrate the simplicity of everyday living even during the holidays!

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
What a race through the semester! The band won a state title (AGAIN!) and the accolades are still coming in about Amadeus. The chorus students did a remarkable job at All-State and the orchestra students have a noteworthy performance coming up in Chicago in December. Lafayette never sleeps, but, as we round the curve into the homestretch, we have a few reminders for busy families.
Final exams are December 15-18. The schedule is B1/B3 on Tuesday, A1/A3 on Wednesday, B2/B4 on Thursday and A2/A4 on Friday. The complete schedule is posted on our webpage. Please make sure students get plenty of time to study and rest during that week. We know that it can be very hectic at this time of year and students sometimes need help setting limits on activities that they can accomplish successfully when finals week rolls around.

We also had quite a few students who made proficient and distinguished scores on the state testing last year. Working hard and being successful usually pays off – this time in the form of exemptions for final exams! Students who qualified for exemptions on their final exams will receive information in the upcoming weeks. It is very important for students to keep their exemption “ticket” secure for the week. It is the student’s responsibility to show the “ticket” to each teacher to verify that the exemption is being used appropriately.

As I shared in our last newsletter, our teachers and students are working together to complete the Individual Learning Plan (ILP) requirement. As an update, our seniors are already over 90% complete. Overall, our student body is over 75% complete! We hope to be at 100% by the end of the semester so parents can begin working with us on ILP’s in January.

Thank you to our staff, parents and volunteers for all the help and support for our programs and our students during this first semester!

Vicki Ritchie

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The Arts in Our Holiday Celebrations

I tend to view everything in terms of relationships and the arts. Perhaps it is an occupational hazard due to my professional training in the former and my passion for the latter. Or it could be because both involve communication about who we are, what we believe, what we value, what we need, want, desire, who we want to become, etc. Then again it may be the result of my deep conviction that we cannot survive without either.

Why, you may ask, am I sharing this? Well, I’ll tell you. As we approach the celebrations that will be taking place later this month, with all the associated sights, sounds, smells, tastes and feelings, I find myself wondering, what would the holidays be without the arts? Would there even be holidays without the arts?

I realize that holidays are the outgrowth of our beliefs, but how would we express and perpetuate those beliefs without the arts? Would it be possible without the oral tradition of storytelling or the written word? Can you even imagine celebrating without music? How would we know that something special is happening without visual symbols and cues? What about the dances, the dramas, the preparation and presentation of food? I cannot think of a single aspect of the holidays that is not steeped in the arts.

It is through the arts that we convey what is being celebrated and why. Take the time to consider what the holiday you celebrate means to you, how the arts allow you to experience and share that meaning, and whether or not you are effectively communicating that meaning through your celebration. May the peace and joy of the season be with you and yours throughout the coming year.

---

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 Calendar regularly for updates)

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Announcements and Reminders

2009 SCAPA CATS Celebration

December 4, 2009
8:30 AM Beeler Auditorium

Special Guest Speaker: Dr. Everett McCorvey, UK Opera Program Director, Executive Producer Opening and Closing Ceremonies – Alltech2010 World Equestrian Games

Reception to follow at SCAPA Bluegrass. Sponsored by the SCAPA Friends of the ARTS (FOAS).

• Reception Information for Parents

Please join your child to celebrate their outstanding academic achievements in school 2008-2009. We are most proud of all of our students. The recognition ceremony celebrates every child presently attending SCAPA grades 4 - 8. Each child will be presented a certificate on stage. Family, friends and fans are invited!

Redesiged FOAS Bulletin Board

Thank you so much Kerri Petersen for redoing the FOAS bulletin board! It looks terrific and I am so proud to point it out to visitors. I love it when people see something that needs to be done and just do it! Be sure to take a look – it is the one across from Room 110.

Champion Named for Performing Arts Facility

In case you have not noticed, SCAPA does not have a stage. Many dedicated parents have been working for many years to correct this situation. Most recently, Mrs. Rita Polzin was asked to become the “Champion” for this project by the Friends of the Arts School. Rita will join the committee of administrators, parents and former parents who continue to work with FCPS to make this dream a reality. The committee consists of Marilynn Cunningham, Marta Ferguson, Jeff Stivers, Sandy Shaffer, Kathy Warnecke Ryan, Cindy Bennett and Carolyn Waterbury-Tieman. If you are interested in investing time and energy into this endeavor, please contact any committee member.

Box Top Battle

The winning homeroom for November's Box Top Battle is Ms. Holmes Fourth grade with 263 box tops collected. The students will each be awarded a pack of Sour Punch Straws for their winning effort. The total box tops collected for the month was 858. You can check out all the homeroom totals on the poster in the Multipurpose Room. All box tops collected during the months of December and January will be combined for one total and are due by January 25.

Elementary Strings and Band Concert

• Thursday, December 3, 6:30 p.m. in the multipurpose room.

Lafayette Marching Band's State 5A Championship!

Congratulations to all our SCAPA band members for Lafayette Marching Band's State 5A Championship! All the hard work and long hours payed off. Way to go!

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Auditions

• December 2, 4:00-7:00 in the SCAPA building
• Audition Workshops
  • November 30, 4:00-6:30 Dance Workshop in the SCAPA building
  • December 1, 3:30-5:00 Vocal Workshop in Lafayette Choir Room
• For high school student only. Children’s choir auditions TBA

Holiday Tour of Homes

Join the Bluegrass SCAPA Middle School Band Majors for the Holiday Tour of Homes on December 6 from 3-4pm at 1601 Richmond Road where they will be performing for this annual event.

SCAPA Coat Drive

I hope this quick note finds everyone healthy, rested and thankful. It is time for our annual SCAPA Coat Drive. We will be collecting new and used coats from today until January 15th. We will be collecting adult as well as children’s coats. There is a large box located in front of my room (#224) for you to drop off your coat or coats. All coats will be taken to Harts Dry Cleaners. Harts cleans them for free and then distributes to organizations who give out the coats for free. Thanks for helping out our community. Have a great week!

- Submitted by Karen Stayton

Kentucky Christmas Chorus Event

Dear SCAPA Parents,

We are, once again, planning to have a SCAPA group participate in the Kentucky Christmas Chorus at Rupp Arena on Tuesday, December 15th. This is the Tuesday before Winter Break. We will be assigned a section and would need to be in our seats by 7:00pm. The live telecast of the event begins at 8:00pm.

Our 5th – 8th grade vocal majors will be the featured chorus for this event. They will actually be singing on stage accompanied by the Lexington Philharmonic. I think it would be great for a group of us to be in the audience to show our support as well as participate in the sing-along. This is such an enjoyable family-friendly community-wide celebration of holiday music. I would love to see every grade and arts area represented. We will be proudly displaying our holiday SCAPA banner with the comedy and tragedy masks wearing Santa hats.

There will not be any rehearsals for the sing-along. They will send us a list of the songs ahead of time, but I guarantee you they will all be songs you already know by heart. I hope you will join me and my family for this annual tradition.

If you would like to participate, please email or send me the following information (You will need to provide transportation to and from this event and plan to stay with your child throughout):

• Names of those participating:
  
• Home address:
  
• Best phone number:
  
• Email address:

The deadline for letting me know of your interest is December 10th. Thank you for taking the time to consider this request.
Your friend in the arts,

Carolyn Waterbury-Tieman
SCAPA Arts Facilitator
carolyn.tieman@fayette.kyschools.us

Let’s Dance!

For the past several years we have invited the “Young at Hearts” band to play during lunch for Valentine’s Day. This band plays music from the 30s and 40s. The students always want to dance, but are not familiar with the styles popular during that era. Patti Bingham, Rebecca Stephenson and I would like to change that. We want to start a SCAPA Social Dance Club! This would be open to all SCAPA families, staff and students. We are considering meeting once or twice a month on a weekday evening to learn a different style of dance from jitterbug to the waltz. We are hoping to start in January so that we can be ready to dance with the “Young at Hearts” band on February 11th. If you are interested, please email me at carolyn.tieman@fayette.kyschools.us. Come on SCAPA, let’s dance!

LexJam

Tom Martin asked me to announce that Lex Jam meets on the 2nd Saturday of every month at Natasha’s from 1-4pm. Bring your instrument, including your voice, and join in the fun. They provide a piano (keyboard) and drums. The first hour is reserved for young performers to play, sing or both at an open microphone. If you go, remember to take pictures and tell us about your experience.

Arts Wear Volunteers

Arts Wear needs volunteers to help sell at upcoming events - band, orchestra and vocal concerts.

If you would like to help out, please contact Christy Pellegrino at cpellegrino@insightbb.com.

Bluegrass 5th Graders, Vocal Majors and Minors to Perform

Attention Parents of 5th Graders, Vocal Majors and Vocal Minors - Please be sure to check out the event dates and times in the Art News - Bluegrass Vocal section of this newsletter for those occasions when your child will be performing. If you have any questions, contact Mrs. Fields, millie.fields@fayette.kyschools.us, 381-3332 or your parent representative, Christy Pellegrino, cpellegrino@insightbb.com, 552-8593.

Attention Lafayette SCAPA Parents

PLEASE share the website below with your juniors and seniors. There is some incredibly helpful information for those who plan to pursue education/training in the performing and visual arts. There are explanations of the difference between a BA and BFA/BM, things to consider when choosing colleges to apply to, the application process, (and it is different for these students since it involves auditions, portfolio reviews, etc.), how to get the most out of a college fair experience, etc. It is definitely a site our students should have access to. The earlier they are thinking about and planning for this, the better. I also have a couple of Performing and Visual Arts College books in my office that parents/students can borrow to look for colleges. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance and thank you for sharing this info with your students.

• http://www.nacacnet.org/EventsTraining/CollegeFairs/pva/Pages/PVATips.aspx
  

Friends of the Arts School (FOAS) Meetings

Mark you calendars for the meeting dates in 2008-09

• December 15 @ 4pm

Meeting Minutes

• November 2009
• October 2009
• September 2009
• August 2009
• June 2009
• May 2009
• April 2009

SBDM Meeting Minutes

• September 2009

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Recent Events

BG SCAPA Middle School Band Concert

The BG SCAPA Middle School band held their concert on November 5th in the Multipurpose Room. Another musical triumph for our band students and teachers!

A Shirt Tailed Boy Named Abe

The BG SCAPA 4th and 5th graders were treated to a performance of “A Shirt Tailed Boy Named Abe” by the UK Opera Theatre’s Schmidt Opera Outreach Program on November 19th. The story focuses on the early life of Abraham Lincoln and what made it possible for an ordinary boy from Kentucky to become an extraordinary president of the United States of America. Written by James Rodgers (retired UK drama professor) with music by Jay Flippin, this was a deeply moving production that brought the life of Abraham Lincoln alive through the arts in a way that our students will never forget.

4th Grade Gingerbread Built a success!

On Tuesday Nov 24th twelve houses were constructed using icing, gingerbread (made with sorghum!) and decorated with yummy candy! All the houses stood at the end of the day, some with candy cane roofs others with pretzel windows. A big thanks goes to all the parents who helped build (without lifting a finger) and to the 4th grade teachers and students. All houses will be donated to the Salvation Army Family Unit. Submitted by Sandy Shafer

A HUGE THANK YOU to Sandy Shafer (SCAPA alumni parent) who baked all the gingerbread herself and acted as forewoman for the project! She originated this tradition and has made wonderful memories for generations of SCAPA 4th graders. We are so fortunate to have her as a member of our SCAPA family.

Central Kentucky Music Educators Assocition’s (CKMEA)

Millie Fields took the Bluegrass SCAPA 4th and 5th grade vocal majors to spend the day at Eastern Kentucky University on November 6 as part of Central Kentucky Music Educators Assocition’s (CKMEA) annual meeting. They spent the day rehearsing with choral students from counties throughout Central Kentucky and presented a lively, colorful concert that evening in Brock Auditorium to a standing-room-only audience. Thank you to all those parents who helped make it possible for these young people to attend this event. What a memorable experience!

Those who participated were Woods Prewitt, Kalyn Williams, Danielle Norman, Joseph Waterbury-Tieman, Constance Brown, Julia Crandall, Bennett Creech and Thomas Bollinger.

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SCAPA in the Community

The Christmas Presence

Woodford County Theatrical Arts Association in Versailles presents "THE CHRISTMAS PRESENCE" featuring SCAPA students Scott DiMeo and Sydney Steele. Performance dates are Dec. 4-6, 11-13 & 18-20. Call (859) 873-0648 for tickets.

Bluegrass Youth Ballet presents "The Nutcracker In One Act"

Featuring these SCAPA dancers:

• Annamarie Bryan (4th grade)
  
• Meredith Hinkle (4th grade)
  
• Landon Feese (5th grade)
  
• Katie Simon (5th grade)
  
• Tanner Bleck (6th grade)
  
• Amelia Caldwell (6th grade)
  
• Kate Cox (6th grade)
  
• Michelle Meza (6th grade)
  
• Paloma Paulin (8th grade)

Performances on Thursday, Dec 17 and Friday, Dec 18 at 7 PM and Sunday, Dec 20 at 2 PM at the Singletary Center for the Arts!

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Lexington Children's Theatre presents "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" featuring the following SCAPA students:

• Parker Kearns
  
• Meredith Peterson
  
• Stephanie Stumber

High Schoolers:

• Abby Tikhtman
  
• Cassady Gorrell
  
• Virginia Newsome
  
• Megan Peterson
  
• Cameron Taylor

The public shows are:

• Saturday Nov 28 2PM
  
• Saturday Dec 5 2PM & 7PM
  
• Sunday Dec 6 2PM
  
• Many Schools during the week.

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.

Students of the Month Congratulations to the following students of the month for holding and exhibiting outstanding character values! Be sure to read their individual profiles on the wall in the Bluegrass SCAPA foyer. 4th - William Arnold 5th - Bailey Yates 6th - Congrui Shang 7th - Bram Coffey 8th - Ashley Whaley All-State Auditions Outstanding Lafayette All-State Auditions: Some info about the auditions: Lexington District is divided into2 sub districts including schools from Fayette, Scott, Harrison, Clark, Franklin, Woodford, and Jessamine counties. District 7 is the largest All-State Audition district in the state (even bigger than Louisville district) - LHS had 27 auditionees. This is the second time that LHS has had 100% of its auditionees make all-state. Lafayette has the highest number of participants of any school in the state! Soprano - LHS had 4 of the top 6 soprano scores in the STATE. Katherine Bennett was the top Soprano in our district and the STATE (perfect score). Emma Jackson was second in District and STATE. Jami Hart was third in District, fourth in the STATE (and she was sick that night). Alto Hannah Johnson was the top Alto in our district and the STATE (perfect score). Alaina Broderson was second in district and third in the STATE. Ellie Todd was third in district Tenor Jimmy Betts was second in District. Andrew Miller was third in District. Bass Wood Van Meter was second in District. Micah Miller was third in District. The Best news was our Sight-reading scores!!!! ---- Lafayette had 8 perfect scores of 10.0 on sight-singing! This makes up 25% of the state's perfect SR scores. There were only 11 perfect Sight-singing scores in all of District 7 (Lafayette got 8 of them). LHS had 10 additional scores of 9 or above. Katherine Bennett, Emma Jackson, Jami Hart, Sydney Steele, Hannah Johnson, Alaina Broderson, Elliott Mattox, Will Baldwin all achieved PERFECT sight-singing scores! Congratulations to the following SCAPA students who represented Lafayette at the District 7 All-State Auditions. We are proud of you all! Gabby Barker, Taylor Begley, Katherine Bennett, Jimmy Betts, Alaina Broderson, Elizabeth Critchfield, Tomer Eres, Luke Hansen, Jami Hart, Amie Huesman, Emma Jackson, Hannah Johnson, Andrew Miller, Micah Miller, Ellie Osborne, Sydney Steele, Ellie Todd, Wood VanMeter.

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Academic News

Ms. Randolph

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.

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Arts News

BG Band

• Band News

BG Vocal

Here is a list of all upcoming vocal events:

• November 15th - Vocal majors to sing for Junior League Holly Market at 2:00pm. Location TBA.
• December 11th - Vocal majors meet in lobby of the Singletary Center for pre-Messiah concert performance from 7:15-7:45pm.
• December 15th - 5th graders, vocal majors and minors to be featured choir in Kentucky Christmas Chorus event at Rupp Arena. Be in place by 7pm for televised program beginning at 8pm.
• December 17th - Winter Concert for 4th and 5th graders, Vocal majors and minors - Meet at 6:00pm. Concert begins at 6:30pm. Concert dress required.

REMINDER - All 4th graders and new incoming students - Please remember to purchase your tux shirt, black bow tie and black cummerbund to wear for all events and concerts. These can be purchased at Geno's Formal Ware on Southland Drive. Ask for used items which will be cheaper.

LHS Band

• Lafayette Band News
  

LHS Vocal

2009 PETERSON VOCAL COMPETITION

The 2009 Peterson Vocal Competition was held on Saturday, November 7th at Central Christian Church in Lexington, Kentucky. The competition was sponsored by the Dr. Roy P. Peterson Arts and Education Fund and in cooperation with the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre. There were two divisions, high school and college. Ten finalists were chosen from each division to receive monetary awards. Six of the top ten high school winners were from SCAPA voice majors from Lafayette High School, and private voice students of Joanna McCarty Rogers. They were Gabrielle Barker, Wood VanMeter, Sydney Steele, Ellie Todd, Andrew Miller, and Katherine Bennett. The top five students in high school division and the top five students in the college division were featured in concert Sunday, November 8th for “A Musical Heritage Celebration,” at the U. K. Singletary Center for the Arts. After the performances, awards were presented by the late Roy P. Peterson’s wife, Juanita Benz Peterson. Gabrielle Barker won the high school division, $1,000. Wood VanMeter placed 3rd, winning $250, and Sydney Steele and Ellie Todd each received and an encouragement award of $150. The audience favorite award and a cash prize of $125 went to Gabrielle Barker. Andrew Miller and Katherine Bennett each received $100 for being a top ten finalist.

KENTUCKY MUSIC TEACHERS ASSOCIATION BLUEGRASS COMPETITION

The Kentucky Music Teachers Association held its 2009 Bluegrass Competition at Northern Kentucky University on Sunday, October 18th. Four SCAPA Lafayette students took top places. Gabrielle Barker, a senior vocal major took first place in the Senior Vocal Division, ages (15-18). Gabrielle studies privately with Joanna McCarty Rogers. Emma Jackson, a junior vocal major took first place in the Senior Woodwind Division, ages (15-18). Chloe McIntosh, a freshman band major took first place in the Junior Woodwind Division, ages (11-14). Carrie Baldwin, a freshman band major took second place in the Junior Woodwind Division. All three students study privately with Robin Barker.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF TEACHERS OF SINGING

The National Association of Teachers of Singing held its Kentucky competition at Murray State University on October 16 and 17th. Six students from Lafayette participated, they were: Gabrielle Barker, Katherine Bennett, Tomer Eras, Elliott Mattox, Andrew Miller, and Sydney Steele. Katherine Bennett was selected for semi-finals. Gabrielle Barker, Elliott Mattox, Andrew Miller and Sydney Steele were selected for finals. Andrew Miller won high school men’s division and Elliott Mattox won high school musical theatre division. Sydney Steele placed second in musical theatre division and won high school women’s division. Gabrielle Barker placed second in high school women’s division.

AMERICAN CHORAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION

The American Choral Directors Association is divided into seven divisions. Most divisions include seven states. One SCAPA vocal major will represent Lafayette H.S. at the ACDA Central Division conference in Cincinnati, Ohio, in February. Gabrielle Barker was selected for the ACDA Honor Choir, and will perform with 79 other students selected from across the region. All events will take place at the Cincinnati Hilton and the St. Peter in Chains Cathedral. Among the featured artists for this conference will be the grammy award winning, Chanticleer, an internationally renowned group of 12 male vocalists. They happen to be the only full-time classical vocal ensemble in the United States.

KENTUCKY JUNIOR MISS SCHOLARSHIP PAGEANT

Thousands of dollars in college scholarship money will be awarded at the Kentucky Junior Miss scholarship pageant. Thirty-four girls from all over the state of Kentucky will compete for the title of 2010 Kentucky Junior Miss at the U.K. Singletary Center for the Arts, on January 15th and 16th. Each of these girls won a preliminary competition in order to advance to the state competition. Gabrielle Barker, a senior SCAPA vocal major at Lafayette, earned enough points to be named Metropolitan Junior Miss, and will compete again in January. The girl selected to represent Kentucky will advance to the American Junior Miss Scholarship Pageant in Mobile, Alabama. The Pageant includes an academic component, a fitness routine, a judge’s interview, self expression, and talent. The talent portion of the competition will include instrumentalists, dancers, and singers. Gabrielle will sing a portion of the soprano aria, Quando men vo, “Musetta’s Waltz,” from La Boheme, by Giacomo Puccini. Five judges will be on the Kentucky Junior Miss selection panel, and they will select ten finalists to perform at 8:00 p.m., January 16th at U.K. Singletary Center. Tickets go on sale, Monday, November 23rd.

WILLIAM E. SCHMIDT YOUTH VOCAL COMPETITION

The William E. Schmidt Youth Vocal Competition was held at the University of Kentucky Singletary Center, Saturday, October 10th. Thirty-five students competed for cash prizes in the preliminary round. Eight of these students were from Lafayette H.S., they were: Gabrielle Barker, Alaina Broderson, Emma Jackson, Elliott Mattox, Andrew Miller, Micah Miller, Sydney Steele, and Ellie Todd. Ten finalists were selected. Among these were, Gabrielle Barker, Elliott Mattox and Sydney Steele. Andrew Miller was selected to perform at the Master Class which was held prior to the final round. Each finalist received a cash award of $100. Sydney Steele received an encouragement award of $100.

• More information

LHS Ballet

Lafayette ballet students are being actively recruited by Shenandoah University and WKU. Representatives from both schools came to teach the students and pass on information about their programs. They were quite impressed with our students and hinted at scholarship opportunities for any that might wish to pursue a major in their programs. Also the ballet majors are fortunate to have Alecia Fields setting Swan Lake on them for Dance SCAPA. Students had to research the ballet, and had the opportunity to see it live performed by Ballet Met and Cincinnati Ballet.

LHS Creative Writing

Slam Team Performs for The Community
By Lizzy Kilcoyne

At 5:30, during the Friday night gallery hop at the Downtown Arts Center, on November 20th, several students from the SCAPA Lafayette slam team sat behind a makeshift stage, balancing plates full of egg salad sandwiches and chocolate chip cookies on a table covered in chapbooks and pages of poetry. Another student was on the mic, reading her poetry from the miniature chapbook she'd printed out just that morning. The audience was enthralled, hovering around the stage, watching entranced as she finished, thanked the audience, and moved backstage so that another poet could take over. A spectator could be heard remarking to her friends that she hadn't realized a child of barely seventeen could write something that good. But others, having seen the Lafayette slam team in action before, at either the Carnegie Center, or the “Gypsy Slam,” part of the Women's Writer's Conference, held in September at the Victorian Square, knew for certain that indeed they could. Members of the Slam Team include: Faith Diamond, Toni Jackson, Rain Townsend, Stevie Farmer, Lizzy Kilcoyne, Jordyn Rhorer, Madison Martin, Samara Pohl, Julie Niklas, and Alek Scott.

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Club and Team News

Bluegrass

Table of Contents

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)

Table of Contents

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

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

Recommended by Carolyn Waterbury-Tieman

• The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron
• Cracking Creativity: The Secrets of Creative Genius by Michael Michalko
• 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

Baby SCAPA Class Reunion for our class of '93/94 - '97/98

It has been well over 10 years since many of us fellow-Baby SCAPA students had seen each other. Many of us continued on into SCAPA Lafayette, whereas many of us branched out to different high schools and lives. Even for those who went to SCAPA Lafayette together, we still only saw each other in passing. I thought putting together a Baby SCAPA Class Reunion for our class of '93/94 - '97/98 would be a great opportunity for everyone to get together and catch up. It was definitely a challenge to try and coordinate dates and times for everyone to attend--which I knew wasn't going to happen. I wanted students, teachers, and parents to all be involved. I used Facebook as my main source to originally contact people and from there began the emailing and scheduling for this event. A special thanks goes out to Rebecca Fields for allowing us to use her dance studio (Premiere Dance, Lexington) as the location for this reunion. The date of the event was Saturday, November 7, 2009 @ 6:00 pm. Everyone who attended donated $10 to help with food and drinks. Also a special thanks goes out to those parents and teachers who contributed money and weren't able to attend. We had some food catered from Billy's BBQ and homemade desserts from Rebecca Fields. We had wished more people could attend, but we also know many are out of state and busy with jobs and prior engagements. We had a few people come in from out of state (NYC, Wisconsin, and Atlanta). I believe this was a huge success and hope to plan another Class reunion for the Spring/Summer of 2010. It was great to see everyone. We just ate, enjoyed some chit-chat...ohh and not to mention a slide-show of some fond SCAPA memories!

- Submitted by Jackie Stakelin

Back Row: Nathan Barker, Jim Lerza, Aaron Hurst, John Buckman, Therese Dialls II, Joseph Weatherford, Landen Wilson, Stephen Walmsley, David Walmsley, and Julia Steele
Middle Row: Rebecca Fields, Melissa Nichols, Christian Allgeier, Jenna Williams, Jackie (Pacella) Stakelin, Balin Kruse-Williams, and Laura Wright (w/ daughter)
Bottom Row: Christine Elmo and Mara Greene

Not Pictured (but attended): Brooks St. Clair

ALUMNI IN ATTENDANCE

Nathan Barker
John Buckman (+ date)
Christian Allgeier
Therese Dialls, II
Christine Elmo (flew in from Brooklyn, NY)
Rebecca Fields (+ date)
Mara Greene
Aaron Hurst (+ date, drove in from Wisconsin)
Balin Kruise-Williams
Jim Lerza (+ date)
Melissa Nichols (+date, drove down from Cincinnati area)
Julia Steele (+ date)
David Walmsley
Stephen Walmsley
Jenna Willams (+ date)
Joseph Weatherford (drove up from Atlanta)
Landen Wilson (+date)
Laura Wright (+ daughter)
Brooks St. Claire

PARENTS IN ATTENDANCE

Bill & Susan Nichols
Darnell & Therese Dialls, I
Leeanne Walmsley

TEACHER IN ATTENDANCE

Susan Watson

Alumni! We Want To Know What You Are Doing!

We would like to make plaques to hang outside each of the arts rooms with the names of graduates and what they are doing professionally. Mr. Love has one on the wall just outside his door. Every year he takes his new 4th graders out in the hall, reads the names of past students and what they are doing, and tells the current students that if they dedicate themselves to their work, someday their name will be on the plaque. This is a great motivator! We want every arts teacher to have the opportunity to do the same thing. Please send me your name, year you graduated, major and what you are doing professionally so that we can expand and maintain this tradition. My address is carolyn.tieman@fayette.kyschools.us. We are looking forward to hearing from you and celebrating your success.

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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SCAPA FUNdraising Opportunities

Box Tops For Education

General Mills Corporation, sponsor of the Box Tops For Education program, has been involved in giving to educational programs since 1996. Over the past 13 years, participating schools have earned over $300 million dollars in funding. The Box Tops program is a simple way for our school to receive money without having to write grants, sell products, work hours, or buy things we don’t want or need. As a parent, relative, or friend of SCAPA, all you have to do is clip the “Official Box Top Coupon” off of the products you already buy and use. A complete list of these products can be found at boxtops4education.com. After clipping, send the box tops to school with your student. Each homeroom teacher has a container in their classroom for collection. Each month, the box tops are collected and counted, with the top collecting homeroom earning a prize. Come on SCAPA Penguins, keep clipping and collecting those box tops. Let’s make this an awesome box tops year.

SCAPA FOAS and Amazon Fundraiser

A great way to support F.O.A.S. without having to buy or sell anything! Come join us at Amazon to help wrap some holiday gift orders.

Program dates:

• Monday, Nov. 23 through Wed. Dec. 23 (No gift wrapping shifts on Thanksgiving Eve or Thanksgiving Day). Held at 1850 Mercer Road off Leestown Rd.

Shifts times:

• Morning 8-12 or 9:30-1:30
• Afternoon 2-6
• Evenings 7-11 or 10-2 (a.m.)

Volunteer for this fundraiser by emailing me with the date and shift you'd like to work. Please also include a reliable phone number. Anyone 18 or older can volunteer to help FOAS. We've had grandmothers, sisters, brothers and friends lend a hand. Every wrapper helps!

We need to submit our shift request quickly! Pre-registration is required for all gift wrapping volunteers for EVERY shift. Groups are scheduled for shifts on a first-come/first-serve basis and fill up quickly. There are 25-30 volunteer spots available per shift.

I will develop a master list of volunteers and send it out to as we go. You may work as many shifts as you like. I would like to submit our first shift request by Monday the 28th. Please look at your calendar and email me. It is important to remember once you commit to a shift Amazon will expect you there since others are declined the opportunity once the shift fills.

There will be a training class/meeting scheduled for all volunteers given by Amazon after we have submitted our requests. (Date TBD)

Please feel free to email me with any questions or concerns about this fundraiser. This is a GREAT and EASY opportunity, and in this economic climate we need to support programs that don't affect our family budgets but still allow us to support our great school. This is an easy way to help!

Thanks,

Jennifer Gorena, gorenas@insightbb.com
cell: 552-6434

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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