Hello, Friends!

Well - it's been quite a ride these last couple of weeks. I apologize for falling behind in the updates. Hopefully, you have been reading emails that I send out in the meantime.

School Board Update

The board meeting yesterday was one of the most interesting piece of theatre that I had seen in a long time. I laughed, I cried... it was better that "Cats"! When it comes right down to it, I'm very impressed by this board and their stamina to sit there for almost 12 hours to hash it all out and make the tough decisions. And they are pretty close to balancing the budget for the next school year. The good news - the VAPA department will continue to exist for another year! (and since the board voted down closing small schools, it will continue in it's lovely beach setting) The bad news - we will have to go back to the board to trim our budget even further. So all of the jobs in this office are not yet safe. If you want a further play by play of the board meeting, etc. - give me a holler! I'll be happy to share what I have learned this year!

Many of you took the time to contact board members and key people in the community. Thank you! It was great to see Bill and Mark from SCPA, Teri from Valencia Park and Stacey from Clairemont High at the rally on Monday. There were also students from Madison and UC High. Marie, a student at UC High, organized a letter writing campaign just that day and presented the board with almost 200 letters in support of theatre and the VAPA department. Ben, a student from Serra, spoke passionately at the board meeting yesterday in support of the arts in education. Way to go! How great for these kids to get mobilized into action. You should be very proud of them!

Fantastic High School Meeting!

Many of the high school theatre teachers came together for a professional development day last week. It was a great time to share syllabi, lessons, specific concerns and do some serious planning for next year's Honor Theatre Project. We were also guests at the Old Globe Tech Center, where we got a tour from the technical director and a great painting demonstration. Thank you to all of you who made it to this event! More than anything it was great to get together and realize that we are not alone in our work. As Ann, from La Jolla High, said, "I get bored with myself." Just meeting with other teachers helps to revitalize your energy and creative spirit!

Camp Bravo for Middle School Students

Check out this terrific summer opportunity for your students. Teri and Patrick, from Valencia Park, sing the praises of Camp Bravo every year. The high school program is mostly full, but there is room in the middle school program. There are scholarships available!

End of Year Get Together

Let's get together and raise a glass to our successes and commiserate about our challenges. Also, let's toast those two theatre teachers taking retirement this year, Dennis Hollenbeck from Scripps Ranch (via Madison!) and Joyce Sullivant from Marshall Middle!

Meet me June 15th, 4:00pm at El Torito Mission Valley. The first round of appetizers in on me! Please RSVP and let me know who will be keeping me company.

Professional Development

Even if I am not in this position next year, I believe it is important for us to keep united and continue to share resources. I know that many of you feel the same way. I would like to organize some events for us as a whole group, as well as some for elementary/middle school and high school. My vision is that we tie these meetings into learning a new skill (or reviewing a rusty one!), having a specific topic for discussion each time, and meeting at a theatre or school site for a tour or show. It would have to be after school, and for no pay unfortunately. I'm thinking we would do this three times as a whole group and once each by our school levels. How about early December, late March and mid June for the group meetings. Feedback?

Dates to Remember

As you are planning your calendars for next year here are some things you might want to keep in mind: (This is still a work in progress! I'll update with more details as they become clear. Input always welcome!)

Remember - I advocate doing LESS at your site and doing MORE out in the community! It makes us all stronger and our students are better for it!

'09-'10 School Year

September 1st - VAPA Kickoff (Hopefully a workshop in Alexander Technique)
September 10 - 13 -EDTA Conference in Anaheim
3rd week of Sept. - (tentatively) SDETA Theatre Conference at the Old Globe
Late Sept. - Tech Fest
December 3rd - Professional Development Meeting 4 - 6 pm
Late January - Drama Fest
February 17 - 20 - High School Honor Theatre Project
Early March - ESU High School Shakespeare Competition
March 24 - Professional Development Meeting 4 - 6 pm
Mid-April - Student Shakespeare Festival
Mid- May - Bravissimo
Memorial Day Weekend - Camp Bravo
June 17 - End of Year Get Together, El Torito Mission Valley, 4 - 6 pm

Signing off - drop me a line!

m.