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Creative Arts Book and Craft Fair

December 20, 2010

CACS held the first annual Creative Arts Craft and Book Fair on Saturday, December 11 in the CACS Cafetorium. The Fair featured handmade treasures for sale, warm food, children's make and take activities, and a special appearance by the Winter Fairy, who told stories every hour. Volunteers sold books and other literacy-related gifts from publisher Barefoot Books. The Cafetorium was a flurry of crafts and holiday fun, with proceeds supporting our educational mission. CACS thanks the many parent volunteers who helped make this event a success.

 

 

Artist Model Visits CACS

December 17, 2010

Parent and professional artist model Ann Marie Snell visited CACS art classes, modeling in a series of workshops on life drawing. Students in various classes from grades kindergarten through eighth participated in this exciting project, working with pastels to create masterpieces based on a live costume model. Ms. Snell reported that this was her all time favorite modeling experience! CACS sincerely thanks her for her time and dedication to our young artists.

 

 

CACS Exhibits Altar at Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts

November 3, 2010

CACS proudly presented our Dia de los Muertos altar at the "Death Becomes You / La Muerte eres Tú" exhibit at the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts , which opened on November 2. Students in grades K-8 contributed to the creation of the many beautiful objects of art that make up the altar, one of the largest on display in the gallery. Their work complements altars from a variety of local artists and schools, honoring the deaths of ancestors and loved ones in both traditional and contemporary styles. CACS was honored to be selected to participate in this exhibit following a highly competitive juried process.

The exhibit at MCCLA runs through November 20. Stop by and witness the amazing art our students have created!

 

 

The CACS Fall Fair

October 23, 2010

Rainy skies couldnt stop the fun at the annual CACS Fall Fair on Saturday. Costumed crowds packed the festively decorated school halls to play games, while the cafetorium overflowed with the sounds of live music and the smells of great food. Some families won delicious treats at the cake walk, while others enjoyed cookie decorating, arts and crafts, and a bit of jumping in the jumpy house. Once again, the middle school students hosted a spooky haunted house, perhaps the scariest one in years. And to top off the festivities, our staff good-naturedly took part in a pie-throwing extravaganza.

The Fall Fair was the result of hundreds of volunteer-hours donated by many dozens of CACS parents, staff, and students. Despite the rain, this years Fall Fair was a festive success. As one parent volunteer remarked, It was a great day. In my opinion, the best ever.

 

 

CACS Partners with the New Conservatory Theater Center

September 28, 2010

CACS is thrilled to announce our new partnership with the New Conservatory Theater Center. The NCTC has offered us an incredible program, hiring a vibrant and qualified drama instructor, Lucinda Otto, to provide drama classes to our sixth graders. Students will enjoy personalized attention in classes of just 12 students, meeting twice weekly for half the year. This new program also allows us to reduce the size of our dance classes, which sixth graders take for the other half of the year. Keep on the look out for excitement on the stage, including collaborative music, dance, and drama performances at our Spring Show and Carnaval! CACS thanks the NCTC for their commitment to arts education and their contributions to our school.

 

 

CACS Mural Exhibit and Reception at FLAX Art Store

August 28, 2010

CACS and FLAX Art and Design hosted an amazing C.A.R.E.S. Mural Exhibit/Open House Reception/Back to School Shopping Drive on August 27, celebrating the hard work of our students while raising funds to support our arts program. Parents, children, and community members filled the store, where they marveled at the beautiful exhibit, participated in family art workshops, and shopped to support the school. FLAX offered a 10% discount to all CACS shoppers throughout the day, and donated 10% of all purchases back to the school. Not only did we enjoy good food, fine art, and excellent company, but we also exceeded our fundraising goals, and left with bins full of art supplies to fill our classrooms.

The C.A.R.E.S. Mural Project, created by our kindergarten through third grade students, was on display at FLAX Art and Design for the entire month of August. Students worked collaboratively in the Spring of 2010 to create the C.A.R.E.S. mural, highlighting five characteristics promoted by the CACS's Responsive Classroom curriculum: Cooperation, Assertion, Responsibility, Empathy, and Self-control. At FLAX, the exhibit included the mural itself, individual student collages and artwork related to the mural, and photos of the students painting the mural.

FLAX owner Leslie Flax commented on the evening, "I was really happy to have the CACS reception at the store. Bringing families and communities together for art- I loved it! I was quite impressed with the level of involvement from the parent volunteers. They were dynamic and full of support for you and your program." CACS thanks FLAX for their generous support of our school, as well as the many family volunteers who helped to make this event happen.

 

 

CACS Partners with Alamo Square Neighborhood Association

August 21, 2010

On Saturday, August 21, the Alamo Square Neighborhood Association (ASNA) hosted its 27th Annual Flea Market, and CACS proudly joined in the fun. Several thousand people attended the neighborhood festivities, where the CACS Family Association hosted a booth with items for sale and an art table with projects for kids. Our music teacher added to the excitement, playing his guitar for us all. Overall, it was a fantastic opportunity to meet our neighbors and share information about the school, as well as to raise funds to support our academic programs.

CACS thanks the many parent volunteers who participated, as well as the ASNA, who donated art supplies to our school and helped make our participation in this event possible.

 

 

Students and Seniors Collaborate in Art

August 19, 2010

On Thursday evening, CACS middle school students and local San Francisco seniors attended the opening reception for an art exhibit celebrating their collaborative artistic friendships. Art created by the students in partnership with the seniors accompanied student-composed biographies of the elder artists. The exhibit resides at Victorian Manor, an assisted living facility located one block south of CACS.

This fantastic display of beauty and creativity was the result of last springs middle school art elective class called "Collaboration with Elders and Youth in the Arts (CEYA)," funded by the Institute on Aging. Through creative expression, CEYA helps elders remain connected to the community with the goal of helping them experience improved physical and emotional well-being. Last year, 36 CACS students participated in this inspiring experience. In 2010-2011, CACS is once again thrilled to offer CEYA to promote inter-generational collaborative experiences for our students.

 

 

Computers Running Smoothly, Thanks to Partimus

August 16, 2010

On Sunday August 15, volunteers from Partimus helped refurbish CACS' computers in the school's computer lab and the classrooms. Hard-working computer experts spent a busy six hours installing systems, trouble-shooting teachers' computers, and setting up new equipment. Their efforts help CACS provide access to up-to-date technology for both our students and teachers.

Partimus is a nonprofit organization that provides re-purposed computers running free software to students and schools who need them. CACS thanks Partimus whole-heartedly for their support of our community!

 

 

Student Film To Be Screened at 7th Annual Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema

August 14, 2010

"Feelin' Alright," a film project by 7th and 8th graders at Creative Arts Charter School, has been accepted to the seventh annual Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema, a celebration of local film artists to be held September 2-5 and October 4. Students created "Feelin' Alright" in a Video Shorts class, part of the Middle School Arts Electives Program at CACS. "Feelin' Alright" represents the collective and poetical belief of these students that one of our country's greatest hopes for the future lies in the creation of music and art. This student video celebrates the rich arts integration program that lies at the heart of CAC's unique mission.

In making "Feelin' Alright", students had the opportunity to work directly with Adrian Arias, a celebrated Bay Area artist (originally from Peru) using professional cameras, lighting and editing equipment. Adrian incorporated music, poetry, photography, art-installation, and art-appreciation into the creative process. Students took turns writing script, interviewing, being interviewed, shooting footage, directing, and editing. Eighth grade music students helped to compose and perform the music in the film. "Feelin" Alright" was first screened at LUCASFILMS in March, 2010 as part of the inaugural CACS Heart for the Arts Film Festival.

 

 

CACS Welcomes its New Director

June 21, 2010

The Board of Directors is extremely pleased to announce the hiring of Paul Greenwood as the new Director of Creative Arts Charter School. Paul will be joining our fantastic team of educators, along with recently hired Assistant Director Fernando Aguilar, to lead CACS in its quest to provide students with a high-quality, arts-integrated education that serves the needs of all our children. Paul brings strong skills not only in teaching and learning, but also in strategic planning and development, which will help CACS establish a sounder footing in this difficult economy and develop the structural foundation needed to support our educational mission. Please see the bio below to learn more about Paul's background. We are so thrilled that Paul is joining CACS and eagerly welcome him to our community.

The Board is particularly excited about the collaborative strength of our new educational leadership team of Paul and Fernando. We want to thank Fernando for his service as Interim Director these past few months, and are delighted that he has agreed to serve as our Assistant Director. Fernando is a talented educator with over 10 years of teaching at the elementary and middle school levels in California and New York. His thoughtful approach to problem-solving, deep understanding of how children learn, and passion for equitable education are just a few of the attributes that make him such a valuable leader.

Finally, the Board would like to thank the hiring committee (made up of parents and teachers) who put in so many hours to make our hiring process successful. Your careful deliberation, thoughtful discussions, and atmosphere of respect are the very qualities that make our community so successful.

About Paul Greenwood:

Paul was born and raised in Kansas City, MO, and earned his BA in History from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. He began his career in education as a participant in the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, serving as an English instructor and international liaison in Hiroshima. Upon returning to the United States, Paul taught 7th and 8th grade and served as Middle School Dean at the Freeman School in San Francisco. During this time, Paul created Journey to Japan, a cross-cultural exchange trip, and has since led four school groups on this program.

In 2003, Paul accepted a faculty position at Drew School in San Francisco, where he taught History. At Drew, Paul designed new curriculum and served on the Admissions, Crisis Planning, and DEALL (Drew Educational Awareness for Lifelong Learning) committees. After beginning a Master's program in Education Administration at San Francisco State University, Paul joined Orinda Academy as the Director of Admissions and Financial Aid. In addition to increasing enrollment and the school's financial aid budget, Paul strengthened the school's commitment to student body diversity through partnerships with A Better Chance and KIPP.

Most recently, Paul served as the Middle School Director at the Pegasus School in Huntington Beach. During his tenure, Paul implemented the school's Vision Plan, which involved expanding the arts program, retooling the advisory program, and creating more opportunities for experiential learning all while moving the school incrementally from a traditional pedagogical approach to one that is more innovative and child-centered. In the summer of 2009, Paul was one of 185 principals nationwide to be selected to participate in Harvard University's professional development program in school leadership.

Paul is married and has two sons. He is an avid sports fan, outdoor enthusiast and food lover. Paul could not be more excited to return to San Francisco and join the Creative Arts community.

 

 

CACS at Young at Art Festival

May 14, 2010

CACS submitted over 40 pieces to the annual Young at Art Festival at the deYoung Museum, and all of our student work was accepted. The Young at Art Festival is a citywide student art exhibition, featuring work from grades K-12 from schools throughout San Francisco. Running May 8-16, the Festival featured visual, literary, media, and performing arts.

Students in the lower grades contributed three composite "Special Projects" to the juried portion of the festival, as well as five individual pieces. Expressionist self-portraits were done in gesso, chalk pastel and oil pastel, inspired by the students' study of Frida Kahlo. K-3 artists also contributed a vibrant and colorful collection of still- lives painted in acrylics on canvas, inspired by Cezanne's paintings. Cityscapes informed by the techniques of Romare Bearden and Stephen Wiltshire were created from mixed-media collages and printed with ink and rollers as monoprints. Almost all of the supplies and tools needed for these projects were supplied and funded by the Donor'sChoose organization.

In the upper grades, CACS submitted a special project by the 5th grade. Students listened to the story "Ozma of Oz", then created a visual/narrative map of the work. This mixed-media map made of shrink film, colored pencil, and canvas, was a culminating project integrated into the students' unit on geography and cartography. Other submissions included a colored pencil drawing from a 4th grade project featuring the unlikely inspirational combination of the work of Henri Rousseau and the Chinese Zodiac. The sixth grade produced Egyptian death masks and mixed-media collages of Greek monsters, both stemming from their social studies units on ancient cultures. Paintings inspired by Jean Michel Basquiat and the Neo-Expressionist Movement of the 1980s and block print illustrations of Langston Hughes' poem "A Dream Deferred" rounded out the upper school contributions to the festival.

From the hundreds of possible choices, two of these pieces of were selected from the Young at Art Exhibition to be shown in the SF County Superior Courthouse. These works will be on display until 2012, in the Family court rooms. In addition to being great stand alone art, these pieces exemplify The Arts Integrated Curriculum at CACS.

Overall, CACS contributions to this year's festival were an amazing demonstration of visual art at our school, both in the art classes and integrated into the classroom curriculum. If you missed this year's festival, look for us again in May 2011!

 

Gestural Sculpture Class Visits di Rosa Preserve

May 5, 2010

7th and 8th graders in the Gestural Sculpture elective class visited the di Rosa Preserve today. They were accompanied by guest artist Donna Anderson Kam, who is instructing them in a series of experimental workshops, inspired by the Bay Area Figurative Movement. Students have been exploring "gesture" in nature and the human form and have each created their own sculpture from a live model.

The di Rosa Preserve is considered the most significant collection of Bay Area art in the world, housing over 2,000 works by over 800 artists. This contemporary showcase is located on 217 acres of scenic grounds in Napa. Students toured the galleries, where guides complimented them on their interest level, behavior, and sophistication regarding the interpretation of contemporary art. Nice work, students!

This was CACS's first visit to the di Rosa Preserve, but it won't be our last. Tiffany is already working to schedule additional tours of exhibits and on-site classes at this beautiful facility for students in other grades for 2010-2011.

 

CACS Spring Shows In May

We welcome the entire CACS community to join us for two exciting evenings of student art, music and dance! The K-3 Spring Show will be on Wednesday, May 19th, while the 4th-8th Spring Show will happen on Tuesday, May 25th. Both shows begin promptly at 6:30pm.

Both events will be held in the theater of the African American Art and Culture Complex. The newly remodeled AAACC is conveniently located just blocks away from CACS at 762 Fulton Street. We will be selling food at both events to help raise money for the 8th grade trip.

On May 19th, the K-3 students will be dancing with Ms. Nagata and singing and playing music with Scott. They have been working hard to get ready for these irresistible performances so please don't miss them!

On May 25th, the 4-8 students will have their entire band set up on the stage for a dazzling night of music with Scott, and a visual art exhibition curated by Leslie will accompany the performance!

We hope to that every family will be able to join us in celebrating the creative accomplishments of our talented students at the upcoming Spring Shows!

 

Getting Into the CACS Spirit

During April 12-16, CACS celebrated Spirit Week with style. Monday was Mix and Match Day, with students dressed in clashing outfits. Some might not have noticed, for as one kindergarten teacher put it, "In kindergarten, every day is Mix and Match Day!" For the rest of the week, students celebrated Twin Day, Pajama Day, and Crazy Hat and Hair Day, featuring lots of creatively colored hair-dos.

On Friday, students dressed in their CACS gear and celebrated our community with the annual Staff versus Students Basketball Game. Everyone from kindergarten to eighth grade turned out for an all-school picture, followed by a raucous game of b-ball. Some of our students rooted for the staff, while others cheered on the eighth graders, banging drums and waving handmade signs. The Students played a hard game, but the Staff pulled off a win in the end. With the sun shining brightly, the CACS student body enjoyed a fantastic afternoon of spirit and celebration.

 

A Legacy of Inspiration

Creatives Charter School's "Legacy of Inspiration" Film Festival on March 20, 2010, was a giant success! The evening began with a lively pre-party at the Presidio Social Club, and then the party moved to a film festival, student art exhibition, and silent auction at the Star Wars' Lucasfilm Premier Theater in the Letterman Digital Arts Center in the Presidio. Over 200 members of our community attended to celebrate and support the school, and together we raised approximately $20,000 for the school, as well as half of what we needed to purchase new equipment for our middle-school film program.

The event was a rich evening of film shorts created by middle school students in collaboration with Bay Area filmmaker Adrian Arias, as well film selections from award-winning documentaries by and about the Creative Arts community. Special moments included our music teacher Scott leading the theater in his rendition of "We Are the World", renowned artist SARK reading her poem, "How to Be an Artist," and parents and staff celebrating as a community against a backdrop of student artwork. Bidding was enthusiastic at the silent auction, supported by local businesses that donated about 300 items to our school. Lucky winners went home with tickets to Burning Man, fine dining gift certificates, professional family photo sessions, stays at regional hotels, classes for children, original works of art, and more.

Creative Arts Charter School would like to thank Lucasfilm and everyone who donated auction items for their generous support of our event. In addition, none of this could have been possible without the hard work of the CACS Family Association. Together, our families and staff continue to work hard to make CACS a model of high quality, hands-on, arts-integrated public education for all students.

Five More Years

Seventy-five Creative Arts teachers, staff, students, and family members packed the SF Board of Education's March 24, 2009 meeting to witness the vote on renewal of our charter. Our great show of unity included public comment from families, teachers, and current students Alex and Maya (both 3rd), Morey (6th), and Anika (7th).

The crowd broke into raucous applause when the Board voted unanimously to renew, with several Commissioners and both student delegates praising the work of our teachers and director and the strong spirit of community that marks Creative Arts.

• Video replay of the meeting (click on “G. Superintendent's Proposals” at right)
• Our 2009 – 2014 charter