State of the Arts
2017-18
Legacy Visual and Performing Arts High School
November 4, 2017
Dr. Edward A. Trimis, Principal
Legacy Visual and Performing Arts High School is a student-centered, creative learning community that engages students intellectually and artistically, instilling responsible citizenship and academic rigor for college and career preparedness.
Welcome to the "State of the Arts"
Welcome to our latest Legacy VAPA State of the Arts Newsletter! We have leaped into another exciting year at VAPA and with just over 3 months into the year, we have already initiated several new programs providing opportunities for our students, most of which you will see reported here. I am excited to have the opportunity to support our students, teachers, staff, and community as the principal of VAPA for a second year as we continue to build upon the excellent foundation that Principal Miller and her team built at Visual and Performing Arts High School at Legacy in their first 4 years. In Year 6 our theme is "Overcoming Adversity". You will see our theme integrated throughout our programs, events, and classroom instruction this year such as overcoming adversity in language, overcoming adversity in the community, and overcoming adversity at school. So here we go with the updates! Be sure to click the hyperlinks in RED at the bottom of each article to see more photos and enrich your experience!

           -Dr. Edward Trimis, Principal
Happy Halloween from Legacy VAPA 2017
Happy Halloween from The Legacy High Schools and Legacy Visual and Performing Arts High School! Halloween this year was so... "VAPA". Clearly, our students were in their element with all the acting, make-up, and costume design that goes in to the perfect Halloween! Thank you to the Legacy ASB Student Leadership, Legacy VAPA, the 20-40 Scare Actors, Mr. Delgado and his Tech Theatre classes, the Leadership Advisors, and everyone who did so much to make the 2017 Legacy Maze experience success!

Legacy VAPA:
Overcoming Adversity
2017-18
School Experience Survey
The LAUSD School Experience Survey is given each year. All staff, students, and parents are asked to complete the survey ether online or by completing the hard-copy surveys sent home. Please complete the survey today!

New Informational Materials at VAPA
Have you checked out our new flier, revised brochure, and new website at www.vapalegacy.com? On the website all of our social media platforms are also linked (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, PodBean, YouTube).

Legacy VAPA Tiger TV on Telemundo!
Legacy Visual and Performing Arts High School Advanced Video Production/Tiger TV featured on Telemundo! Legacy VAPA is known for our outstanding visual and performing arts programs including our award-winning Writing for Musical Theatre course sequence and dance program, however, did you know we have one of a few comprehensive film and video production programs in the South and East areas of the district? Following a successful Telemundo event at VAPA (Yarda 50), Telemundo continued their partnership with VAPA in a special broadcast from our Tiger TV studios on October 1, 2017! Special thanks to Mr. Nick Adolfo who teaches our media courses and coordinates the program.

Ms. Craig presenting
Dr. Trimis, Abi Rodriguez (VAPA, '19), and Bob Klein (FNAM)
Abi, Maria, and Jessica
Writing for Musicals Program Success

It started out as a pilot arts program at VAPA. We are all extremely proud of our Writing for Musicals Program, one of the only multi-year high school programs of it's kind in the nation. In Spring, 2017, the first cohort of writers started the program holding sessions during breaks and after school. Three musicals were written by student teams and two were produced as staged readings at VAPA and submitted to the Foundation for New American Musicals Show Search competition. One team's musical was selected as a finalist and went on to win the competition, earning $2000 in scholarships and recognition to the writers and recognition for Legacy VAPA and LAUSD. Maria Hernandez and Jessica Nava's winning musical, Grandma's Keeper, is now being expanded by them into a full-length musical to be produced at Legacy VAPA in their 3rd year in the W FMT program when students expand earlier, shorter works into full-length shows. In their second year of the program, students further develop their skills writing music and stories/scripts/books as they prepare linger works and intern on original musical productions. This year, and original musical co-written by several VAPA students, Real Life, is being produced in the new Musical Theatre Workshop (Year 3). The Writing for Musical Theatre class is a regular credit-earning class this year taught by Theatre Arts Chair, Stacie Craig, with over 30 students in the class.

The Legacy VAPA Writing for Musical Theatre Team presented a session on October 14, 2017 at the California Educational Theatre Association annual conference. Dr. Trimis (Principal) and Ms. Craig (Theatre Arts Chair) presented the session along with student composer/authors Maria Hernandez, Jessica Nava, and Abi Rodriguez (all juniors at Legacy VAPA). The session explained to the drama teachers how to start a writing for musical theater program at their schools and featured music from Grandma’s Keeper , Maria and Jessica‘s award-winning musical.

Jessica and Maria were recognized by South Gate Mayor, Maria Davila, and the City of South Gate at the September 12, 2017 City Council meeting for their achievements. Karen Ibarra (VAPA, '19) sang the closer to their winning musical, Grandma's Keeper, at the meeting.


Overcoming Adversity in Real Life
Legacy Homecoming 2017
This year's Homecoming Dance was on October 21, 2017, at the Legacy High School Complex! Clearly the dance was an example of what can be done through the power of collaboration and how at the Legacy Schools we are offering our students a small, elite, specialized private school/charter school-like experience while offering them large comprehensive high school opportunities. Last night was everything a homecoming dance can and should be. Great fun for every one of our students, supervised and well organized, and run with the extensive involvement and leadership of our own students. Special thanks go out to all three schools (Principals Manzo, Barrera-Ortiz, and Trimis), their leadership teams, their administration, and their teachers, especially those who gave up a Saturday night to supervise over 550 very excited young people! Check out the videos on our Instagram accounts!

Football Ends Season Strong!
So proud of our Legacy Football Team! They defeated Marquez HS at our 6th Annual Homecoming Game on October 20 19-13 ! Congratulations to Coach Guzman and his coaching staff, our Spirit Team including Cheer, Band, Color Guard, and Short Flags and their directors, AD Sanchez and AAD Flores, Legacy Administration and their VAPA, ISLC, and STEAM teachers and staff for supporting, our player’s parents, families, and supporters including our awesome students, and, of course, our football athletes! We’re with you, we care about you, and we are celebrating with you!
After their victory on October 20, the Tigers came back two weeks later to defeat Roybal High School on November 3, 38-6!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!


Overcoming Adversity in Sports
Overcoming Adversity in Academic Competition
VAPA ACADECA:
Year 2 Growth!
Congrats Legacy VAPA Academic Decathlon Team! Our team had an amazing scrimmage on Saturday, Nov. 4, defeating several large LAUSD high schools!! The team is coached by Mr. Alex Avalos. Last year when the team was founded, we were just getting started. Now, in Year 2, members are competing for the coveted slots on the competition team! So looking forward to the events on Jan. 27 and Feb. 3!

VAPA Environmental Club: Changing the World One Hike at a Time
Did you know that Legacy VAPA has many opportunities for our students to join clubs? The Environmental Club (Ms. Gramlich, sponsor) has grown from 15 to 40 members! Members go on hikes, work on beach clean-up days, and are involved in community projects to help protect and save the environment. These photos are from their hike October 7, 2017 to the Griffith Park Observatory!

Overcoming Adversity in Mind and Body
Spotlight Soloists Shine
Congrats to all of our students who auditioned for the Music Center Spotlight Awards program! Singers recorded their audition videos on October 13, 2017.

Gifted and Talented Program Grows
Dr. Trimis knew they were at VAPA. But then when he took a closer look, he realized there were 80 gifted and talented students already identified at VAPA, which is a large percentage for our 475 students. Mr. Frank Turner, Social Studies and AP Teacher, accepted the challenge to coordinate the program and now there are several students in the identification process. As the program continues to grow, we will be looking at the possibility of a School for Advanced Studies program at Legacy VAPA! Parents and teachers/school staff may recommend students for the GATE program.
VAPA Leadership Students Making a Difference
Legacy VAPA making a difference in our community by working with students from nearby Tweedy ES in reading and other subjects. Thank you, Tweedy for the opportunity, and thanks to our wonderful VAPA Leadership students and teacher/ advisor/coordinator, Ms. Dadrass! Their first visit/Orientation at Tweedy was Friday, Oct. 6. The VAPA mentors work with Tweedy students on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Legacy VAPA and Challenge: LA
Congrats, Team Legacy VAPA, taking up the call for Challenge, LA! VAPA making a difference in our community and representing South East LA and Local District East! Thank you Coach Holland and our team, Beyond the Bell for producing the competition, and the We organization for partnering with us and the other Challenge, LA schools! October 7, 2017 was the kick-off training! The finals event is December 2, 2017!

Overcoming Adversity in Our Community
Musical Theatre Workshop Debuts at Legacy VAPA
Congratulations to the new Legacy VAPA Musical Theatre Workshop presenting Real Life: A 25 Year Anniversary Musical Revival at the Legacy High School Complex Performing Arts Center Jan. 25-27, 2018. The show celebrates the lives of students from Huntington Park High School in the early 1990's and current students at Legacy Visual and Performing Arts High School. Students are performing monologues, songs, and acting scenes on the backdrop of preparing backstage for auditions for a new high school musical. Players of Real Life are looking forward to meeting their "real life counterparts" 25 years later, some who will be attending and recognized at the Gala Opening! Songs include "Real Life", "Starting with LA", "Today", "So Long Ago", "Break Out", and more. Two of the cast members, Jessica Nava and Maria Hernandez, winners of the 2017 Show Search for Original Musicals competition, are assistant producers for the show, in their second year of the Writing for Musical Theatre Program, and are developing their short musical into a full-length production which will be produced in January, 2018.

VAPA Student of the Month-September, 2017
Congratulations to the September, 2017 Legacy VAPA Students of the Month!!!


Overcoming Adversity in Language
Latino Heritage Month Celebration
On Thursday, Sept. 28, Legacy VAPA celebrated the national Hispanic Heritage Month with our first annual Latino/Chicano Heritage Month Celebration. The concert featured the VAPA Choir and Vocal Ensemble, VAPA Voices Glee Club, VAPA Jazz and A Cappella Singers, VAPA Mariachi Ensemble, VAPA Jazz Band, VAPA Dance Team, and the debut of the Dreamers Choir (10:30 am and 1 pm groups). The program ended with an encore performance of La Bamba with all of the groups on stage! Directors included Mr. Cuevas, Mrs. Choe (Ms. Kim), Mr. Sanna-Picket, and Dr. Trimis. Teacher/Advisors for the Dreamers Choir are Ms. Alvarez and Mr. Collins.

VAPA College Night 2017
Senior/College Night for the Class of 2018 was tonight! Thank you, Ms. Simmons, Senior Counselor!

VAPA Presents at NAFME Conference
Congratulations Mr. Juan Cuevas (Dept. of Music Chair, Legacy VAPA) and Dr. Edward Trimis (Principal, Legacy VAPA) who presented a session at the California Music Educators, Southern California South West Section Conference at Azusa Pacific University on Saturday. Their session focused on how to build a music program from scratch at any school. Mr. Cuevas was Dr. Trimis' student at Huntington Park High School in the 90's. The conference theme was "Connections" which is especially appropriate since Dr. Trimis presented sessions at several CMEA conferences when he was a music teacher at Berendo MS and Huntington Park HS, and at that time an officer for the organization. This photo is with the CMEASWS president, Dr. Xander Koops.
VAPA Arts Integration
AP English Lit physicalizing Hamlet's soliloquy through interpretive dance!  # ArtsIntegration  for the win!

Legacy Lady Tigers Volleyball and Tennis Success, Cross country and SRLA, Too!
It was a great Fall season for all of our Legacy teams, Girls Volleyball, Girls Tennis, Cheer, Football, and Cross-Country. Lots of wins, a few losses, but always good sportsmanship and hard work from the Tigers!

VAPA For Houston
When the news came out about the struggles of our friends in Houston faced with Hurricane Harvey, our VAPA community jumped in and started collecting clothing and school supplies to donate to the school district and families there. Good work, VAPA, and thank you!

Telemundo: "Yarda 50" Live From Legacy
It was an early day (4 am) but an amazing experience for our Legacy students! Telemundo broadcast live from Legacy on September 19 featuring many of our student groups and sports teams on live television! The program promoted our opening home football game against Huntington Park High School.

Legacy VAPA in 2017-18
Overcoming Adversity
Legacy VAPA's 2017-18 theme is "Overcoming Adversity". You will see this theme throughout our programs, classroom instruction, and events!
Aloha Assembly 2017-18
Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017 was the Second Annual Aloha Assembly! A huge thank you to Ms. Dadrass and the VAPA ASB Leadership class for organizing the event! Congrats to the many outstanding performers and performing groups! Tuesday, Sept. 5 is CLUB RUSH! All of our students are encouraged to get more info on your favorite club or group! Thank you to our Social Media Photography Club and Karina Torres for these photos!

Adan Rubio (VAPA, '19) In South Gate Leadership Program
Congratulations, Adan Rubio (VAPA, '19), who completed the Southeast Youth Workforce Development Program this summer and graduated August 14, 2017. Thank you to the California Latino Leadership Institute, the City of South Gate, the City of Huntington Park, the Pat Brown Institute at CSULA, Tree People, UCLA UNICAMP, the Central Basin Water District, and sponsors Coco Cola, So Cal Gas, and the California Community Foundation. The program was transformative for our young people in the Southeast schools and VAPA is looking forward to participating in future summers. And again, congrats Adan! You are a wonderful example of the kind of student leaders we are developing at Legacy VAPA!

New Honor Societies/Clubs in 2017-18
coming in 2017-18: Thespian Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society, National Honor Society, and California Scholarship Federation!
Principal's Podcast
Have you missed Dr. Trimis' weekly phone call? Have no fear! You can find the call, plus additional special podcasts, on our website as well as PodBean and i-Tunes!

New Musical Theatre Workshop in 2017-18
The new Musical Theatre Workshop has arrived at Legacy VAPA! The Original Musical Project has started this Fall, and this will be followed by a Vocal/Acting Workshop in Spring with Final Cabaret Performance: The Voice Meets Broadway-A Competition!! You want to be a part of this. Competing Musical Theatre Teams forming now!
VAPA Videos
Did you know there are MANY videos of VAPA events on our YouTube channel (Tiger TV). Check them out! Thank you, Mr. Adolfo!

Legacy Visual and Performing Arts High School
Dr. Edward Trimis, Principal
Ms. Terri Grinner, Assistant Principal
Ms. Jeina Dadrass, TSP Coordinator/Leadership Advisor
Ines Melendez, SAA 
Local District East
Mr. Jose Huerta, LDE Superintendent
Ms. Christina Rico, Director
LAUSD
Ms. Michelle King, Superintendent
Dr. Ref Rodriguez, SchoolBoard Member
Contact
Legacy Visual and Performing Arts High School
www.vapalegacy.com 
5225 Tweedy Bl.
South Gate, CA 
323-357-7531 etrimis@lausd.net
We have space at VAPA! Join us! Enroll through South Gate Zone of Choice and Bell Zone of Choice. Coming soon: District-wide Magnet program and SAS Program!
Nov. 10 Veterans Day (School Holiday)
Nov. 17-19 Fall Musical (Elf)
Nov. 20-24 Fall Recess
Dec. 1 Winter Fest (Music)
Dec. 8 Winter Fest (Dance)
Dec. 14 Community/School Holiday Performances
Dec. 15-Jan. 8 Winter Break

Register for LAUSD PASS (parent portal)
www.vapalegacy.com                       
Legacy Visual and Performing Arts HS:
Preparing students for college, career, and life through the arts.