HP Arts Newsletter - Spring 2022
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Since 1987, HP Arts has been encouraging arts enrichment and arts education across all schools in the Highland Park Independent School District. This organization was founded on the principle that arts education plays a vital role in the development and academic success of our students.
HP Arts funds enrichment experiences such as orchestra, band, choir, visual arts, Highland Park Literary Festival, and debate team. Since its inception, HP Arts has distributed over $1.2 Million in funds given by district families and our cornerstone benefactor, La Fiesta de las Seis Banderas. Please enjoy the following updates on programs that were funded, on arts-related achievements, and on awards for HPISD students.
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HP Arts Appreciates Teachers and Administrators
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On April 13th, the HPISD community gathered at the home of Sheri & Andrew Rosen for HP Arts' annual Teacher Appreciation Reception. The event honored the fine arts faculty from all seven HPISD campuses, as well as non-fine arts teachers who have used funding from HP Arts to promote arts enrichment and arts education in their classrooms. Highlights of the event included a slide show 186 pieces of K-12 works of art and pre-recorded student videos expressing appreciation for their arts teachers. HP Arts would like to thank the Rosen's for graciously donating the use of their home.
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Many thanks to Susan Cruz for her many years of dedication to arts programming at Highland Park High School. She will be sorely missed.
HP Arts sends her our best wishes for a fun filled retirement!
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Fall/Winter Funding Highlights
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This year HP arts has supported many projects at all of our schools. The list includes: the installation of a new sound system in the middle school percussion room, new sound shells for the high school auditorium, author visits to several of our elementary schools by Nathan Hale, a percussion presentation at Bradfield Elementary, and percussion sets for Boone Elementary. We also helped fund clinicians for the MIS, HPMS, and HPHS band, the MIS/HPMS orchestra CD project, a new HPHS orchestra sound system, and a theater clinician to help with one-act rehearsals for the UIL competition. HP Arts also funded a light box for Boone Art to project images on a screen for backdrops and large-scale art projects. For the HPHS Marching Band, we funded new and replacement electronics to help with the move to 6A next year.
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The first graders at UP Elementary had a great time at the "Strike, Scrape & Shake" percussion show by Mark Shelton in February. HP Arts gladly supported this experience and hopes it inspired some future percussionists!
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HP Arts is pleased to help support the Storytelling Festival put on by Amy Jent, Librarian for Bradfield Elementary. Four story tellers gave presentations to the students. Ms Jent emphasized how listening and becoming engaged in storytelling helps children become better writers.
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April 19 - HPHS Orchestra Chamber Music Coffeehouse in the HS Cafeteria
April 28, 29, 30, and May 1 - HPMS Spring Musical "Matilda Jr., the Musical" in the HPMS Auditorium
May 4 - MIS/HPMS Spring Concert in the HPMS Auditorium
May 6, 7, 8 - HPHS Spring Musical "The25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" in Palmer Auditorium
May 11 - HPHS Honors Solo Recital in the Palmer Auditorium
May 13 - HPHS Spring concert in the Palmer Auditorium
May 17 - HPHS Orchestra spring concert in the Palmer Auditorium
May 18 - MIS/HPMS Spring concert in the HPMS Auditorium
May 19 - MIS/HPMS spring concert in the HPMS auditorium
May 20- HPHS Band Spring Concert in the Palmer Auditorium
Oct. 3 at 7pm - HPHS Band Concert in Cafeteria
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A Message from the HP Arts President
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Dear HP Arts Supporters,
I have to say … and this is a (relatively) unbiased opinion … we have the most amazing and talented students in HPISD!! I just returned from seeing HPHS’s Spring Musical: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and it was amazing! The singing, the choreography, the comedic timing, the FUN for both students and audience! I recall my parents attending high school plays and performances with reluctance, often asking “how long is it supposed to last?” I find myself looking for HPISD performances to attend, buying tickets for friends to go with me (even when my child is not on stage)! Seriously, every performance I had the pleasure of seeing this year left me wanting more. Whether it was the middle school musical, the high school one act play, the halftime performance by the band or belles, the holiday choir performance, the visual art pieces, LitFest – all of it was fantastic. On April 13, 2022 HP Arts hosted a fine arts teacher appreciation event to honor our teachers. From elementary where they pique a child’s interest, to middle school where they hone that interest, to high school where they showcase our students’ talent … it does not go unnoticed the amount of time, effort, and dedication our teachers pour into our students.
I also wanted to say thank you to all our HP Arts Members and our cornerstone benefactor, La Fiesta de la Seis Banderas, whose donations to this organization go directly to supporting all the arts programs within HPISD. This year, HP Arts awarded approximately $72,000 to support fine arts programs across the District. Please take a look at 20+ teacher requests from every campus that were funded. Every year, HP Arts invests in our teachers, the curriculum, school practice spaces, instruments of learning. These investments are in direct response to our faculty’s requests to make their classroom and our children’s learning experiences better. There is always more to be done, and especially now that HPISD will be competing in a 6A Region next year. I hope that when you register your child for school next year that you will continue to support HP Arts in the Back to School Sign Up (BSSU). Every donation makes a difference.
As this is our last Artisan of the school year, I want to acknowledge and thank Board members who will be rolling off after three tireless years of service: Amy Bean, Stacy Becker, Becky Gould, Linda Shirley, Jing Lin, and Rachel Russo, AND, a huge THANK YOU to Susan Cruz for over twenty years of supporting the arts in HPISD. On a final note, I wanted to say thank you for allowing me to serve this community as the President of HP Arts. May you have a creative summer!
Sincerely,
Celeste Yeager
HP Arts President 2021-22
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2021 - 2022 HP Arts Board of Directors
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Executive Committee
President – Celeste Yeager
Vice President – Kim Weiss
Secretary – Alexandra Wagner
Treasurer – Jing Lin
Communications - Linda Shirley
Programs – Becky Gould
Program Committee
Programs Chair – Becky Gould
Elementary Art – Kari LaRue
Elementary Music – Jamie Buis
Elementary All Other – Gabby Lyons
MIS/HPMS Music - Zhen Wu
MIS/HPMS All Other – Jenny Mattison
HPHS Music – Kara Smartt
HPHS All Other – Alicia Jahant
Communication Committee
Communications Chair - Linda Shirley
Artisan – Rachel Russo Willis
Social Media – Suzie Forsberg
Website – Julie Lin
Membership Committee
Membership – Stacy Becker
Membership – Linda Vandercook
Events and Outreach Committee
Special Events – Sheri Rosen
Community Outreach – Amy Bean and Ashlie Seabolt
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