Post by title1parent on Sept 18, 2009 5:52:04 GMT -5
www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/1776968,Neuqua-earns-Kennedy-Center-honor_na091809.article
Neuqua earns Kennedy Center honor
September 18, 2009 Sun
By KATHY CICHON kcichon@scn1.com
More than 60 percent of Neuqua Valley High School students are involved in some type of arts activity. There are 1,400 students taking some type of art class, and 1,200 are enrolled in a yearlong music curriculum.
"That's a pretty high percentage of enrollment," music teacher Bill Jastrow said.
And it's just one of the reasons the high school was recently selected as a John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts National School of Distinction in Arts Education for its work during the last school year. The award is given each year to up to five schools that make the arts an essential part of students' education. Along with the recognition, schools receive $2,000 to support their arts education programs. A celebration will be planned for later this year.
The school was nominated by the Illinois Alliance for Arts Education in spring 2008. Neuqua was then invited to submit an application, Jastrow said. Jastrow served as lead writer of the application, which highlighted the school's visual arts, dance, drama and music offerings. More than 30 faculty members helped with the application, which was submitted in March 2009.
"We put it in the mail just before the band went on tour," Jastrow said.
Earlier this year members of the Wind Ensemble, Wind Symphony, Symphonic Winds and the Symphonic Bands went on a concert tour to Berlin and Leipzig, Germany, and the city of Prague in the Czech Republic.
The application included a 20-minute DVD about the school's credit and extracurricular arts offerings, along with teaching samples. The school also had to answer several open-ended essay questions.
Selection criteria included review of the ways in which arts education is an essential part of the school curriculum; how the program creates and uses imaginative learning environments for teaching and learning in, through and about the arts; how the arts program provides opportunities for parental involvement in education; how the program provides opportunities for learning about other cultures through the arts and how the program links arts education to community cultural resources.
Neuqua has more than 40 courses offered for credit in visual arts, theater, dance and music. Visual arts classes range from beginning level 2-D and 3-D Design to Advanced Placement Art History and AP Music Theory. A computer graphics course is offered for college credit with College of DuPage. Dance classes offered through physical education include social, jazz, tap, Broadway and hip-hop.
"There's not many high schools that offer that many dance components," Jastrow said.
Those interested in music can be involved in one of the eight concert bands, six orchestras, five jazz bands and multiple choirs and singing groups.
"It's quite a large smorgasbord of opportunity for our young people," Jastrow said.
Accolades are not uncommon for the students in Neuqua's arts programs. The school has received five Grammy awards, Jastrow said. And students have received numerous awards for their entries in art shows, and the drama department has taken a play downstate.
Jastrow credits the community and school partners for making sure students have access to the various opportunities. That has allowed the program to develop and stay strong. With many schools across the state and nation are experiencing financial strain, it is often arts programs that feel the effect, Jastrow said.
"If they're not cut back to the bone, they're just totally cut," Jastrow said. "We're just proud that hasn't happened in our community."
Neuqua earns Kennedy Center honor
September 18, 2009 Sun
By KATHY CICHON kcichon@scn1.com
More than 60 percent of Neuqua Valley High School students are involved in some type of arts activity. There are 1,400 students taking some type of art class, and 1,200 are enrolled in a yearlong music curriculum.
"That's a pretty high percentage of enrollment," music teacher Bill Jastrow said.
And it's just one of the reasons the high school was recently selected as a John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts National School of Distinction in Arts Education for its work during the last school year. The award is given each year to up to five schools that make the arts an essential part of students' education. Along with the recognition, schools receive $2,000 to support their arts education programs. A celebration will be planned for later this year.
The school was nominated by the Illinois Alliance for Arts Education in spring 2008. Neuqua was then invited to submit an application, Jastrow said. Jastrow served as lead writer of the application, which highlighted the school's visual arts, dance, drama and music offerings. More than 30 faculty members helped with the application, which was submitted in March 2009.
"We put it in the mail just before the band went on tour," Jastrow said.
Earlier this year members of the Wind Ensemble, Wind Symphony, Symphonic Winds and the Symphonic Bands went on a concert tour to Berlin and Leipzig, Germany, and the city of Prague in the Czech Republic.
The application included a 20-minute DVD about the school's credit and extracurricular arts offerings, along with teaching samples. The school also had to answer several open-ended essay questions.
Selection criteria included review of the ways in which arts education is an essential part of the school curriculum; how the program creates and uses imaginative learning environments for teaching and learning in, through and about the arts; how the arts program provides opportunities for parental involvement in education; how the program provides opportunities for learning about other cultures through the arts and how the program links arts education to community cultural resources.
Neuqua has more than 40 courses offered for credit in visual arts, theater, dance and music. Visual arts classes range from beginning level 2-D and 3-D Design to Advanced Placement Art History and AP Music Theory. A computer graphics course is offered for college credit with College of DuPage. Dance classes offered through physical education include social, jazz, tap, Broadway and hip-hop.
"There's not many high schools that offer that many dance components," Jastrow said.
Those interested in music can be involved in one of the eight concert bands, six orchestras, five jazz bands and multiple choirs and singing groups.
"It's quite a large smorgasbord of opportunity for our young people," Jastrow said.
Accolades are not uncommon for the students in Neuqua's arts programs. The school has received five Grammy awards, Jastrow said. And students have received numerous awards for their entries in art shows, and the drama department has taken a play downstate.
Jastrow credits the community and school partners for making sure students have access to the various opportunities. That has allowed the program to develop and stay strong. With many schools across the state and nation are experiencing financial strain, it is often arts programs that feel the effect, Jastrow said.
"If they're not cut back to the bone, they're just totally cut," Jastrow said. "We're just proud that hasn't happened in our community."