August 2004 Newsletter
 SMARTS: BRING BACK THE ARTS CALIFORNIA STATE PTA ONLINE NEWSLETTERAugust 2004SMARTS is California State PTA's program to encourage arts education. The California State PTA wants to create advocates for quality arts education at every school in California. We hope you will spread the word about the benefits of arts education. Please email this newsletter to PTA district, council and unit members. In this issue: 1) Advocacy for the Arts
2) Interactive Web sites for parents, teachers, and students
3) Announcements
1) Advocacy for the Arts Kick Off the Community Arts Education Project in Your School
The Community Arts Education Project is a unique strategy manual to support quality arts education in public schools. Start the new school year by advocating for arts education. PTA Supports Arts Funding and Legislation The California State PTA also has taken "support" positions on several resolutions and bills that increase the awareness of the importance of the arts to education.
You can find out the status of these bills by going to Advocacy Resources on the SMARTS Website 2) Interactive Web sites for parents, teachers, and studentsThe Artist's Toolkit: Explore the tools that artists use-line, color, and balance-to build works of art (from the Minneapolis Institute of Art). A Brush with Wildlife: Create a composition with Carl Rungius, one of America's finest wildlife artists (from the National Museum of Wildlife Art). The New York Philharmonic KidZone. Make your own instru Lesson Idea: "Don't Laugh at Me." Students create a movie using the words from the song "Don't Laugh at Me" to study the issue of teasing and bullying (from the Apple Learning Exchange). http://ali.apple.com/ali_sites/ali/exhibits/1000935/. See also the Operation Respect: Don't Laugh at Me website, http://operationrespect.org/. American Memory: Historical Collections from the National Digital Library. A remarkable collection of more than seven million digital items, this includes drama, dance, music and the performing arts, among other topics. There is a special "Learning Page" for teachers. Museums Online on the PTA SMARTS Website 3) AnnouncementsPTA Reflections Program Theme The BMI Foundation, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1985, is dedicated to encouraging the creation, performance and study of music through awards, scholarships, internships, grants, and commissions. The VSA arts Young Soloists Award annually recognizes outstanding young musicians with disabilities, ages 25 and under, who have exhibited exceptional talents as vocalists or instrumentalists. Founded in 1974 and designated by The U.S. Congress as the coordinating organization for arts programming for persons with disabilities, VSA arts offers arts-based programs in creative writing, dance, drama, music and the visual arts. The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation offers "mini-grants" of $350 to school and public libraries for programs that encourage literacy and creativity in children. Visit the SMARTS: Bring Back the Arts Web site For New Members to Subscribe: If you wish to be added to the subscriber list to this eNewsletter, send an E-mail to SMARTSenews@capta.org. Enter the word "Subscribe" into the subject area or the body of the email and you will automatically be added. For Members to Unsubscribe: If you would like to terminate your subscription to the SMARTS eNewsletter, send an E-mail to SMARTSenews@capta.org and in the subject area type "Remove" or "Unsubscribe" and your name will be removed. For help or to send comments, suggestions, and inquiries send an E-mail to info@capta.org The California State PTA SMARTS e-Newsletter is sent free of charge via the Internet as a service of the California State PTA in the furtherance of its nonprofit and tax-exempt status. Unless otherwise noted, PTAs may reproduce and distribute the materials from the California State PTA Web site for PTA use without express written permission. California State PTA materials may not be duplicated by any other organization or person without written permission. California State PTA
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Interactive Web SitesResources Online
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