March 2005 Newsletter

SMARTS: BRING BACK THE ARTS

CALIFORNIA STATE PTA ONLINE NEWSLETTER

March 2005

SMARTS 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 e-mail this newsletter to PTA district, council and unit members.

In this issue:

1) Advocacy for the Arts

Celebrate Arts Education Month: Arts Learning in Action
Public Service Announcements Promote Music Education
Education Week, "Putting Arts Education Front and Center"
Online Resource Center: Arts Education in the Public Schools
Advocacy Resources on the SMARTS Website

2) Interactive Websites for Parents, Teachers, and Students

Matisse for Kids: A Website from the Baltimore Museum of Art
The Music Edge.com
Access Art: A Visual Online Workshop
The Piano Education Page

3) Announcements

National Gallery of Art Classroom for Teachers and Students
The ING Unsung Heroes Awards
The John Lennon Songwriting Contest
The Coming Up Taller Awards

1) Advocacy for the Arts

Celebrate Arts Education Month: Arts Learning in Action
One of the goals of Arts Learning in Action is to bring EVERY state legislator into a school during March. Find some easy activities in the Arts Learning in Action Toolkit.
http://www.artsed411.org/involved/toolkit_suggested.stm

Public Service Announcements Promote Music Education
The American Music Conference provides PSAs on the powerful benefits of music, featuring Alicia Keys, Lenny Kravitz, John Rzeznik, Bonnie Raitt, Brian McKnight, and more.
http://www.amc-music.org/psas/psas_video.htm

Education Week, "Putting Arts Education Front and Center"
Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and former U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige speak out on the importance of the arts.
http://ww3.artsusa.org/services/arts_education/arts_education_012.asp

Online Resource Center: Arts Education in the Public Schools
The National School Boards Association and Americans for the Arts provide resources for arts advocacy, featuring the California State PTA and CAAE Community Arts Education Project.
http://ww3.americansforthearts.org/services/arts_education/resource_center/

Advocacy Resources on the SMARTS Website
This California State PTA website contains advocacy resources for parents and teachers.
http://www.capta.org/sections/programs-smarts/index.cfm

2) Interactive Websites for Parents, Teachers, and Students

Matisse for Kids: A Website from the Baltimore Museum of Art
Explore the 20th-century master’s bold, bright paintings. As you explore you’ll earn props, patterns, and colors to use in creating your own Matisse-inspired artwork.
http://www.artbma.org/education/matisse_kids_frame.html

The MusicEdge.Com
This site for teens is geared as a launching pad for the ambitions of tomorrow’s musicians.
http://www.themusicedge.com/

Access Art: A Visual Arts Online Workshop
AccessArt is a valuable resource for teachers, gallery educators, and artists as well as a creative learning tool.
http://www.accessart.org.uk/index.html

The Piano Education Page
Check out this resource for teachers, students, and parents of students that contains over 800 pages of free information, upgraded monthly.
http://pianoeducation.org/

3) Announcements

National Gallery of Art Classroom for Teachers and Students
The National Gallery of Art provides web resources where teachers and students can connect art and curriculum.
http://www.nga.gov/education/classroom/

The ING Unsung Heroes Awards
The ING Unsung Heroes Awards are given to educators pioneering in new methods and techniques that improve student learning. Full-time K-12 education professionals from accredited public and private schools throughout the U.S. may apply.
http://www.ing.com/us/about/connect/education/unsungwinners.html

The John Lennon Songwriting Contest
The John Lennon Songwriting Contest is an international songwriting contest open to amateur and professional songwriters who submit entries in any one of 13 categories.
http://www.jlsc.com/

Coming Up Taller Awards
The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) is inviting nominations for its 2005 Coming Up Taller Awards, to recognize and support outstanding community arts and humanities programs that celebrate the creativity of America’s young people, provide them learning opportunities and chances to contribute to their communities. Nomination forms are available at the Coming Up Taller website at http://www.cominguptaller.org, or contact the President’s Committee at 202-682-5409 for more information. Nominations must be postmarked by March 24, 2005.

To Subscribe:
If you wish to be added to the subscriber list to this newsletter, 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.

To Unsubscribe:
If you would like to terminate your subscription to the SMARTS newsletter, 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 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 website for PTA use without express written permission. California State PTA materials may not be duplicated by any other organization or person without written permission.

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