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December 2007 Newsletter


SMARTS: BRING BACK THE ARTS

CALIFORNIA STATE PTA ONLINE NEWSLETTER

December 2007

SMARTS is California State PTAs program to encourage arts education. 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
  • PTA Launching Arts Campaign
  • Americans for the Arts Legislative Recommendations
2) Arts Websites for Parents, Teachers, and Students
  • Universal Leonardo
  • SoundJunction
  • Cleopatra: A Multimedia Guide to the Ancient World
  • The Alphabet is Historic
3) Announcements
  • Open Vault and Teachers’ Domain
  • Edutopia: Arts and Academics
  • Harris Music Poll
  • Namm Foundation Grants
  • ING Unsung Heroes®
  • Public Service Announcements Support Music

1) Advocacy for the Arts

PTA Launching Arts Campaign
The California State PTA and The California Alliance for Arts Education are
embarking upon a new advocacy effort and you can play an important role.
Our plan is to identify a PTA leader in each of the senate and assembly districts
throughout the state to contact their elected representative to let them know:
  • Parents strongly support arts education as an essential component of quality education for all children.
  • The ongoing investment in arts education is making a difference in the lives of children and must continue in the years to come.
  • Local evidence from the schools and districts demonstrate the difference that arts education is making in preparing our children to meet the challenges of the future
If you would like to participate, please send an email to
Communications@capta.org

Americans for the Arts Legislative Recommendations
“Creating Student Success In School, Work, and Life”
http://tinyurl.com/2l8jqp

2) Arts Websites for Parents, Teachers, and Students

Universal Leonardo
Universal Leonardo is a highly innovative project that aims to extend public
understanding and appreciation of the diversity of Leonardo da Vinci’s work.
http://www.universalleonardo.org/

SoundJunction
SoundJunction is an award winning web site produced by the Associated Board
of the Royal Schools of Music.
http://www.soundjunction.org/default.aspa

Cleopatra: A Multimedia Guide to the Ancient World
Cleopatra is an interactive guide to the Ancient Art collection of the Art Institute of
Chicago.
http://www.artic.edu/cleo/index.html

The Alphabet is Historic
Lessons include short historical introductions to the Phoenicians, Greeks, and
Romans, hyper-links to selected illustrations, and suggestions for activities.
http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=517

3) Announcements

Open Vault and Teachers’ Domain
  • Open Vault provides online access to unique and historically important content produced for individual and classroom learning.
    http://openvault.wgbh.org
  • Teachers’ Domain features downloadable, sharable, re-mixable video segments, interactive activities, and lesson plans. All content is free after registering.
    http://www.teachersdomain.org/
Edutopia: Arts and Academics
View a video about the success of the arts in a Boston public school.
http://www.edutopia.org/art-works

Harris Music Poll
Poll links music education to advanced studies and higher incomes
http://www.menc.org/publication/press/releases/07_HarrisPoll.html

Namm Foundation Grants
The NAMM Foundation, whose mission is to advance active participation in music,
has posted five Requests for Proposals:
http://www.nammfoundation.org/Grants/guidelines.html

ING Unsung Heroes® –Rewarding Excellence in America’s Schools
Do you or does someone you know have a creative, unique educational
program that is helping students reach new heights?
http://tinyurl.com/2fo88f

Public Service Announcements Support Music

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.

California State PTA

  • Does not exert editorial control over materials that are posted by third parties onto its website, or materials that are e-mailed by third parties to any other persons.
  • Specifically disclaims any and all liability for any claims or damages that result from postings by third parties.
  • Does not exert editorial or any other control over content provided by links from the California State PTA website.

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