ASA News as of Tuesday, September 7, 2010

ASA This Week - Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Note from the Head of School

Leah Fregulia-Roberts, Head of School

Welcome to Erika Tazawa our new High School Piano Teacher. Ms. Tazawa has both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Piano Performance with a second concentration in piano pedagogy from the The Crane School of Music, State University of New York at Potsdam, where she studied under Paul Wyse. This past spring she was on tour in the Northeast as part of the Chopin Bicentennial Celebration Concert tour and with the Mana Trio. We are so proud to welcome her to the ASA community. We also welcome another new addition to campus. Over the next few weeks, we will be putting ballet lockers in the Middle School Wing where the old ballet cupboards used to be. As we begin construction for Phase 2, the current secure ballet storage will be unavailable, so we are relieved to have found this affordable solution. More information will be available soon. Enjoy a restful holiday weekend!

"Be One, Bring One" is Back!!

Jarita Davis, Chief Development Officer

Informing the Community about Arizona School for the Arts

"Be One, Bring One" is back and our first breakfast affair is Wednesday, September 15th. If you are new to ASA, you may ask, "What is Be One, Bring One?" It is an event that gives you the opportunity to invite a family member, friend, colleague or someone you may have just met who asked you - what is ASA all about? In summary, it is an impressive event or "friend-raiser" that educates the community about Arizona School for the Arts, where they will have the opportunity to learn about the School's vision and mission, along with student testimonials about their ASA journey.

The event will be held four times during the calendar school year, for one hour in the morning (8 - 9 a.m.) in the Sanctuary. During that time frame, guests will enjoy a continental breakfast, mingle, and hear from our head of school, a member of the board of directors, student ambassadors, experience an awesome performance and be given a tour of the campus.

Be One, Bring One is your opportunity to invite someone to learn about our "academic excellence and artistic achievement" school! Please RSVP your guest list to Jessica Payne, Development Associate at payne@goasa.org or 602.257.1444, extension 120. For planning purposes, please RSVP by Tuesday, September 14th. We want to ensure your guests will experience an enchanting, exceptional and personalized breakfast affair with Arizona School for the Arts. For additional dates and information, click on the invitational flyer download below.

Download Flyer Here

ASA Day at the Arizona Diamondbacks!

We are planning to have an awesome "ASA Family Night at Chase Field" on Thursday, September 23, 2010! We will begin our 15th Anniversary Celebrations watching the AZ Diamondbacks versus Colorado Rockies at Chase Field, and enjoy supporting our ASA Chamber Singers while they perform the National Anthem, under the direction of Dr. Craig Westendorf. Tickets are discounted for your enjoyment as this is our Second Annual Family "Friend-raiser!" Tickets price range is from $10 - $35. Also, we will have an ASA table located at Section 115, where we will be promoting ASA to the Phoenix community!

For more information on how to purchase your tickets, please go to the ASA/Diamondbacks section on our website. For your convenience, additional ticket flyers are available at the ASA Front Desk. If you have additional questions, please contact Jessica Payne, Development Associate.

See you at the ballgame!

Ms. Jessica Payne • (602) 257-1444, ext 120 • payne@goasa.org

Download Order Form

New 7th - 12th Grade Ballet Storage at ASA to begin Sept 20th

Ballet students in grades 7th - 12th grade will have new secure storage for their ballet gear beginning Monday, September 20, 2010. The storage will be located in the middle school wing of the church building, outside of rooms 21 & 22. Each ballet student will have an individual unit that their ballet bag will be stored while on the ASA campus. Only ballet gear will be allowed in the storage unit. Student will not have access to the storage unit during their morning class hours. Each student will have a compartment that is 12" x 12" x 15". Please make sure your student's bag will fit inside this space.

ASA will be assigning units to students by Friday, September 17th. Students will need to provide a lock of their choice for the door. Standard combination and master key locks are recommended. Please no cable locks.

Please note: If students misplace their lock keys or forget their combinations, ASA will have bolt cutters on site to retrieve student's ballet gear. The ASA ballet storage units are subject to periodic inspections.

PSAT

All ASA sophomores and juniors will be taking the PSAT on campus on October 13. The cost is $13 and is due by 10/1. Payment can be made on-line (in the Student Payments section at www.goasa.org) or in the administrative office. For questions, please email Kristin Mailhiot.

Kristin Mailhiot, Vice-Principal • mailhiot@goasa.org

Phoenix Center for the Arts Open House

Refreshments, open studios, meet the Instructors. Live demos in each studio. Please join us to learn more about the Phoenix Center for the Arts facility, it's new After School Program and meet the Staff and Instructors.

Tuesday, September 7th

4:30 - 6:00 PM

Download Flyer Here

Ballet Workshop Information

Ballet Foundations 2

Intermediate Dance

Ballet Corps Intensive

No academic classes for seniors on October 13

Please mark your calendars! The sophomores and juniors will be taking the PSAT test that morning. There will be no academic classes for the seniors that morning to accommodate that testing. Seniors do still have arts classes and need to be on time for those.

Drop Off Reminders

When you enter Main Campus from 3rd street in the morning, you can either park and drop off your student(s) or drive to the far west side of the lot, park, drop, and go. If you are parking, please put on your left blinker when you enter the lot the the traffic guard knows you want to park. If you wish to drop and go, please do not let students out of the car until you are past the main entry gate into the school. Drive up as far as you can before stopping. Thank you so very much for your help.

Senior Ropes Trip to Prescott

On Tuesday, September 21st, the senior class will be traveling to Prescott to participate in an overnight ropes course retreat at the Chapel Rock Conference Center. They will be participating in both low and high elements with their chaperones, the ASA 11-12 Team. The cost of the trip is $135.00 and includes four meals, one night's lodging, Challenge Course facilitation and transportation. Payment may be made online at the ASA website or by check (payable to ASA). The following forms should be returned to Mr. Steinert by September 14: Medication Form (if necessary) and Participant Information and Permission Form (which must be completed and signed by the students and by a parent/guardian even if the student is 18 years old). If financial assistance is needed, please contact Mr. Steinert or Mr. Miranda.

Mr. Jeff Steinert • steinert@goasa.org

Participant Information and Permission Form

Senior Ropes Medication Form

Morning arrival time

Parents and students, please do not drop off your student before 7:15am. It is not safe for students to arrive before this time as the buildings are locked and teachers are not yet on campus. This is a serious safety concern.

ALERT NOW Communication Check

At this point in the year we have used our Alert Now communication system for keeping you updated on various issues . With our system, we are only able to use one email per student and the home phone number. Please contact Lydia Miszuk at miszuk@goasa.org if you have not received our notifications or would like to make changes to existing information. As we update our email lists, we will begin to use Alert Now for more specific and urgent matters. We need to make sure our information is accurate so you receive these time sensitive communications.

For non-urgent matters, we will continue to use ASA this Week on the school website at www.goasa.org under News and Awards or group emails sent by teachers. Please remember that the ASATW is available 24/7. If you do not receive the ASATW postcard reminders on Friday, please email Laura Apperson at apperson@goasa.org.

Thank you for your cooperation as we refine our communication process

Drop Off Helpers

You have may have noticed extra help in the Main parking lot during the morning this past week. The extra hands and eyes have really helped keep the flow of traffic moving, and we would like to expand this effort. If you have a flexible morning schedule and would like to give your valuable time to ASA, we would welcome your help to direct traffic during drop off hours from 7:20-7:45. ASA will outfit you with an attractive crossing vest and teach you the ropes. With enough helpers, we might be able to limit the time committment to once a week, and the benefits for the safety of our students would be immeasurable. We are working with the City of Phoenix to develop plan for now and into the future; however, in the meantime, we appreciate your willingness to help us. Please contact Ms. Fregulia Roberts (email me or you can find me in the Main Campus crosswalk in the morning).

Ms. Fregulia Roberts • lfroberts@goasa.org

PSAT and SAT prep Course

PSAT and SAT prep Course begins Saturday October 9th. Enrollment forms on the website below. If you have questions contact Linda Edgar.

Linda Edgar • 602-795-6312 • ledgar@cox.net

Click here for website

Download Flyer Here

Congratulations to ASA students

Congratulations to ASA students cast in Starborne Production's of "Alice in Wonderland": seventh-grader Tess Green (Alice); seventh-grader Maina Dove (Rose); sixth-grader Taylor Penn (Caterpillar) and sixth-grader Sawyer Bland (Mad Matter). Performances are 7 p.m. Oct. 22 and 2 p.m. Oct. 23 at 2615 S. Dorsey Lane, Tempe. Tickets are $10, $8 for students. Details: Starborneproductions.org.

Café Night at ASA

On October 8th at 7 pm, Academic Decathlon and Jazz Band will be hosting the annual Café Night at ASA. Students who perform at this fundraising event are selected based on an audition with Mr. Hawkins and/or Ms. Shriver with selected student representatives from Academic Decathlon and Jazz Band. This is an opportunity for students to perform non-curricular music, dance, and theatre pieces. Students are selected based on their depth of skill, originality, and if their act is performance ready (memorized with full instrumentation). While solo acts are allowed, group performances will be given more consideration. For musicians no lip-syncing is allowed; no tape or CD soundtracks are allowed to accompany music performances. Dancers are allowed to use soundtracks but live accompaniment will receive greater consideration in audition. Theatre presentations may use pre-recorded music and sound for effect only.

While Café Night is not a competition, the audition process is competitive. There will be a limited number of audition slots for each grade so there will be student representation from each grade level. Members of the 5th and 6th grade team have generously agreed to do preliminary auditions and then they will select students from these auditions to do the final audition for Mr. Hawkins and/or Ms. Shriver. Grades 7 through 12 will sign up for auditions on a first-come, first-served basis.

Picture Day Information

This year ASA will be holding Picture Day on two dates. Wednesday, September 1st - Grades 6th, 7th, 8th, 11th and 12th will be photographed. Thursday, September 16th - Grades 5th, 9th and 10th will be photographed.

Grades 6th, 7th, 8th, 11th and 12th were given picture order forms and flyers to take home today. Grades 5th, 9th and 10th will be given their picture order forms and flyers Friday, September 10th.

You can purchase a portrait package from the flyer and send to school with your child on picture day. You can also go online to www.mylifetouch.com before picture day and view the many other looks that are available. There is an option to mix and match your packages with different looks and you can pay securely by using your credit/debit card. If you pay online, you will print off a confirmation that you will send to school with your child on picture day. Please use this Picture Day ID: SR270235Y0 when logging onto the site. All the information is on the flyer and please call the (866) 955-8342 number if you have any questions. We look forward to seeing all those smiling faces on picture day!!!!!!

If you have any questions regarding picture day and ordering photos, please email Ms. Bledsoe.

Jamie Bledsoe • jbledsoe@goasa.org

Website

Drama and Ballet Student pick up during school hours

Drama Students: Parents wishing to sign out their student early during a drama class should have their student bring a note in the morning to Jayne in the school office to have an excuse pass pre-written for early dismissal OR come to the ASA office to and complete the sign out sheet for the student and secure an excuse pass. Then drive to PT to pick up student. Give the excuse pass to the teacher.

5th & 6th Grade Ballet Students: Parents wishing to sign out their student early during a ballet class should: Have student bring a note in the morning to Jayne in the school office to have an excuse pass pre-written for early dismissal OR Come to the ASA office to and complete the sign out sheet for the student and secure an excuse pass. Drive to PT to pick up student. Give the excuse pass to the teacher.

7th - 12th Grade Ballet Students: Parents wishing to sign out their student early during a ballet class should: Have student bring a note in the morning to Jayne in the school office to have an excuse pass pre-written for early dismissal. Student gives the pass to the ballet instructor when parent arrives for pick up. OR Go the School of Ballet Arizona receptionists office and complete the sign out sheet for the student and secure an excuse pass. Sign the "checkout" sheet located at the receptionists office at SBAZ. Give the excuse pass to the teacher at DTW or SBAZ.

We appreciate your cooperation with the above procedures.

Parents and Students in the Ballet & Drama Programs

Due to continuing high gas costs, ASA's transportation expenses have increased over the last year. We are asking all ballet & drama families to help us keep pace with this steep increase by contributing. Please help us keep our bus running! We ask Ballet parents of 5th & 6th graders and Drama parents to contribute $50.00. Parents of 7th -12th grade Ballet students, $100.00. Please make payment on-line. You can also contribute by cash or check and submit to Missy Rusticus in the main office.