Fine Arts is a required course for graduation, and Raines students need this credit. Not only does taking an art class open the door for students to discover an unrealized talent, but art courses at Raines also provide numerous opportunities to teach a range of subjects through the creative art making process.

Karen Richards is the Art Teacher at Raines and she is always looking for new ways to engage her student’s heart and mind in fine art, she seeks out projects that will take her students to the higher level and measures her students’ improvement not just on the project outcome, but also on the changes in their attitude, outlook on the future, and work ethic. She applied for ARTreach project support when she learned the organization had received new grants that would help fund collaborative murals at underserved schools in Katy ISD. She wanted to do a special project that would capture the essence and unique student culture at Raines.

ARTreach provided an opportunity for the students at Raines to work with a professional wildlife artist and muralist Vickie McMillan as an Artist in Residence. The project concept would be developed by the students to be unique. The project would combine several teaching objectives supporting fine arts and also demonstrate how to work as a team to create collaborative work of art. It was decided that the mural should become a legacy piece to motivate future Raines High School students in their academic careers.

On the first day of the residency program, Vickie introduced herself to the class as a professional artist, and told the students they could paint just like she could. This idea was difficult to believe. Vickie returned weekly, and left the students instructions to master the techniques she had demonstrated. Mrs. Richards gave pep talks of encouragement, and within a few short weeks the students began to teach each other. By the end of six weeks the masterpiece was complete. It is difficult to believe, and it is beautiful. You will see great student pride represented in this work. The officially unveiling of the Raines Student Project will be held on April 15th 5:30-7:30 at the ARTreach Gallery Night at Tradition Bank.

“ …whenever community organizations like ARTreach take an interest in any student population it’s a great thing” says Richards, “ Bringing in outside resources can inspire students to try new things. In addition it makes them feel cared for – someone has faith in them.”

Do all zebras look alike? From a distance they may, but every zebra’s stripe pattern is unique just like our fingerprints. A surprising outcome of this project was the connection the Raines students made with the Zebras. They quickly connected with the concept that every zebra stripe is unique much like every student at Raines yet they all bring their uniqueness together for a common goal and the outcome is the student body of Raines High School.

Attend Gallery Night at Tradition Bank April 15 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and learn more about the RHS ARTreach Mural Story and other ARTreach projects in Katy ISD. ARTreach Scholarships for private studio classes will be awarded to gifted and aspiring artists in Katy ISD also on this evening.

Students and teachers are prepping the walls for the first stage of the mural project, photo above is of  Principal Christine Salenga participating in the process.

ARTreach Murals projects are professionally driven and average $35 cost per square foot. A mural project this scale that contracts a professional muralist would cost the campus $20,475.00 in fees tied to labor and supplies. Many schools can’t afford a mural, and those that have murals are leaning heavily on a very active PTA to support the labor and the necessary fundraising for this kind of art project. McRoberts is a Title One school with limited PTA involvement. The campus applied for support from ARTreach in January when the organization announced new grants had be received that could be used to help underserved schools in need of interactive art and mentoring projects. Approved projects would integrate Science and Math teaching objectives and support social skill development and self esteem. Numerous schools submitted a request for a variety of projects. In the end five Katy ISD schools were approved for spring semester projects; McRoberts Elementary, Schmaltz Elementary, West Memorial Junior High, Morton Ranch Junior High and Raines High School. ARTreach grants will cover up to 80% of the costs of a campus approved project. To be awarded a project the school needed to demonstrate they had community support for their project and would build its own resources to cover a percentage of the overall costs. ARTreach is advocating for arts education with a goal to see PTAs and districts begin to prioritize funding associated with Arts Education in underserved schools.

“Students and teachers are the stakeholders that will gain the most upon the successful completion of the project.” says Vickie McMillan of ARTreach, “The community is working together through ARTreach and the school. The students and teachers have a positive influence on their project outcomes.” “Not only have they fed into the design and concepts behind the mural, the students at McRoberts have raised $1000 in funds by selling popcorn! Parents, teachers and students held a community garage sale on April 17th and raised money by selling booths for $20.00. Teachers even took rumba classes as a way to fund raise and made over $1,000. McRoberts goal is $4,095 and they are almost there. A decorated bottle created by art students is located at the front office for visitors and students to donate money to support the reminder of the costs associated with this project.”
ARTreach is hosting events monthly at Berryhill Baja Grill in Villagio Town Center in Cinco Ranch to help PTAs and schools throughout the district build resources to support arts education. The community is invited to join ARTreach at Berryhill on May 21st for 6-8 PM to “Paint for a Worthy Cause”. Contact Terri Bieber, ARTreach Executive Director for more information. ARTreach has announced a second cycle of projects will be approved for fall 2010 semester serving underserved schools and non-profit agencies in need art program support. Visit the website www.artreachonline.org and email info@artreachonline.org for an application for project assistance.

Photo above includes Schmalz Elementary Principal Karen Ladner, Assistant Principal Lorraine White, and Science team leader, Lynette Campbell along with Terri Bieber and Vickie McMillan of ARTreach. Schmalz Elementary was awarded their project based on their application which included a statement of need and their high interest in having an interactive mural created to support visual learning in Science. ARTreach calls projects like this “SM-ART”, because they combine Science and/or Math teaching objectives with visual arts learning opportunities. Schmalz’s project is a 9 x 65 foot mural that spans the 4th and 5th grade hallway, visually illustrating lessons associated with 4th and 5th grade curriculum including earth life cycles. This is a $20,475 interactive mural project benefiting the Schmalz school community of over 1048 students annually. The project is funded by grants and donations made to ARTreach supporting underserved schools in Katy.
Many of the Katy ISD schools applied for and will be receiving similar mural projects that integrate fine arts with other core educational objectives including STEM Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, or projects that focused on Character Education and Development. ARTreach is offering additional and unique Artist in Residence support to West Memorial Junior High in recognition of their counselor’s newest support program for girls called The ROSE (The Rising of Self-Esteem).

Over $78,000 in project support has already been pledged or distributed this year within Katy ISD and a list of social service agencies in Katy, Richmond and Houston including, Houston Aids Foundation patient center, Pregnancy Help Center of Katy, Coalition of Behavioral Health Services & Partnership for a Drug-Free Spring Branch, Houston Harris County Juvenile Detention Center, Houston Domestic Abuse Center and a number of CPS placement centers and youth shelters.
For more information and details about each project and how the community is involved, please contact Terri Bieber at ARTreach 281-392-5341 or visit www.artreachonline.org

Michael Averitt is a sophomore at Mayde Creek High School. He is the first student to be selected to participate in a new ARTreach training program being offered to high school students. The program supports students seeking extra-curricular art enrichment, and who are interested in training to be a student teacher available to assist in ARTreach programs. Michael is interested in clay animation. He is learning stop action film making techniques, and once he has acquired the skills, he will be given the opportunity to practice teaching what he has learned to others in ARTreach outreach programs. ARTreach is currently training volunteers and student teachers to support expanding programs. Volunteers can be trained and certified in a variety of ARTreach teaching methods. Training Courses are six weeks and cost $390 to include supplies. Students are sponsored by ARTreach. Art Volunteers can be trained to teach clay animation, sculpting, illustration and painting techniques, and a variety of mixed media teaching methods. If you interested in training to become a teaching artist certified to work in ARTreach Programs or would like to nominate a student for the program, contact ARTreach info@artreachonline.org

It was in 1896, that Mrs. Ella Caruthers Porter established the first “Mother’s Club” in Hillsboro, Texas; a club designed to bring mothers together to share ideas. “When I was little more than a child myself, I found myself the mother of three precious little girls,” Mrs. Porter said. “I was overwhelmed with the responsibility and with my utter unpreparedness of motherhood…There were few helps to be had at that time in the way of literature or printed material, so I conceived the idea of calling together a few other mothers who would no doubt be interested in child study and the betterment of the home.”

Mrs. Porter published an advertisement in the local newspaper and officially started one of the first “Mother’s Clubs” in the nation. She then went on to establish the Texas branch of the National Congress of Mothers (National PTA) in 1909, chartered at the State Fair of Texas.

This centennial year has been a remarkable birthday year for Texas PTA, starting with a huge crowd of supporters at the Texas PTA Day at the Capitol in February, and ending on an equally high note as PTA members and their families gather this month in cities and towns across the state, in Hillsboro, Texas on October 19th and in Katy, Texas to celebrate on October 24th.

Katy’s Centennial celebration invites families attending the Katy Kid’s Festival to enjoy a Texas PTA line up of arts presentations that include Story Time Theater and Drumming with Nina out of San Antonio, Dan –Egger- Belandria from Austin, Texas Mime Theater, Korean Dancers, Hip Hop dancers from URGEWORKS from Houston and local Katy performers on stage noon- 4 pm. Katy ISD Council will be conducting a bike safety check, and offering environmental awareness and recycled art activities for the children. At 2:00 pm Texas PTA President Jan Wilkerson will be on stage, Katy PTA leaders will be acknowledged and Birthday Cake donated by H-E-B will be served. Katy Kids festival also features numerous vendors, artists, fun food, and kid friendly activities offered all day long 10-6 pm

“This will be an exciting day as we celebrate our Texas PTA Centennial Birthday in Katy.” Says Jan Wilkerson, Texas PTA Board President, “My hope is that our next 100 years will be as successful and productive when it comes to advocating for our children as our first 100 years!”

This is an historical milestone for Texas PTA, and everyone is encouraged to come out to help celebrate a “Happy Birthday!” at the Katy Kids Festival being held at the Villagio Town Center, NE Corner of Westheimer Parkway and Peek Road in Cinco Ranch 77450.

As a district partner In education, ARTreach supports the Katy ISD Sister School Program with an arts-in-education matching outreach program. Whenever one school’s PTA brings a Young Audience or other approved cultural arts program or arts in education presentation to their own school,  ARTreach will fundraise to match the costs of the presentation for their sister school. Sister schools only need to confirm presentations and complete an ARTreach application for assistance.

To celebrate the sister schools ARTreach is hosting an ARTparty and Happy Hour at Berryhill on the third Friday, October 16th and November 20th. Sister campuses, teachers and parents are invited to the event to enjoy art, music and great tacos! Berryhill is donating proceeds from the evening to ARTreach to help fund the sister school’s Arts-in-Education Program.

The Sister School ARTparty and Happy Hour is Friday, October 16th 5-8 pm at Berryhill Baja Grill located at the Villagio Town Center in Cinco Ranch.

His workshop, called The Rhythm Journey, introduces drumming techniques to aid in kindergarten readiness, and supports social development, reading and counting skills. The 45-minute workshop helps teachers identify a child’s motor and language skills level and development, as well the student’s ability to interpret and follow instructions. This ARTreach workshop supports early childhood development (ECD) and targets non English speaking in the home, special needs, and/or children of a parent in active military duty, and low income. The program was piloted at both schools to support staff development and Early Childhood Development.

Katy ISD, James Williams Elementary piloted a project for their pre-K students on Wednesday October 7, 2009. This project was made possible by ARTreach and a $240 financial contribution by the JWE PTA. “This program offers strong reinforcement of language skills and phonic awareness, said JWE Pre-K teacher, Alma Jarrell, ”the workshop was very helpful, and the kids loved it!  We want to thank the PTA for appreciating the value of early arts integration and providing this opportunity to our youngest and newest students.”

The FBISD Pecan Grove Elementary workshop was held on September 25th with funding provided in part by a grant from the Fort Bend Junior Service League. Additional funding for ARTreach programs has been provided by the Texas Commission on the Arts and the Houston Endowment, Inc.

Rhythm Journey is available to all schools in Katy ISD and FBISD with financial assistance available to support title one schools and preschool programs for children at risk.