OMA Praised: George Lucas Foundation

ARTSmobile!

Are we fortunate or what?  Take a virtual tour of the African Footprints ARTSmobile's recent visit to Alice Vail Middle School!  Just click on the green link below to delve into what our students had a chance to explore!  I was lucky enough to have been able to snap a few pictures of this incredible artwork with my phone for our Flock Talk! audience.  Click on the ARTSmobile title above for photos saved to Flickr.  Enjoy!

ARTSmobile

Tucson Unified School District's Fine and Performing Arts Department has a multi-cultural artifact collection that travels directly to the students via two mobile museums - the ARTSmobiles. This collection enabled TUSD Fine Arts to become the first school district affiliate in the United States for the Smithsonian Affiliations program. An ARTSmobile will be delivered to the scheduled school on a Monday, be available for visits Tuesday through Thursday, and be picked up on that Friday. Each scheduled school will have a pre-visit packet of activities and lessons before the ARTSmobile visit. The ARTSmobiles are manned by docents who teach classes on the culture and arts of the individual ARTSmobiles.

African Footprints ARTSmobile
African Footprints ARTSmobile Schedule In MS Word | In Adobe PDF

Most Hallowed Ground

(Click Title For Article From Smithsonian)

I have yet to visit Arlington.  I remember stories he told about who was buried there and why.  Jack Boyd, a U.S. History College Professor (during my undergraduate days) would sit at the front of the class and just go on and on verbatim, no notes were used at all.  A well-respected man, as humble as could be, would joke about his political persuasions - quite the opposite of the leanings of our school's majority. He made us feel like we were insiders on a grand tour of all that was American agony, perseverance, and accomplishment.

Mr. Boyd was a fan of historical dates, key battles, and noteworthy figures.  With a deeply-wrinkled face that betrayed his love for Camel unfiltereds, he would often say that all war is unnecessary.  A debatable premise, perhaps.  What is undeniable, however, is the great human toll and incredible sacrifice one must acknowledge when looking upon a picture of Arlington National Cemetery.  Those brave enough to wear the uniform have my utmost respect, and I salute you.

Photo courtesy of Lori Gaither, one of our GATE Teachers who visited the Washington, D.C. area just recently.