While it may be cold outside, "the heat is on" inside the classrooms of Fillmore as over 2,600 students are drawing, dancing, acting, singing, drumming, strumming and making beautiful music and wonderful works of art.
We welcomed two new schools into the Fillmore family: Takoma Ed Center and Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School and several new staff members.
We had open houses and back-to-school artist nights and put on a dance festival featuring students from Fillmore West, East and Takoma, and a winter concert.
This month, we will host performances days and nights showcasing some of the skills students have acquired during the first semester.
Welcome To FYI 2009-2010 At The Fillmore Arts Center
Fillmore Arts Center serves over 2,600 DCPS students at two sites: Fillmore West (Key, Hearst, Ross, Stoddert, Hyde) and Fillmore East (Garrison, Raymond, Truesdell, West and Mamie D. Lee ). Students at each school travel by DCPS buses to the Fillmore site on “their day” and participate in a wide variety of arts courses. Participating school teachers accompany students on the Fillmore bus then have a private space to use for their planning. [The Takoma Education Center and Ludlow-Taylor Elementary will also be served by the Fillmore program at their schools.] There are many opportunities for exhibits, concerts, performances, and field trips. Visiting artists provide additional enrichment.
The core of Fillmore's philosophy is a belief that all children should receive a skill-based, quality arts education. Fillmore also serves the greater metropolitan area through its after-school classes and summer camp at the Fillmore West site.
Did you know:
- Younger students take an hour of visual arts and an hour of music, dance or drama each week at Fillmore. All second graders have a hands-on experience with the violin or recorder.
- Students in grades 3 and up choose from electives like strings, winds, percussion, dance, drama, playwriting, music theater, general art and design, painting, ceramics and sculpture. Fillmore teachers will visit classrooms during the first week of school to assist students in their class choices. You should discuss with your child the types of classes he/she may want to take.
- Fillmore teachersn(all of whom are fully certified) are also practicing artists in their discipline and perform and exhibit locally and regionally.
- Last school year Fillmore student work received many awards including first prize in the DC Foto Week Contest, the Junior Duck Stamp Contest, recognition by the National Ceramics K-12 Contest, two student plays chosen for production by the Young Playwrights Theatre and performances at the Folger among others.
- Fillmore actively encourages parental participation and invites parents to be members of the Friends of Fillmore, the Six School Council and/or volunteer in classes.
- Fillmore classes will begin the week of August 31. There will be an open house week October 19 through the 23rd and Back-to-School “Be an Artist” night November 17 (Fillmore West) and November 18 (Fillmore East). We encourage you to attend these events. If you have questions, please contact Katherine Latterner, Principal (katherine.latterner@dc.gov) or 202-729-3795. We are looking forward to a wonderfully creative and exciting school year.
Fillmore Arts Center is also a long time member of The Arts School Network.
Renowned “old school” Rapper DMC visited Fillmore and Raymond students for a “get down” rap session and photos in November. Special thanks to Ms. Coleman.
Thanks to the DC Collaborative’s Arts For Every Student Program, students enjoyed the following performances for FREE: the Opera Falstaff, Disney’s Milan, The Nutcracker, The Heart and Soul of Latin Music, Winter Heat and Wake Up Brother Bear. In the Visual Art Department, student work has been entered in the National Zoo and NASA’s Rocket Contests.Fillmore East is also exploring Artsonia.com – a national website for children’s art. Check out some of their art that has been posted by Rain Young.