Rene Magritte’s Time Transfixed is missing.

Does anyone have an idea where it may have gone?  If you do, please contact Molly Carl.

Welcome to Central School Cultural Arts Program.  Our program aims at stimulating the imagination of the students and broadening their ability to appreciate works of art.

We are excited to have you as a volunteer.  Enthusiasm is the only prerequisite to be successful in this program.  No art history or art appreciation experience is necessary.

As long as you bring your enthusiasm into the classroom, you will be rewarded by the student’s insightful questions and comments and by the joy they show when creating their own work of art.

Here is the complete set of procedures for the Cultural Arts Volunteer program.

Our beloved Cultural Arts Closet key is AWOL. You know the one with the shamrock?? Please check your purse, briefcase, bag, coat for the key. Our cultural arts committee is lost without it.

WHEN? Monday, September 14, 2009 8:30 a.m.

WHERE? Central School 1st floor conference room

WHO? Moms, Dads, Grandparents.


WHY? Cultural Arts is an easy and great way to be involved in your child’s class.

HOW EASY IS IT? You choose the date and time of the day that works for you within the school year. Just arrange it with your child’s teacher.

WHAT WOULD I DO? You present the “picture of the month” to the class. You can work with a friend (or spouse) if you like. It is up to you. The research is done for you on the artist and the artwork…and is available on-line. Learn a little and share a little with the class.

You also conduct an art related activity as a follow-up to the artist and artwork that was looked at that day. (Ideas and suggestions are provided – folders provide examples).

The whole thing takes about 45 minutes. That’s it!

WOULD I LIKE IT? Most likely, YES.

HOW DO I SIGN UP? An information and sign-up meeting will be held on September 14th at 8:30 a.m. in the Central conference room. Don’t worry if you cannot make the meeting, you may also sign up in the school office at the front desk through September 30, 2009. You may also contact Molly Carl (carlm@centralptonews.org), Lara Gatermann (gatermannl@centralptonews.org) or Carole Fortman (fortmanc@centralptonews.org).

View the original flier here.

Our fifth grade Cultural Arts field trip is a spring trip to the Art Institute. This year, Sue and Charlie Pipal mapped out the Art Institute location of the art pieces that correspond to our monthly Cultural Art classroom presentations. So if the newly redesigned Art Institute is on your list of summer family fun, here is a Central School Cultural Arts document to help you find the pieces of art, or representational pieces, that our students have seen and talked about in 6 years of cultural art presentations.

Thanks Sue and Charlie!

Are you looking for a great opportunity to help our kids and Central School? If so, we need your help. The following PTO Committee Chair/Co-Chair positions are available and looking for enthusiastic volunteers:

Book Fair – Lead and coordinate the spring fund raiser April 5 – 9, 2010. There are many assistant volunteers to help – we need someone to coordinate their activities in setting up, decorating, scheduling for classrooms, cashiers, and clean-up. This annual event is much loved as it encourages a life-long passion for books and reading.

Central 100% Fund – Promote and monitor participation in the PTO’s most lucrative fund raiser. Please help us lead up this effort to solicit tax-deductible contributions. This funding supports PTO programs and activities. The 100% Fund Chair is a great position for those with availability during non-school hours (you set your schedule!).

Cultural Arts – Classroom – a Co-Chair is needed from October 2009 through May 2010, to ensure the assigned volunteers have their classroom schedules and available materials for the monthly presentations. Please help us facilitate bring the arts into our kids’ classrooms.
(Note – the Cultural Arts Fieldtrip Chair and Co-Chair positions have been filled.)

Halloween Play – Produce our very own PTO Halloween play. A fan favorite! No writing experience needed as we have a playwright, but we lack a producer.

Turn-off-TV Week – let’s “unplug” for a week. We need a Chairperson, or a team of chairpersons, to coordinate this annual event that encourages our kids to turn off the TV, as well as other electronic media (computers, games, music, etc.).

If you are interested in any of these once a year — will not be offered again for a year, opportunities, please e-mail Nancy Hutchings at firstvp-nancy@centralptonews.org or Jennifer Sedivy at
firstvp-jenn@centralptonews.org.

Hope you are enjoying the summer!!

Help wanted for 2009/10, fabulous opportunity for motivated individuals, benefits will come in hugs from our children and your name in the infamous PTO calendar.

We are fast approaching the end of the school year and we still need your time and talent in a few areas next year! We have received lots of your committee and room parent forms (thank you, thank you), but several committees remain un-chaired (say it ain’t so!). The PTO would greatly appreciate your taking the time to read through the following list and consider chairing/co-chairing one of the committees listed. Please send an email to Jennifer Sedivy at firstvp-jenn@centralptonews.org before school lets out, or you might find her knocking on your door, calling your home, disturbing the general peace of your summer months…no one wants that to happen! Thank you very much for your consideration.

• Book Fair: Seeking a DYNAMIC TRIO. Urgent Need! Do you want to be loved and revered by teachers, students and parents alike? We need 3 co-chairs to take over this fantastic event loved by the whole Central School community. This is a wonderful opportunity to run a major event for the school and learn from the current chair, Beverly Aieta, who will run the fair for one more year to train the next co-chair “team” and pass on all of her wonderful knowledge in this area. (The book fair is scheduled for the week of April 5th, 2010, immediately following spring break).
• Cultural Arts: The Cultural Arts Committee needs another co-chair for the classroom presentations. This is a position that is busy in September organizing the presenters for each grade level and classroom. The children love to have mom, dad, caregivers come into the classroom to discuss a work of art. Cultural Arts in the Classroom cannot happen without someone to help organize it. There is an immediate need to fill this position (1-2 people).
• 100% Fund: Promote our tax-deductible fundraiser (generally with flyers). Great for a working parent.
• Birthday Boards: Needs one more co-chair to share the responsibility…can you take every other month and honor student and staff birthdays on the hallway bulletin board?
• Pavers: Promote brick paver dedication program during fall and spring with flyers.
• Roller Skating: Reserve the rink for Central’s October skating event (usually an early-release day).
• School Supplies: Coordinate the online ordering and distribution of pre-packaged school supplies. Many people love this convenient way to obtain school supplies, but we currently have no one to coordinate it.
• Science in a Can (K, 2, 4th Grades): Organize and replenish cans once per week for 10-12 wks in winter (30-45 min.)
• TV Turn-Off Week: Plan/execute this event where children choose to be active, rather than watching tv, playing video games, etc. Folder is available with all of the information from this year’s successful first annual tv turn-off event.
• Programs: Select and schedule 2-3 daytime all-school assemblies for the year.

Thanks for your honest consideration of your time and talents!

If one of these opportunities sound like a heck of a lot of fun, contact Jennifer Sedivy at firstvp-jenn@centralptonews.org and win her unending gratitude.

This year’s Artist in Resident program featured the Striding Lion company working primarily with our fourth and fifth graders to develop a song about geometry. Network 6 will air the performance daily at 6pm. Network 6 says it will probably air for about 2 weeks. Watch and see your favorite Math song!!

Thanks to all who supported this Artist in Resident program: Illinois Arts Council, Riverside Township, the Central School PTO and our devoted Central staff.

Our students K-5 have done an amazing job with their Youth in Art month silhouettes. Every child in the school, under the talented direction of Mrs. Jean Mathis, our art teacher, completed a “self-portrait” in the style of a famous artist. Kindergarten students emulated the style of Seurat, first graders tried their hand at the impressionism of Monet, second graders showed off their pop-art Andy Warhol skills, third graders became Picassos, fourth graders blossomed into Van Gogh, and fifth graders followed the style of Matisse.

A special thanks to the parents who helped with the actual “Youth in Art” installation. Parents helped to display 370 figures throughout Central School. The school looks awesome! Thank you for your help and creative talents:

• Cathy Daun
• Dawn Gmitro
• Susan Strause-Lynch
• Mary Ellen Meindl
• Kate Nessinger
• Carla Novak
• Stephanie O’Brien

The Cultural Arts team is looking for some great pictures from the Striding Lion performances. If you have any good shots, please forward them on to Allyn Pilewski (see student directory for contact information).

Thank you!