Happy New Year — The first semester is drawing to a close, and there are several upcoming dates to put on your calendars.

We had a wonderful winter concert last evening and a very supportive and enthusiastic audience. What a nice way to start the winter season. We will be hosting some musicians from the National Symphony this week for our music classes and are planning a few sing-alongs with the younger students. We hope during the break that you will take advantage of the museums, art galleries and performances with your children.

Fillmore teacher in the spotlight this week: Margaret “Maggie” Meenehan is Fillmore’s beloved dance teacher and a certified Arts Specialist K-12. She holds a BS in Movement Education from George Washington University. She has presented workshops and performances in Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, and locally at several Universities, Washington Project for the Arts, DC Space, Dance Place, Joy of Motion, Dance Arts, and Red Wiggler Farm. Ms Meenehan is a receipient of two Fulbright Scholarships to study the arts and cultures of Japan, Canada and Mexico, and has been awarded two DC Commission of the Arts & Humanities Grants in Education. She was also awarded a merit scholarship to Duke University to work with the American Dance Festival. We are extremely proud of Ms. Meenehan for her Rubenstein Award this year. The award recognized five outstanding highly effective educators in the District of Columbia Public Schools.

Katherine

It was good to see so many of you at our open houses this past week. You will have another opportunity to find out more about Fillmore and its programs at our upcoming “Back to School – Be an Artist Night” scheduled for Wedesneday, November 9 from 6:30 to 8. You will have a chance to meet your child’s Fillmore teachers and find out about their specific classes. The highlight of the evening will be the chance for you to take an arts class of your choosing. Explore your inner dancer in a contemporary Fusion dance combining jazz, hip-hop and Latin Styles, try your hand at the violin, see what our architecture class is all about or become a visual artist in the drawing, brush painting or digital arts classes. We look forward to seeing you there!

Fillmore will get $5 for every large pizza, $2 for every salad, and $1 for every dessert sold at any of the four HomeMade Pizza locations in DC. You can order ahead by phone or on-line at www.homemadepizza.com.  But you must pick up the pizza — delivery orders do not count.

All stores are open 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on 10/18, except Georgetown, which opens at 2 p.m.:

1826 Wisconsin Ave. NW (across from Safeway in Georgetown)

               202.333.0990     

1522 14th Street NW (corner of Church and 15th)

              202.588.0808     

5632 Connecticut NW (in Chevy Chase)

              202.806.8888     

4857 Massachusetts Ave. NW (in Spring Valley)

              202.966.1600     

Please participate and tell your friends. This is a gracious offer from HomeMade Pizza and a tremendous opportunity for Fillmore, which provides award-winning arts education programs to 3,000 students at nine DCPS elementary schools.

It was a short week, but a very busy and productive one. Did you get a chance to come to the talent show? It was fun to see pianists, dancers, vocalists, gymnasts, and adorable students performing on the new and wonderful stage. I hope that we can plan many more all-school performances and grade-level plays, productions, and celebrations. Speaking of celebrations, the three Kindergarten classes performed for parents and sang Mothers’ and Fathers’ Day appreciation songs. After performing in the gym, all the families had a picnic out by the garden. It is really quite amazing to see the spaces, which were once only drawings on blueprints, being utilized by students, teachers, and parents. Go Stoddert families!

It was fun to journey down to Fillmore on Friday to see all the students in grades 1-5 performing for each other and for the family members who could make it. There were demonstrations of drama, dances representing different styles and countries, instrumental performances by the violinists and guitarists, and selections by the vocalists. We are fortunate to have our Fillmore teachers and principal work with us to foster the love of the arts.

The upper grades’ science fair is coming this next week, on June 9. We still need parents to help judge the entries. If you can help, please email Ms. Prosser: mary[dot]prosser[at]dc[dot]gov. May I give you a friendly reminder? Science projects are due this Monday, June 6! The lower grades will have their science day on June 10. Watch for details from the teachers.

Parents of 5th graders, the Promotion Ceremony is June 16 at 9:30 a.m. in the gym. There will be some student performances, short speeches, and the presentation of the promotion certificates to the students. Light refreshments will be served in the back of the gym. After the ceremony, you may certainly check out your child to be with family. School will be in session and your child can remain with us, if you wish. Promoted fifth-graders are also welcome on Friday, June 17 and for the half-day of June 20 — school will be in session and they may come. Several parents have asked if they can come back on Friday and Monday — of course they are welcome. You may also have heard that on June 10, from 2:15 to 3:15 p.m., the 5th graders will have a promotion/graduation party in the gym. They will return early from Fillmore, enjoy their time together, and leave school at the regular dismissal time. DPR will also host an all-ages, end-of-year dance party from 4:00 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. on that same day.

Here I go again: Please REGISTER for next year (if you have not) or tell us if you are leaving. We need to plan the use of spaces and make staffing decisions for another successful year for the Stoddert Wolves. THANKS!

You know where to find me or reach me: marjorie[dot]cuthbert[at]dc[dot]gov

Then on Monday, May 23, the talented Grade 3-5 musicians (band, strings and chorus) will present their Spring Concert at 7:00 pm in the Fillmore/Hardy auditorium.

We look forward to seeing you at both events!

May 23 :: Spring Concert
7:00 PM, Fillmore/Hardy auditorium
Strings, band, and chorus for students Grades 3 – 5

June 3 :: Stoddert Sharing Performance
1:30 PM, Fillmore/Hardy auditorium
Students in Grades 1-5. Grades 1 and 2 music, drama, and dance; Grades 3-5 drama and dance.

June 13 :: Last day of Fillmore

• Annual Art Show

(all Fillmore West art students): Friday, May 20, 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Fillmore hallways and classrooms

• Spring Concert

(band, strings and chorus; 3rd grade and up):  Monday, May 23, at 7:00 pm in the Fillmore/Hardy Auditorium

When students return from Spring Break, they will be putting finishing touches on projects and polishing performances. We hope you will use some of your vacation to visit an art exhibit, see a performance, practice your instrument and have fun being creative.
Thanks,
Katherine Latterner
Director, Fillmore Arts Center

From the Six School Council representing all the Fillmore Schools

February 1, 2011

Dear Parents of Third-Grade-and-Up Students:

On behalf of the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education and the Six School Council, I would like to invite you to a very special evening at the National Air and Space Museum. On Tuesday, February 22, the Center and the Museum will be holding a Family Science Night. It is a trip to the Air and Space Museum, after the close of normal hours, just for the parents, students and educators from the group of schools who participate in the Fillmore Arts Center program. The idea is to provide a family learning experience in the space sciences. The trip provides a chance for a shared, cross-generational learning experience in a wonderfully exciting subject. The program is limited to students in grades 3 and up.

Family Science Night starts at 6:45 pm with guests entering the Museum on the Independence Avenue side. Visitors will be able to explore the galleries, including How Things Fly and Milestones of Flight. Guests will move to the IMAX Theater for an interactive science talk “A Voyage That Will Forever Change your Perspective,” followed by the IMAX film “Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D.” The evening concludes at 8:50 pm.

Please fill out and return the attached reservation form [Ed. note: both an MSWord form and a PDF are linked to this post] to your teacher by February 7 or email directly to Katherine Latterner at Katherine [dot] latterner [at] dc [dot] gov. We are limited to 400 guests. If there is enough interest, we will arrange for buses to leave from various locations. Indicate on the form if you would like to ride a bus rather than get there on your own.

Family Science Night is made possible by a grant from NASA in support of the EPOXI spacecraft mission and the Carnegie Institution of Washington in support of NASA’s MESSENGER mission to Mercury and by a grant from the DC Space Consortium.

Science Night Form (PDF)

Science Night Form (MSWord doc)