Put Harding Fine Arts Night on Your Calendar NOW!

Things are booming over on the Northside!! Band, orchestra, and choir are seeing INCREDIBLE increases in their numbers ensuring that ALL students have access to music education. Research has shown that students that engage in music not only perform better on assessments (both standardized and formative) but we also see a drastic reduction in dropout rates. The arts can give a student that might struggle in a traditional classroom a reason to come to school.

With the growth that we are seeing in the arts at Harding, we would like to cordially invite you to our first BIG event of the year, Harding Fine Arts Night! This night will showcase all of Harding's fine arts programs so that we can create a culture of creativity. It will surely be an electric night filled with vibrant young performers demonstrating their hard work and talent.

HARDING FINE ARTS NIGHT TAKES PLACE THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15th! Mark it on your calendars now!!

In other exciting news, the Northside had the incredible honor to have a very special guest visit us this past week. President Barack Obama visited North High School on Monday, September 14th. He discussed his college accessibility initiative, but also took some time to address the importance of the arts in our schools. Below is video from his visit:

Fast forward to the 55 minute mark to hear what President Obama has to say about the arts!

Here is a photo of some of our students getting ready to listen to the words of our President:

We are also excited to announce that our Turnaround Arts Artist Mr. Kal Penn will be joining us September 28th and 29th! We have some really awesome things planned with Mr. Penn, so please be on the look out!!

What a FANTASTIC First Week!

The school year is off to a crazy fast start and at Harding we have some AMAZING things going on! To stay up to date with all the things going on be sure to check out the Calendar tab on the home page of this blog!!

We had a fantastic turn out to our auditions for The Crazy Mixed Up Island of Dr. Moreau as well as our Improv Showcase. It's going to be a couple of great nights in November, make sure to clear those dates now! ;o )

In addition to the wonderful things going on in the theatre arts, our band and orchestra departments have the wonderful problem of seeing their numbers boom! With that said, we're having a difficult time keeping up with student demands. Please take a second to consider visiting their Go Fund Me page at THIS LINK
Any size donation would be greatly appreciated in order to make sure ALL kids have access to the happiness music brings!

It's so amazing to work in an environment that is positive and uplifting. In conversations I've had with fellow teachers, we all feel that there is something special in the air this year! Harding will continue to grow and blossom into one of the elite middle schools in the state!! Keep looking out for more information, but to end this blog, enjoy a little video to demonstrate how we're feeling!

 

Time to Get Excited for School!!

First, a few words from a wise soul:

That's right everyone! August is here and you know what that means! A new school year is just around the corner. I'm sure many of you are feeling a whole range of emotions from:

 



      


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That goes with the territory of a new school year. I know that I'm a mixture of excitement (we have some really cool stuff planned this year) and nerves (nothing can go wrong... can it?).

Regardless of whether you're a bundle of energy ready to shine in the classroom or planning on playing it cool, calm, and collected, I certainly hope that you are ready for a lot of great things to happen within the Fine Arts department at Harding.

Just a couple quick reminders to make your last few weeks of summer stress free:

Registration - Remember to register for school! You can do that online here! For assistance you may come to Harding on August 12th and 13th from 9am - 2pm

School Supplies List - A school supplies list for the 2015-2016 school year can be found by clicking here!

Back to School Night - This will take place Monday, August 24th from 5pm - 7pm at Harding. Students will receive their IDs and schedules! Plan on being there!

First Day of School - Wednesday, August 26th! We'll see you at 7:40! Remember, it's an early release day!

Fall Play Auditions - August 31st and September 1st Students will be able to audition for the fall play The Crazy Mixed-Up Island of Dr. Moreau as well as the Improv Showcase  

Save these dates!!

Enjoy your the rest of your summer!

Welcome to the Harding Fine Arts Blog!

It's an exciting time for the Harding Fine Arts team!! We are on year 2 of our Turnaround Arts initiative which allowed us to give our roughly 780 middle school students access to arts focused learning. This has not been the only benefit of Turnaround Arts. Every student was given the opportunity to see at least one live theatrical production, whether it be the fluid dancing of Diavolo, the truth of the Mayhem Poets, or even the breathtaking event that was The Lion King. Plus, the students and faculty got to meet with our very special Turnaround Arts Artist, Kal Penn!

 

 

 

 

 

Group Photo! Kal Penn meets with Harding's Creative Council

It is important to reflect on the past, but I find that I am more excited for what the future holds. Our instrumental music programs are finding that their numbers are skyrocketing! Both vocal music and drama are building programs that will be the envy of every middle school in the state! Our visual arts program continues to produce high quality artists across several different mediums. Even our core teachers are embracing the arts!! From ELL to science, students are engaging in new learning processes that enrich the overall educational experience. 

This blog will serve the purpose of keeping you informed about all the amazing arts adventures going on at Harding Middle School. Buckle your seat belt because this train moves fast!