Art Parent Program, Grades K-5
Did you know that Art Parent volunteers have been bringing arts learning to Rooftop students for over 30 years?
Rooftop’s Art Program began in 1980 when a single parent, Aiko Cuneo, volunteered to bring art to her son’s kindergarten classroom. Soon, Aiko invited more parents to bring art to more kids, forging an Art Program based on a community arts education model pioneered in the 1960s by her mother, Ruth Asawa.
Ruth’s vision brought together parents, professional artists and teachers, collaborating to provide children the opportunity to develop more fully as individuals. Her vision thrives at Rooftop today. Every week, dedicated parent volunteers use the arts to encourage students to find their inner spark. Parent-led art lessons help students discover connections between themselves, others and the world around them.
Rooftop’s Art Parents are an essential part of Rooftop’s Art Program, providing an invaluable contribution that brings visual art to the classroom on a weekly basis. All parents are welcome to lead or assist in classroom art projects – no art experience is required! Our Art Parent Program Coordinator, Amy Balsbaugh, will assist you with supplies, ideas and mentors.
Volunteering as an Art Parent comes with great personal rewards. It provides a meaningful way to connect with your child, their classmates, their teacher, and other parents. Through their generosity of spirit and dedication, Art Parents help to build a stronger Rooftop Community.
Credentialed Visual Arts Instruction, Grades 6-8
Mayeda students in grades 6-8 have core visual arts classes taught by credentialed art instructor Cyndy Sugawara. Classes explore in-depth the themes of the Art Is… curriculum along with multicultural and multimedia exploration. The daily lessons teach a variety of traditional art techniques, while the themes of the lessons support learning across the curriculum. Through art-making, students explore issues of personal identity, cultural perspectives, social justice, compassion and engagement with the world. Technology and the arts are integrated with many of the themes resulting in creation of video movie making using Rooftop’s laptop lab.
“Art Is…” Integrated Curriculum Study, 6th Grade
Sixth grade students also engage in a weekly intensive study of the Art Is… curriculum, led by teaching artist, Andi Wong. Students’ guided inquiries into the works of art and guiding questions in the Art Is… curriculum are followed by art making responses to their discoveries. Visual and performing arts, creative writing and new media and technology are among the many media explored in the 6th Grade Art Is… classes.
Rooftop Clay Program, Grades K-8
Rooftop’s Clay Coordinator, Miki Fujiwara is also a parent and an artist. Miki instructs K-5 classes each semester with clay projects designed to build students experience with clay as an artistic medium, and to integrate with the classroom curriculum. In grades 6-8, Miki works with Cyndy Sugawara to provide clay lessons for our middle school students.
ROOFTOP ARTS TRADITIONS:
Rooftop Auction and Children’s Art Show
Each year, Rooftop students collaborate with their classmates to create works of art that are gifted to the school and open to bidding at the Rooftop Auction. Guided by Art Parents and teachers, these works showcase our children’s best creative efforts and beautifully represent the essence of Rooftop Spirit.
Young At Art and PTA Reflections
These two annual events offer opportunities to showcase our students’ creativity to the public. PTA Reflections is one of the largest student arts recognition programs in the country. Selected student work is showcased at the district level with a display at SFUSD headquarters. Frequently, Rooftop students’ artwork is selected to advance to the California state level of the Reflections Program.
“Young at Art” is SFUSD’s annual celebration of student creativity in visual, literary, media and performing arts. Student works, both as individuals and group artworks, are selected each year for display at the world-renowned de Young Museum.
San Francisco Symphony – Deck the Halls / Trim-A-Tree
Each year, Rooftop is honored to participate in the SF Symphony’s Deck the Halls program. Every student creates an ornament of a design inspired by the “Art Is…” curriculum. All 580 ornaments adorn a 16-foot holiday tree at Davies Symphony Hall and are viewed by thousands of San Franciscans over the holiday season. 2011 marks the 100th anniversary of the SF Symphony, as well as the 20th anniversary of Rooftop’s participation in the Deck The Halls program.
Winter Workshop
For three days in December, students in grades 1-5 participate in a workshop of the student’s choice to create a gift for a loved one. Students in grades 6-8 may participate in an optional Winter Workshop held after school at the Mayeda Campus. There are over twenty different workshops offered each year by teachers and art parent volunteers. The students create, complete, and wrap a gift and everyone celebrates with a festive Workshop party.
LEAP Sandcastle Classic
Rooftop’s 5th grade classes participate annually in the LEAP Sandcastle Classic. Partnering with the architecture firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, the students collaborate with the firm’s architects in a series of in-school design brainstorming sessions. A design plan is refined, and the students and architects work together to create their vision in sand at Ocean Beach in early October. Rooftop’s participation in this program began in 2009. In both our inaugural year, as well as in 2010, we were awarded “Best in Show.”
