Dear Parents,

This fall will mark our third year supporting the parent and community led art program at Penn Alexander. The Home and School Association and Art Committee  are committed to continue to build and enhance the art program again this year.

Parent and foundation financial support have been key to making this possible.

We have some exciting plans for the 2009-2010 school year, but first we’d like to give you a recap of the highlights from last year.

• Approximately 250 sessions of art, giving students, on average art at least once a month.
• Art projects ranged from a digital photography identity project for middle
• school students to making ceramics in the University City Arts League pottery studio for grades K-5.
• Students participated in one-day programs off-site at some of the amazing art institutions in our community - Institute of Contemporary Art on Penn's campus, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the Barnes Foundation, Rittenhouse Town, Wistar Institute and Philadelphia Museum of Art.
• Many parents and grandparents also lent a hand. Ann Marie Dracott conducted several ceramic projects with the K students, Margie Lundquist did claymation with 2nd grade every week in the spring, and Susan Simon conducted an interactive discussion about contemporary art with 2nd and 4th grade through a program called "Art Goes to School.“
• Students showcased their talents in two exhibits - University City Arts League and the Middle School Digital Photography Show at Metropolitan Bakery which also included a podcast about the artists.

For the 2009-2019 school year, our goal is to provide visual art education twice a month to each child at Penn Alexander.

• Consistent art education twice a month for grades K-5 largely provided by Julia Terry, art educator and former PIC teacher
• Continued partnering with the Philadelphia Museum of Art . The Art Speaks for 4th Grade and 5-6th grade will participate in PMA’s “Adopt a School Program”
• Middle school choice classes focused on ceramics, string art and computer animation
• Monthly field trips for each grade at a local art institution that culminates a unit of study or support classroom curriculum

To fund the exciting program we have planned, we need your help. The future success of the PAS art program requires everyone’s support. We need you to get involved both through volunteering your time and talents as well as donations to help fund the art program. We will need to raise $13,000 from parents and the community.

Support the PAS Art Program Today!

Thank you for your support!

HSA Board and The Art Committee: Edward Epstein, Sara Karlan, Ann Kreidle,
Terrilyn McCormick, Amy Neukrug, Sheila Sydnor and Peggy Vincent