Don’t Mind the Dust…

Don’t mind the dust as we work on SOTA Alumni Connect for a relaunch in a few weeks, with the blessings and backing of the Friends of SOTA Alumni Committee.

In the meanwhile, please keep up to date with the new Alumni Facebook page! A get-together is being planned at Pier 45 for Friday, September 11, 2009 – check out the Facebook site for more details!

Opinion Article: Arts learning too valuable to cut

Jonathan Silver, a 2001 graduate of SOTA, had a letter to the editor published on Saturday in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. It gives a well thought out argument regarding the current Rochester City School District budget situation, and an excellent defense of SOTA’s importance.

RCSD Budget Approved; Protests Continue

Although the Rochester City Council passed the proposed City School District budget this week, SOTA advocates and friends of the arts around the city continue to fight the proposed cuts to SOTA and the district’s arts programs in general.

The media continues to cover the public outcry about the budget cuts, including City Newspaper and WXXI. Here is a round-up of these recent news stories:

More protests over cuts to RCSD teaching positions City Newspaper

Parents, Teachers Rally Outside Rochester City School District Offices WXXI

Hundreds decry cutting Rochester teacher jobs, RocNow (Democrat and Chronicle)

Preparing for the Budget Cut Protest

SOTA students, faculty members and alumni are preparing for a protest on Tuesday, June 9, prior to the City Council meeting at which the proposed budget will be discussed. They will be joined by other district students’ whose music programs are also on the chopping block.

For those in the Rochester area looking to support the student protest, the various Facebook groups have the protest as starting at 4pm at RCSD’s Central Office. Protesters will gather there, then march to City Hall, where they will perform outside leading up to the meeting. Anyone with “portable” musical instruments are welcome to join the group, as well as those who do not play. Protesters are encouraged to carry banners.

At the City Council meeting, there will be plenty of comment from supporters of SOTA, including the reading of some of the letters of support collected by current teachers.

For those of us not in Rochester Tuesday evening, there are still some ways you can support the budget fight:

- Change your photo on your social media pages (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) to either show the School of the Arts logo or the “Don’t Cut Our Teachers” logo (right click on either image below.)

- Wear all black or “SOTA usher” black and white on Tuesday.

-If you have access to black and silver ribbon, wear it tomorrow and inform your friends and colleagues of its meaning.

- Write City Council and School Board members and continue to inform them of the positive impact SOTA has had on your life. Lists of contact information is available here for the City Council and here for the School Board.

If you have any further information, or would like to share your account of Tuesday’s events, please feel free to email the blog at sotaalumniconnectATgmail.com (replace the AT with the @ symbol.)

Local Media Brings the SOTA Budget Fight to Rochester’s Attention

The proposed budget cuts to SOTA have begun to reverberate throughout the City of Rochester and Monroe County, as members of the local media have begun to cover the protests of students and teachers.

WHEC (which boasts several SOTA alums on staff) covered the protests of students as SOTA received the Signature Schools Enterprise Award, a national award. SOTA students protest possible teacher cuts

RNews (Channel 9) covered the protest of music program cuts throughout the district, including this strong statement by SOTA senior Crescenzo Scipione: “As a district student I am offended by this budget. I suggest that instead of cutting teachers, the superintendent think about cutting his own expenses first.”  Teacher Cuts, Military Recruiters on School Board Agenda

Protests Planned for Tuesday, June 9

Watch SOTA Alumni Connect on Sunday for information on the planned protests for Tuesday, June 9th. Those of you on Facebook, check out the following Facebook groups for more information:

SOTA Alumni for the Arts!

School of the Arts

We Need our Arts Teachers! Do It For the Arts Protest

Help Teachers Fight Drastic Budget Cuts to SOTA

The Rochester City School District has heavily targeted arts programs, School of the Arts in particular, in its budget cuts. (Why they continue to mess with the only successful high school in their district, I don’t know.)  Elizabeth Lyons, in the Visual Art department, sent the following Facebook message out to her former students today and asks that it be passed along as much as possible:

“Hello , it is Elizabeth Lyons. In light of the current situation with budget cuts and teacher layoffs (the arts are being hit VERY hard), I am planning on speaking at the City Council meeting at which they will vote yes or no on the RCSD budget. MaryLee Miller and I have the idea that we would read a list (hopefully a very long one) of SOTA alumni and what they are doing now what SOTA meant to them.

So, would you please send me in short form, your name, year of grad., major at SOTA, what you are doing now, where you live now, brief statement as to how SOTA affected your life or what it meant/means to you.

Please pass this on to all of your SOTA Alumni contacts. Thanks much and much love to all of you. XO EL”

In order to contribute to Ms. Lyons’ list, find her on Facebook and send her a message. Thanks to my classmate Aijung Kim (one of her pocket pictures grace my office bulletin board!) for the heads up!

Message from a Member of the SOTA Community

I received the following message in the comments, and I thought it more than deserved its own post because of how devoted Ms. Mendicino has been to the school community for so many years.

*********

To : Whomever Cares About and For the Students at the School of the Arts
From: Jack A. Latorre, Visual Arts Teacher
Re: Maria Mendicino, Intervention Specialist
Date: June 2, 2009

Due to budget woes and poor decision making, the School of the Arts is losing Maria Mendicino, an intervention specialist who has worked in at the school for over 18 years.

Much has been said about job losses and the rippling effect that affects the entire school community. However I can say that although I have a family of six (with my spouse being blind and having a special needs child), I would sooner argue for her keeping her job over my own. This statement is not written to create drama…it is said with an educated view of what students need and how Ms. Mendicino accomplishes meeting those needs with dedication and love.

Maria Mendicino has been the heart and soul of the school for as long as I can remember. When I started sixteen years ago, both administration and teaching staff were quick to point out how far reaching her counseling has been. The kind of attention that has gone into the success and well-being of students is wide and varied…from suicide counseling, to drug abuse counseling, to finding food and shelter to those students in need, to the kind of joys that only finding the right prom dress can do for a young lady, to leading the school past community tragedies…and has made lasting effects with students, who then become healthier adults within our community. Her impact cannot possibly be captured in a letter. Current students and alumni can provide the testimonials that need to be heard to help ensure that this kind of altruism continues.

Yes…one day she will retire and the SOTA community will have to find its way without her. But not sooner, rather than later…not by the bureaucratic decision-making that is all too distant from student needs, but by the hope she one day trains another specialist in her methods for caring and addressing student needs, and can then walk away from her faithful service. Cuts like these only show students that it is the dollar that counts among adults…and not love, concern or common sense.

Please consider this communication carefully, as the students you deny are the ones you place in the house next to yours.

Regards,
Jack A. Latorre
Visual Arts Teacher
School of the Arts

In the Waning Days of Summer…

Some quick updates as the days of summer draw to a close and current SOTA students get ready to go back to school:

Current Students

SOTA has the highest graduation rates in the Rochester City School District – WXXI

SOTA has the highest graduation rate in the Rochester City School District, at 87%. This rate is also higher than or on level with most suburban schools.

SOTA is only one of two RCSD schools who are fielding a girls soccer team this fall – Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

SOTA and East High are the only two schools fielding varsity girls soccer this fall. There are several grants and projects looking to remedy the lack of teams in the City School District.

SOTA students particpate in GEVA Theatre’s Young Writer’s Festival – GEVA Theatre website

Two current SOTA students, Elizabeth Gombert and Pendle Marshall-Hallmark, had their scripts read at GEVA Theatre’s Young Writer’s Festival this past May.

Alumni

SOTA Alumnus in RAPA version of Rent, first by a student run troupe - Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Shawn Romero, Class of 2006, performed in the role of “Tom” during RAPA’s recent production of Rent. The school version of Rent just recently began to be licensed, and this is the first run of the version in Rochester.

Alumnus is front and center with the RPO - Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Benjamin Hopkins, Class of 2008, performed the first movement of a Grieg Piano Concerto with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in July. Hopkins, who is beginning his freshman year at the University of Southern California, won several regional and national piano competitions during his senior year.

Charles Jerone Francis II releases new album

Alumnus Charles Jerone (Francis II) released Journal of Life, his first contemporary gospel album in 2007. For more information, see his website at http://eldercharlesjerone.com

Have news you would like to share? Contact the blog at sotaalumniconnect@gmail.com!

New Alumni Note Posted!

We have our first alumni note!

Paul Walker II, Class of 1992, currently of Washington DC, writes, “Shout out to the class of 1992! I am in the process of building a networking list of the class of 92’. We have never had a class reunion and I would like to attempt to put one together for our 20 year mark. (I know that’s a ways off but, 2012 will be upon us faster than we care to admit, and who knows how long it will be before anyone responds)  If anyone is interested please drop me a line at  VENGFLANGL@AOL.COM, or I can easily be found on classmates, myspace, or facebook using that same e-mail address.”

Keep the alumni notes coming!  Email sotaalumniconnect@gmail.com with your note, or see the Alumni Class Notes tab for more information!  (Class Notes also get archived by year on that tab.)

Step Off!

Graduation 2008

SOTA graduation is scheduled for June 27 at the Auditorium Theater. Congratulations to the Class of 2008!

Current Students

SOTA Student Wins Princeton Prize for Race Relations – Rochester City School District website (seeking permanent link) and Rochester HomePage.net

Allan K. Williams II was one of the recipients of the Princeton Prize for Race Relations from the Princeton University Alumni Association. He won the award for his spoken word piece, Gimme That.

Students compete in 14th annual Rochester Step-Off - Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

SOTA wins best costume award in popular Rochester step contest.

Rochester-area scholarship winners at Gala and Scholarship Awards Dinner - Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

SOTA senior Melanie Vazquez wins scholarship award! Congrats!

Students address school violence - Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Daniel Hopkins, a SOTA student addresses safety concerns in the City School District.

High School Players of the Week - Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Tom Rice of SOTA was named Player of the Week for the City-Catholic League.

The rain didn’t cool down the hot sounds of Day One of the Rochester International Jazz Festival – Jazz Rochester

SOTA’s Jazz Ensemble opens the Rochester International Jazz Festival.

Haiku Society of America Recognizes SOTA Students – f/k/a blog and Haiku Society of America.

Four SOTA students won prizes in the Nicholas A. Virgilio Memorial Haiku Competition:Asha Bishi, Alexa Navarez, Desire Collier, and Gracie Elliot. See the Haiku Society of America link above to read the winning pieces.

Alumni News

Taye Diggs puts spotlight on School of the Arts teacher - Rochester Democrat and Chronicle and Teachers Count!

MaryLee Miller is honored by Taye Diggs with inclusion in “Behind Every Famous Person Is a Fabulous Teacher” campaign.

Ad on Teachers Count website

Democrat and Chronicle feature

Urban League of Rochester salutes, helps Black Scholars - Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

SOTA alum and Harvard undergraduate Aaron Frazier speaks about his time as a Urban League Black Scholar.

Have news you would like to share? Contact the blog at sotaalumniconnect@gmail.com!