Coming to Beacon
2012 winner of the Arbor Day Poster contest with Principal Louie.
I was first hired by Sue Heath in the Fall of 2010 as the Visual Arts Specialist in the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program (BTSALP). I had been teaching secondary art at a Charter school and other than a few residencies, this would be my first experience teaching K-6. Little did I know how different this experience would be, not only a whole new age group, but side by side teaching with the faculty, arts integration with the academic core, and seeing over 500 students every week! Things have changed over the past three years. The principal has changed (it is now Rae Louie), I have gone from full time to half time (initially due to budget cuts), and I now have a pretty good grasp on grade specific lessons (something I struggled with until this year). We have had some great art experiences at Beacon during that time with each year seeing at least one big undertaking. My first year we did a school wide Anti-Bullying Video Project. Last year our 6th graders were selected to make the ornaments for Utah's tree at the National Christmas Tree Celebration in Washington D.C. This year, our 4th and 6th grade students along with some students from Clayton, made 16 murals for the VA Hospital in Salt Lake City, and each year we have a Celebration of the Arts extravaganza (made more challenging by my half time status, but still very rewarding).