Calendar 2008=9 - The School District of Philadelphia

May Arts and Music 22The School Reform Commission (SRC)and Superintendent Arlene Ackermanrecognize that exposure to the arts andmusic helps young people excel. At TheSchool District of Philadelphia we striveto bring the highest quality experienceswith the arts and music to our students through our talentedteachers, through our partners in the Philadelphiaarts and music community, and through artists-in-residence.The District is proud to have secondary schools such as thenew Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush, the Philadelphia HighSchool for the Creative and Performing Arts, the GirardAcademic Music Program, and Kensington High School forthe Creative and Performing Arts. Meredith ElementarySchool also has an arts-focused curriculum.While we proudly feature throughout our student populationartists, musicians and vocalists who demonstrate theirtalents at high levels of creativity, the School District valuesthe artistic expression of every one of our students.Their efforts are highlighted throughout the academic yearin the “Young Artists” system-wide art exhibit, the All-CityHigh School and Middle School Music Festivals, the All-CityJazz and Dance Festivals, and numerous arts festivalssponsored at the regional level.Our students’ works are displayed throughout this calendar.We thank them and their parents for giving permission touse this art to illustrate your calendar.BOOK OF THE MONTH for MayElementary (K-2): Olivia by Ian Falconer.This book follows high-energy piglet Olivia through her dailyactivities, which include singing songs loudly, creating art onwalls, and building a sand sculpture that closely resembles theChrysler Building in New York City. She excels at all kinds ofthings, especially wearing people out. Humorous illustrationsare black and white with splashes of red. This selection isexcellent to read aloud.Elementary (3-5): Drinking Gourd: A Story of the UndergroundRailroad by F. N. Monjo.Tommy, the son of an Underground Railroad conductor,deliberately misleads the marshal and his posse in order tohelp his father lead an African American family to Canada,where they will find their first taste of freedom. This selectionis set in mid-nineteenth-century America.Middle School (6-8): Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of theIliad by Rosemary Sutcliff.This retelling of the Iliad, the epic poem about the fall of Troy,describes the people, places and events in terms familiar totoday’s readers. As an alternative to the original version, thisversion is useful for the study of ancient Greek civilization.High School (9-12): The Woman Warrior by Maxine HongKingston.The American-born daughter of Chinese immigrants liveswithin the traditions and fears of the Chinese past and therealities of the alien modern American culture. The northernCalifornia city of Stockton is the backdrop for this multiculturaltale.