The event will be held on Wednesday February 22. Doors open at 6:30pm and arriving early is recommended. Due to the popularity of the event, only those with a ticket or pre-registered volunteers with badges will be admitted. 1,000 free tickets were distributed in under 36 hours to members of the community via local schools last month.

As of February 13, the 20 Dublin High Engineering Academy Open House Demonstration Stations include:

• Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory – Fun With Science
• Chevron
• University of California - Berkeley – Expanding Your Horizons
• University of California - Berkeley – College of Engineering
• San Jose State University – College of Engineering Ambassadors
• Tri-Valley ROP / GetSet
• City College of San Francisco – Engineering Club
• Las Positas College – Engineering
• Dublin High School – Engineering and Design Academy
• Dublin High School – Introduction to Engineering Design
• Dublin High School – Principles of Engineering
• Dublin High School – Paper Airplane Making
• Dublin High School – Physics
• Dublin High School – Environment / Energy
• Dublin High School – Robotics Club
• Fallon Middle School - DNA Extraction
• Fallon Middle School – Gateway to Technology
• Fallon Middle School – Robotics
• Dublin High School Counseling
• Dublin Unified School District

Dublin High’s Engineering and Design Academy is supported through the generosity of partners including:

• Chabot College
• Chevron
• City of Dublin
• Clorox
• Contra Costa Economic Partnership
• Dublin Partners in Education
• Las Positas College
• Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
• Project Lead the Way
• San Jose State University
• Schoenthal Family Trust
• Simpson Strong-Tie
• Tri-Valley Education Collaborative

Related articles:

• MythBusters Coming to Dublin High School for Engineering Academy Open House
• Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Series
• Kari Byron – Host of Head Rush, MythBusters – Speaks with OneDublin.org
• Engineering Academy Opens at Dublin High School
• Dublin High Engineering Academy Awarded California Partnership Academies Grant
• Dublin High Engineering Academy Students Win Robotics Contest
• Dublin High School Engineering Academy Set to Expand in 2011-12
• Dublin High School Hosts FIRST LEGO League Robotics Competition Sun Nov 13
• UC Berkeley to Host Interactive Science + Math Program for Middle School Girls

DUSD Board President Greg Tomlinson

OneDublin.org recently sat down with Dublin Unified School District Board of Trustees President, Greg Tomlinson, to hear his perspective on the current state of our school district and to discuss the future goals of DUSD. Mr. Tomlinson grew up on the peninsula and later graduated from the University of Southern California with a B.S. in Business Administration, with an emphasis on Finance and Real Estate Development. Greg and his wife of 16 years Michele are proud parents of Rachel (8th grade) and Michael (6th grade). This year, both children attend Fallon Middle School. Professionally, Greg has always worked in the real estate industry. Since 1993, he has served as a principal with a private equity firm that specializes in commercial, industrial and land development. Mr. Tomlinson has served as a member of the DUSD Board of Trustees since 2008 and was nominated and elected to serve as its President at the December 2011 board meeting.

The Dublin Unified School District is facing many potential challenges as we move into the next budget cycle and beyond. At the same time, the District is also embracing many opportunities to enhance the K-12 experience for all of our children and their future achievement as students.

OneDublin.org: We are now entering the fourth year of your term on the Board of Trustees. You were recently elected to the role of President. How did all of this come about?

Greg Tomlinson: “Prior to any direct involvement with the school district, I had been serving as a member on the City of Dublin Planning Commission on a two-year term. I felt that it was a good fit as I understood residential/commercial real estate development. There was an application process and I was successful in attaining that role. When a vacancy arrived on the School Board, I also felt that I could positively leverage my knowledge of development and facilities to assist the school district to achieve their goals. Logically, the School Board has a direct emphasis on learning. At the same time, we were in a high growth mode and I felt that my background in development and facilities would be a positive benefit to the District.”

OneDublin.org: In consideration that your Planning Commission post was an appointment versus an elective office, how did you feel about the process of running for an elective office?

Tomlinson: “It was a bit daunting. I literally walked the entire city of Dublin to speak with our citizens. I knocked on doors and participated in televised debates. It was something very new for me.”

OneDublin.org: Now that you have successfully served on the Board, how can you encapsulate your experience and your responsibilities thus far?

Tomlinson: “The role that I’m privileged to serve in is truly public service. As a parent of school-age children, I’m honored to be in this role. In my view, the Board asks the ‘what’ about our vision for the District and the Administration provides us with the ‘how’ we’ll accomplish it. I believe that our job as a Board reflects the desires of the community. How we arrive there is executed through the District, Administration and Staff.”

OneDublin.org: Within the past year, there have been many discussions in the District about establishing a Professional Learning Community (PLC). What does the concept of PLC mean and how will it benefit our students and families?

Tomlinson: “Very simply, PLC has been proven to work as a vehicle to improve overall academic achievement. The data suggests that implementation of these structures and their results are irrefutable. My colleagues and I have attended workshops that confirm our thinking that this could completely transform education and improve learning. Basically, the tenets of PLC involve classroom instructors and administration sharing best practices with a results-oriented focus. In a previous generation, teaching might have been considered a lonely and solitary profession. In other words, one would be assigned a class roster and we’ll see how the students perform in ten months.

“Today, the research and data clearly show that individual assessments, collaboration among staff and deep implementation of PLC principles yield a more engaging structure and ultimately, better results. I think that the students will enjoy a richer instruction experience as the teachers will collaborate amongst themselves to provide creative and interesting instructional lessons.”

OneDublin.org: As the leader of the Board, what are your hopes and aspirations for our school district?

Tomlinson: “Overall, we have had great leadership from within the Board, throughout the District Staff and with all of our site personnel – Certificated and Classified, alike. My hope is that we can continue to provide an opportunity for each and every one of our students in the district to achieve their goals – and that they are prepared to be college or career-ready. I want to see instruction that is relevant for all. I’d like to see a continuation of the upgrading for all of our facilities. We need to continue to provide an environment that is conducive to learning.

“I also want to ensure that all of our programs are matching those in our surrounding communities. 21^st century learners deserve the opportunity to compete in this realm. Mandarin language classes are offered at DHS – this is a direct reflection of this point.”

OneDublin.org: As we conclude, we would like to provide you with the opportunity to comment upon some of the “good things” that are occurring within the District and to also add any final comments.

Tomlinson: “While I am proud of the progress that all of our schools are achieving, I can’t help but point to Dublin High School. For many communities, the high school often stands as the “benchmark” for the quality of schooling within the District. API growth has been on a three-year upward trend and at DHS it stands at 879. At the same time, tremendous progress has been made at our two middle schools and all of our elementary sites.

“I’ve barely been able to touch upon the technological improvements that we’ve made within the classrooms. I am aware of other districts that have implemented 1:1 computing where all students work completely on laptops. There are also innovative concepts in grading and homework out there where each is given graduated weight. What pleases me most is the tremendous working relationship that the Board enjoys with both District Staff and Certificated/Classified staff.

“From a fiscal standpoint, the last three years have been challenging. But the relationship works because of the way that we treat one another. We all treat each other with respect, choose to be active listeners and allow the professionals in the business to make their recommendations so that our Board can make educated decisions. I am also blessed to be a part of a highly functional Board of Trustees that works very hard and wants nothing but the best for every student in this district.

“I’m proud to be a part of all of these efforts and I’m hopeful to be able to continue in these initiatives in my next term.”

Note: The DUSD Board of Trustees will engage in a discussion on the feasibility of a General Obligation Bond that may or not be placed upon the June 2012 voter ballot. The next DUSD Board of Trustees meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 14 at 6:30PM at the District Boardroom located at 7471 Larkdale Avenue. Public commentary is invited at this discussion.

Dan and Linda Fitzpatrick

For Frederiksen Elementary School parent Linda Fitzpatrick, life has largely been what she had hoped for. A lifelong Bay Area resident, she has been married for 11 years and has resided in Dublin for the past seven years. She and her husband, Dan, are blessed with three children – son Frankie (10), daughter Ginger (8) and son Owen (6). This year, all three children attend Frederiksen.

Shortly after school resumed in August, 2011, Linda went in for a routine check-up with her OB. Her physician felt a lump during her examination and three weeks later she required further examination and a biopsy. Her doctors determined that she had breast cancer. Not long afterwards, Linda underwent surgery – a lumpectomy was performed with the recommendation that a cycle of chemotherapy be performed over the next several weeks.

The diagnosis for Linda was “invasive ductal carcinoma”. IDC is the most common type of breast cancer – affecting about 80% of all breast cancers patients. IDC refers to cancer that has broken through the wall of the milk duct and has begun to invade the tissues of the breast. Statistically, about two-thirds of women diagnosed are 55 years or older. This condition also affects men.

OneDublin.org recently had the opportunity to sit down with Linda and her family to learn more about their journey. With three children at one school, Linda has been an extremely active volunteer over the years and has served as a Vice President of the Frederiksen PFC. The local school community that has received so much of Linda’s support over the years has been generous in its support of the Fitzpatrick family during this difficult time.

OneDublin.org: What were your immediate reactions / emotions when you received the news of your diagnosis?

Linda Fitzpatrick: “It’s the biggest shock of your life. It’s simply not the news that you’re expecting and it throws you for a loop.”

OneDublin.org: How has your life changed over the past six months?

Linda: “Well, for one, Dan would walk the kids to school for drop-off and then I would pick them up at release. My doctors have advised me to get as much exercise possible, so I take care of both ends now. We live near Wells Middle School, so it’s a healthy walk both ways.”

OneDublin.org: Shortly after your diagnosis, a Shutterfly site was established to extend support opportunities to your family. What has this yielded and what other offers of support have you and your family received?

Linda: “It’s been incredible. We’ve received offers of support that include providing meals, doing our laundry, gift cards and taking care of our kids for various activities – there are more than I can list. The simple acts of kindness have been fantastic. Owen’s Kindergarten teacher, Kathleen Peterson, immediately knitted five hats for me. I’ve received hugs from complete strangers. A Safeway cashier gave me her pink bracelet without hesitation. The generosity of those in the community has been absolutely amazing.”

OneDublin.org: Due to your condition, what have you missed at school?

Linda: “Well, I’ve been so accustomed to being involved at Fred that I’ve removed myself from many of the activities that I love. Following doctors orders, I can’t really be around these children due to the risk of any type of infection. A simple fever for me that rises above 100.5, requires me to be hospitalized. However, I recently had a brief visit at my son’s kindergarten class and it felt great!”

Dan Fitzpatrick: “In some ways, I’m not surprised by the support. Linda has created so many great relationships for our family. It is representative of the person that she is – so giving in so many ways. The positive response, in many ways, is reflective of Linda. We appreciate how everyone has supported us.”

Many friends and strangers have helped Linda during her recovery, with one friend in particular playing an instrumental role in creating a support group for Linda. OneDublin.org had the opportunity to visit with Linda’s friend and supporter, Michelle Florkowski. Michelle also serves as the President of the Fredericksen School Site Council.

OneDublin.org: Upon Linda’s diagnosis, you were designated as the “point person” for getting the word out to the community. How did that come about?

Linda with Michelle Florkowski

Michelle Florkowski: “We have a small group that gathers for coffees and nights out. Once word got out, we decided to establish a common platform to share information. For us, it was easy as many of our kids participate in the same activities like soccer and other sports. The Shutterfly site took off immediately and we have grown to 60 people that follow the site and actively provide support to the Fitzpatrick family.

OneDublin.org: Have there been other “acts of kindness” extended to their family?

Florkowski: “Scores of them. Our soccer coach (John Morrison) asked if the players would be willing to wear pink bands throughout the season in honor of breast cancer awareness. They did so willingly in October and through the remainder of the year. There was another Fred mom who overheard in passing the story of Linda’s chemotherapy process. She knitted a hat for her and delivered it the very next day. There was also a Safeway clerk that spontaneously released her Breast Cancer bracelet to her upon learning of her condition. What a demonstration of community support!”

OneDublin.org: Anything else that you’d like to add?

Florkowski: “So many people are afraid to share an illness or to let people help them during hard times. Linda has done several things I believe that have really helped in her treatments and recovery – including having a positive attitude, letting people help her and keeping her ‘normal’ routine where possible for her and her family. From this point forward, she will be receiving radiation treatments for the next six weeks. This is simply the next step in her process.”

OneDublin.org wishes Linda and her family all the best with her treatment. We also encourage you to find more information on this subject at http://www.breastcancer.org/. OneDublin.org has made a donation to the American Cancer Society recognizing Linda and other Dublin residents who have been affected by cancer. Consider taking a moment to do the same.

Related articles:

• Jazzin’ for a Cure Unites Local Schools to Raise Money for Cancer Research
• Dougherty Valley, Monte Vista, Foothill, and Dublin High School Jazz for a Cure

Stanford University campus

Colleges and universities across California and the US, including Stanford, Purdue and Georgetown University, have already said “yes” to applying Dublin High School Class of 2012 students.  While the Dublin High School Class of 2012 still has several months to go before finishing high school, universities and colleges across California and the United States have sent offers of early acceptance to Dublin High students. Dublin High athletes are also signing letters of intent with colleges across the country for both academic and athletic success. This isn’t surprising given that 98.7% of 2011 Dublin High graduates reported attending college. Dublin High School academic rankings are available here.

In addition to Stanford University and Georgetown University, here is a subset of other colleges offering early acceptance to Dublin High Class of 2012 students:

• Stanford University
• Georgetown University
• Purdue University
• Penn State University
• University of Southern California
• Chapman University
• University of Missouri
• University of Illinois
• University of Arizona
• University of Northern Arizona
• Point Loma Nazarene University
• Grand Canyon University
• University of the Pacific
• Loyola Marymount University
• Azusa Pacific University
• Ohio State University
• Oregon State University
• University of Oregon
• Texas Christian University
• Arizona State University
• University of Minnesota
• numerous CSU campuses
• and more to come…

Dublin High School class of 2012 student athletes have also signed Letters of Intent for the following colleges and universities (read more…)

• University of California – San Diego (baseball)
• Air Force Academy (soccer)
• Marist College (football)
• College of the Holy Cross (football)
• St. Mary’s College of California (soccer)
• University of LaVerne (basketball)
• San Jose State University (golf)
• San Jose State University (gymnastics)

Congratulations Class of 2012 and good luck to all those waiting for acceptance letters! (source: Dublin High School Counseling)

Dublin High School Class of 2011 College Acceptance Results

Dublin High School Class of 2011 Commencement Ceremony

Interested in how Dublin High School graduates are doing in college? OneDublin.org’s Life in College Series includes first-hand articles from fourteen Dublin High graduates (available here).

As for last year’s Class of 2011, where did the 98.7% of college-bound students report attending? The full list of colleges that extended offers of admission to Dublin High School Class of 2011 seniors is provided below (source: Dublin High School Counseling, reported on here):

as well as a variety of community colleges / community college transfer programs

Madeline Girard - UC Berkeley Elias Lab

We walk by incredible detail and complexity in the animal world every day -  above us, around us, beneath our feet, and even in the world of insects. For Madeline Girard, a graduate student in UC Berkeley’s Elias Lab, the exploration of animal behavior has become a passion. She’s also brought the national Expanding Your Horizons outreach program to UC Berkeley to share that passion with middle school girls interested in math and science (the next UC Berkeley Expanding Your Horizons event will be held on Sat Mar. 3). Ms. Girard invited OneDublin.org into UC Berkeley’s Elias Lab for a tour and overview of her research into spider mating rituals.

OneDublin.org: What is a scientist?

Madeline Girard: “A scientist is anyone who is actively working to solve problems of some kind through a systematic approach. You start with a question, and you try to figure out how to best test that question by forming hypotheses… it often takes tons of trial and error. Although it typically doesn’t work out the way you want it to, sometimes you find things you weren’t looking for that are equally interesting if not more interesting than the original avenue of questioning you were pursuing.

“The hardest part of being a scientist is not coming up with the questions, because there are tons of questions, it’s figuring out a way you can test the question, and testing the question in a way you can draw conclusions. It can be difficult to tailor your tests to actually get at what you are trying to answer, and being able to say with confidence that you have ruled out other possible hypotheses.

“For students interested in doing scientific work but who aren’t sure how to get started, I’d say take advantage of any opportunities to volunteer. Networking is super important. Once you are in the field you know what opportunities are out there, whereas someone who is just starting out won’t know about such. Talk to people in the field that interests you, show your enthusiasm and offer to help with the research. If you decide to go to college, find a lab doing research you are interested in, and spend time volunteering or working in that lab. In the meantime, take advantage of programs like Expanding Your Horizons that can expose you to a bunch of different careers.”

OneDublin.org: What sparked your interest in animal behavioral research?

Girard: “I’ve always been interested in animals, but originally thought that the only way I could work with them would become vet or a zoo keeper. I didn’t come from a very scientific family and there weren’t any opportunities available to get involved with research as a high schooler.

“I really like math and I thought I wanted to be a physics major, but ultimately I ended up in biology…which is where I should have been the whole time. I didn’t have a great idea what I could do with a biology degree as a high schooler I attended Cornell University which has one of the top animal behavioral programs in the country, and this way my first exposure to the field of behavioral ecology.

“I took an animal behavior course in my second year at Cornell and just fell in love with it. We started watching videos of bowerbirds. Male bowerbirds create these structures, called bowers, for females – they create a platform from straw and sticks, with colorful leaves and even insects. The female will come to a male’s bower and will sit there, waiting for the male to do his mating display, and will then decide if she wants to mate. Males will tear down other bowers and steal from each other to compete for females! After seeing that video I knew what I wanted to do. Later on I had the chance to work on a bowerbird experiment in Australia where I spent three months trekking through the forest, setting up cameras on these bowers, sitting in blinds [essentially like potato sacks so the birds can’t see you watching them], and taking recordings of what they do.

“I’m really attracted to these weird systems where males are flashy and have wild behavioral displays, compare to females. With small animals, such as spiders, if you weren’t looking you wouldn’t know these things are even happening… I find it fascinating.

“To pursue my interest in working with animals, I spent the summer after my sophomore year working in a koala sanctuary in Australia, where I got to learn about animal care. I got involved in research after taking an animal behavior class my junior year. Later, one of the professors advertised that a post-doctoral associate needed a field assistant to help with her honey bee research, and that job sparked my interest in arthropods. I also spent some time my senior year working on a research project related to song preferences in zebra finches…this really got me interested in how animals use different signals to communicate with each other.

“I met Damian Elias [UC Berkeley Assistant Professor and head of the Elias Lab] through a colleague of mine. While I knew of jumping spiders, I didn’t know just how incredible they were and it turned out that this type of system was perfect for the kind of questions I was interested in: those related to communication and sexual selection. I’m in the Environmental Sciences Policy and Management program at UC Berkeley working towards a PhD degree. I love doing research and am also really enjoying participating in outreach activities at local schools – teaching students about insect physiology.”

OneDublin.org: Tell me a bit about the research you are currently conducting.

Girard: “I study the mating behavior of a species of jumping spider. I’m interested in animal communication systems in general, but especially how organisms communicate in a mating context. I am very keen to examine the female perspective – how are females responding to signals from the males? Why have signals evolved the way that they have, and how are females making mating decisions based on these signals?”

OneDublin.org: “What  is one of the more surprising insect behaviors?”

Girard: “The honey bee waggle dance. Honey bees are really neat – they can go out of their hive, find a flower, and come back and give pretty descriptive information to other bees about where that flower is. Back in the hive they do a dance that is composed of a waggle line and then they loop back around in a figure-8, and the angle of the dance relative to a vertical line in the hive communicates the angle other bees should fly out in relationship to the sun in order to find the flower. And the duration of the waggle component corresponds to the distance.

“Researchers can put a feeder somewhere outside the hive, and when a bee finds it and comes back, it will communicate the location of the feeder to other bees using the waggle dance. This system even adjusts as the sun moves during the day, the angle of the dance changes. Additionally, as the food source is depleted the bees advertise a new food source.

“The waggle dance is just one example of a really complicated system that occurs right under our nose, waiting to be explored when we stop and observe.”

Middle school girls in the Bay Area can experience the thrill of scientific discovery from UC Berkeley scientists and students at UC Berkeley’s Expanding Your Horizons event coming up March 3. Madeline Girard is coordinating the day-long program. More information is available here.

Madeline Girard and colleagues from UC Berkeley will also be participating in the Dublin High School Engineering Academy Open House Starring MythBusters on Feburary 22, 2012.

Related articles:

• Science Fair Project Primer – ‘Tis the Season for the Scientific Method
• Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Series
• MythBusters Coming to Dublin High School for Engineering Academy Open House
• UC Berkeley to Host Interactive Science + Math Program for Middle School Girls

Madeline Girard gives a tour of UC Berkeley’s Elias Lab (including a video of jumping spider mating rituals):

Madeline Girard - UC Berkeley Elias Lab - Collecting Data

Field Work in Australia

Ryan McRee and Sharanya Stanley with teacher Holly Cunningham

I was recently asked by Dublin High School English teacher Holly Cunningham to serve as a judge for Dublin High School‘s inaugural Poetry Out Loud recitation contest. I jumped at the chance, as writing poetry has been a personal passion since high school (read more if you are curious…). Poetry is written to be spoken – and poetry read well is an engaging experience.

The Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, and involves high school students from across the country. The contest starts just as Dublin High’s event did today – with high school students competing in their schools and up through county and state competitions until a national champion is ultimately selected. Over 365,000 students participated in Poetry Out Loud contests last year, with the national finalists competing for $50,000 in scholarships.

This was my first time judging what I hope will become an annual event at Dublin High School and it was intimidating at first. Poetry Out Loud publishes a strict set of rules for judges including a detailed 6-category rubric which is used to judge each performance. I was joined by Principal Carol Shimizu, parent Chris Bennett and English teacher Noel Sollom at the judging table. English teacher Holly Cunningham organized the event and her husband (and school board trustee) Dan Cunningham served as M.C. Each judge was provided a packet of poems in advance that had been selected by the competing students from the Poetry Out Loud website (the competition requires poems to be chosen from a set list).

Eight students took part in Dublin’s first contest, with the top two (Ryan McRee and Sharanya Stanley) moving on to the Alameda County contest in two weeks. Each student had to memorize two poems – but memorizing the words is pure mechanics and is just the start. Ultimately what the contestants had to do is become the poem – not act the poem – but become the words. And at several points during the competition the carefully chosen and meticulously structured words of the poet truly came alive in Dublin High School’s Little Theatre for the audience of parents, peers and educators.

While there had to be a winner in the end, each student that chose to become a poem and take the stage learned something from the experience. For those that have never heard of Poetry Out Loud or have rarely heard a poem come to life, take a moment to hear Ryan McRee and Sharanya Stanley’s contributions (below), or browse through past performances on the Poetry Out Loud website (http://www.poetryoutloud.org/).

Dublin High School Poetry Out Loud Contest Entrants with teacher Holly Cunningham

Philip David Morehead

Dublin High School’s award-winning drama and music programs will soon enjoy a brand new, state of the art, 500-seat Performing Arts Centre. Many of the new theatre’s features will greatly enhance the tools available for the unsung heroes that work backstage. To learn more about life backstage, OneDublin.org turned to a veteran of live theatre, the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Head of Music Staff Philip David Morehead.

I have been fortunate to spend the past thirty years working for one of the best opera houses in the world, Lyric Opera of Chicago. Most people have some familiarity with the lives of the opera stars, who get the media attention, but know little about the people who work behind the scenes to make the performances possible. There are hundreds of them on some productions, including, of course, the orchestra and the chorus, but in addition to those groups there are the music staff (especially  backstage conductors and prompter—more about this remarkable person later), stagehands, costume people, dressers, tech people, lighting folks, sound experts, and the stage management. It’s this latter category I’d like to touch on here.

Stage management includes the stage manager (SM), one or more assistant stage managers (ASM), and usually an assistant stage director (AD). The AD assists the Stage Director in the process of mounting the show (telling the singers where to move, how to interact, how to interpret their roles, etc.). In most opera houses, once the show has passed opening night, the Stage Director leaves and the AD is responsible for maintaining the quality of the performances and for dealing with understudies (their training and their preparation in case they need to go on for an ailing artist).

Backstage - Lyric Opera of Chicago

The ASMs are responsible for the nitty-gritty of running the show, handling such matters as entrances of artists, making sure they have the right props (say, a handkerchief or a sword), and handling any of the myriad problems that may arise. The ASMs also deal directly with the stagehands, often cueing their movement of scenery and other activities. There is usually one ASM on each side of the stage, and if the show is complicated there may be additional ASMs on one or both sides of the stage as needed. They are in command (under the Stage Manager), and an experienced artist will not do anything without the proper cue from an ASM. In smaller theaters they may also handle some backstage musical cues, whereas in large theaters a music staff member will ordinarily handle such matters.

Caroline Moores - Stage Manager

The most important person in the theater, without exception, is the Stage Manager, who is ultimately responsible for every aspect of a performance. The SM knows everything there is to know about a production, including theatrical, technical, and musical aspects. In preparation of a show, the SM handles the smooth running of the rehearsals, dealing with problems as they arise, keeping track of changes, managing the stagehands, etc. In performance, the SM maintains the proper timing of the show, gives all the necessary cues for lighting, sound, and set changes: the SM is the final arbiter for anything that goes on during the performance. A good stage manager is like gold and makes the difference between a smoothly running machine and (horrors) the unthinkable opposite. The SMs I have had the privilege of working with at Lyric Opera are remarkable, and I have the highest respect for their work. As I write this I am in my office listening to a performance of Aida, a very complex opera involving hundreds of cast and crew members, and each performance runs like clockwork and without a hitch because of the expertise of our superb stage manager.

Susan Hult - Prompter

In conclusion, a few words about a music staff member who is a mystery to most opera-goers, partly because there are only four opera houses in the US that employ one: the prompter. The four opera houses are Dallas Opera, San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and the Metropolitan Opera in New York. The prompter is an institution imported from Italy; he or she sits in a little box at the front of the stage facing the singers covered by a low hood that blocks their activities from the audience and directs the sound of their voice toward the singers. The prompter helps the singers with their vocal entrances—sometimes with hand gestures, sometimes with the first word or two of their text (since the singers are performing from memory, this can be very helpful)—and the prompter can often help avoid musical mishaps—for example, by preventing mistaken entrances. Especially in the US, where opera houses are particularly large (Lyric Opera seats 3,500, the Metropolitan close to 4,000), this can be very helpful, since the conductor is so far from the stage.

If all goes well, the audience will be totally unaware of the work of all of these people: they should be invisible and inaudible to the audience. But they are all indispensable in the proper running of that most complex of all the art forms, opera.

Mr. Morehead is proud that his granddaughter Emily has found a home on the stage – and backstage – with Dublin High School‘s award-winning drama program. The Dublin High Drama Club‘s next production is the Moss Hart and George Kaufman classic American comedy “You Can’t Take It With You” (read more…)

Related articles:

• Dublin High Drama Builds Strength, Character and Confidence
• Meet Teacher Bryant Hoex On and Off the Stage
• Acquiring Leadership Skills from the Stage
• Dublin High’s Drama Club Wins at Theatre Competition

Curtain Call - The Mikado - Lyric Opera of Chicago

Dublin High School Winter Percussion

The music departments at Dublin High School, Fallon Middle School and Wells Middle School teamed up Friday night to put on a “Family Night” show featuring Drumline and Color Guard teams from all three schools. The first ever Family Night event featuring all three schools provided an opportunity for students to practice their routines in front their friends and families before taking the routines to competitions around the Bay Area. Drumline and Color Guard is a major extracurricular commitment for students and their teachers involving up to 15 hours per week in practices and competitions. Dublin High School students play a significant role in the middle school programs, volunteering weekly at both Fallon and Wells. Sean Kenney attended on behalf of the Dublin Unified School District Board of Trustees and observed, “The Arts provides kids with the opportunity to grow outside standard academics. The Arts really drives students, the other side of their brain, and helps educate the whole person.”

Paul Everts, Director of Music at Dublin High School, said, “Tonight we saw the two color guards from Fallon and from Dublin High. A color guard is a team of girls and boys performing a routine with equipment such as flags, sabres or rifles, usually to recorded music. We also saw the three drumlines from Dublin High, Fallon and Wells – all three schools now have drumlines. Drumlines march and perform maneuvers while playing their instruments. We saw excellent performances from all three schools tonight.”

OneDublin.org was on hand to capture sights and sounds from the event. Enjoy!

Fallon Middle School Winter Percussion Waiting to Perform

Dublin High School Winter Guard Performance

Wells Middle School Winter Percussion Strikes a Beat

Dublin High School Volunteers for Wells and Fallon Winter Percussion

[UPDATE: The event is completely sold out. Only ticket holders and volunteers with badges will be able to enter the event. Ticket holders are recommended to arrive early - doors open at 6:30pm.]

The Dublin High School Engineering Academy Open House will feature a moderated panel session with MythBusters hosts Adam Savage and Kari Byron, who will field questions submitted by Dublin students. Following the panel session there will be demonstrations and interactive displays from local school robotics clubs and Engineering Academy students. Engineering Academy sponsor organizations and local colleges are also participating in the event. The event is appropriate for all ages and will be held in Dublin High School’s Sports Complex.

“If you teach people to foster and harness their curiosity about how the world works, they will find that learning about science and technology is fun – and kids find it most exciting of all”, said Savage, host of “MythBusters”.

In October 2010, “MythBusters” and President Obama teamed up to engage U.S. students in science education, featuring President Obama’s participation in the “Archimedes Solar Ray” episode.

“Dublin High School’s Engineering Academy and the Gateway to Technology program rolling out in our middle schools are just two of the ways our district is engaging Dublin students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. We are thrilled to have ‘MythBusters’ participate in our Engineering Academy Open House and help generate awareness of our STEM initiatives”, said Dr. Stephen Hanke, Superintendent – Dublin Unified School District.

The event is free and open to the public. Free advance tickets that guarantee entrance and seating at the event are available to Dublin public school students and their families and friends. Tickets are available for pick-up at the Dublin High School, Fallon Middle School and Wells Middle School front offices during school hours. Each family is permitted up to 6 tickets to the event. Picking up advance tickets is recommended as the event is expected to be very popular.

As an added benefit, advance ticket holders will receive 20% off their order at Vito’s Pizza Express in Dublin. Just show your ticket to receive the discount.

Related articles:

• Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Series
• Kari Byron – Host of Head Rush, MythBusters – Speaks with OneDublin.org
• Engineering Academy Opens at Dublin High School
• Dublin High Engineering Academy Awarded California Partnership Academies Grant
• Dublin High Engineering Academy Students Win Robotics Contest
• Dublin High School Engineering Academy Set to Expand in 2011-12
• Dublin High School Hosts FIRST LEGO League Robotics Competition Sun Nov 13
• UC Berkeley to Host Interactive Science + Math Program for Middle School Girls

About the Dublin High School Engineering Academy

Dublin High School’s Engineering Academy is based on the Project Lead the Way curriculum and is supported by over $80,000 in donations and grants from corporations, foundations and government. The goal of Dublin High’s Engineering Academy is to introduce high school students to engineering disciplines using a hands-on, project-based approach. Dublin High’s Engineering Academy courses include “Principles of Engineering” and “Introduction to Engineering Design”. In 2011, Dublin High was awarded a California Partnership Academies (CPA) grant to expand the program. More information on Dublin High School’s Engineering Academy is available here.

Event summary:

• WHAT: Dublin High School Engineering Academy Open House Starring MythBusters
• WHEN: Wednesday February 22, 2012, 7:00pm – 8:30pm (doors open 6:30pm)
• WHERE: Dublin High School Sports Complex
• WHO: The event is open to the public and admission is free. Dublin Unified School District (DUSD) students and their families have priority admission. A limited number of guaranteed seating tickets will be available on a first come / first serve basis for DUSD students and their families via the Dublin High School, Fallon Middle School and Wells Middle School offices during school hours.

About Dublin High School

Dublin High School is a 9-12 comprehensive public high school in the Dublin Unified School District, Dublin, California. Dublin High School serves approximately 1,600 students and achieved an API of 879 in 2011. 98.7% of Dublin High School Class of 2011 graduates reported plans to attend a 2 or 4-year college. Dublin High School offers 23 Advanced Placement (AP), Advanced and Honors courses for college preparation, 22 athletic teams and 50+ extracurricular clubs. Dublin High also offers Regional Occupational Programs (ROP) for career readiness in partnership with the Tri-Valley ROP. Dublin High School was named to the CollegeBoard’s AP® Honor Roll in 2011 for simultaneously increasing access to Advanced Placement coursework while maintaining or increasing the percentage of students earning 3 or higher on AP® exams.

Joy Sherratt

For many Fallon Middle School parents and students, Joy Sherratt is best known as a popular physical education teacher. What you may not know is that Joy is an accomplished singer and actress. Fortunately, Tri-Valley residents have an opportunity to see Joy’s talent on stage this month in the Pacific Coast Repertory Theatre‘s production of “The Last 5 Years” at Pleasanton’s Firehouse Arts Center. Joy earned a degree in Drama from the University of California – Irvine and later added a Masters Degree in Education.

Joy Sherratt: “‘The Last Five Years’ is a story of a relationship between a young couple as they fall in love, get married, and settle into a life together. It is a journey that we can all relate to and is told through spell-bounding music. It is one of my favorite pieces of musical theatre and we hope you too will come experience what we are so excited about. We have an amazing 2012-2013 season lined up-to be announced soon! 

In the meantime, see you at the show!

”

The critically acclaimed professional actors from the recent Pacific Coast Repertory Theatre production of ‘Chicago’ Joy Sherratt (Roxie) and David Judson (Billy Flynn) are supported by an experienced orchestra led by Pat Parr (Bay Area Critics Award) for a thought-provoking night of musical theatre in Jason Robert Brown’s sizzling ‘The Last Five Years’. The production opened Friday January 20 and continues Jan. 21, 27 and 28 at 8pm and Jan 22 and 29 at 2pm. Pleasanton’s Firehouse Arts Center is located in downtown Pleasanton at 4444 Railroad Ave.