For students looking to get a taste of being on stage in a professional production, the Livermore Shakespeare Festival is auditioning for child actors this weekend for this summer’s production of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”. The casting call is for three child actors, and at least two will have lines in the production.
This experience offers aspiring actors the unique opportunity to work with top-notch professionals and get taste for life in the theater. The role of Fleance is open to actors aged twelve and up. Actors must appear fourteen-years-old or younger, although their actual age may be older. The roles of MacDuff’s children are open to actors aged eight and up. To audition for Fleance, we ask actors to prepare a Shakespeare monologue no longer than one minute, memorization optional. To audition for one of MacDuff’s children, we ask actors to prepare a short speech or song (can be as simple as “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”), whichever is more comfortable.
Youth actors must be mature, focused, diligent, and prepared to work in a stop-and-go professional environment. They must be available for periodic late afternoon and evening rehearsals in June, and for all or half the previews and performances, which will take place June 30, July 1, 2, 10,15, 17, 23, and 30. Families or actors must provide transportation.
Auditions will be held Saturday, March 26, from 12:30 pm – 2 pm at Hawthorn Suites, 1700 North Livermore Avenue Livermore, CA 94551.
To arrange an audition appointment or obtain more information, e-mail Deborah Munro at Deborah@LivermoreShakes.org
And remember… saying “Macbeth” in a theatre is told to bring bad luck to the performance.
Valley High School: A Model Continuation School
Valley High School Principal Rinda Bartley
Dublin is home to four high schools that serve a diversity of needs – Dublin High School, Valley Christian School, Quarry Lane School and Valley High School. Arguably the least understood of these schools is Valley High School, a continuation high school that was recognized by the State Board of Education as a “Model Continuation School” in 2010. More than 69,000 students in California attend 509 continuation high schools. Only 53 of those schools – now including Valley High School – have been recognized as Model Continuation Schools (read more…).
To learn more about the role continuation and alternative high schools play in public education, OneDublin.org recently met with Valley High School principal Rinda Bartley, as well as several students. We learned that common misconceptions about Valley High School – and continuation schools in general – are deeply ingrained in the community and not based in fact or the experience of the teachers and staff that work at Valley High.
The Dublin Unified School District will conduct a Community Town Hall Meeting for the purpose of answering questions regarding the status of the Tri-Valley Learning Corporation Charter School petition appeal to open Tassajara Preparatory Charter High School in the fall of 2012. The appeal is scheduled to be heard by the State Board of Education in May 2011. The district encourages interested parents and community members to attend this informational meeting. For further information contact Shelley Fischer, Administrative Assistant – Office of the Superintendent, 925-828-2551 ext. 8002.
[UPDATE: Dublin Patch’s write-up of the event is available here…]
Additional notes: The Tassajara Prep charter petition was denied by the Dublin Unified School District and Alameda County Office of Education in 2010. The State Board of Education is the final appeal option available to Tri-Valley Learning Corp. There is not yet a confirmed location for Tassajara Prep if the charter is ultimately approved by the State Board of Education. More background on the Tassajara Prep charter petition is available here.
If you arrive early – at 6pm – you can help send off the Dublin High School Cheerleading team (to Nationals) in the original gym, which is near the new library.
| When | Wednesday March 23 |
| Time | 6:30pm |
| Location | Dublin High School – New Library 8151 Village Parkway Click here for a map to Dublin High |
Related articles on Tassajara Prep and Tri-Valley Learning Corp.:
Barbara Hall is Dublin High School’s lead teacher in the math department. She started her journey in education after a career in industry at General Motors. OneDublin.org recently spoke with Mrs. Hall to learn more about how she approaches the challenge of teaching math to high school students.
OneDublin.org: What is your favorite thing about teaching math?
Barbara Hall: “I love math. I always have. So I love teaching it. In addition, I love teaching because I enjoy interacting with the students and at the same time passing on to them mathematical skills and knowledge. Solving a math problem is similar to putting a jigsaw puzzle together. Teaching math is also similar to completing a puzzle.
“I am always trying to determine the best way to explain a math concept. I know where the students are and I know where they need to be to understand a concept or problem. My challenge is to determine the best way or plan to move from point A (where the students are) to point B (understanding the concept or problem). Putting the steps together for the plan is like putting a puzzle together.”
OneDubin.org: Tell me a bit about your journey from industry into teaching.
Dublin High School’s Engineering Academy opened in 2010 with Project Lead the Way’s Principles of Engineering course thanks in part to $80,000 in donations from local businesses and charitable organizations. The program is set to expand in 2011-12 with the addition of Project Lead the Way’s Introduction to Engineering Design course. The Dublin High Engineering Academy curriculum is complemented by the existing Computer Programming 1 course and longer term plans call for the addition of Project Lead the Way’s Digital Electronics course. A Dublin High Engineering Academy Advisory Council has been formed to guide the effort, and is made up of industry, parent, school and District representatives. Dublin High School is currently the only school in the Tri-Valley offering a Project Lead the Way curriculum.
OneDublin.org recently met with Engineering Academy teachers Eugene Chou and Tom Calvert (who both hold degrees in engineering) for a tour of the Engineering Academy lab and live demonstration of projects students can expect to complete in the Principles of Engineering course. The Engineering Academy Lab includes new CAD workstations, fischertechnik ROBO Pro model kits and a structural stress analyzer, to support a hands on project-centric curriculum. A summary description of the Engineering Academy courses for 2011-12 is available here.
Fallon School PFC Hosts Read-In-Day Literacy Event
Guest Reader Gasia Mikaelian from KTVU
by Fallon PFC
Fallon School recently held its annual literacy event “Read In Day”, sponsored by the Fallon Parent Faculty Club (PFC). This exemplary program has been designed and implemented successfully since Fallon School’s inception in 2006.
The proverbial adage, “it takes a village to raise a child” has been the core of the “Read-In-Day” event’s success. Fallon teachers, students, support staff, government officials, parent volunteers and businesses across the United States have generously contributed and supported the literacy event held this past Friday, March 4th on Fallon’s campus. Guest readers included City of Dublin Mayor Tim Sbranti, KTVU anchor Gasia Mikaelian and CBS 5 anchor Juliette Goodrich.
Aslan Brown - City of Dublin 2010 Young Citizen of the Year
Every year the City of Dublin recognizes active, impactful and inspirational volunteers. For 2010, Dublin High School senior Aslan Brown was nominated and awarded Young Citizen of the Year for his extensive volunteer activities in support of the City of Dublin and Dublin youth. Aslan is currently Committee Chairperson of Dublin’s Youth Advisory Committee, was responsible for the Youth Fee Assistance Program (which helps underprivileged children participate in city events) and is an active participate in numerous other events including Dublin’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Festival, the Teen Job Fair and has worked with the Lions Club on Dublin Pride Week.
Despite all of his volunteer involvement, Aslan maintains a rigorous academic schedule and 4.27 GPA at Dublin High School where he is a member of the Track and Field team as well as President of Dublin High’s Leo Club. Aslan credits organization and time management skills as a key to balancing everything on his plate, as well as leadership skills he started acquiring during his year at Fallon Middle School and under the guidance of Dublin High teacher (and City of Dublin Mayor) Tim Sbranti. Aslan is looking forward to attending a 4-year college to pursue a career in environmental law and policy. [UPDATE June 2011: Aslan Brown was accepted into and has chosen to attend the University of California – Berkeley.]
OneDublin.org recently met with Aslan and his family to learn more about how Aslan balances high school and volunteering.
Frederiksen Elementary’s Catherine Brown on Teaching and Volunteering
Frederiksen Elementary School teacher Catherine Brown taught in Canada for 14 years (grades 1-3 and various combinations) before moving to California where she has continued her teaching career for the past 7 years (now as a first grade teacher). Catherine is an active and popular participant in many Frederiksen PFC events including Disco Bingo as a caller and Bedtime Books where teachers read bedtime stories to families at night (with everyone in their finest pajamas) followed by milk and cookies.
Catherine also co-chairs the annual Frederiksen Veterans’ Day assembly with Jamie Perez where Veterans are invited to Frederiksen for a school wide assembly. The moving event includes a flag ceremony led by veterans as well as songs and poems that “shed some light on the meaning and significance of Veterans’ Day for the students, while at the same time letting the veterans know how much we appreciate them”.
OneDublin.org: What is your favorite thing about the grade you teach?
Meet Dublin’s Citizen of the Year: Chris Bennett
Dublin Citizen of the Year 2010 Chris Bennett
by Michael Utsumi
If you’ve lived in Dublin for any period of time, you may be aware of a recognition program that annually honors a Citizen, Young Citizen and an Organization for their outstanding work and achievements in the past year.
The nomination criterion for the awards is based on the Dublin Pride – Integrity in Action Program’s Ten Characteristics: Responsibility, Respectfulness, Caring, Giving, Positive Attitude, Trustworthiness, Cooperation, Doing One’s Best, Honesty and Self-Discipline.
On the surface, this is a very ambitious list of qualities for one to possess and to even be considered for this honor. In truth, we are fortunate to have scores of residents in our fair city that unselfishly give their time, effort and resources to various causes that benefit our entire community. What is very clear is that those who choose to volunteer do so without the need or desire for recognition. They simply gift their talents for the betterment of Dublin. On February 18, the City of Dublin hosted a reception at the Shannon Center to salute the awardees for 2010. We recently had the opportunity to sit down with the City of Dublin’s Citizen of the Year for 2010, Chris Bennett.
Chris is a married mother of two with children currently attending both Wells Middle School and Dublin High School. She is a principal with the organizational consulting firm, WorkVantage, Inc. As a newcomer to Dublin in the 1990’s, Ms. Bennett immediately embraced various opportunities to become a part of the community. She accepted parent leadership positions at Frederiksen Elementary School, Wells Middle School and at Dublin High School. Chris has served as a board member on the Dublin Partners in Education (DPIE) for more than 12 years. She is also a very active parent with the Wells Band, the Dublin High Band Boosters / PFSO and the Dublin High Drama Department. In her spare time she sings with her church choir. In other words, a long list of volunteer credentials for consideration.
OneDublin.org recently sat down with Chris to talk to her about the award:
WOW! That’s Engineering! Workshop for High School Girls – Sat. March 12
The Society of Women Engineers – Santa Clara Valley and San Jose State University College are hosting WOW! That’s Engineering! on Saturday March 12, 2011 (9am – 3pm) at San Jose State University. This 1-day workshop is a terrific opportunity for young women interested in pursuing a career in engineering and technology to learn more and be inspired.
The cost to register is only $6 and is open to high school girls and their parents (breakfast and lunch is included). Register online at: http://swescvwow2011.eventbrite.com.
Wow! That’s Engineering! will give high school girls the opportunity to meet women engineers and technologists and hear first-hand about engineering and technology career paths. Through interactive activities and panel discussions, high school girls will be able to experience the creativity and innovation that occurs in the field of engineering and technology. There will also be a ‘Parent Track’ for parents to attend to learn ways they can help their daughters pursue a successful career as engineers in college and beyond.
Wow! That’s Engineering! will include:
OneDublin.org 