The STARS Program

(click the photo to see a bigger image )
Esther posing with a few students from John Muir School.
They are holding their drawings from the STARS class
that she taught there.

STARS is the acronym for Stanislaus Artists as Resources to Schools, the art education program of the Stanislaus Arts Council. In 1978 the passage of Proposition 13 reduced spending and eliminated most school arts programs from curriculums. In 1984 STARS was founded, initially bringing together school personnel, parents, artists and interested citizens. These individuals sought to rethink funding mechanisms for the arts in education. The STARS program is the result of public meetings, citizen input and a countywide assessment by the Arts Council, demonstrating the need for enhanced arts resources within the existing school structure.

Read Letters from Schools about us.

Ashley is teaching kids how to make fun animal masks.

The STARS program addresses the dearth of public school arts programs by supplying artists to work in the classroom. Via the innovative STARS program, professional artists are provided with contracts and salaries to share their talents, expertise, enthusiasm and excitement for drama, music, dance, visual and literary arts with students and teachers. The artists work with all levels of students from pre-school through adult, in 39 schools throughout the county. A majority of their work takes place in the regular classroom, but artists also participate in many of the after-school programs for at-risk students. The students received much-needed arts instruction and inspiration. STARS artists gain respect as professionals, and being an artist is recognized as an occupation.

Esther Weinapple is not only Coordinator for the Arts Council’s STARS program, but a working artist and teacher. While many of her paintings tend toward poignant themes, others are lighthearted and full of color.

The guidelines / main points of the STARS program are listed below.

• STARS offers four types of short-term artist residencies, including classes, workshops, assemblies and teacher in-services. The following information is provided to assist educators in obtaining the most benefits from the STARS Program and its varied presentations.
• STARS Classes are designed for a single class (1 class = 1 teacher’s class) and meet in the classroom 1 to 1-hour-plus-a-fraction on a specified day each week for 4 to 8 weeks, or on consecutive days during the same week.
• STARS Workshops are designed for a single class (1 class = 1 teacher’s class) and meet one time for 2 to 3 hours per week for 2 to 3 weeks, or for 2 to 3 consecutive days. Most classes can be shortened to a single workshop, if desired.
• STARS Assemblies are one-time performances, between 30 and 60 minutes in length.
• STARS Teacher In-Services are conducted by a STARS artist where teachers (only) have
• the opportunity for hands-on participation and will come away with resource materials and techniques to use in their own classrooms.
  

Kids are learning watercolor pencil techniques from Rebbeca.

Franklin Elementary gets creative.

Getting the Most from STARS Classes:

• Many of the STARS classes are designed to complement other core curriculum studies. The STARS Catalog has been designed with flexibility in mind. STARS artists are also willing to tailor their classes to meet the classroom teacher’s needs.
• Most STARS artists are multi-talented, as well as flexible, and are able to do other activities besides what is listed in the catalog. Because of the limitations of space, it is not possible to list all of their talents and areas of expertise. If you have a special request for an activity or artist, please let us know, and we will try to accommodate. Suggestions are always welcome for program ideas and new artist inclusions.
• STARS is designed to broaden the arts experiences of teachers as well as students. The Stan-islaus Arts Council recommends that the classroom teacher participate in the projects. Active participation by the teacher increases the level of student enthusiasm and participation. The STARS artist is placed in the classroom as a “Master Artist” in his or her discipline. We hope that teachers will enhance and increase fine arts curriculum in their classrooms as a result of the STARS Program. Artist classes will give teachers an opportunity to increase their skills in the arts. Please use the STARS artist as a resource in rounding out a curriculum area or to introduce a related subject.
• Please limit the number of students in a class (1 class = 1 teacher) or viewing a performance to the recommendation in the catalog in order to insure an effective program.
• Artists will arrive at the school and least 15 minutes before the scheduled start of a class or assembly. Please have the classroom or stage area ready prior to their arrival.
• Please do not schedule a class at a time when a substitute teacher, rather than the regular teacher, will be in charge of the classroom. Also, please do not schedule a class during mandatory testing periods.
• If questions or problems arise before, during or after a class, workshop or assembly, please call the STARS staff at the Arts Council to clarify or modify the situation as needed.
• If you would like an artist to stay for additional hours, please call the Arts Council to verify this extension of time before the artist begins any additional work.
  

Ida shows the students at Martone School
how to make great collage art.

Two Artist Stories:

• The first after school class taught this year (January 2007) was done by Ester. It was at Burbank Elementary with 4th to 6th graders. She said, "It was wonderful! It really was, they were all well behaved and they all spoke English. They loved the class because I made it easy for them to understand. The class was basic drawing and we cut out basic shapes. This was handy because they didn't know how to draw at all. We used the shapes as a basis for sea creatures. We made dolphins, starfish, octopus and angel fish. The kids were really proud of it. There was no stress because they could relate to the basic shapes. They realized that everything is comprised of basic shapes."
  
• Brenda taught making bead bracelets to third graders at Bret Harte Elementary. She noticed the students like to ask a lot of questions, for example:
  - Do you love kids?
  - Is Brenda really your name?
  - Do you go to the bead shop a lot?
  - What is that thing on your head called? (a scarf)
  - Will you be back tomorrow? (no) Why not?
  It seems that when you are stringing beads social communication is at an all time high!
  Each student got to make three bracelets and many of them put some green beads in them because Saint Patricks Day was coming up and they wanted to avoid being pinched. There were a lot of neat patterns and it took hand eye coordination.

Brenda teaching drum patterns at Robertson Road after school program.
She is wearing a STARS T-shirt (click photos to see them easier)!

The kids are busy creating art with Ashley during a STARS class.
The teachers are so glad when a STARS artist shows up
because the classroom teachers are not given enough chances to teach art because
education now is focused on getting ready for testing.