Watch the video ‘Stomp’ is music at Summer Art Camp

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The Stomp session during Art Camp at Frazier Park School.

Give 25 lively children each their own pair of drumsticks in a room full of resonating household objects, and you will see magic begin.

“Stomp” was a brilliant music class at the Focus Central Summer Art Camp. Richard Schwagerl illustrated basic rhythms, showed the surprising tonal differences between a treasure chest of objects, then stood back as youngsters discovered their muses.

James Zoppe taught stage combat, teaching the kids to "tuck and roll" so they could take a convincing tumble wihout getting hurt.

Gigi Nommensen taught ‘Painting with Acrylics.’ Students explored painting and texture techniques on ceramic while learning about tools such as the color wheel.  —P. Hedlund

Making a school a celebration: Frazier Park School Launches NASA Science Camp and Focus Central Art Camp

Commentary by Patric Hedlund, Editor of The Mountain Enterprise

Gretchen Skrotzki did something extraordinary this summer. She turned Frazier Park School into a starship bubbling with adventure and exploration for children. We heard laughter, shouts, hoots, gasps, giggles and the sudden silences of rapt, wonder-filled discovery.

Learning was happening there—bumptious, enthusiastic, delightful learning.

As principal of El Tejon Unified School District’s Frazier Park elementary and El Tejon middle schools, Skrotzki has done a beautiful job winning grants for a lively and meaningful summer program: two NASA science camps, a summer lunch program (free lunch for infants to age 18), the thriving Boys & Girls Club and an inspiring Summer Art Camp (beautifully implemented by Mary Pivetti of Focus Central, with talented local artists). These programs merged together to provide memorable summer experiences for Mountain Community children. Kudos!

‘Stomp’ Means Music at Summer Art Camp

Frazier Park School Launches into Space Flight

Arciero Development and the Arts Council of Kern, Whole Foods and ITT Technical Institute, along with generous donations from individuals, made it possible to provide high-quality art training by talented local instructors. Full scholarships for 75 students helped fund the Focus Central Summer Art Camp at Frazier Park School.

This is part of the August 03, 2012 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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