West Side launches ‘Renaissance Fridays’ program

The West Side Unified School District (WSUSD) launched their new
enrichment classes this month offering K-6 grade students the
opportunity to chose a subject that they will study every Friday
for the next five weeks.
The ‘Renaissance Fridays’ program offers instruction in cooking,
photography, ceramics, knitting, computer animation, creative
writing and many other subjects that provide students with a series
of hands-on activities of their choice.
Last Friday afternoon students gathered with their group for the
first day of enrichment classes. A group of boys met around a
picnic table with WSUSD employee Robert Lownes to learn about using
tools and in future classes will use tools for woodworking. Other
students got sticky hands working in cooking classes, gluing tiles
to make mosaics and creating clay pottery.
“This is a self-select program that allows students to look over
what is being offered and sign-up for classes that they are most
interested in,” said WSUSD Principal Rhonda Bellmer. “It is a great
opportunity for them to be creative.”
Students in kindergarten are signed up to take painting and
collage classes by a resident artist, Lisa Thorpe, while students
in grades 1-3 have choices such as drama and masks, calligraphy,
puppetry and poetry. Older students in grades 4-6 are learning how
to play the ukulele, create black and white photography, make books
and work with tools.
The enrichment electives are taught at the West Side campus by a
collaboration of school staff, community volunteers and parents.
The instructors are donating their time to teach children in
subjects outside of their traditional curriculum that broaden their
creativity in the arts.
“Parents like myself choose West Side because of these
enrichment opportunities,” said Sue Tharrington, a parent of three
children at WSUSD and board member of the Felta Education
Foundation, the districts’ parent fundraising organization.
Each instructor teachers anywhere from three to 11 students in
their class depending on the subject. Some of the more in-depth
classes require heavy instruction and can only take a few students
at a time. Instructor Jason Ballard has four students in his
photography class and Lisa Michaels is teaching three students
creative writing. Classes such as sports fundamentals and ceramics
were popular choices for students and have over a dozen spots
available.
“The sixth grade students had their first choice of classes
since this will be their last year here at the school,” said
Tharrington.
The program is funded through donations from the parent group
that was launched primarily to raise funds for enrichment at West
Side School. This fall the group will host their large annual
fundraiser at Coppola Winery and said that rely on community
support and participation to support their enrichment classes.
“We are stretching our funding so as a cost-saving measure we
will be using many volunteers this year,” said Bellmer.
For more information on the parent organization visit www.feltafoundation.org.
Staff Writer Robin Hug can be reached at ro***@hb*****.com.