FAME - Fine Arts Mini Experience

The Fine Arts Mini Experience program (FAME), is a six-year program started by Kathryn Sherrod in order to enrich the classrooms with more exposure to art and music. Docents teach brief lessons about an artist and a composer six times a year. Therefore, over six years at Sandra J. Gallardo, your child will learn about 36 artists and 36 composers. Classroom volunteers/docents teach students how to describe music, in terms of rhythm, dynamics, harmony and melody. Children will learn to describe pieces of art using the elements of line, color, texture, light and shadow. If these are not familiar terms to you…NO WORRIES! Then you will be learning right along with the students!
 
In this program, classroom volunteers, like you, go into the classroom and present fun Fine Arts Lessons. Following a lesson plan, you show a piece of famous artwork, play classical music for the children and teach them a little about the artist, composer and their styles. Then you show students how to create an art project inspired by the artist’s work.
 
The program is scripted for you and a training meeting is held in September (covering all of the projects for the year #1-6), Gallardo PTA provides all materials for the lessons.
 
It helps to have two or more docents in each class; then each docent is responsible for a smaller part of the lesson. For those of you teaching solo, consider asking a parent to join you, just to help with the art project.

FAME is fun and is only made possible by amazing classroom volunteers like you so... THANK YOU!!!

The Following Will Help Assist You In Preparing for FAME:

• Talk with your classroom teacher/other docents to select days and times to teach Fame lessons.
  
  
• Schedule in pencil, on the Fame calendar, which is located in the main office, teachers’ workspace area (cabinet to the left of the window). Be sure to include your name and phone number, the time you will be teaching (including prep & clean-up time), name of the teacher and lesson plan #. I normally schedule one lesson a month.
  
  
• Read through the lesson material, choosing info/activities to share with your class. Listen to the music, so it’s not a surprise. Remember, you do not need to do all of the material! Shorter is BETTER (about 5-7 min for the artist & composer bios combined) Pick what’s interesting to you and appropriate for your class, then leave the rest of the time or the actual art project.
  
  
• Review the art project. Prepare materials as necessary.

On The Day of Your Lesson:

• Arrive at school early enough to gather your materials, make copies, etc.
  
  
• Pick up key from the main office for Fame closet (there are 2 sets of keys, located next to Zaherabel’s work area, on the green ceramic alligator).
  
  
• Gather all your materials, including portrait sketches of artist/composer and picture of artist drawing from Fame closet, place on Fame cart (we have 2 black carts in storage area). Once you have gathered all your materials, go to the classroom.
  
  
• HAVE FUN with the kids! They love Fame and so do we!
  
  
• When you’re done, put everything away clean and ready for the next docents to use. Do not forget cd’s in the cd player or thumb drives in the computer.
  
  
• Return keys and sign out.

Helpful Information:

• Volunteer Forms, TB Test & Fingerprints Are Mandatory: You must have these forms completed and have a Category 2 clearance prior to working in the classroom. Any person who volunteers in class for any activity (Fame docent, class party, field trip chaperone, etc) is required to have one. Check with our parent coordinator, in the front office to assure your forms are up-to-date.
  
  
• Lesson Length: Plan on 5-7 minutes for both a blurb on the artist and composer. 40 minutes for the art project (more if there’s paint involved) and 10 minutes for cleanup. You will not be able to cover everything in the lesson plan, choose what you think will interest the age group that you are teaching.
   
• Teaching Alone: The teacher will be in the classroom to help with classroom discipline. If you are teaching alone, “SIMPLIFY!” Or ask the kids to help – they love that! Arrange the pictures and props in the order you will use them to help you remember what comes next.
   
• Sign In & Out: Please sign into our new digital volunteer device (located in the front office). It will print out a sticker badge for you to wear while you’re at Gallardo. The first time you do this, you may have to scan your driver’s license so just a heads up. Prior to proceeding towards the back of the office for keys and/or entrance to the teachers’ workspace, please introduce yourself to our front office staff and let them know you’re a Fame docent. Make sure to also sign out of the same digital device before turning in the keys and going home. *Unfortunately, the office staff is very strict about this one: children are NOT allowed in the staff room. As much as I love them, please leave the littles at home. Thank you!
   
• Keys For FAME Closet: There are 2 sets of keys, we share them with the garden club volunteers and other Fame docents. They are located next to Zaherabel’s work area (back of the office, near entrance of staff room) on counter, placed on a green ceramic gator. If you ever accidentally take them home, please shoot me a text or email and I can let the office staff know not to worry.
  
  
• Scheduling: Please use a pencil on the Fame calendar! Coordinating with your teacher and fellow docents can be challenging. Ask the teacher for several options, check your calendars. Be sure to erase your old plan if you have to change a date.
   
• Taking Materials Home: In the front office, in the teachers’ workspace area is our Fame cabinet. Inside are Fame binders which may be checked out. Be sure to sign them out on the clipboard. Please keep the check-out time to a minimum of 10 days and do not write in them (as they are shared among us all).
   
• If Something Is Missing: If a picture goes missing, or a disc, please check the calendar for the last classroom it was used in. If you can, ask the teacher to look around in his/her classroom. If the item can’t be located, please call me. Sometimes I have a spare you can use. Also, I can call the docent who last used the item and track it down.
   
• Acrylic Paint: It is permanent so be careful. If it gets on your clothes, try using Pine Sol, even on dried paint. Rub it on, let it sit for a few minutes, then rub it out. Hope you do not need this tip.
   
• Messes: Sometimes Fame is messy…and that’s ok! It’s fun! But, it is always helpful to come prepared with paper towels and/or baby wipes (which you can find in the Fame closet) and clean up materials (especially if your teacher isn’t equipped with these things.