SCHOOL NEWS ARTICLE - January 2004
by Gina Rushing, President, St. Anthony College Preparatory High School
SMALL SCHOOL – BIG OPPORTUNITY!
The Arts Program at St. Anthony College PreparatoryHigh School, Long Beach’s premier Catholic, values-based high school, is experiencing a renewal this year with expansion of both visual and performing arts to take advantage of the school’s location in the heart of the historic Long Beach Arts District.
In addition to the high school’s visual and communication arts program, both drama and music are making a strong come-back on campus, thanks to two new additions to the faculty -- local theater director and mime, Caprice Rothe, who heads up the school’s Drama Program, and singer/musician Patricia Campbell, who leads the Chorale Program. The high school’s Arts Department is directed by Daniel Blau, a talented artist and fine arts teacher.
Art classes are offered within the high school’s regular curriculum, as well as video production. Drama and chorale programs are featured as a part of the high school’s popular “Z Period”, which extends the school day to 3:10 p.m. Each semester, students may enroll in up to two different “enrichment electives”, offered as the last period of the day, Monday through Thursday. In addition to Drama and Chorale classes, other Z Period courses offered this year include: SAT Preparation, Math Clinic, Cheerleading/Dance, Student Government, Computer Lab, Weight Training, Self Defense, and Floral Design. Plans are under way now to expand Z Period curriculum for next year as well.
The Drama Program is producing a Spring play which will be offered in May. Performances are held in the theater, located in the Monsignor Gualderon Parish Hall at Alamitos and 6th Street. As for music, St. Anthony Catholic Schools is proud to announce a new partnership with the Long Beach Symphony and other Long Beach-based organizations that share an interest in music and outreach to new audiences.
For the first time, the Long Beach Symphony will be performing at St. Anthony Church on March 21st, 2004, with a special performance of Hayden’s “Seven Last Words of Christ”. The concert is funded through a community outreach grant from the Knight Foundation, and proceeds will be used to “BRING BACK THE BAND” at St. Anthony College Preparatory High School through a new instrumental music program. This program will be launched this summer. It will offer instrumental instruction and participation in band activities to students attending both St. Anthony Elementary School and St. Anthony College Preparatory High School. The “St. Anthony Catholic Schools Spirit Band” will perform at football games, athletic events and school and community functions throughout the year.
The “BRING BACK THE BAND CONCERT” at St. Anthony Church will be held on Sunday afternoon, March 21st, 2004, beginning at 2:30 p.m. Both General Admission and VIP Seating tickets are available by contacting the Office of Alumni Affairs and Development at St. Anthony College Preparatory High School, 562-435-4496, Ext. 402.