Ross Valley Public Schools Have Great Arts, Music, Theater and More – Thanks to YES Supporters

Not too long ago a friend with a child at a very expensive private school told me about the school’s “wonderfully advanced” art program. “Her class is learning all about Mondrian and Monet and how to paint in their styles,” she commented. “You wouldn’t get that in a public school!” Well, actually, in the we do get that, and more.

Drive up to any weekday morning at 7:30 a.m. and you’ll find about one hundred 6th, 7th and 8th graders “hanging out.” Come 8 o’clock, however, they turn off their iPods and head into the classrooms for what’s called Period 0 (that’s zero), which includes early morning sessions of fine arts or orchestra, band or chorus practice.

Swing by the art room at local elementary school Wade Thomas later in the day and you might catch a group of 1st graders painting a colorful arrangement of pumpkins and squash. Head down the way to the music room and a 3rd-grade class will be beating out half and whole note rhythms on drums or learning a new song. These art and music classes are a large part of what makes the Ross Valley School District the high-quality operation that it is.

As a parent, I feel extremely fortunate that our district's parent community prioritizes arts education. These programs—along with lunch-time and after-school clubs and sports for middle school students, musical theatre productions, school-wide assemblies, annual infusions of new library books and more— are fully funded by parents and community businesses through , the Ross Valley Schools Foundation. Since 1999 YES has ensured that arts education continues in our District despite chronic underfunding for California schools.

Not only do our schools provide art and music, but the kids also really love to participate in these programs. White Hill has 111 symphonic and jazz band members, 27 orchestra members, and a choral group with 79 voices. That’s more than a third of the student body choosing to play instruments and sing before the school day even starts. White Hill’s early morning art program is over-subscribed, as is the advanced art group that meets during lunch. Theater productions draw more than 350 elementary and middle school students every year. That’s a lot of demand.

For the 2011-12 school year, YES will spend more than $850,000 on these programs, a 100 percent increase over the first YES budget 12 years earlier. This year the organization expects funding to increase so that it can to expand programs once again in 2012-13—that’s how much kids and parents in this community want arts education and how important YES is to meeting that District need.

All along, parents and local businesses have been the key to YES’s success. It is your steady support that keeps these programs thriving. YES’s annual giving campaign is up and running and we’ve already raised more than $200,000. Of the total raised during this giving campaign, 65 percent will come from families. If you’re as impressed as I am with what YES offers your community’s children, let us know by donating. Just go to yestokids.org and click on “Donate.” 

Your participation as a member of this community is what matters most and every donation, no matter how small, counts!