Stages Theater in Kindergarten
Click the image to watch the video
The grants listed here enhance the teaching of the arts — music, visual arts, and performing arts — in Hopkins schools.
HEF strives to provide support across all curriculum areas in Hopkins schools. Learn more here.
| Title | Description | Year | Schools |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raku Kiln | Purchased raku kiln for students to glaze porcelain pottery. | 1996-1997 | HHS |
| Art Kiosk | Funded design and construction of lighted kiosk at North Junior High to showcase student artists. | 1996-1997 | NJH |
| Literary Magazine | Supported creation of a literary magazine publishing student work. | 1996-1997 | HHS |
| Costa Rica Trip | Partially funded the choir and orchestra music and service trip to Costa Rica. | 1997-1998 | HHS |
| Challenge Art Program | Supported establishment of an enriched visual arts program. | 1998-1999 | Eisenhower |
| Print-Making | Created print-making unit with a local Native American artist. | 1998-1999 | NJH |
| Glen Lake Writers Consortium | Created a Writers' Consortium fpr all 4th and 5th graders to introduce them to the varied writing opportunities. | 1999-2000 | Glen Lake |
| Challenge Art Program | Expanded the Challenge art program initially funded during the 1998-1999 school year. | 1999-2000 | Eisenhower |
| Drama Course | Established classroom drama course. | 1999-2000 | HHS |
| International Understanding Through the Arts | Due to the tremendous increase in immigrant families – both refugees and hightech/ professional families new to the area – Gatewood School is facing significant language and cultural issues. At the same time this ethnic diversity provides a tremendous teaching opportunity for all students. HEF awarded a grant to develop a program designed to incorporate international artifacts into teaching resources and to create a welcoming atmosphere through display of these artifacts. | 1999-2000 | Gatewood |
| Ceramic Mural | Funded creating a ceramic mural at HHS. | 1999-2000 | HHS |
| Theater Project | Provided funds for materials needed by the Hopkins Alternative Program (HAP) to produce a play at the Hopkins Center for the Arts. | 2001-2002 | HHS |
| Theater Project | Theater Project | 2001-2002 | Community Ed |
| Links to Learning Theatre | Links to Learning Theatre | 2002-2003 | HHS |
| Writers in Residence | Provided a matching grant for a Writers in Residence program providing students in Grades 2 through 6 with an in-depth experience with a professional writer or poet. | 2002-2003 | Glen Lake Elementary |
| Graphic Design Software | Supported the acquisition of graphic design software and peripherals for the computers in the art computer lab allowing students to use computers as an “art tool”. | 2002-2003 | HHS |
| Project Empowerment | Project Empowerment - Artistic Walls at Buildings Entrance | 2003-2004 | Tanglen |
| Links to Learning Theatre | Provided funding for the Links to Learning Theatre class, which allows students with special needs the opportunity to experience producing and presenting a play while working on their transition skills with the guidance of mainstream peer coaches. | 2004-2005 | Hopkins High School |
| Dance Residency | Awarded a grant to fund a two-week dance residency with Christopher Yeager for all elementary schools in the district. The residency will provide instruction in the elements of self-expression through dance/body movement that is inclusive of all students’ learning styles and behaviors, and connects with other curriculum areas such as history and language arts. | 2004-2005 | All elementary |
| Young Authors | Young Authors allows high achieving writers at Eisenhower Elementary to attend a seminar where exposure to a variety of writing, illustrating, and publishing provides inspiration for future writing. | 2005-2006 | Eisenhower |
| West Writers' Club | The West Writer’s Workshop offers an after school activity for West Junior High students interested in multiple styles of writing and gives students an opportunity to gain measurable progress in their writing abilities. | 2005-2006 | WJH |
| Boys and Writing | Gatewood Elementary received a grant from the Hopkins Education Foundation to focus on strategies for increasing writing motivation and achievement for boys. Read more. | 2006-2007 | Gatewood |
| Young Authors' Writing Enrichment | Provides 30 fifth and sixth grade Eisenhower students the opportunity to learn from professional writers at the Young Authors Conference at Bethel College. Student writers attend a keynote with a published author as well as participate in small group workshops. | 2006-2007 | Eisenhower |
| West Writers' Group | Provides an after-school creative writing program utilizing digital cameras and visual arts to deepen the writing experience for students. | 2006-2007 | WJH |
| Primary Art Specialist Resource Grant | This HEF grant allows the continuation of the award-winning elementary school art program that was nearly eliminated due to resource cuts. Read more. | 2006-2007 | All elementary |
| Challenge Enrichment Opportunities | This grant provides funds for students to attend the Young Authors Workshop and Student Creativity Festival. | 2007-2008 | Eisenhower |
| Men's Choir Curriculum Repertoire | This project builds a library of quality repertoire specifically written for men’s voices. | 2007-2008 | HHS |
| Online Newspaper | This project creates an online presence for the HHS newspaper. It also allows student journalists to provide a more immediate publishing service to the school. It integrates photography, video and graphics. It more closely aligns the journalism program with what professional and scholastic journalists are doing around the country. | 2007-2008 | HHS |
| North Junior High Players | Over the course of the school year, the NJH Players can now produce one play, one musical, and one night of student-written and directed one-act plays. This program is open to all students. | 2007-2008 | NJH |
| Music Technology Lab | This grant is part of a larger project to add a Music Technology Lab at Hopkins High School. The music technology lab builds upon the current instrumental and vocal music offerings to include skills necessary for success in today’s digital music industry. While utilizing GarageBandTM, students will create compositions, learn the art of recording, develop mix down techniques, and create end products such as original CDs and Podcasts. | 2007-2008 | HHS |
| Telling Our Story | This grant funds material to create a community quilt which the 8th grade students will help complete. | 2008-2009 | NJH |
| Auditorium Wireless Sound System | New and re-positioned sound equipment now allows the wireless sound system to be properly balanced during performances. Additionally, more antennas and microphones allow large group performances to take full advantage of the auditorium as a performance space. | 2009-2010 | HHS |
| Men's Choir Curriculum Repertoire | Music specially written for high school voices helps teach concepts of harmonic structure, intonation, tone quality and more.A diverse, quality library is needed to address the range of teenage male voices.HEF’s grant helps complete the core of the men’s chorus library. | 2009-2010 | HHS |
| 'Reflections' Literary Magazine | The “Reflections” magazine showcasing student work is back! Works include short stories, poems, essays, photography, and artwork. The H.E.F. grant provides the start up costs. Sales will fund future editions of the magazine. | 2010-2011 | HHS |
| Mobile Music Recording and Production Lab | Music technology students can produce high quality recordings. Read more | 2013-2014 | HHS |
| Bringing Drama to the Classroom | A mobile stage to enable classroom teachers to integrate dramatic presentation into regular curriculum. Read more | 2013-2014 | HHS |
| Choir Festival | A concert presented to sixth graders by the upper level choirs. Read more | 2014-2015 | NJH, WJH, HHS |
| Celebrating a Half-Century of Music in Hopkins Schools | A spectacular concert by students and special alumni guests to honor retiring and past music teachers. Read more | 2014-2015 | Alice Smith, Gatewood |
| Spanish Language and Culture Comes to Life | Students create and perform a Spanish play around the theme of peace. Read more | 2014-2015 | Alice Smith, Meadowbrook |
| Lights, Camera, Action! | Movie-making software for iPads and movie-making equipment for WJH media center. Read more | 2014-2015 | WJH |
| Full STEAM Ahead | Full STEAM Ahead was a three-year initiative to support the arts and "soft skills" aspects of STEAM, reaching students throughout the District. Read more | 2014-2017 | District-wide |
| Full STEAM Ahead | Bash 2015 Special Appeal, year one of a three-year initiative. This Special Appeal funded Stages Theater for K. Service projects for JH. Career lectures for HHS. Read more | 2014-2015 | District-wide |
| Full STEAM Ahead | Bash 2015 Special Appeal, year one of a three-year initiative. This Special Appeal funded Stages Theater for K. Service projects for JH. Career lectures for HHS. Read more | 2014-2015 | NJH, WJH |
| Full STEAM Ahead | Bash 2015 Special Appeal, year one of a three-year initiative. This Special Appeal funded Stages Theater for K. Service projects for JH. Career lectures for HHS. Read more | 2014-2015 | HHS |
| A capella Enhanced with Technology | This grant funds equipment to enhance the overall quality of Hopkins’ renowned vocal music program. Read more. | 2015-2016 | HHS |
| Full STEAM Ahead | Bash 2016 Special Appeal, year two of a three-year initiative. This Special Appeal funded Stages Theater for K. Implementing a service curriculum for JH. Expanded career lectures for HHS. Read more | 2015-2016 | HHS |
| Full STEAM Ahead | Bash 2016 Special Appeal, year two of a three-year initiative. This Special Appeal funded Stages Theater for K. Implementing a service curriculum for JH. Expanded career lectures for HHS. Read more | 2015-2016 | NJH, WJH |
| Full STEAM Ahead | Bash 2016 Special Appeal, year two of a three-year initiative. This Special Appeal funded Stages Theater for K. Implementing a service curriculum for JH. Expanded career lectures for HHS. Read more | 2015-2016 | District-wide |
| Engineering Beautiful Music | Every fifth grader, no matter their prior experience or ability, will utilize both engineering and math skills to become a builder and a musician through this residency program. Read more | 2016-2017 | Eisenhower, XinXing |
| Yearbook Re-Imagined | The Royal Roar is everyone’s book, with two ambitious goals to take it to the next level. This NJH yearbook will include each student at least three times, and will be a true history of the rich diversity of the NJH community with a focus on purposeful storytelling in writing and photography. Read more | 2016-2017 | NJH |
| Permanent Recording and Playback System | Permanent installation of a recording/playback system in each of the 3 large music practice rooms in HHS is a simple – yet huge – enhancement to the high school’s music program. Directors can record and play back a few measures for review, or an entire week-old rehearsal to measure progress. Learn more. | 2016-2017 | HHS |
| Full STEAM Ahead | Bash 2017 Special Appeal, year three of a three-year initiative. This Special Appeal funded Stages Theater for K. Supporting the grade nine Power of One service curriculum for JH. Expanded career lectures for HHS. Read more | 2016-2017 | NJH, WJH |
| Full STEAM Ahead | Bash 2017 Special Appeal, year three of a three-year initiative. This Special Appeal funded Stages Theater for K. Supporting the grade nine Power of One service curriculum for JH. Expanded career lectures for HHS. Read more | 2016-2017 | District-wide |
| Mobile Makerspaces | Two Mobile Makerspace carts at Gatewood have the potential to reach every student as they provide both high-tech and low-tech experiences ranging from robotics and coding to sewing, cardboard challenges, and recycled projects. Read more. | 2017-2018 | Gatewood |
| Ukuleles Offer New Musical Opportunities | Jonathan Feulner, music teacher at Eisenhower/XinXing Academy, is an experienced ukulele teacher and knows the allure of the small instrument. HEF is funding 30 instruments, expanding the school’s instrument library enough for 160 more students to learn chords, rhythm patterns, and the role of harmony. Read more. | 2017-2018 | Eisenhower, XinXing |
| Creating Beautiful Music ... Videos -- Awesome Fund Grant | Royal Records is a safe, supportive after-school club where North Junior High students collaborate to write and produce original music, mix tracks, film and edit videos, and generally have fun. Read more | 2017-2018 | NJH |
| Backstage ‘Magic’ | The theater program at West Junior High is expanding its playbill of performances; this grant to provide stage lighting and a professional light board for student training will offer the opportunity for increased student involvement, both in and beyond the classroom. Learning theater technical skills is a detailed endeavor in ‘backward design’ – deciding how a finished product will look and then making that happen. Read more | 2018-2019 | WJH |
| Everyone Making Music Togethter | Xylophones, metallophones, and glockenspiels – these instruments are perfectly tailored to engage budding musicians, specifically in grades K-2, and are completely adjustable for each student. This grant doubles Meadowbrook’s inventory to allow every student in class to play at once rather than in shifts Read more. | 2018-2019 | Meadowbrook |
| Breezin' Thru Theory | Music theory is the study of how musicians and composers literally make music, including tuning systems and composition methods, and it’s not easy. In this new approach, all HHS Choir students will now have access to Breezin’ Thru Theory, an online theory curriculum. Read more. | 2019-2020 | HHS |
| Flamenco for FLES | Zorongo Flamenco Dance Theatre residency is coming to Eisenhower’s FLES (Foreign Language in Elementary School). Grades K-4 will experience Ta Ti Ti Tran Tran Toro, the one-of-a-kind flamenco puppet theater performance geared for children. Read more. | 2019-2020 | Eisenhower |
| Mandala Stone Painting | Mandalas are geometric figures that have been used for centuries for mediation and personal transformation. At NJH, all students will get the opportunity to create mandalas by painting dot designs on stones they can take home. Read more. | 2019-2020 | NJH |
| Modern Band Instruments | Modern Band is a new model of music curriculum using popular music and performed with electric guitars, bass, electronic drum set, small keyboards, and a vocal PA system. The 1,200 students will benefit from HEF’s grant to purchase these new instruments. Read more | 2019-2020 | Gatewood, Eisenhower, XinXing |
| Poet in Residence | Poetry is a creative way for students to express themselves. Through this poetry residency, fourth and fifth grade students will receive guidance from a published poet, and learn to communicate their thoughts and feelings through poetry. Learn more. | 2019-2020 | Xin-Xing |
| Literacy in the Music Room | This classroom library in the music room at Tanglen will feature multicultural songs, stories, poetry, biographies of musicians and composers, and activities for exploring sound and movement. These resources will be used for lessons for all Tanglen students - and for many years to come – to broaden the scope of music education beyond a European-centered cannon. Learn more | 2020-2021 | Tanglen |
| Distance Learning Microphone | This grant purchases an external microphone and stand for each elementary school music teacher, greatly improving the quality of their lessons and level of student engagement. Learn more | 2020-2021 | All elementary |
| DJ Club | The new DJ Club will serve multiple purposes: a terrific creative outlet for students, a future replacement for the expensive DJ’s hired for prom and school dances, and cafeteria entertainment for students during lunch hour. This Awesome Fund grant is the seed money for the necessary equipment that will be used for years to come. Learn more | 2020-2021 | HHS |
| Glen Lake Go! Bus Design and Wrap | A dedicated bus, called “Glen Lake Go!” is the modern substitute for a magic carpet, whisking students off to first-hand experiences and behind-the-scenes looks at the fascinating opportunities across our community. HEF will fund the colorful student-designed 3M vinyl bus wrap to make this vehicle super special, and even more exciting. Learn more | 2020-2021 | Glen Lake |
| Jazz Cooks! | This grants provides a jazz instructor from the MacPhail Center weekly for a school year to teach student musicians jazz ensemble skills, including Black American history, improvisation and performance practices. Learn more. | 2021-2022 | HHS |
| Flex It Like 7th Grade Band | This grants provides 21 new pieces of music to support the flex-band concept in 7th grade, allowing for a wide variety of instruments, at a wide variety of levels playing the same piece of music in flexible groupings. Learn more | 2021-2022 | NJH, WJH |