New SAO Classes for Spring


Spring Registration is HERE!!!


Sports Association of Oakland and Oakland Arts Sponsored Classes at Valley Middle School, The Oakland Public Library and Ramapo Valley Baptist Church

The Classes will begin around March 2nd (Please check individual classes for exact dates – dates listed may be subject to change).

Here are a few articles written about past semesters: Oakland cultural classes expand upon school offerings, The SAO Art Exhibit, SAO Art Show at the Library, Short Stories by Oakland Kids, Gaining STEAM in Oakland,
Mini Picasso Show at the Library, Jim DeLillo’s Photography Class Inspires, Arts & Recreation

If you have any questions please email Caron McCormick @ caronmccormick@yahoo.com

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE CLASSES LISTED BELOW

Think Outside the Box – Grades 3-5

Grades 3-5, Thursdays 4:00-5:00 PM (At VMS Room #22, Limit 20 students)
March 5, 12, 19, 26, April 16, 23, 30, May 7
Fee: $130 (Includes supplies)

Break out of the box, go beyond the box, and learn to Think Outside the Box in this class! Logic grids, tangrams, plexers, and toothpick puzzles will challenge you in this exciting class. You will have fun stretching your mind and learning strategies for solving unique problems.

Taught by Jena Boomhower, coordinator and teacher of Oakland Public School’s Gifted and Talented program, and by Tara Keane, teacher of Oakland Public School’s Gifted and Talented program.

Think Outside the Box – Grades 6-8

Grades 6-8, Thursdays 3:00-4:00 PM (At VMS Room #22, Limit 20 students)
March 5, 12, 19, 26, April 16, 23, 30, May 7
Fee: $130 (Includes supplies)

Break out of the box, go beyond the box, and learn to Think Outside the Box in this class! Logic grids, tangrams, plexers, and toothpick puzzles will challenge you in this exciting class. You will have fun stretching your mind and learning strategies for solving unique problems.

Taught by Jena Boomhower, coordinator and teacher of Oakland Public School’s Gifted and Talented program, and by Tara Keane, teacher of Oakland Public School’s Gifted and Talented program.

CREATIVE WRITING: JUMP START!

Grades 4-8, Thursdays, 4:00-445pm. (At the Oakland Public Library, Downstairs Meeting Room)Limit 20 students
March – 5, 12, 19, 26 April – 16, 23, 30 and May 7.
Fee: $90

A workshop for 4-8th graders. Participants will use different techniques and games to help launch creative ideas and practice writing on the fly. They will develop skills like organizing thoughts and vocabulary development to stretch their writing abilities. This fun class will require a pen, paper notebook and active imagination. Come join the fun.

Taught by Marisol Kozlovski. Marisol has been on both sides of the publishing industry as both a published poet and writer and also a Publishing executive. She has extensive experience tutoring and teaching writing from Pre-school through 9th grade age groups.

Remaking Science (Grades 6-8)

-Grades 6-8 – Tuesday – 3:00-4:00PM (At VMS Room # 18, upstairs) Limit 20 students
March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, April 14, 21, 28
Fee: $130 (Includes most supplies)

This spring we will be doing some really interesting and fun projects… Density Straw Art, turning Trash into Treasures, Creating Outdoor Games and Events, figuring out the physics of marshmallows, plaster casting nature and much more!!! Join in the science fun!

Taught by Melissa Kearney, who has been teaching since 1999, and began educating science minds at Valley Middle School in 2002. She also enjoys photography and creatively capturing science in action.

Science Creation All Around Us (Grades 3-5)

-Grades 3-5 – Tuesday – 4:00-4:00PM (At VMS Room # 18, upstairs) Limit 20 students
March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, April 14, 21, 28
Fee: $130 (Includes most supplies)

Join in the science fun while building a Marshmallow launcher and launching the marshmallows up into the sky, create glue art and straw art, find out about Recycled Animals (Huh? What is that?), creating art out of nature and much more in this really cool science lab class.

Taught by Melissa Kearney, who has been teaching since 1999, and began educating science minds at Valley Middle School in 2002. She also enjoys photography and creatively capturing science in action.

Mini-Picassos (It’s Back!!!)

– Ages 7-11 – Monday – 4:00-4:45 PM (At VMS Art Room) Limit 10 students, Minimum 5 students.
March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, April 13, 20, 27
Fee $130 (includes most supplies)

This beginner level class incorporates art history with creative art. Each week students will learn about a well-known artist and the type of work they did. The students will then work on an art project inspired by the work of that week’s artist. Students will enhance their artistic skills while gaining a general base knowledge of art history.

Taught by Tracy DiTolla. Tracy is a working artist and currently the full time art lecturer at Warren County Community College. She exhibits throughout northern New Jersey and New York.

ART WITH A TWIST!

Grades 2-5, Thursday, 4:00-5:00 (At VMS Art Room) Limit 15+ students.
March 5, 12, 19, 26, April 2, 16, 23, 30
Fee: $130 (includes all supplies)
ART WITH A TWIST is a fun art class, where the students create extraordinary not ordinary projects! Students will create vibrant and imaginative paintings that incorporate collage and layering styles, as well as creating some unique 3-D works of art. The class will playfully explore different types of fun materials, such as plaster, crayon melting, painting, and glue yarn balls. The program will be available to students in grades 2-5. All artists will draw, sculpt, paint and print to create unique works of art that they can be proud of. The objective of this program is to enhance a student’s sense of imagination, creativity, and self-expression, while having lots of fun!

Taught by Vanessa Telischak who currently teaches art at Heights Elementary School, Dogwood and VMS.

DRAMA PERFORMANCE – “The Play’s The Thing”

Ages 8-11 –Thursdays, 5:00-6:00pm (Ramapo Valley Baptist Church) Limit 20 students.
March 5, 12, 19, 26, April 2, 16, 23, 30
Fee -$110

This semester, students will not only learn basic theater skills, they will put them to use in a production. While we build confidence, self esteem and poise, we will prepare a one act play for performance. This production will emphasis the importance of working together, sharing the stage with others and appropriate action/reaction.

The students will be performing:

“The Final Dress Rehearsal”

An amateur theatrical group’s final dress rehearsal of Cinderella is a disaster: Cinderella is late, the prompter wants to play all the parts, the sassy stage crew is noisy, the author feels his/her brainchild is being ruined and the director is distraught. The stepsisters miss cues, sound effects are played at the wrong speed, the messenger crashes his bicycle and the fairy godmother can’t find her wand.

Laura Belle discovered that all the world is indeed a stage in 5th grade at Dogwood Hill School. She was transformed from a quiet insecure girl to a confident performer. After years of experience and several degrees, Laura returns to Oakland looking to share her love of the stage with Oakland’s newest stars.

Hands on Clay – Grades 6-8

– Grades 6-8 Wednesday – 3:00-4:00pm (VMS Art Room) Limit 20 students.
March 4, 11, 18, 25,April 1, 15, 22, 29
Fee – $135 (includes clay and glazing)

This class is designed for students of all levels and abilities to help learn and develop their skills while working with clay. Students will use the three basic methods of working with clay: pinch pot building, slab construction and coiling to create both functional and sculptural pieces. The class will decorate their finished projects using a variety of colorful glaze and underglazes.

Taught by Jill Jeune who currently teaches art at Valley Middle School and art history classes for The Gifted Child Society. and Vanessa Telischak who currently teaches art at Heights Elementary School, Dogwood and VMS.

Hands on Clay – Grades 3-5

– Grades 3-5 Wednesday – 4:00-5:00pm (VMS Art Room) Limit 20 students.
March 4, 11, 18, 25,April 1, 15, 22, 29
Fee – $135 (includes clay and glazing)

This class is designed for students of all levels and abilities to help learn and develop their skills while working with clay. Students will use the three basic methods of working with clay: pinch pot building, slab construction and coiling to create both functional and sculptural pieces. The class will decorate their finished projects using a variety of colorful glaze and underglazes.

Taught by Jill Jeune who currently teaches art at Valley Middle School and art history classes for The Gifted Child Society.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR CLASSES