FINE ARTS

6th Grade

Sixth grade students have art classes for 9 week as part of the Wheel Program. The curriculum and projects we are doing include Graffiti Art Lettering, working in the style of Graffiti artist Keith Haring, Contour Drawing exercises using careful observation, and traditional Cartoon Animation working with facial expressions, full body construction, and animal characters.

7th and 8th grades

The 7/8th grade classes have done similar projects and will continue for one semester with Manga Animation, working with head construction, hand construction, teen characters, and fantastic creatures that include dragons. We will also do Enlarging with a Grid with Hand Studies and use the grid to explore other imagery that include Mayan imagery and African masks. The 7/8 th grade class will also learn ceramic tile processes and create a mural using our new state-of-the-art kiln.

 

In the spring, I will have a guest artist from Kala Institute come to work with innovative printmaking processes from a grant through the Berkeley Public Education Foundation.

Student artwork is on display in the classroom and on bulletin boards throughout the school. There is much talent at King Middle School and it is a joy for me to facilitate and witness the tremendous growth and development in art.

—Larry Stefl, Fine Arts Teacher

DRAMATIC ARTS

6th Grade

instructors: Mr. Silberg or Mr. Hoppe

All students participate in a nine-week drama course as part of the Wheel rotation.  Eight classes are taught by Mr. Silberg and two classes by Ms. Hoppe.  These classes are designed to introduce students to and extend their experience with drama and will include Shakespeare, improvisation, voice training, scene building, and storytelling, among other things.

7th and 8th grades

Drama Elective

instructor: Mr. Silberg

Students have the option to sign up for an elective class that gives them an opportunity to go more in depth in their study of Drama. In this class, students will train in physical theatre techniques, learn scene study skills, and explore work with masks, monologues, and dramatic writing as well as other topics related to the world of theatre.  This elective is offered for either for a semester or a full year depending on the year.  This class meets during the regular school day and is part of the student’s regular schedule. This class is taught by Mr. Silberg.

English Language Instruction and Academic Literacy through Drama

instructor: Mr. Silberg

In this class, 7th and 8th grade students newer to English have the opportunity to learn and practice conversational language and grow in academic literacy using drama techniques. Students for this full-year class are recommended by teachers, and it is part of their elective program.

Performance Ensemble

instructor: Mr. Silberg

This group meets after-school.  In general, it is for 7/8th graders only due to the large number of students interested (there are fifty students this year).  This group trains in ensemble technique and creates an original play that grows out of this training and then performs a second play in the spring.  In the past, we have done adaptations (The Odyssey, Beowulf, The Jungle Book, Seedfolks) as well as seventy-minute versions of Shakespeare, all adapted and directed by Mr. Silberg.

 

Information on the Upcoming Spring Play

Play: "The Odyssey"

Adapted and directed by drama teacher Mr. Silberg, with Mr. Hammond's modern music band and dance by Ms.Trujillo 

 

Who:  All King students interested in performing or being on crew for the spring play. 6th, 7th, and 8th graders are all welcome to attend the meeting.

What:  Short Information Meeting

When:  Wed., Feb. 8th (2:30)

Where:  Little Theatre

   

Further info: A reading of the play will take place on Wed., Feb. 15, 2:30–4:30

 

Auditions are tentatively scheduled for Feb. 21 (3:00–5:00), Feb. 22 (2:15–5:00), and if necessary Feb. 23 and 24 (3:00–5:00) depending on number of interested students.

 

Rehearsals begin the week of Feb. 27th, and performances are scheduled for Thur. and Fri, April 26 and 27.

 

Performances are scheduled for Thur. and Fri, April 26 and 27.

All specifics regarding required rehearsal days and minimal commitment will be answered at the information meeting.  Students can come and just get a sheet of paper outlining this if they cannot stay.  It will be a very short meeting. Information will not be available until Wednesday, February 8th!

Videos of Past Productions

Mr. Silberg in the News

Did you know he won a teaching award last year?

He was also honored by the Berkeley Public Education Foundation as a Leader in Literacy.