Denton ISD Fine Arts

Empowering Artistic Growth. Every Student. Every day.

May 2019

May is Full of Fine Arts Events

May is a very busy time for our Fine Arts programs. From elementary to secondary schools, all of Denton ISD's Fine Arts teachers and students put together outstanding year-end events such as dance programs, art exhibits, concerts, musicals, Fine Arts department events, and more. Some groups are even active up to the very last day performing at graduation. There are many things for the Denton ISD community to experience. We hope you were able to catch some of these events and witness the outstanding work by our students and teachers.

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Braswell Theatre State Design Winners

Braswell HS Theatre had two students compete at the UIL State Contest for Theatrical Design. Emily Mordeci and Kaitlyn Stanley represented Denton ISD at the UIL State contest for the second consecutive year. Kaitlyn Stanley competed in Costume Design and Emily Mordeci competed in Marketing and was awarded 2nd place in the State. Congratulations to these outstanding students for their achievements and to their theatre directors from Braswell HS, Michelle Greene and Ben Parker.

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Fine Arts Signing Days

Seniors from Braswell, Denton, Guyer, and Ryan High Schools have been accepted into college art, dance, music, and theatre programs. Each year, many of these seniors also receive scholarships for their field of study in the arts. This year, BHS and GHS held Fine Arts signing days to signify and celebrate their college of choice. Congratulations and best wishes to all DISD seniors that are graduating from our Fine Arts programs!

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Guyer Student Wins Dallas Summer Musicals Award

Haley Dortch, a junior at Guyer HS, won Best Actress in the Dallas Summer Musicals High School Musical Theatre Awards.This is Guyer Theatre’s 8th Best Actress/Actor nomination in the 8 years that the DSM High School Theatre Awards has existed. With this award, Haley is given a $10,000 scholarship and Dallas Summer Musicals will pay for her to go to New York to compete nationally and perform on Broadway in front of casting agents, producers, and directors. Haley is Guyer's fourth student to win DSM, the most from a single high school. Congratulations to Haley and to her theatre directors at GHS, Eleshia Crotwell and Chris Crotwell.

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Honda Awards Rivera Music Specialist, Leslie Heckmann

To celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week with Random Acts of Helpfulness, the North Texas Honda Dealers honored the efforts of deserving local teachers who double as role models for their students and make education an unforgettable and meaningful experience both inside and outside of the classroom.

Leslie Heckmann teaches music to over 600 students at the Thomas Rivera Elementary School. Mrs. Heckmann ensures Rivera's music program is competitive and visible in the community. Mrs. Heckmann promotes a love of music to her students, volunteers in the community, and gives of her time to help coordinate the district’s Honor Choir and host quality music programs on campus. She also continues to go above and beyond to work with Life Skills’ teachers and students to make sure they are always included in her classes, programs, and field trips. Honda surprised Mrs, Heckmann and her students with a dream shipment of musical instruments and equipment, valued at $10,000, including a comprehensive set of drums, pre-tuned tubanos, bongos, and tambourines for the entire class. Congratulations to Mrs. Leslie Heckmann and thanks to North Texas Honda Dealers. Watch the special delivery in the video below.

DISD Fine Arts and UNT CVAD Design Thinking Partnership

On May 14, DISD Director of Fine Arts, Dr. Jackie deMontmollin, and faculty from DISD and the University of North Texas College of Visual Arts and Design, presented a workshop to the DISD Board of Trustees updating them on the partnership of DISD Visual Arts and UNT CVAD. DISD and UNT art faculty have been developing an Understanding By Design curriculum incorporating principals of Design Thinking. They have also been co-teaching Design Thinking lessons on pilot campuses. The DISD-UNT partnership has been extremely fruitful in curriculum development and beneficial for all teachers and students involved.