FAC Weekly Update

We hope that you had a wonderful week! Here's the latest from the halls of the FAC...

​"Enough courage to get started + enough sense to focus on something you’re naturally suited for + enough persistence to stay in the game long enough to catch a few lucky breaks + a lot of hard work. There’s your recipe."​

"People spend a lot of time talking about other people's bodies, gossiping about other people's relationships, critiquing other people's business, etc.

Keep your eyes on your own paper. Work on your body. Nurture your relationships. Improve your business.

We all have plenty to improve."

"Many people view their habits and routines as obstacles or, at the very least, obligations to get through. Making the morning coffee, driving your kids to the next activity, preparing the next meal—we often see our routines as chores to be completed.

But these are not moments to be dismissed. They are life. Making coffee can be a peaceful ritual—perhaps even a fulfilling one—if done with care rather than rushed to completion. It’s about the amount of attention you devote to these simple moments, and whether you choose to appreciate them or bulldoze through them on the way to the next task.

Find the beauty and joy in your daily rituals and you will find beauty and joy in your daily life. To love your habits is to love your days, and to love your days is to love your life."

The FAC Voice Studio is honored to welcome Sarah Jane McMahon as an Artist-in-Residence from September 11-13, 2023. This residency is funded through our partnership with the Peace Center.

Hailed by by The New York Times as “bright, active, and fastidiously musical” and by Opera News as having “a golden sound,” Sarah will provide our Voice students with individualized instruction during her residency. She will also perform a recital for the public on Monday, September 11 at 7:00 p.m. in the Sutherlin Recital Hall, accompanied by Sherry Parrini on piano. Tickets to the concert can be purchase at https://fine-arts-center.ticketleap.com/sarah-jane-mcmahon---voice-recital/. FAC students attend for free with a discount code provided by their Instructor.

For more information on Sarah, please visit https://www.sarahjanemcmahon.com/.

Many thanks to the FAC Parent Guild for the coffee truck that was stationed outside of the FAC on Tuesday morning! The good folks from https://www.thewanderingbeancafe.com/ provided our faculty and staff with a free coffee drink and a pastry, and our students had the opportunity to purchase a drink from the truck as well. We really appreciate the support of our amazing FAC parents!

Thank you to everyone who has joined! Our first Staff Appreciation last week (a coffee truck) for the teachers was an amazing success and we couldn’t have done it without you.

Announcing the winner of our FAC Merchandise Basket – HOLLY OLSON! Holly – you can come to the front office and claim your basket.

If you still would like to join, it’s not too late – Click the link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeOV4i5-3m6RuKtQxV3ux6cnZ5_NKK-lU3P0hAwbsy2Vr97Zg/viewform?usp=sf_link – we’ll accept new members ANYTIME in the school year. This is a great way to support the school and teachers and learn about volunteering opportunities.

Lastly, we’re looking for some parents who are interested in becoming more involved in the Parent Guild in leadership positions. If you think this sounds like you, please email the Parent Guild at FACParentGuild@gmail.com.

Mark your calendar for an important evening presentation! On Tuesday, October 3 at 7:00 p.m. in the FAC Recital Hall, Mr. Popat will present a program for parents on the ways that they can support the FAC. Topics of discussion will include:

• The FAC Parent Guild - what they do and how you can participate
• The FAC Partners - how they support our students and how you can get involved
• The FAC Wish List - what our students need and what you can do to help us get it
• Where your donation goes - areas of impact, progress we are making
• How you can make an impact with or without a donation

The event is for parents only - not for students or small children due to limited seating in the Recital Hall. The program will be livestreamed and recorded for those who cannot attend in person. However, please note that Mr. Popat is significantly more entertaining when seen live in-person. :-)

The Peace Center is proud to present the Fine Arts Center Jazz All Stars concerts in Genevieve’s. Now in its sixth year, the Fine Arts Center concert series prepares student musicians for a career in the arts and entertainment industry by giving them a resume-building, professional opportunity to perform in paid settings.

The Fine Arts Center Jazz All Stars concerts return on October 5. The first performance of the series features an all new group and the vocal stylings of Brady Green. With works by Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie and more, audiences will delight in classic vocal and instrumental jazz.

For tickets - https://www.peacecenter.org/events/detail/23-jazz-all-stars-1?utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=8%2F30%2F23-MKTG-FACAnnounce-Master&utm_content=version_A

Congratulations to FAC Theatre student Cookie Miller (Grade 10) for being cast as Mrs. Wormwood in the Spartanburg Youth Theatre production of Matilda Jr..

Performances are:

October 13, 2023 at 4:30pm
October 14, 2023 at 2:00pm & 6:00pm

October 15, 2023 at 2:00pm

For full information on the show, please go to https://www.spartanburgyouththeatre.com/upcomingproduction.

Come out to the South Carolina's Children's Theatre to see some of our FAC students perform in the SCCT production of Charlotte's Web.

• Quincy Adair (FAC Voice) - playing the role of Templeton
• Alex Byrd (FAC Creative Writing) - playing the role of Fern Arable
• Tesia Hennessey (FAC Theatre) - playing the role of Mr. Zuckerman

• Vi Hix (FAC Theatre) - playing the role of Wilbur
• Claire Quackenbush (FAC Theatre) - playing the role of Mrs. Arabel

The shows runs Sept. 22nd - Oct. 8th at SCCT. For tickets, please go to https://scchildrenstheatre.org/charlottes-web/

The "College Corner" is a resource for FAC Seniors and their families that we include in our Weekly Updates. If you have any questions about these or additional college resources, please reach out to our School Counselor, Gloria Collins. mailto:gcollins@greenville.k12.sc.us

• GE-Reagan Foundation Scholars earn a $10,000 renewable scholarship - up to $40,000 total - for tuition, school fees, books, supplies, and on-campus room and board. They also attend an exclusive, all-expenses-paid Scholars Retreat in California. Candidates must - Demonstrate the attributes of leadership, integrity, drive, and citizenship within their communities, schools, and workplaces; Display strong academic performance (minimum 3.0 grade point average/4.0 scale or equivalent); Be citizens of the United States of America; Be current high school seniors attending high school within the United States, (including any U.S. territories or commonwealths), and graduating in winter 2022 or spring 2023. Applicants living on a U.S. Armed Forces base and attending high school outside the U.S. are eligible; Plan to enroll in a full‑time undergraduate course of study at an accredited four‑year college or university in the United States for the entire 2023-2024 academic school year https://www.reaganfoundation.org/education/scholarship-programs/ge-reagan-foundation-scholarship-program/. Opens October 2023

• Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation - Achievement based scholarship for graduating seniors. Students are recognized for their capacity to lead and serve as well as their commitment to having an impact on their school and community. 150 Coca-Cola scholars are selected each year to receive this $20,000 scholarship. More information at www.coca-cola scholars.org. Deadline October 2, 2023

• National YoungArts Foundation - identifies the most accomplished young artists in the visual, literary and performing arts and provides them with creative and professional development opportunities throughout their careers. Disciplines include classical music, dance, design art,film, jazz, photography, theatre, visual art, voice and writing. Competition open to students 15 -18 years old. More information and application available at www.youngarts.org Deadline: October 23, 2023

• UNC's Thomas Wolfe Scholarship, which offers full four year financial support to one incoming freshman with exceptionally focused literary ability and promise. Please note that our application process involves two separate steps and two different dates, and all applicants must take both steps and meet both deadlines, to wit: Thomas Wolfe Scholarship applicants must apply to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill by the University’s October 15th, 2023 EARLY admission deadline and must meet all academic requirements for EARLY admission; and 2) Scholarship applicants must also apply to The Thomas Wolfe Scholarship, with the deadline for submissions to the Scholarship being November 15th, 2023 (submissions must be electronically submitted by that date). https://englishcomplit.unc.edu/creative-writing/scholarships-and-awards/the-thomas-wolfe-scholarship/

• SC Teaching Fellows Program - Fellowships for up to 200 high school seniors who have exhibited high academic achievement, a history of service to their school and community and a desire to teach in South Carolina. $6000 a year for four years to complete a degree leading to initial certification. A fellow agrees to teach one year for every year he or she receives the Fellowship. Details at www.cerra.org. Deadline: December 7, 2023

• Lyceum Scholars Program is currently accepting applications for students who will be entering Clemson University in Fall 2024. Those interested in becoming Lyceum Scholars should apply in their senior year of high school to the Lyceum Scholars Program and separately to Clemson University. All Lyceum Scholars receive a $10,000 scholarship, which is disbursed over their four years at Clemson University. https://www.clemson.edu/centers-institutes/capitalism/lyceum/scholars.html Deadline: December 10, 2023

The Fine Arts Center has been nominated for a KABOOM award in the category of BEST PUBLIC SCHOOL from the e-publication Kidding Around Greenville. The nomination window runs from Sept. 5-16, 2023. The results of the nomination process yield the final voting ballot, which is released in October.

You can help us by nominating the FAC at the following website - https://kiddingaroundgreenville.com/kaboom#/gallery?group=463828. Scroll down to the category for Best Public School.

Greenville County Schools provides us with a generous budget that allows us to meet the educational needs of our students and faculty. However, as a pre-professional training ground for aspiring artists, we will at times need to augment what we are given in order to meet professional industry standards. Unrestricted donations to the Fine Arts Center Partners are always welcome, though we know that some community members prefer to give towards specific needs. For that reason, we have created the FAC Wish List.

Please click on the following link to access the list: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Wr_aHAWv3NUTw1e3Oqzb8lUAs6u3zRNXdUPiU24c7Es/edit?usp=sharing. You can donate funds to the FAC Partners for the purchase of an item on the Wish List, thereby gaining the tax benefit of giving to a 501c3 Non-Profit.

This document will be updated regularly. Please reach out to Mr. Popat with any questions.

• Monday, September 11 - Artist-in-Residence Recital: Sarah Jane McMahon, Voice; 7:00 p.m., Sutherlin Recital Hall
  
• Tuesday, September 12 - Tri-M Music Honor Society Induction Ceremony; 7:00 p.m., Sutherlin Recital Hall; No admission charge
• Friday, September 29 - FAC College Day; for FAC Juniors, Seniors, and PM students
• Tuesday, October 3 - Parent Engagement Presentation by Mr. Popat; 7:00 p.m., Sutherlin Recital Hall
• Thursday, October 5 - FAC Jazz All-Stars at Genevieve's; Peace Center, 7:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, October 18 - 2:25 p.m. Jazz Studio Concert; 7:00 p.m., Sutherlin Recital Hall; Tickets are $10 for adults, free to FAC/GCS students/children 12 and under
• Thursday, October 19 - 1:30 p.m. Jazz Studio Concert; 7:00 p.m., Sutherlin Recital Hall; Tickets are $10 for adults, free to FAC/GCS students/children 12 and under

Preparing dedicated students for 21st-century careers through rigorous, pre-professional arts training in a dynamic, inclusive, collaborative learning community.

Core Values

• Creativity

• Respect

• Grit

• Identity

• Connection

Email: vpopat@greenville.k12.sc.us
Website: https://www.fineartscenter.net
Location: 102 Pine Knoll Drive, Greenville, SC, USA
Phone: (864) 355-2550
Twitter: @FACGreenville