Parent Volunteers - Yes, please!

The Technical Theatre program is open to having parents come to the school to help with building the set and other projects that we have. Students are required to spend 10 hours a semester (5 of them minimum in Qtr 3 to help build the musical)  if it would make it easier, you can come in and assist as well a few times before the background check requirement kicks in. If you feel you have a skill that would be useful to share, please reach out to me (rodrit4@nv.ccsd.net) and we might see if you can schedule for you to come in and share it with the students. 

There are requirements for you to be fingerprinted if you spend more than 4 times a month or on a regular basis. The fingerprinting does incur a cost of $60 and is valid for 5 years, renewing every year. (Background checks and processing are required every 5 years) 

Links to websites:

Application for Volunteers at CCSD

Information for Volunteers

Documents Explaining the Process:

CCSD Letter to Volunteers

Fingerprinting Requirements and FAQs

HR Guide for Representatives/Volunteers

Hours Required After-School

 

We are a CTE course. That means Technical Theatre is a valid option for a career as defined by the Department of Education in Nevada. With that being set, students need to get experience putting what they learn to practice. For practice at school, that means taking part in the creation and building of the Theatre program's performances. We also support the Performing Arts Department when they have concerts at the school. Students are to run the sound and lights for concerts and they can design some light effects for dance shows. As a MAJOR part of the student's grades, they are required to take part and participate in after-school activities. There is a minimum of 10 hours required. 5 hours are required during the third quarter due to the fact that the musical is scheduled for March 3-4.

I will do my best to help accommodate students' availability to work outside of class hours. Please reach out to me to let me know if your student is unable to attend. If I hear from you, I will make other arrangements with your student. If I do not hear from you, I will expect to see your student put their knowledge to the test for audiences to experience.

To help, I have included photos of the calendar that show the dates we will be working in the theatre. They are color coded so the students would know which department needs them. The schedule below is for the musical. There is a SET BUILD CALL on SAT 18th of FEB.

Donor's Choose

 Hello All,

I have put together a Donors Choose to be able to get supplies for students to have interactive notebooks in the classroom, snacks for working after school, building models of the stage/sets, and drafting by hand before we move to the computer.

If you would like to donate, please click on the link here. 

Smith's Inspiring Donations: LVHS Theatre Program

 We are getting donations from the 15 people who have added our organization's number to their Smith accounts. No one loses any benefits, just the program gains by following these instructions. Please share this information far and wide and help the program grow.

Technical Theatre is a CTE Course

 

CTE stands for Career and Technical Education. The courses are designed by the Department of Education to instruct the students in technical careers so that when students graduate they can join the job force or be able to enter college at a slightly higher level class within the same career pathway.

Technical theatre is all the parts of the theatre that you see that are not acting, directing, or playwrighting. The students, once safety is passed, will learn about lighting, sound, construction, house management, stage management, and publicity. When we have time we will touch on costumes, hair, and makeup as well.

Students who enroll in the course and maintain a B grade, pass the technology knowledge test, and the workplace readiness skills test will get the potential for college credit *issued from the state. They will have a special designation on their diploma as well. 

*It depends on which NSHE institution they are eligible for the credit.  The college/university may charge a small fee to process the application, however, it most cases the CTE College Credit is free.  If it is a dual credit or dual enrollment option, then there is a reduced tuition fee and it's typically $75 per credit hour.

All of this is subject to change every year at the discretion of the college/university.

Studio Habits of the Mind

 Another philosophy that we follow in the technical theatre classroom that we borrowed from art
is the Studio Habits of the Mind. The students will be responsible for following the habits and self-regulating their behavior. There are 8 main Studio Habits of the Mind.

• Develop Craft (Technique & Studio Practice)
• Engage & Persist (Finding Passion & Sticking with It)
• Envision (Imagining & Planning)
• Express (Finding & Showing Meaning)
• Observe (Looking Closely)
• Reflect (Question & Explain and Evaluate)
• Stretch & Explore (Play, Use Mistakes & Discover)
• Understand Art Worlds (Domain & Communities)

When students follow the 8 Studio Habits of the mind, they will e able to create and talk about more than just art. These Habits can be used for more than just art. Once students learn and become proficient with Studio Habits, they can use them for any subject and in many situations in life. 

Las Vegas High School Technical Theatre Classes

 Hello and Welcome to the Technical Theatre classroom!

     In an art classroom, students will have many opportunities to choose what they would like to create. There is a philosophy called TAB or Teaching Artistic Behaviors that is being implemented in the Art classroom. This same philosophy will be implemented in the technical theatre classroom as well. Students ARE artists. In a room with no choice students lose interest in just repeating and recreating examples. In the TAB classroom, the students are allowed to play with the mediums and given prompts or enduring
ideas that their project must contain, but they get to explore and decide what they would like to create. The teacher is more of a guide and a resource in a TAB classroom as much as they become a cheerleader. The students will get their opportunity to work in different mediums, with more mediums available as the semester goes on. [medium: what is used to create the project] As this happens, there will be many students using different mediums throughout the year which makes a very eclectic array of projects created by the students within the same unit using the same enduring idea.

*Screenshot image borrowed from Cedar Ridge High School