Welcome to Physical Education at Nevada City School of the Arts! my name is Megan Aldridge. This school year I will have the incredible opportunity of working with our 2nd - 8th-grade students. Physical Education, health/wellness, and diversity/inclusion are topics that I am extremely passionate about. I am very much looking forward to sharing this passion and knowledge with our students. In my instruction, I emphasize areas surrounding teaching for equity, mental/emotional/physical health integration, and access to sports/athletics for all genders and peoples. Some additional important factors in PE here at NCSA is ensuring we all have fun, feel safe, and grow! I am so excited to meet you all...see you soon :)
Dance class will comprise of deep stretching to elongate limbs and improve flexibility, strengthening and conditioning to train the body increasing performance abilities, and dance technique using various approaches and modalities while also investigating origin of movement. A very important component of taking dance is being open to exploring a variety of genres, topics, and movement as well as creating work stemming from our own life experiences. Dancers will be prompted to think, examine and explore topics and choreograph accordingly.
Chanthou has an MA in Kinesiology with an emphasis on Movement Studies and BS in Dance and Theatre from California State University, Sacramento. She has been teaching dance for over 20 years and specializes in Afro-Caribbean and Afro Cuban folkloric dance and has been trained in Modern, Contemporary, Jazz and Choreographic Principles. Hip Hop was her first love and dance is a way of life for her.
This class is a blend of modern and ballet techniques and exploring and creating choreography is encouraged. Class will begin with a warm up, include strengthening and stretching exercises and across the floor movements and end with choreography.
Amy has been teaching dance for over 20 years for various dance studios, schools, colleges & universities as well as American Dance Festival. She was a professional dancer for over 10 years and performed with several ballet companies as well as earned her BA in Dance from Hollins University. Amy received a professional teaching certification (Dance K-12) in the state of Florida and finds great joy in teaching and sharing her love of dance.
Gabriel has been teaching @ NCSA since the 2010-2011 school year and has been teaching in CA public schools for over 14 years. Born and raised in upstate NY, Gabriel moved out to California in 2005 after graduating from Ithaca College with a BA in K-12 general music education and instrumental music education. Since his start at NCSA, Gabriel has taught a mixture of main lesson integrative music classes and instrumental music electives classes. Currently, Gabriel teaches T/K, K, 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 6th grade main lesson music and also teaches private music lessons on piano, guitar, and trumpet.
Outside the context of music and NCSA, Gabriel is active as an alternative health care practitioner within the system of Functional Symmetry.
This class is for anyone who would like to learn the clarinet, flute, trumpet, or trombone for the very first time. Students will be gaining skills and learning theory while playing a variety of music from concert to jazz to film scores to Latin styles.
Laksmi has been teaching at NCSA since 2016. Photography is her passion and in this class you will learn the basics of digital photography, exposure, lighting, editing, and compositional techniques. In coding, students will learn to code using python through a fun and creative program called codesters.
Studio Art is an open studio style class where the work is largely self directed. We'll do demonstrations, organize art challenges with a theme or prompt, and students will share their work with the class and give and receive feedback.
Camille has been with NCSA since 2018 and enjoys working with students of all ages. She is a creative teacher who believes students are capable of more than they know. She encourages students to challenge themselves and explore new mediums. She has her fine arts degree from San Francisco State University where she focused on painting and sculpture. Camille has worked with professional artists and runs her own art practice that includes digital art, painting, ceramics, leatherworking, copper work, and mixed media arts. She received her teaching credentials from Long Beach State University that focused on diversity, inclusion, and equity in education.
Studio Art is an open studio style class where the work is largely self directed. We'll do demonstrations, organize art challenges with a theme or prompt, and students will share their work with the class and give and receive feedback.
Depending on student sign up, this year, the in-school guitar elective class will either be a 1st year guitar class or a continuing/advanced guitar class. Ananda is an incredibly talented guitarist and teaches a wide variety of songs and playing styles.
This elective will be focused on sports skills, sportsmanship, and a healthy and supportive expression of playing competitively with others.
In this elective, “Thriving in the Wilderness”, students will have the opportunity to learn the knowledge, mindset, and skills necessary to not only survive, but how to thrive while in a wilderness setting.
The semester-long elective is designed to comprehensively teach students how to be physically, logistically and mentally prepared for short-term to long-term wilderness adventures. A sampling of the weekly topics that students will have the opportunity to learn include the basics of surviving in the wilderness, practicing leave no trace, finding and building shelters, developing our wilderness equipment kit, wilderness first aid, hydration and nutrition in the wilderness, navigating and orienteering, weather preparedness, building fire, responsible wilderness decision making, and what to do when things go wrong.
Students will be expected to fully participate in the class activities, all of which will be outdoors (unless we are limited by poor air quality conditions). Students will need to be prepared with proper clothing/gear to be able to be comfortable in an outdoor classroom environment for each class session. Please note, this elective involves plenty of movement (especially hiking and walking). Finally, if conditions allow, a culminating activity will be planned by the group with the guidance of the instructor to allow students to put all of their skills and knowledge to the test in the form of an overnight backpacking trip (please note this may change due to covid-related restrictions and or weather conditions).
Mountain Biking "Bike For Life"
Bike for Life, students will learn that biking is more than a mode of transportation. Students will have opportunities to explore a variety of life-related themes through the lense of biking (like nutrition, goal-setting, personal growth, mental health, bike maintenance). The class will culminate with a multi-day Northern California bike tour!
Students will have an opportunity to learn, enjoy, and participate in a variety of outdoor games
Wind Ensemble is a great opportunity to play music with your friends and hone your instrument skills. We will explore many types of music from classical, to film scores and everything in between. Open to all 6th-8th grade wind and brass players who have had at least 1 year of instrumental experience. At home practice will be strongly encouraged for all participants.