St Mark's Catholic Grade School

ST. MARK'S CATHOLIC GRADE SCHOOL 4 OUTSTANDING ST. MARK'S FINE ARTS PROGRAM RECOGNIZED WITH TWO GRANTS April Event Features Artwork Inspired by Alumna Painting U nder the direction of art teacher Judy Placko and music teacher Ashleigh Koch— and with the involvement of others dedicated to school—the Fine Arts Program at St. Mark's is flourishing! Art shows, annual musicals, and foundation awards are just a few of the fruits. The excellence of our fine arts program has been recognized by the Maggie Bertram Foundation for the Fine Arts, which has awarded the program two grants. With the funds from the grants, we purchased art supplies, including plywood, paints, and brushes to make life-sized nativity figures. Our music department obtained ukuleles, xylophones, and glockenspiels, which are used to teach melody and harmony. Judy Placko is in her fifth year at St. Mark's. Besides teaching art to students in kindergarten through eighth grade, Mrs. Placko organizes an annual fine arts event that is held in a professional art gallery or other suitable space. This year's event will be on April 6, 5:30-7:30 p.m., at the Spalding Pastoral Center. The event will include artwork based on The Lantern Festival, an original painting donated to the school by artist and alumna Sarah Klise '76. She and her sister, author Kate Klise '77, collaborate on award-winning books for children and young adults. Check out their website at www. kateandsarahklise.com. Mrs. Placko was thrilled to be able to incorporate The Lantern Festival into her painting classes, part of the flexible environment that she loves about the school. "St. Mark's is a very child- oriented school with a dedicated staff. We are given the freedom to teach. I like being able to work from the materials at hand to teach students what they need to know." Mrs. Placko is an artist herself and enjoys working in all mediums. She received her B.A. in humanities and art at the American College of Art in Switzerland, where she became fluent in French, and her M.S. in visual arts at Florida State University. Ms. Ashleigh Koch came to St. Mark's three years ago from Bradley University, having earned her B.A. in Music Education. Like Mrs. Placko, Ms. Koch teaches all the students in the school, one of her favorite parts of the job. "Teaching all of the students allows me to build relationships with them as they progress through school." When she isn't in the classroom, Ms. Koch directs the choir and leads the music at the weekly all-school Mass, where she sings like an angel. She also serves as the musical director for the spring musical under the direction of longtime community theater director Mary Ellen Ulrich. Mary Ellen began the theater program at St. Mark's 17 years ago and has directed the musical each year. On April 28 and 29, our students will perform the classic favorite Guys and Dolls. Her son, Jimmy, is the choreographer. "I became involved in community theater when I was in third grade, and I loved it," said Mary Ellen. "I want to pass on my love of the theater to St. Mark's students. They will learn lifetime tools in theater like presentation." The students in Guys and Dolls will also participate in the fine arts event on April 6. We are grateful to our all teachers, alumni, volunteers, and benefactors for making St. Mark's a place where excellence is expected! Our art teacher, Judy Placko, goes above and beyond to create unique artistic experiences for St. Mark's students. St. Mark's alumnae Kate Klise '77 and Sarah Klise '76 collaborate on children's and young adult books. Sarah donated an original painting, The Lantern Festival, which students used as inspiration for their own art works. A student prepares a piece for the annual fine arts event to be held in April. Student work inspired by an alumna's original artwork. Music teacher Ashleigh Koch, community theater director Mary Ellen Ulrich, and choreographer Jimmy Ulrich prepare for the spring musical, Guys and Dolls.

• Cover