SEF and SSD Roundtable: Performing Arts in the Sunnyvale School District
By Katie Rowland, Programs Chair, Sunnyvale Education Foundation
If you are passionate about performing arts in the Sunnyvale School District, then this post is for you!
Families across SSD are eager for their children to receive a high quality, enriched education. For many families – and for SEF – performing arts is a critical part of such an education. As for students, their beaming faces show how much these opportunities mean to them.
That’s why on April 1st at 5:15 p.m., we invite our community to come together to discuss Performing Arts in the Sunnyvale School District. We have a multi-year history of hosting Roundtables, which have previously focused on equitable enrichment, volunteer recruitment, and school gardens. These Roundtables bring together critical voices from across the district, so that we can learn from one another and work together to expand opportunities for students district-wide.
SEF will share that we see high interest in performing arts from across the district – as well as some common challenges that we think are best addressed collaboratively. This year, one third of the School Grant funds we give to each of the ten schools in SSD went toward performing arts. From “The Play that Went Wrong” and new violas at Columbia Middle School to musicals at Lakewood, San Miguel and Vargas, students and families are eager for students to have opportunities in the performing arts. We also hear about common challenges that sometimes get in the way of students having these opportunities, including funding, availability of vendors, and increased enrollment compared to resource availability.
The Sunnyvale School District will report on current opportunities in performing arts, as well as prospective opportunities, and on the district budget and the superintendent search.
And we need you there too! Come and share your voice, perspective, concerns, experiences, and suggestions.
This event is free and open to all, with light refreshments provided and translation services available (thanks to the Vargas PTA).
Roundtable Details:
“Performing Arts in the Sunnyvale School District,” hosted by the Sunnyvale Education Foundation and the Sunnyvale School District
Date:
Tuesday, April 1, 2025
Location:
Sunnyvale District Office, Iowa Avenue
Event Schedule:
- 5:15-5:30: Sign in, socialize, enjoy nibbles
- 5:30-6:30: Presentations, Q&A
- 6:30-7:30: Feedback & Dialogue, Roundtable Discussions
Speakers and Topics:
- Michelle Eugeni, President, Sunnyvale Education Foundation, on SEF’s role related to Performing Arts in SSD
- Dr. Michael Gallagher, Superintendent, on the superintendent search process and the state of the SSD budget for upcoming years
- Dr. Tasha Dean, Chief Teaching and Learning Officer, and other Teaching & Learning Staff will share an overview of performing arts in SSD and a look Prop 28’s implementation (funding and programs for equitable arts and music instruction)
- Jeremy Nishihara, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and Information Systems, will lead the “Dialogue and Feedback” section
- Katie Rowland, Programs Chair, Sunnyvale Education Foundation, will facilitate the Roundtable portion of the evening
