Lafayette's four elementary schools are excitedly preparing for their LASF Art Shows and Open Houses this month. Happy Valley, Lafayette and Springhill will hosts theirs on May 19th and Burton Valley's will be on May 27th.
Each year, the Lafayette elementary schools hold an Open House on the night of the LASF Art Show. It's an opportunity for parents to both visit their child's classroom and take in the many mediums of incredible artwork their children create under the guidance of LASF art instructors.
Each school approaches the evening in its own way. "Burton Valley's LASF Art Fair is always done the same night as the Open House. The artwork is displayed in our auditorium so parents can come and see the artwork in between (visits to) the open classrooms. Our fifth graders also sell pizza, Caesar salad and dessert that night," said Burton Valley PTA President Dana Fillinger Ashburn. Happy Valley coordinator Shannon Tague said her school will hold a family BBQ prior to the LASF Art Fair and Open House. At Springhill, music is included on the evening's agenda. In addition to student choral and instrumental performances in the amphitheatre, talented principal Bruce Wodhams always captures the crowd by singing while playing his acoustic guitar.
As part of the annual art fairs, LASF hosts a program called "Luck of the Draw." To begin with, each child in the school picks the piece of art he wants displayed and names are drawn from each grade. The lucky "winners" have their works complimentarily framed by Fastframe of Lafayette owner, Anthony Ruiz. The artists enjoy the experience of "opening night" at Fastframe before the artwork rotates to various venues throughout the City of Lafayette.
LASF Communications Chair and incoming President Maureen Bagley is particularly fond of the art program at LASF. "I came to be involved with LASF through the art instruction in my child's kindergarten class. Here they were at only five years old using very advanced terminology to describe their art," said Bagley. Bagley said the kindergartners were using terms such as "landscape" and "perspective" appropriately and it impressed her tremendously.
Stanley Middle School will host its Open House on May 20 but it is not in conjunction with the LASF Art Fair. "The art projects they do are tied more to the curriculum - such as Egyptian sarcophaguses - and are displayed in the classrooms," said Stanley PTA Vice President Doreen deRoque.
Each year, the Lafayette elementary schools hold an Open House on the night of the LASF Art Show. It's an opportunity for parents to both visit their child's classroom and take in the many mediums of incredible artwork their children create under the guidance of LASF art instructors. 
Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA