Rogers Middle School for the Creative and Performing Arts

Infobox_School
name = Rogers Middle School for the Creative and Performing Arts

---

imagesize = 250px
motto = Believe, Work to Achieve, and Succeed.
established = September 1979
type = Public
affiliation =
district = Pittsburgh Public Schools
grades = 6–8
president =
principal = Dr. Lynda Ravnell Lewis
head of school =
dean =
faculty = 40
staff = 13
students =
enrollment = 315 as of 1 Oct 2007cite web |url=http://www.pps.k12.pa.us/14311012791719437/blank/browse.asp?a=383&BMDRN=2000&BCOB=0&c=57170 |title=School Directory |accessdate=2007-10-07 |work=PPS Web Site ]
athletics =
conference = PIAA District 8
colors = Blue and Yellow/Gold
mascot = Wolverine
free_label = Representative
free_text = Thomas Sumpter
free_label2 =
free_text2 =
location = 5525 Columbo Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15206 coord|40.469019|N|79.930577|W|type:edu|display=title
country = USA
contact number = 412-665-2000
website = [http://rogersms.pghboe.net Rogers CAPA Middle School]
originator = James E. Rogers
campus type = Urban

Rogers Middle School for the Creative and Performing Arts (Rogers CAPA) is an arts magnet school located in Garfield, near East Liberty, and Highland Park neighborhoods of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.cite paper | author =Lynda Lewis, Principal | title =2006-2007 School Plan for Excellence | publisher =Rogers CAPA Middle School | date =2006-12-11] Rogers CAPA offers students ten Arts majors: Costume Design, Creative Writing, Dance, Drama, Instrumental, Multimedia, Piano, Stagecraft, Visual Arts, and Vocal.

Admission is by portfolio or audition. Academic courses include Communications, Computers, Health, Library, Mathematics, Physical Education, Science, Social Studies, and Spanish.

Rogers CAPA is one of ten middle schools in the Pittsburgh Public Schools. In 2005 it was ranked 111^th of 500 middle schools in the state of Pennsylvania. [cite web |url=http://www.schooldigger.com/go/PA/schools/1917006080/school.aspx |title=Rogers Center Creat & Per Arts, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania / PA school information |accessdate=2007-01-05 |work=School Digger Website]

History

As part of the court-mandated desegregation plan, the Gladstone School for the Creative and Performing Arts opened in September 1979 for grades 4–8. One of the plan's objectives was to create a unique program that would attract a population that would be drawn from all neighborhoods in the city. Eventually, a process of application and audition was instituted, which has served as a highly successful method of admission to the school.

In September 1980, the program was moved to its present location in the Rogers building and changed to its current format of grades 6–8. A major addition to the program was the hiring of an adjunct teaching staff of artists and performers with a high level of expertise. In its lifetime the school has served over 8000 students by developing their artistic and academic talents.

One of the hallmarks of Rogers School has been the institution of school-wide interdisciplinary units that unite academic and arts subjects, thus enriching and extending student learning. Throughout the years, units have included Shakespeare, the Civil War, Broadway musicals, and the Shapers of History. All arts staff involve their students in the production of stage presentation, and the academic staff creates specific lesson plans that relate to the theme and support the creation of the stage production.

In 1992, the entire staff and student body collaborated with the Pittsburgh Opera in the student-centered production of the opera, The Pied Piper of Hamelin. Shadowing the professionals, students wrote copy for the print and electronic media, designed the program cover, conducted the orchestra though some rehearsals, interviewed the principal actors and wrote biographies, choreographed dance sequences, and designed and created costumes worn during the production.

Today, Rogers has grown from a small magnet school that housed only 180 students to a school of over 300 students. It houses a culturally diverse staff and student body that thrives in a collaborative atmosphere where arts and academics combine in a rich program that emphasizes and values the following: discipline, independent work, creative thinking, responsibility, and creativity in all areas of endeavor.

Community partners and supporters include the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, the Dance Alloy, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Citiparks, the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, and the Pittsburgh Opera.

Campus

The building housing the current Middle School CAPA program was named for James E. Rogers, a member of the Hiland Sub-District School Board for twenty years. It was built in 1915 and had 742 students enrolled that year, by 1953 the enrollment had increased to 900 students. In 1980 the school was closed, and reopened in 1982 for the current CAPA program.cite web |url= http://images.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/i/image/image-idx?sid=4ac77f22dcdac561a02aaa32771f5e0e;g=imls;med=1;c=pps;q1=Rogers;rgn1=pps_all;evl=full-image;quality=2;view=entry;subview=detail;lasttype=boolean;cc=pps;entryid=x-msp117.b005.f02.i11;viewid=PPS1738.TIF;start=1;resnum=1
title= Rogers School|accessdate=2006-11-13 |work= Pittsburgh Public Schools Collection, Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania]

In 2002 the building was designated a Historic Landmark by the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation. [cite web |url=http://www.phlf.org/plaques/locallist.html |title=Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation Plaque List |accessdate=2007-04-24 |work=PHLF Website]

Students

As of October 1, 2007 the student enrollment of 315 has the following demographics:

Faculty

The faculty at Rogers CAPAcite web |url= http://rogersms.pghboe.net/faculty_page.htm|title= Rogers CAPA Faculty and Staff|accessdate=2006-11-17 |work= Rogers CAPA Web Site] teach in either the Arts or Academics, with some teaching both.

Arts

*Costume Design: Mrs. Patricia Gordon
*Creative Writing: Ms. Kathleen Donnelly, Ms. Lynn Marsico
*Dance: Mrs. Denise Azzari, Mr. Anthony Dixon
*Drama: Ms. Christine Laitta, Mrs. Diane Wright
*Instrumental: Mr. Jan Fung (Percussion), Mr. Tom Godfrey (Woodwinds), Mr. James Guerra (Woodwinds), Mr. Dale Hertrick (Orchestra), Mr. Richard Mansfield (Woodwinds), Ms. Dena Miller (Strings), Ms. Karen Sloneker (Brass)
*Multimedia: Ms. Sheila McBride
*Piano: Mrs. Ellen Keeney
*Stagecraft: Mr. William Scheuering
*Visual Arts: Mr. Victor Capone (Department Chair), Mr. Parris Hugley, Mr. George Morris, Ms. Kyra Schon
*Vocal: Mr. Henry Biggs, Mr. Mark Spondike, Ms. Margery Schell

Academics

*Communications: Mrs. Caroline Kelly Anthony, Mrs. Diane Carroll (Acting Curriculum Coach), Ms. Adel Fougnies, Ms. Lynn Marsico, Mrs. Diane Wright, Mrs. Angela Wynert (Curriculum Coach, on leave)
*Health/Physical Education: Ms. Cindy Haigh
*Library: Ms. Linda Dawson
*Mathematics: Mr. David Hairston (Curriculum Coach), Ms. Ilyssa Ringold, Mrs. Wilma Rubin, Ms. Alice Rysdon
*Science: Dr. Terrance Golden, Mr. David Hairston (Curriculum Coach), Mr. Robert Vogel, Mr. Keith Zehr
*Social Studies: Mr. P.J. Loskoch, Mr. Robert Vogel, Mrs. Angela Wynert (Curriculum Coach, on leave)
*Spanish: Mr. Arlo Benjamin

Extracurricular activities

* African American History Bowl
* Chess Club
* Debate Team
* National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) [http://www.pps.k12.pa.us/147820825213112590/site/default.asp]
* Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science ( [http://pjas.net/ PJAS] ) [http://www.pps.k12.pa.us/147820825213143217/site/default.asp]
* Rogers CAPA PSCC
* Rogers CAPA Sports Teams [http://rogersms.pghboe.net/organizations/sports.htm]
* Spanish Club
* Students for Justice [http://www.pps.k12.pa.us/147820825213027717/site/default.asp]
* Think-a-Thon
* Tri-M [http://www.pps.k12.pa.us/147820825213040907/site/default.asp]
* Yearbook Staff [http://www.pps.k12.pa.us/147820825213052513/site/default.asp]

Relocation

When Superintendent Mark Roosevelt announced his [http://www.pps.k12.pa.us/ppsrightsizingplan.asp right-sizing plan] on November 9, 2005, it included the relocation of Rogers CAPA to the Baxter Elementary building formerly occupied by CAPA High. Due to the negative response of the students, parents and faculty, this plan was dropped in the [http://www.pps.k12.pa.us/finalrightsizingplan22806.asp final right-sizing plan] of February 28, 2006.

At a community meeting on March 28, 2006 Superintendent Roosevelt announced plans to form a committee to find and recommend a suitable destination for relocation. The Committee, formed of parents, teachers, administrators and community members, first met on July 20, 2006 and made a final recommendation to the Superintendent on October 19, 2006. On November 1 Roosevelt presented to the Board of Education the committee's recommendation to move the CAPA Middle School program into the recently closed Milliones Middle School building.cite news |first= Joe|last= Smydo|title= Roosevelt: Move Rogers school for arts into closed Milliones building|url= http://www.postgazette.com/pg/06306/734980-298.stm|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |date= 2006-11-02|accessdate=2006-11-11 ] coord|40.4497|N|79.9625|W|type:edu

On December 19, 2006 the Board of Education approved a contract with Graves Architects, Inc. "to provide architectural services for interior renovations and theatre/classroom addition to Milliones facility as outlined in the Request for Proposals prepared by the Facilities Division, for the relocation of Rogers CAPA, and as outlined in the Consultant's proposal of December 14, 2006."

At the Business/Finance Committee meeting on February 5, 2007, the Milliones Building Reuse Committee, created at the request of the Board, recommended in addition to moving the CAPA Middle School program there, to also move the K-8 program currently in the Vann Elementary building into Milliones as well. This plan would save $3.5 million from the current capital budget by expanding the needed addition to Milliones for the CAPA program by $1.5 million and eliminating the $5 million expansion to Vann. [cite news |first=Joe |last=Smydo |title=Task force recommends moving Vann School into Milliones building |url=http://www.postgazette.com/pg/07037/759756-298.stm |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |date=2007-02-06 |accessdate=2007-02-06]

On February 20, 2007 the Board of Directors passed a resolution at the Legislative meeting which matched the recommendation of the Milliones Building Reuse Committee. [cite press release |url=http://www.pps.k12.pa.us/stuff/milliones%20vote%202-20-07%20.pdf |title=Board Votes to Reopen the Closed Milliones Building to Accommodate the Middle Grade CAPA Program and the Vann School |accessdate=2007-03-13 |date=2007-02-20 |publisher=Pittsburgh Public Schools]

The Pittsburgh City Council approved Conditional Use Zoning for Milliones Middle School on August 13, 2007, allowing the extension and interior renovations. [cite web |url=http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/city_clerk/assets/Minutes/2007/08-13-07.pdf |accessdate=2007-08-19 | date=2007-08-13 |title=Proceedings of the Council of the City of Pittsburgh]

The current plan includes a 2½-story, 40 thousand square foot addition on the eastern side of the building for use as an Arts Complex. It will include a Theater for ~500, Art, Drama and Music classrooms, studios and rehearsal areas, as well as a stagecraft shop and costume design studio. The construction is expected to be completed in time for the schools to move in at the start of the 2008-9 school year in August 2008.

References

External links

* [http://rogersms.pghboe.net Rogers CAPA Middle School]
* [http://pghmidcapa.googlepages.com Pittsburgh Middle CAPA PTSO] - Parent, Teacher, and Student Organization for Rogers CAPA.
* [http://www.pghboe.net Pittsburgh Public Schools]