For 3 days only - 50% Off All 2009-10 Pacific Symphony Tickets!

Only until August 31, Pacific Symphony celebrates the launch of its new website by offering 2009-10 tickets at 50% off! That's half price for the Halloween Spooktacular and Nutcracker for Kids, half price to see world-renowned pianist Andre Watts or pops sensation Pink Martini. So move fast to take advantage of this terrific deal at the new and improved www.pacificsymphony.org!

Are you coming to the reunion?

Re-capture the magic and see your friends, teachers and counselors, AND see the Pacific Symphony's Tchaikovsky Spectacular for a special discount price! Don't miss the AXP 2009 Reunion on September 12 at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. Student tickets are $11, adults are $22, and the AXP discount is only available by calling (714) 876-2336 or e-mailing arts-x-press@pacificsymphony.org. Make sure you let us know how many student and adult tickets you need and how you will be paying. You can pick up your tickets on concert night from the AXP table near the front gate. We hope to see you there!

Photos and DVDs

It's hard to believe another year of arts-X-press is already over! If you didn't get a chance to order photos and DVDs at the parent presentation, please e-mail us and we will send you an order form (yeah, we're OLD SCHOOL--you can't order over the web!) Look for your photos and DVDs in the mail around mid-September.

AXP in the news!

Guess who's in the Daily Pilot for August 11? Check it out!

Parent Presentation and Talent Show

Buon giorno, it's counselor Kelly. Today was amazing!!! Thank you to all of the parents, relatives and friends for coming out to support the students tonight!

But the fun didn't stop there! After the parent presentation the students participated in a talent show put on by the counselors. The acts ranged from singing solos to comedy skits to card tricks. The big surprise came at the end when the counselors put on a surprise skit and dance!

Wait! That's not all! How can you pack in breakfast, an art workshop, creative expression, lunch, a music workshop, a dance workshop, dinner, pictures, a parent performance, a talent show and another suprise event all in one day? Arts-x-press magic! Our last day conlcuded with a dance party!!! Slide to the left, slide to the right, take it back now y'all.

See you at the bus stop tomorrow and remember to ask your student about their magic moment.

Parent Presentation

We are looking forward to seeing everyone at tonight's parent presentation!
6:45 pm
Vanguard University
55 Fair Dr., Costa Mesa
The presentation is in the events tent adjacent to Heath Academic Center. Enter campus on Civic Center Dr. from Fair Dr. and go straight, and you will see the big white tent to your left. Parking is free. Come see what your amazing kids have experienced over the last 4 days!

Pageant of the Masters

Hey everyone! This is Alie and Lexi, counselors here at AXP! Today was a long, but really fun day! After our arts workshops and creative expression classes, we had lunch with many musicians from the Pacific Symphony, and the kids learned a lot about them and their jobs. Right after lunch, we headed straight to Laguna for the Pageant of the Masters and the Festival of the Arts. We took a tour of backstage for the Pageant of the Masters to see how all of the show's magic comes together. The kids really enjoyed seeing all of the different costumes, make-up, and set pieces up close. After our V.I.P. tour, we went to glaze our own pottery and make other forms of visual art that the kids are going to love showing their parents! After that, we walked all the way up to a park on the cliffs of Laguna that overlooked the ocean. All of the kids enjoyed playing games, being evaluated on their rooms (the scores were a little scary), and prepping for the talent show. After we ate dinner, we were so priviledged to be able to meet Carl St. Clair and listen to his inspirational advice for future artists. We then walked back to the Festival and got to appreciate more beautiful pictures, sculptures, and lots of other artwork. Finally, we watched the Pageant. The kids really liked the show, and couldn't stop talking about it. Now, they are all peacefully asleep and maybe dreaming about the show :). They can't wait for tomorrow when they'll get to see their parents and show off what they've been learning! See you soon!

Day 1 & 2

Day 1- Games "Human Knot"

Shark Attacckkkk-do-do-do-do

Laguna Playhouse

Lunch Time

It has been an adventurous 2 days! It is so amazing to see the transformation these kids are going through. We had a wonderful evening at Verizon Amphitheatre witnessing Carmina Burana in all its glory led by Carl St. Clair alongside the Pacific Symphony.

Tonight we had a bonding activity where the students shared who they appreciated and most appreciated their parents so you all should be proud! :) Earlier, we saw "My Way" at the Laguna Playhouse (as photographed above). It was a tribute to the one and only, Frank Sinatra, and was an entertaining show with classic hits.

All the students are making new friends and are taking advantage of the opportunities thrown at them. Tomorrow will be an exciting and fun-filled day. We will be attending the Pageant of the Masters in Laguna. Stay tuned for more counselor updates! See you Tuesday!

Mo & Tim

Counselor Extraordinaires

Arts workshops

We've been having loads of fun in all of our arts workshops, singing songs on the bus, and on our excursions. Stay tuned for a counselor update!

So much fun, we forgot to blog!

Yesterday got off to a fantastic start with getting-to-know you games, lots of good food, and a trip to Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre to see the Pacific Symphony and Pacific Chorale perform Carmina Burana and Rachmaninoff's Paganini Variations. Wake-up this morning came WAY too early, but we're getting our energy pumped up with Creative Expression and Arts Workshops. Visit the blog later tonight for photos of our first 2 days and an update from the counselors.

Bus Schedule for Session 3

DEPARTING FOR ARTS-X-PRESS
Saturday, August 8


Bus A
Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District - Education Services Center
4999 Casa Loma Avenue
Yorba Linda, CA 92886
Student Arrival Time: 7:10am
Bus Departs: 7:30 am


Garden Grove Unified School District
10331 Stanford Ave
Garden Grove, CA 92840
Student Arrival Time: 7:40am
Bus Departs: 8:00am


Santa Ana Unified School District
1601 E Chestnut Ave.
Santa Ana, CA 92701
Student Arrival Time: 8:10am
Bus Departs: 8:30 am


Newport Mesa Unified School District
2985 Bear Street
Costa Mesa, CA 92701
Student Arrival Time: 8:40 am
Bus Departs: 9:00 am




Bus B
Capistrano Unified School District
33122 Valle Road
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
Student Arrival Time: 7:30am
Bus Departs: 7:50 am

Saddleback Valley Unified School District
25631 Peter A Hartman Way
Mission Viejo, CA 92691
Student Arrival Time: 8:00am
Bus Departs: 8:20am

Irvine Unified School District
5050 Barranca Parkway
Irvine, CA 92604
Student Arrival Time: 8:30am
Bus Departs: 8:50 am

What to Bring to AXP (re-post)

Bring on Week 3! In case you misplaced your packing list, here you go:

WHAT TO BRING:
**All clothing should be clearly marked with your name**
Enough comfortable, casual clothing for five days, including:
At least one pair of long pants or jeans
At least one long-sleeved shirt
Two pairs of closed-toed shoes (sneakers and another comfortable pair)
At least 3 pairs of socks
A sweater or jacket

Soap
Shampoo and conditioner
Toothbrush and toothpaste
Deodorant
Comb/ brush
Feminine products (if needed)
Medications and medication form

OPTIONAL:
Musical instruments (a secure storage space will be provided)
Items for talent show (costumes, music, props, dance shoes, etc.)
Bedding and linens will be provided, but students are welcome to bring their own pillow, blanket and/or towel
(Optional) $25 or less spending money

See you soon!

week two day four.

what a sad sad day. we just finished our last full day together and everyone is asleep. first off. i just want to thank all of you parents for allowing your kids to come here. every year we are able to give them the arts-x-press experience but also every year we continue to learn something from them. this is why a lot of the staff continue to come back. and well we just wanted to say thanks.

well today started like every other. some loud wake ups. a quick breakfast. and then we were on our way. in creative expression the kids finished up their creative expression projects. we then headed on over to our last arts workshop classes. we then headed to lunch where we were joined by three pacific symphony members!

after lunch we were able to have a spotlight workshop with the pacific symphony orchestra members. we learned about various instruments and even had the honor of hearing them play. our vocal instructor leslie then lead us in a short vocal workshop where we learned about posture. breath. and vowels. we then headed to the gym and were able to take part in a dance spotlight workshop. we warmed up by doing some simple moves and some light jogging. we then learned how to swing dance. and yes. some boys danced with girls!

from there we went to our last dinner where we were able to eat with our arts workshops so we could prepare for the parent presentation. which i hope you were all able to go see! so after the parent presentation we had our own talent show where everyone was able to go preform a talent including the counselors. we ended the night with a party and some cake! yay!

once again. thank you. stephanie and i are glad that we could spend our last summer as counselors with your kids.

goodnight.
garret.

Parent Presentation

Does it seem like only 4 days since you dropped your arts-X-presser off at the bus stop? We've had WAY more than 4 days worth of fun. See what it's all about at tonight's Parent Presentation:
6:45 pm
Vanguard University
55 Fair Dr., Costa Mesa
The presentation will be in the events tent which is between the Cove and Heath Academic Center. Click here for a Vanguard campus map. Parking is free, and the closest parking lot to the tent can be accessed by entering on Civic Center Dr. (from Fair Dr.) and staying to the left. We hope you'll be there to see what we've been up to!

week two day three! pageant of the masters!

hey everyone! we hope you are all enjoying your extended vacations at home! today was a very busy day here at arts-x-press. we had another early wake up today at 715. we headed down to breakfast. had a quick meal. and then went on our jolly way. the kids have been doing a lot of work in their creative expression classes as you have read before. but i know you are all dying to know what the cool counselors do during creative expression. but you are going to have to come back tomorrow to check it out.

so after creative expression we were able to participate in our arts workshops again. and i can tell you that from what i have seen that the kids are really making a lot of progress in the short amount of time that they have been here. the parent presentation tomorrow is really going to be something great. we had a quick lunch and then we made our way down to laguna beach where we spent the day at the festival of the arts. after a long bus ride filled with songs that included baby shark. jack sparrow. and boom chika boom. when we arrived at the festival we were able to take a back stage tour of the pageant of the masters! we got to see the cast members hair and make up area. we also got to walk around on the actual stage and see a lot of the sets that were actually used in the show we just saw!

after our tour we were able to do some small art activities at the festival. we were able to glaze some raku pots. create some scratch art. and even do some print making. all the kids are going to be able to take home their work so make sure you take a look at it when you get it a chance.

from there we walked on over to our dinner destination. while we were waiting for our pizza we were able to play some more new games. the kids also got to hear their room check scores. and well. ill just say they werent too happy with their results. we had some pizza for dinner and then we got to talk with carl st clair and were able to meet his wife susan. and his two children sienna and cade. the kids were really excited to be able to ask him all their questions.

from there we headed back to the festival and were able to walk around a little bit before the show to take a look at all the local artwork. some of the things that we saw were just jaw dropping. then we were able to see the pageant of the masters. AMAZING! it is just one of those things you have to experience for yourself. and thus. after a long day. a lot of the kids passed out on us on the bus ride home. yay! here are some other pictures from today.

that is all for now. we hope to see you tomorrow at the parent presentation! wahoooo!

garret.

ps. im really good at slide.

week two day two with a gagillion pictures!

guten tag! kann hier jemand deutsch?!

day two is officially done. weve had a very busy time so far at arts-x-press. we started off today with an early morning wake up which involved using trashcans. tweetie birds. and megaphones. we started breakfast off with some eggs. french toast. and a lot of syrup. on EVERYTHING! like tator tots. after breakfast we went to creative expression. the kids were able to work on some things that you can all see at the parent presentation on tuesday! we then headed over to our arts workshops. next came lunch. we had a nice international meal today that included some spaghetti and tostadas! our meal was a lot shorter today and a lot of kids missed out on ice cream. sad face.

after lunch we headed to our theater spotlight workshop which was led by amy lousie who was the director of the theater show that we saw yesterday! she was a blast and full of energy. we did some warmup games and then everyone was able to recreate a scene from the play including the counselors (which in opinion were the best. but some may say i have bias.)

after our great spotlight workshop were able to listen to two great young psyo members. one of which was tim who is a counselor next week. yay! your kids got some information on how they can become members so make sure to ask them about it if they are interested! after psyo we did an activity that we like to call bonding. make sure to ask your kids about it! (i dont say that phrase too oftern. do i?!) we then went back to the dorms. changed into our fancy arts-x-press shirts and then headed off to heritage park to see the pacific symphony orchestra preform! we were able to take a backstage tour.

we ate dinner at the park and were finally able to meet carl st clair. we were able to talk to him and ask him questions. after that we enjoyed a wonderful preformance by the symphony and then headed on the bus to go back to vanguard. after some three minute showers the kids were able to go off to bed.

and now im done. ich heiße garret. tschüs.

ps. i guess vannie and yolanda kinda helped. wahoo to them! jacob may claim he did. but he really didnt :)

week two day one!

herrrrrrrrrrrrrro parents.

so the first day of arts-x-press is officially over. your sweet little angels are dreaming dreams of what tomorrow will bring. after the long bus rides we finally arrived at our home for the next five days. vanguard university. we broke the ice with some new games such as telephone. human knot. chief. and many other games.




after that we had some great lunch at the dinning commons. on the menu for lunch included pizza. hot dogs. vegetables. h2ooooooooooooooh yeah. and a lot of ice cream.


from there we were able to break into our arts workshops and get right down to business. we dont waste much time here at arts-x-press. after two hours we were able to get our creative minds a flowing in creative expression. another quick meal and then we made our way onto the 55. then the 73. and finally reaching our destination of bonita canyon sports park where we were able to see love labors lost. the play was amazing and very well done. we were able to meet some of the cast and ask questions and one of our counselors jacob was selected to participate in a preshow dating show. what a lucky guy. seeing a theater show in the park was an amazing experience. oh. and it was hilarious! make sure to ask your kids about it. well this sums up the first blog experience of week two.





make sure to keep checking in. tomorrow features a theater spotlight work show. a pacific symphony youth orchestra presentation. and a pacific symphony orchestra concert.





ps. sure to enjoy your vacation :)

garret (guava) and jacob (jacoba)
best guy counselors of the century.

Day 1 has Begun!

Day one of session two is well underway. We started the day with introductions and "New Games" (ice-breakers). Then we had lunch!

Lunch was delicious- especially the frozen yogurt!More blogging coming soon! :)