A non-profit organization run by McGaugh parents (100% volunteer)
We fundraise to fully fund the Art and Technology programs at McGaugh,
which include:
ART LAB (Art teacher’s salary, supplies)
INNOVATION LAB (teacher’s salary, supplies)
SEA LION LAB or Media Center (teacher’s salary, supplies)
All year!!
Fundraisers like Skate Night, Art Show, Annual Gala called The Event to name a few.
Look for our blue flyers throughout the year!
We believe our kids DESERVE these programs! Even if the district is unable to provide them.
By becoming a Seal Lion sponsor and donating, by participating in a fundraising event or by joining our Project SEEK team.
According to the educational organization, Edutopia, "involvement in the arts is associated with gains in math, reading, cognitive ability, critical thinking, and verbal skill. Arts learning can also improve motivation, concentration, confidence, and teamwork. A 2005 report by the Rand Corporation about the visual arts argues that the intrinsic pleasures and stimulation of the art experience do more than sweeten an individual's life -- according to the report, they "can connect people more deeply to the world and open them to new ways of seeing," creating the foundation to forge social bonds and community cohesion."
And every cent of your money donated to Project SEEK goes to support our art lab, media center, innovation lab and pay the salaries of those teachers. We are supporting what research shows is an integral part of learning.
Ms. Anya Cappon, our McGaugh art teacher works collaboratively with all grade levels to develop lessons that study a specific artist and their culture throughout the school year. The students learn about the artist as a person and why they created the art they did.
Allowing students to be creative, encouraging them to learn through hands-on experience, and pushing them to challenge themselves with goals that they might not have in a typical learning environment, is what innovation labs are all about! And thanks to the generous donations from Project SEEK, we have a fully funded innovation lab at McGaugh. Mrs. May Samari collaborates with classroom teachers to connect classroom content with engineering projects in the innovation lab. She also has 3 different ways for different age groups to explore robots and the coding process. Kinder uses BeeBots. Every grade uses Ozobots, and the 4th and 5th graders build with special legos that they can control with coding. According to EdTech: Focus on K-12 , an on-line magazine that explores technology and education issues that IT leaders and educators face, "Schools and districts are investing in STEM education to provide students the skills they need to thrive in their future careers, from technical skills to critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, communication and collaboration." Project SEEK plans fundraisers throughout the year to raise money so our innovation lab can stay up to date and continue to provide innovative learning experiences for McGaugh students.
Our Media Center Teacher, works tirelessly to innovate curriculum that covers, basic computer knowledge to internet safety, and library literacy. Students are learning proper typing with fun games like Dance Mat Typing, and internet awareness with Mindset Mountain. Students are also taught how to explore the literature in the library and properly check-out and care for the books. The National Education Association has found "a direct, positive correlation between student access to library/media centers and student achievement. An appropriately staffed and fully resourced library/media center is crucial to the development of 21st- century skill sets in today’s student population." Thanks to Project Seek, the McGaugh community will be prepared for success in the 21st-century world.
May Samari is our Innovation Lab teacher where the focus is on Engineering, Coding and Robotics. This is May's 6th year as our Innovation Lab teacher. Before joining us, she taught 6th grade for nine years in the Los Altos School District in Northern California. She has a B.A. in Liberal Studies from Sacramento State University, and earned her Masters in Education and Credential at UC Davis. May is proud to have her two children, Lua and Reed, in 1st grade here at McGaugh.
Anya Cappon is McGaugh Elementary's new art teacher. Anya earned a BFA in Studio Art and a BA in Philosophy at Chapman University in 2020. Anya has always taken the opportunity to introduce young minds to the world of art making. For the last couple of years she has led the after school art program at Orange Presbyterian Preschool. Anya is looking forward to making the McGaugh art lab a fun and safe place to be creative. We're all excited to have her as part of our McGaugh community.