Hartford J1 spotlights middle school arts, PLTW STEM and elective sign-up on district podcast

District Administrator Tara Villalobos hosted the Hartford J1 School District’s District Download podcast to showcase middle school course offerings and to preview the district’s upcoming elective scheduling window.

Villalobos opened the episode by introducing members of the Applied Fine Arts team and the middle school leadership, saying the show is intended to help families “stay connected to the incredible work that happens each and every day in our schools.” The guests who discussed classroom programs were Emma Thulex and Juliana Garrity from the AFA team, orchestra teacher Andrew Peel, performing-arts teacher Theresa Gruber Miller and middle school principal Dr. Lori Regotska.

In visual arts, Emma Thulex said graphic design and pottery are among the most popular classes. “Graphic design is a newer art form, and the kids love the digital aspect of it,” Thulex said, and she described a recent project called “Luminaries,” in which students built small houses or cups with cutout windows that hold a faux candle. Thulex said selected student pieces will be displayed at a spring art show at the Jack Russell Library.

On performing arts, Andrew Peel highlighted that Central offers orchestra — a program he said is not available in many districts — along with small-group lesson classes that give students “a chance to actually practice and grow during the school day” with focused instruction. Peel also noted students can take both choir and an instrument class, allowing them to pursue multiple interests during middle school.

Juliana Garrity described general music for sixth and seventh graders and a notable eighth-grade musical theater course that mixes Broadway music history with acting skills designed to strengthen student presentations and interview skills. Theresa Gruber Miller outlined extracurricular and out-of-school performance opportunities, including field trips (she cited a recent trip to the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra), performances with the Milwaukee Admirals, pep and jazz bands, color guard and honor ensembles that let students perform and connect with peers statewide.

Garrity also outlined the district’s Project Lead The Way (PLTW) offerings at Central, saying the school provides seven core PLTW courses covering computer science and coding, robotics, architecture, product design and biomedical science. “These are very hands-on classes,” she said, and the PLTW sequence is intended to engage students who may not pursue performance-based classes.

Dr. Regotska explained the middle school’s tech-ed sequence — described in the episode as the district’s modern equivalent of shop class — with introductory projects in sixth grade, construction-focused work in seventh grade that includes drywall and basic electrical, and an eighth-grade woods class where students build larger projects such as a toolbox. She also noted Spanish is offered in seventh and eighth grades.

Regarding logistics, Dr. Regotska told families the elective scheduling window opens this spring and that the district will send detailed descriptions of every elective and instructions for how to sign up. “We’ll be sending out information to all of our families about the offerings,” she said, advising parents to review course descriptions before making selections.

The episode closed with Villalobos thanking the AFA team and encouraging families to share the podcast and look for next month’s episode, which will feature additional district programs.

What’s next: Families should watch for district communications this spring with elective sign-up details; no formal policy changes or votes were announced on the episode.