A new generation of artists from Travis Middle School took a closer look at social issues, emotions, and the environment that surrounds them by recently participating in the annual Junior Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE) competition at Coppell Middle School North.

Sponsored by Texas Art Education Association (TAEA), the mission of the VASE competition is to recognize exemplary student achievement in the visual arts by providing them a program with a standard of excellence in achievement.  

Art teacher Ms. Kerrie Shue said, “This is the first year our school has competed at this level. My art students worked diligently until the last possible minute to prepare for this. They created concepts that reflected themselves and their own art aesthetic six weeks prior to the competition. Many even took their work home to work additional hours to complete their masterpieces.”

Their hard work paid off.

Beyond the district level, sixteen of her art students submitted a total of 19 pieces for the competition at the regional level. Over 90% of these students earned gold medals and received superior ratings from a panel of judges. One of her advanced art students earned the platinum medal, which is the highest honor in the competition. At the Junior VASE level, the platinum winner represents the region for the state, and their artwork will be featured at a statewide level. The competition included an eight-minute interview before a juror as well as a critique of each student’s artwork.

Shue, who has dedicated her time to teaching art for fifteen years, taught almost 200 middle school students this year. Her art classes consists of mostly 7th and 8th graders in either their first or second year of art. Her advanced level art class consists of students at their third level or show considerable skill that they have been selected for the class. Shue’s commitment to her students have earned her the dedication of young artists who show passion to their craft.

Four years after assigning her 8th grade English students a bellringer writing prompt, Travis Middle School teacher Pia Pulido returned the assignment during a reunion at the school library. The students are seniors who are graduating in May 2019.

The assignment was a bellringer writing prompt called, “Dear Future Me.”

Students were encouraged to write letters to their future selves describing how they felt at the moment and what they were hoping to accomplish. These letters were dated and submitted in 2014 when the students were 13 and 14 years old.

Now at 17 or 18 years old, students recently opened the letters they wrote in a small reunion ceremony hosted by their former English teacher at the school library.

Some of the few lines they wrote were:

“Dear Future Me: I hope you still care about your parents. If you are successful, make sure you take care of everyone.”

“Dear Future Me: I want your life decisions to be great. I hope you didn’t settle for anything less than you deserve.”

Recently, a group of about 50 students and a few more of their former teachers gathered at the Travis library to unveil the letters and reflect on what they envisioned.

“I know these letters have become more valuable to the seniors now because it’s not just another time filler assignment like they thought it was. It’s meaningful to them, and I hope that they continue to write to themselves and for themselves in the future,”  says Mrs. Pulido.

Mrs. Pulido and her students plan to meet again in their 2024 reunion which will  hit the ten-year mark of their “Dear Future Me” assignment.