GST BOCES congratulates

Arts Teachers in the News,

John Vona and Darryl Mallanda

of Addison High School &

Jasper Troupsburg Elementary School

Darryl Mallanda teaches elementary art at Jasper Troupsburg Elementary School and has done so for six years. He teaches art half the time and computer the other half. Some projects, such as his lesson involving tesselations integrates both art and computer. He received a BFA in Art Education at Alfred University and a master's degree in Special Education from Mansfield University and has since obtained his administrative degree at SUNY Cortland. He is torn between pursuing an administrative position, however, and continuing as an art teacher and being an artist. Indeed, Darryl loves making art as much as teaching it. He concentrated on video art as an undergraduate at Alfred, but has since expanded his media, employing pencils, pastels, paints and - the humble crayon. See his artwork below for examples. Clockwise from top left: 1) Roar 2) Blue Blossoms 3) Boats by the Water (graphite) 4) Jungle Eyes. For more examples of Darryl's art work, check out his page at....

www.southstreetarts.ecrater.com

As you walk down the halls at Jasper Troupsburg Elementary School, it is obvious that Darryl's
artistry extends into his classroom. The walls are filled with the artwork of his students.

Way to go Mr. Mallanda and Jasper Troupsburg Elementary School!

Addison Central School District

Mr. John Vona

Art Education is the culmination of all of life's lessons, regardless of age,

placed in one convenient package. Art has existed since the dawn of the

human being and continually changes to reflect society. To ignore, or

worse yet, abolish art education is to condemn humanity.

John David Vona has always had a vivid imagination. Fortunately, he was encouraged by his parents - his mother, an elementary teacher and his father, a technology teacher - to explore it! Following in his parents' footsteps, John now teaches K-6 music at Tuscarora and Valley Elementary Schools in the Addison Central School District. He has a bachelor and master of music in education degree from Ithaca College with a Master of Educational Administration at SUNY Brockport. He has been teaching Marching Band, Concert Band and Junior High Band since 1985 and at Addison since 1989. Other school activities include Color Guard/Majorette Advisor, Marching Band Director, Musical Director/Conductor (Drama), NYSSMA Solo Festivals/Area All-State and All County Festival. He is a member of the Steuben County Music Teachers Association, the New York State School Music Association, the Music Educators National Conference, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity and the Empire Statesmen Senior Drum and Bugle Corps.

As a teacher, John has successfully rebuilt elementary, junior high and high school band programs, and assisted in the rebuilding of the Addison Central School Drama program, with the emphasis on students. Having a gift for set design (which he credits having inherited from his father, a long-time technology teacher at Watkins Glen), John is able to transform a stage into a world of its own - even if doing so requires perfecting an optical illusion. During the staging of Snow White, for example, it became a problem that Snow White was shorter than some of the dwarves! John, using carpentry skills and knowledge of perspective and some tricks employed by none other than Walt Disney, was able to build a stage which effectively created an illusion of height for the fairy tale heroine.

A working musician as well, he is a performer with the Corning Community Band, Pro Musical, Cantata Singers and the Empire Statesmen Drum and Bugle Corps. Currently, he is a Brass Instructor with The White Sabers Drum and Bugle Corps of Dansville New York. His future plans include keeping music education an active part of every child's education in the changing world of education.

He was awarded a mini-grant for developing high school band students as mentors for elementary band soloist. He earned Addison Teacher of the Year in 2002 and is featured in Who's Who in American Education since 2003.

For John, the interaction with students who are eager to learn and curious about the possibilities of the future are the things he likes best about teaching.