Visual and performing arts activities happen every day, all year long in Los Gatos classrooms. But it didn't hurt to remind community members, parents and students March 21­25 about why art is important. The celebration of arts integration in learning throughout the Los Gatos Union School District also tied into March being national arts month.

"We were showcasing and highlighting the ways that teachers use art in the classroom," said the school district's arts coordinator, Joanne Talesfore.

After identifying key content standards, the school district's board of trustees also adopted state and districtwide visual and performing arts standards last month. The decision culminated six years of work by district employees, according to Suzanne Boxer-Gassman, the assistant superintendent of instructional services.

"We really do stand out," Boxer-Gassman said.

Along with the policy adoption and a vision statement, there's a districtwide arts notebook that serves as a reference for teachers. The school district has also expanded its music program and Boxer-Gassman said they are hoping to further extend their programs in drama and movement.

Since teachers don't have to be trained in the arts to obtain a teaching credential, Boxer-Gassman said not all teachers feel comfortable bringing arts into their curriculum. With recent state budget cuts to education, she also said that grants for art have disappeared. So what the Los Gatos school district is trying to do, she said, is to provide teachers with the skills and training they need to teach art.

"Time is a real challenge," she added. "We're learning how to really make the minutes count."

Members of the community, town officials and art proponents were invited to tour the district's schools to see art lessons in action, from watercolor paintings of flower vases to creating papier mâchè spring bunnies. The event was hosted with the help of art advocates, teachers at each school site who serve as leaders who have expertise in various forms of art.

First-grade teacher Linda Nanez, at Louise Van Meter Elementary School, gave her students a lesson in how to draw an oblong flower vase by demonstrating the still-life painting activity first.

"You have an art license," she instructed. "You can do anything you desire. If you want your vase to be square, it can be square."

Boxer-Gassman said the town of Los Gatos values the art as representing an important piece of today's culture. Talesfore added that the week helped to renew and generate awareness about arts education going on in local schools.

"[The arts] are part of what this community is and the community gets behind it," she said. "I'm proud because the people who visited had the opportunity to see art presented by teachers that was wrapped around a core subject like math or writing."

Laura Bajuk and John Agg from the Art Museum of Los Gatos were just two of the many people who toured the school district during the week. Bajuk said since the museum tries to continually partner with the community, it was valuable to see arts education in progress.

"If the students don't learn about art, they'll never be art patrons or see art in the world," Bajuk said. "There would be no business for art museums or galleries."

Bajuk, who was an undergraduate art major in college, said art helped her to visually cope with having dyslexia. Bajuk said many of the children from Los Gatos elementary schools may grow up to become engineers or business professionals, yet they'll be better off having art backgrounds so they'll be able to look at concepts in layers, more visually. By understanding primary colors, dimensions, light, shadows, sculpture and painting from their youth, they are growing up with a solid foundation in the arts, Bajuk said.

Talesfore said the school district's work isn't done, even though the visual and performing arts standards have been adopted and are in progress.

"You always have room to grow in the arts, and that's a good thing," she said.