Fillmore Rotary Club President John Garnica, pictured above, presents a Rotary mug to last week’s guest speaker, Isaac Huang, Assistant Superintendent of the Fillmore Unified School District. Photo credit Martha Richardson.

The Fillmore Rotary program, entitled FUSD Civic Engagement Partnership, was presented by Assistant Superintendent Isaac Huang.
Thanks to funding made possible through Proposition 28, the Fillmore Unified School District has been able to launch a Visual Arts Program designed to bring art and music opportunities to students throughout the district. Parents and students were asked what types of programs they would like to see, and those ideas are now becoming a reality.
Students in kindergarten through fifth grade receive a 90-minute block every other week dedicated to arts-related activities. Among the opportunities are Meet the Masters, where students learn about renowned artists and their work, as well as hands-on activities involving Legos and other creative projects. Third-grade students are also learning music through recorder instruction.
The opportunities continue as students move into middle and high school. Middle school students have the chance to learn video production, while high school students can participate in choir, guitar lessons, string instruments and piano. A local business has also donated funds to purchase keyboards, further expanding the music program.
The district’s growing arts program is giving students opportunities to explore their creativity, develop new skills and become well-rounded learners—opportunities that some students may never have had before.
It is a program that is developing and growing, and one that reflects an important belief in the community: Fillmore kids deserve the opportunity to experience and learn through the arts.