Dr. Cheryl Corbett Salyards Middle School
A Unique School
Salyards Middle School is a magnet school for those that are studying bi-lingual performing and visual arts. It is the only middle school in the United States that teaches a mastery of foreign languages through the use of the visual and performing arts. Students at this school perform and/or create only using the language/culture of their foreign language focus. Languages offered at Salyards include: Spanish, French, Russian, Japanese, Chinese and Pig Latin. Areas of Performing Arts include: Theatre, Orchestra, Band, Choir, Opera, Clowinging and Mime, and Interpretive Dancing. The Visual Arts offered include: Photography, Drawing, Painting, Ceramics, and Advanced Chalk Design.
The campus sits on approximately 100 acres of prime east Texas rolling hills. It is a four story building that has four auditoriums for use in the visual and performing arts. Additionally, there is a student recreation building that sports an indoor swimming pool, and climbing wall. The district built this campus so that students could be challenged holistically (mind, body, and soul).
The Start of Something Great
Dr. Cheryl Corbett Salyards Middle School was stared in August of 2010 in the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District. This unique school was named after Dr. Cheryl Salyards, a long-time distinguished superientendant of CFISD. Dr. Salyards was instrumental is seeing CFISD grow from over 2,500 students to over 210,000 during her 22 year tenure. She was also a friend of the arts community.
Administration and Leadership
In January 2010, Liz Woods was named the first principal of Salyards Middle School. Mrs. Woods was chosen because of her vast knowledge of foreign language and her previous success in a performing arts. After mastering 7 different foreign languages at Yale University, Mrs. Woods set out for New York City to pursue her dream of being a professional Irish Opera Singer. After winning three prestigious McNutty Awards, an award given each year for the most outstanding Irish Opera performer, Mrs. Wood came to CFISD and worked as the fine arts director at Cypress-Falls High School. She was then named the first principal of Salyards in 2010.
The Director of Fine Arts at Salyards Middle School is Ms. Sarah Hubble. Hubble, a first cousin to the Princess of Luxemborg, graduated with highest honors from Harvard University and is fluent in Spanish, Russian, and American languages. She also has mastered playing the violin, harmonica, and is skilled in Japanese oragami.
Mrs. Kerri Mauney is the current master artist in residence. Mauney is fluent in Hungarian, French and Pig Latin. She is highly reguarded for her oil paintings that can be found in many famous art gallaries throughout the world. Her most famous painting is the Mona Lisaswhich she created in 1998. Mauney has also won numerous awards for her art inlcluding two "Millie Awards", an award given each year to an artist painting within the French language style.
The Chinese Interpretive Dance Professor At Salyards is Mr. Brannon Baumbouree. Mr. Baumbouree is known for his passion in teaching Irish Jigs and River Dance to his students. He is also fluent in Japanese, Russian, Korean, and American Sign Language. He encourages his students to express themselves artistically. Each year he takes his Irish River Dance teams to the prestigious NJRDEC (National Junior River Dance Educational Competition). In four of the past five years his teams have been crowned champions.
The Director of International Theatre is Mrs. Wendy Gillikin-Depp. Mrs. Gillikin is fluent in Japanese, French, American, and Canadian languages. Gillikin-Depp is a 2004 graudate of NYU where she majored in Canadian Theatre. Gillikin-Depp is most known for her television role in the hit show, "Pretty Little Canadians."
Dr. Laura Poff is the director of Foreign Languages. She graduated from Dumbledore University in 2001 with a degree in Linguistics Management. She is fluent in 19 different languages After spending time in England, Dr. Poff decided to return to school to tackle learning Parseltounge, a unique language that only 6 people in the United States have mastered successfully. Dr. Poff was hired at Salyards due to her immense knowledge of languages and words.
The Benefits of Salayrds
Dr. Paula Walding, a clincal psychologist at Fairfield University has voiced that there is a need for more schools like Salyards. She states, "When a student is able to engage the arts within the context of a foreign language, the creative areas in the brain grow stronger, which allows them to retain more information." Additionally, research by Dr. Jennifer Campbell at Carnegie Watermelon University, has shown that graduates of the Salyards School have consistently scored in the 99th percentile in reading, writing, and arithmatic.
The Future of Salyards
A collaboration will be beginning in the fall of 2015 with the University of Texas Tech at Cypress campus. Dr. Angie Buck, provost of the University has announced plans for undergraduate students pursuing fine arts education degrees within the college of Education to placed at Salyards to be trained to teach within this concept. Also, Doug Harbrueger, owner of the Indianapolis Colts and former fine arts teacher, recently made a sizeable donation to add courses in Egyptian Costuming and Interior Design for students.
Salyards Middle School is a magnet school for those that are studying bi-lingual performing and visual arts. It is the only middle school in the United States that teaches a mastery of foreign languages through the use of the visual and performing arts. Students at this school perform and/or create only using the language/culture of their foreign language focus. Languages offered at Salyards include: Spanish, French, Russian, Japanese, Chinese and Pig Latin. Areas of Performing Arts include: Theatre, Orchestra, Band, Choir, Opera, Clowinging and Mime, and Interpretive Dancing. The Visual Arts offered include: Photography, Drawing, Painting, Ceramics, and Advanced Chalk Design.
The campus sits on approximately 100 acres of prime east Texas rolling hills. It is a four story building that has four auditoriums for use in the visual and performing arts. Additionally, there is a student recreation building that sports an indoor swimming pool, and climbing wall. The district built this campus so that students could be challenged holistically (mind, body, and soul).
The Start of Something Great
Dr. Cheryl Corbett Salyards Middle School was stared in August of 2010 in the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District. This unique school was named after Dr. Cheryl Salyards, a long-time distinguished superientendant of CFISD. Dr. Salyards was instrumental is seeing CFISD grow from over 2,500 students to over 210,000 during her 22 year tenure. She was also a friend of the arts community.
Administration and Leadership
In January 2010, Liz Woods was named the first principal of Salyards Middle School. Mrs. Woods was chosen because of her vast knowledge of foreign language and her previous success in a performing arts. After mastering 7 different foreign languages at Yale University, Mrs. Woods set out for New York City to pursue her dream of being a professional Irish Opera Singer. After winning three prestigious McNutty Awards, an award given each year for the most outstanding Irish Opera performer, Mrs. Wood came to CFISD and worked as the fine arts director at Cypress-Falls High School. She was then named the first principal of Salyards in 2010.
The Director of Fine Arts at Salyards Middle School is Ms. Sarah Hubble. Hubble, a first cousin to the Princess of Luxemborg, graduated with highest honors from Harvard University and is fluent in Spanish, Russian, and American languages. She also has mastered playing the violin, harmonica, and is skilled in Japanese oragami.
Mrs. Kerri Mauney is the current master artist in residence. Mauney is fluent in Hungarian, French and Pig Latin. She is highly reguarded for her oil paintings that can be found in many famous art gallaries throughout the world. Her most famous painting is the Mona Lisaswhich she created in 1998. Mauney has also won numerous awards for her art inlcluding two "Millie Awards", an award given each year to an artist painting within the French language style.
The Chinese Interpretive Dance Professor At Salyards is Mr. Brannon Baumbouree. Mr. Baumbouree is known for his passion in teaching Irish Jigs and River Dance to his students. He is also fluent in Japanese, Russian, Korean, and American Sign Language. He encourages his students to express themselves artistically. Each year he takes his Irish River Dance teams to the prestigious NJRDEC (National Junior River Dance Educational Competition). In four of the past five years his teams have been crowned champions.
The Director of International Theatre is Mrs. Wendy Gillikin-Depp. Mrs. Gillikin is fluent in Japanese, French, American, and Canadian languages. Gillikin-Depp is a 2004 graudate of NYU where she majored in Canadian Theatre. Gillikin-Depp is most known for her television role in the hit show, "Pretty Little Canadians."
Dr. Laura Poff is the director of Foreign Languages. She graduated from Dumbledore University in 2001 with a degree in Linguistics Management. She is fluent in 19 different languages After spending time in England, Dr. Poff decided to return to school to tackle learning Parseltounge, a unique language that only 6 people in the United States have mastered successfully. Dr. Poff was hired at Salyards due to her immense knowledge of languages and words.
The Benefits of Salayrds
Dr. Paula Walding, a clincal psychologist at Fairfield University has voiced that there is a need for more schools like Salyards. She states, "When a student is able to engage the arts within the context of a foreign language, the creative areas in the brain grow stronger, which allows them to retain more information." Additionally, research by Dr. Jennifer Campbell at Carnegie Watermelon University, has shown that graduates of the Salyards School have consistently scored in the 99th percentile in reading, writing, and arithmatic.
The Future of Salyards
A collaboration will be beginning in the fall of 2015 with the University of Texas Tech at Cypress campus. Dr. Angie Buck, provost of the University has announced plans for undergraduate students pursuing fine arts education degrees within the college of Education to placed at Salyards to be trained to teach within this concept. Also, Doug Harbrueger, owner of the Indianapolis Colts and former fine arts teacher, recently made a sizeable donation to add courses in Egyptian Costuming and Interior Design for students.
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