Far West is the BEST

I just recently started working at Far West High School right across the street from the Oakland CCA campus. At first I did not know what to expect. I have to admit, the graffiti used to decorate the school was a little intimidating. However once I started working I immediately fell in love with the school because of the kids that I encounter in Tonia Herrero's art classes.

I am a teacher's assistant for Tonia's Art I, Digital Photography, and Fashion Classes. Although the photography lab is not set up at Far West, the kids are content with working with Tonia in the classroom to create other projects. Recently the kids have been working on personal and Far West H.S. logos that they create using stencils and later spray paint onto paper and t-shirts. Through this project I was able to learn about some of the students individual personalities that were seen in their shirts. After the shirts were completed Tonia organized a class critique. Here we discussed composition, content, and color. It was interesting to see what each student had to say regarding each topic. The students were more interested in the content of each t-shirt and how each logo represented their school.

It is nice to be part of a community that is happy with what they are involved in. The community of students in Tonia's art class all want to be there. Often students stay after school to work on art projects with Tonia instead of going home. At Far West I am able to see what it means to reach out to a community through art.