1/31/26 Fine Arts Department News

HPHS Fine Arts would like to congratulate our nine STATE CHAMPION All-State musicians! From Band: Sam Stobaugh, Carson Critcher, and Ryaan Khan; from Choir: Caroline Davidson, Jaron Pierce, Raj Luthra, and Luka Anderson; from Orchestra: Alec Fang and Raymond Wu. These students competed against over 70,000 other students from Texas at the District, Region, and Area levels, and their achievement of All State means that they are in the top 2% of musicians in the state! These students will travel to San Antonio in February to participate in the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Clinic and Convention, where they will perform in concerts directed by nationally recognized conductors for thousands of audience members. TMEA is the nation’s largest music educator's convention, with over 30,000 attendees and hundreds of clinics, expo booths, and performances. Be sure to congratulate these students on this incredible achievement!

Following a demanding try-out process with a panel of experienced judges, the Lieutenants for the Highland Belles were selected on January 8, 2026. We are incredibly excited to announce the 2026-2027 Lieutenants shown left to right: McKennaKate Houghton, Louisa LaGere, Sadie Baker, Natalie Anne Brewer, and Solene Perhirin. Congratulations!

Our recent trip to Disney was an amazing experience and the perfect balance of learning and fun. We spent time exploring the parks together, riding rides, and enjoying everything Disney has to offer. We also got to participate in a Disney “Imagination Campus” workshop, where we sang together and had the unique opportunity to voice over a few songs from Tangled. Through hands-on activities, we learned the importance of teamwork, creativity, and collaboration. It was really interesting to see how these skills are used in real-life settings and how Disney brings ideas, and music, to life behind the scenes. Overall, we were given the chance to bond as a group, strengthen friendships, and make unforgettable memories. The Disney trip was a meaningful learning experience that we will remember for years to come.

A BIG congratulations to our eight artists to show in the Dallas Young Artist exhibition hosted by the Blue Print Gallery. Both Gracie Kong (11) and Caspar Curry (10) were awarded a silver medal and honorable mention, respectively. We are so proud of all our artists!

We also have results in from the Scholastic Art and Writing regional competition. Abi Royall (12) and Ava Danuser (12) were awarded a Gold Key and will advance to the national level competition. Serena Liu (11) and Ava Danuser were awarded a Silver Key, and Lily Paschall (11) was awarded an Honorable Mention. We are so excited for their success in this prestigious national competition!

On January 20th and 22nd, HPMS and HPHS Band hosted Band 101 events for new members. Current 8th graders joined the 2026-2027 Highlander Band at the high school for a wonderful night playing music, collecting information on the program, and hanging out with new friends!

This unit in Technical Theatre is all about Props! We discussed what Props Designers and Prop Masters do in terms of design for a theatrical production. Students learned the art of Aging Paper for their Props Project. Students researched plays and musicals that might need an aged paper prop (maps, scrolls, letters) and designed, created and aged the various types of paper needed for the project. Various strengths of coffee, tea, and even coffee grounds helped the students to understand how paper ages, and how we can effectively design and create paper props to fit the needs of a theatrical production.

Here are the Hyer Golden Art Stars for the third nine weeks! These students have proven to be helpful, respectful, and responsible at all times in the art room. They are truly role models for their peers!

With the upcoming Lunar New Year approaching in February, UP 2nd graders learned all about the legend of how the holiday got started and how it is celebrated using the color red, fireworks, and loud noises such as drums. Students also watched traditional Chinese lion and dragon dances that are often a favorite part of the festivities. 2026 rings in the Year of the Horse, therefore, students collaged colorful, abstract horses to bring good luck to all!

3rd graders at UP learned about radial symmetry - where identical sections radiate outward from a central point - and began a weaving project on painted paper plates. After decorating their plates, students created their own loom by wrapping warp strings first. Next, they began weaving in a circular motion using different colors of yarn for their weft strings.

4th graders at UP created animals in their habitats using a 2-D needle felting technique which requires students to repeatedly stab wool roving with a special needle into a felt background – both fun AND stress relieving! With the help of animal shaped cookie cutters to create their basic shape, students then used their creativity to add additional details and a habitat in the background to finish off these these frame-worthy artworks!