Programs of Study
Choose up to two programs to take during your regular school day!
Band
Creative Writing
Drama
Circus Arts
Technical Theatre
Musical Theatre
Orchestra
Modern Band
Fine Art
Digital Design
Dance
Chorus
Band
Creative Writing
Drama
Circus Arts
Technical Theatre
Musical Theatre
Orchestra
Modern Band
Fine Art
Digital Design
Dance
Chorus
Apply Now
- We are now accepting applications for the 2025-2026 School Year. Please email VPA Director, Christine Reagan, at [email protected]. for more information!
- You can also go to the "Apply" tab above and click "New BMS Students" to begin the application process.
Recent News and Performances
2024-2025 Performances
2023-2024 Performances
Dr. LaShawn Frost named as President of Arts Schools Network board of directors.
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2022-2023 Performances
The VPA Hollywood Glamour Gala Sets the Stage for a Dazzling Night
BookerFest! A Booker Nation Celebration Takes BMS By Storm!
Celebrating the inaugural year, Emma E. Booker, Booker Middle School, and Booker High School came together for the first ever BookerFest! A Booker Nation Celebration. Students from all three schools, ranging from grades K through 12, came to Booker Middle's campus in a celebration of Emma E. Booker! Showcasing students through VPA and arts performances, the event was attended by over 300 people and really highlighted our #BookerNation and #BookerFamily.
Ms. Fox Begins Her Swan Song Year Before Retirement
For the last 22 years, Booker Middle School students have been lucky enough to be in the classroom of Creative Writing teacher, Joanna Fox. Cozily nestled in the Dragonfly Café at Booker Middle, Ms. Fox's program is a staple not only at the school but also in the community. Ms. Fox is the recipient of the Maya Angelou Teacher Award for Poetry, a national award from Penguin Random House, and countless more awards and accolades throughout her years as Creative Writing teacher at BMS.
But who better than Ms. Fox to reflect on her 22nd and final year of teaching before retiring?
Ms. Fox was welcomed onto My Suncoast View to share about her experience.
Click Here to See Ms. Fox on My Suncoast View
But who better than Ms. Fox to reflect on her 22nd and final year of teaching before retiring?
Ms. Fox was welcomed onto My Suncoast View to share about her experience.
Click Here to See Ms. Fox on My Suncoast View
Happy Thanksgiving!
Students from the VPA Digital Design program are working in Adobe Photoshop making animal morphs. In this project the students were focusing on the clone stamp tool and how to warp photos to fix together. The goal of the project was to take something unrealistic and make it believable and of course to have FUN in the process!
VPA Receives National Recognition
Booker Middle School's Visual & Performing Arts program was recently honored with becoming an Arts Exemplary School, awarded by the nationally renowned Arts Schools Network. In addition to this prestigious award, Booker Middle School was asked to be the first-ever middle school to host the Arts Schools Networks National Conference!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr6fq2KvmX8
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr6fq2KvmX8
In Its Appointed Time
A collaborative performance between the VPA Dance and Orchestra programs.
Modern Band Jams with BHS
VPA Festival of the Arts
ABC 7 Evening News:
www.mysuncoast.com/video/2021/05/15/vpa-festival-arts/
My Suncoast View:
www.mysuncoast.com/video/2021/05/14/booker-middle-school-vpa-festival-arts-suncoast-view/
The Observer:
https://www.yourobserver.com/photo-gallery/booker-middle-school-hosts-festival-of-arts-at-van-wezel
In a recent conversation, the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and Booker Middle School were discussing how artists—both adults and children alike—were suffering because of the loss of opportunities to perform this year. As both organizations looked to the future with hope, the conversation steered toward idea of socially-distanced and safe performances and exhibits for students and families.
The result was that a meaningful collaboration between Booker VPA, the Hall, and Van Wezel Foundation and its donors was born. Students would have the opportunity to not just share their art, but do so on a larger platform, within a professional venue.
Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator, Christine Hopkins, excitedly shares, “The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and the Van Wezel Foundation have given Booker Middle School the most impactful and invaluable gift—a venue for our students to share their art in a safe and socially distanced manner. On May 15th, students from Booker Middle School’s Visual and Performing Arts program will be sharing performances and exhibits, spanning across all 5 spaces at the Van Wezel, in an all-day Festival of the Arts. We have students from 11 programs performing including: 2D/3D Art, Band, Chorus, Creative Writing, Dance, Digital Design, Drama, Modern Band, Musical Theatre, Orchestra, and Technical Theatre. With the 5 spaces available, and the campus being open to us all day, this allows us to stagger performances, keep capacity limited, and give our Visual & Performing Arts students a place to perform, to share, and to heal. I cannot think of a better gift for an artist this year. And the Van Wezel has granted our students that very gift.”
Though this partnership between Booker Middle School and the Van Wezel isn’t a new one, both organizations are thrilled to amplify and grow this already strong and collaborative relationship into a completely new event. The Van Wezel’s Education and Outreach Director, Kelli Maldonado expresses, “The Van Wezel Education & Outreach department provides opportunities to see art, create art, and share art. Our relationship with Booker Middle School allows us to strengthen the foundation and artistic inspiration of young artists. As part of our mission, the VWPAH aims to provide meaningful
education experiences to our community, and reflect the needs of our community. We hope the students and staff of BMS see our venue as a civic asset and a place they can highlight the remarkable work of their students through a truly special experience.”
The VPA Festival of the Arts, in collaboration with the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, will occur at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall on Saturday, May 15th. Ticket reservations and capacity are limited, and prioritized for the families of students, however a small number of tickets may be available. For more information or to inquire about ticket availability for this event, please contact Booker Middle School’s Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator, Christine Hopkins, at [email protected].
To learn more about the Van Wezel’s Education program and offerings, please go to www.artworksanywhere.org.
Modern Band Students Dream of "One Day"
The Booker Middle School Modern Band program, led by Carlos Silva, created a music video of the popular song, “One Day”, written by Matisyahu. The video highlights VPA students from many programs and depicts how art brings togetherness and understanding to a community.
To watch the “One Day” music video go to: https://youtu.be/FO_Lp_bbeh4
To watch the “One Day” music video go to: https://youtu.be/FO_Lp_bbeh4
Chorus Gives a Concert Preview
The Booker Middle School Chorus program gave us a sneak peak of the beautiful music we will hear in their February concert. Keep an eye out for the date and time and click the link of their recording of the song “Imagine” by John Lennon.
To hear the sneak peak go to: https://youtu.be/xkn47xqKrT0
To hear the sneak peak go to: https://youtu.be/xkn47xqKrT0
Circus Arts Student Showcase
Dragonfly Café Zooms In Style
The Dragonfly Café held their first Café Night of the year, led by Creative Writing teacher Ms. Fox, through Zoom on December 10th! Students shared their work with families, friends, community members, and BMS teachers. Original pieces were shared including:
"A Herd in Pastel Dresses and White Socks"
"Time Sits with Her Slow Spoon"
"When the World Stood Still"
"Grounded"
"The Last Faint Line"
...and more! Stay tuned here for information on the next Café Night!
"A Herd in Pastel Dresses and White Socks"
"Time Sits with Her Slow Spoon"
"When the World Stood Still"
"Grounded"
"The Last Faint Line"
...and more! Stay tuned here for information on the next Café Night!
Booker Middle School Announces New Circus Program
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The Monster Mash-Up Show Brings Joy to the Community
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VPA Students Conquer Virtual Thespians Festival
VPA Musical Theatre and Drama students prevailed at this year’s Jr. Thespians Regional Festival, despite the move from face-to-face to online. The virtual festival ran the weekend of Nov. 7th-8th. Twenty-four students prepared 24 Individual/Group Events to be adjudicated. While the judging was much tougher than in years past, our students managed to earn an Excellent (the second highest rating) for 16 events, and a Superior (the highest rating) for 6 events. Congratulations to all the students who still managed to make this year’s festival a rewarding one!
BOOKER MIDDLE RAISES THE BAR IN STUDENT IDENTITY AND ACHIEVEMENT
www.sarasotacountyschools.net/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=4&ModuleInstanceID=2988&ViewID=6446EE88-D30C-497E-9316-3F8874B3E108&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=82591&PageID=1
by Christine Hopkins, VPA Coordinator at Booker Middle School
SARASOTA COUNTY, November 19, 2020 – Booker Middle School is known for its robust programming in the arts, robotics, exploration of languages, and career & college readiness. Last week, Booker Middle School took the area by storm with two significant student successes in the State of Florida and in Sarasota County.
The first blossoms out of Booker Middle School’s Band program. Taltos Fuszfas, an 8th grader at Booker Middle, has been a thriving musician for many years. This year, under the direction of first-year teacher Mr. Zachary McKee, Taltos auditioned for All-State Band. All-State is a program offered to all students across Florida who are interested in auditioning for this elite, hand-picked, band. It consists of only a small number of students accepted within the state. In order to audition, students must record two etudes and various scales, and then submit for review. Only 10 flute players were accepted in the entire state and Taltos was one of them.
The proud teacher, Mr. McKee, shared, “Our students are willing to work hard, and I just need to give them the opportunity to shine! Taltos prepared so rigorously, it’s amazing. He studies privately with Betsy Traba and they have been working and perfecting his repertoire for months. Taltos event-played his scales at a faster tempo than required by the state! It is so inspiring to watch our middle school students be recognized for their accomplishments and to make gorgeous music with some of the best young musicians in the state.”
The second is a story of truth and the understanding of self. Booker Middle student Benjamin McDonald has been a well-known and friendly presence at the school since he started here in 6th grade. Currently an 8th grade student full of joy and positivity, Ben has thrived under the wing of Creative Writing teacher Ms. Joanna Fox. Through a beloved collaboration with Embracing Our Differences, Ms. Fox had students submit quotations for the organization’s annual exhibit. Thousands of quotes are submitted each year and, through the facilitation and teaching of Ms. Fox, Ben submitted the following; “You see the cover of my life, but do you see the pages of my story?” This is one of Ben’s two quotes that were accepted by Embracing Our Differences.
Ms. Fox, awe-inspiring teacher, spoke to the project explaining: “…this year we decided to look closely at what makes us different. We broke the differences down into a microcosm to really look at ourselves and therein we found quite a few interesting aspects of who we are and how we fit into society. Each little difference of us is like a different part of a jigsaw puzzle and you see that if all pieces have the same shape they wouldn’t fit together. So, we do that introspection, we look at the artwork from the past, we look at quotes from the past, and then begin to fashion and form our own. We spend a lot of time on personal discovery, personal identity, and what it means to be human. I believe that when our kids see their words in such a big way and in such a public place, it imparts to them something about the importance of who they are. To champion our classmates whose words are chosen by Embracing Our Differences and to champion the art and words in the exhibit, we then begin to explore the expression of life and the expression of self. And when we do that, then we can express life all the better. Just like Ben.”
The All-State Band will perform in Tampa, and online, at the Florida Music Education Association conference January 13th through January 16th. Embracing Our Differences’ exhibit will be open at Bayfront Park in downtown Sarasota on January 20th and will run through April 1st. For more information on either of these exciting events, please contact Booker Middle School’s Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator, Christine Hopkins, at [email protected].
VPA CREATES A DIALOGUE ON HISTORY WITH HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR PETER KHONSTAM
Our Mission
The mission of Booker Middle's Visual & Performing Arts Department is "to identify highly interested and talented students and to provide them with an enriched, culturally diverse, and technology-infused arts education ultimately developing lifelong consumers and producers of the arts"