What’s recently happened?
Downtown South Bend (DTSB) hosts events often, including First Fridays, Wednesday Wine Walks, and Artbeat. The target audience for these events varies; some are meant for adults and others are family oriented. One of DTSB’s most popular summer events is its outdoor concert and film series.
On July 8, DTSB hosted a summer outdoor film series and showed “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” Volunteers dressed up as the movie characters, such as Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Bowser. These characters participated in an obstacle course and other various games set up to entertain the children attending.
What’s coming up?
As the 2023-2024 school year comes closer, back-to-school preparations have begun in the South Bend Community School Corporation (SBCSC). Multiple changes will occur in the district, such as the final year of Clay High School and the clear backpack policy. However, the SBCSC district prepares to celebrate this school year with various family-orientated activities.
SBCSC is hosting a Back to School Bash. SBCSC invites families to attend. At this event, food and drinks will be provided, as well as a Kona Ice machine. Additionally, families have access to immunizations, haircuts, backpacks, and other school necessities.
The event has a fun fair and other numerous activities, such as games, an obstacle course, face painting, balloon animals, and giveaways.
The bash allows students to reconnect with their peers after a long summer and celebrate the back-to-school season. Families from all over the district can enjoy a free event while having access to educational resources.
The Back to School Bash will be held on August 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Brown Community Learning Center.
Community member spotlight:
Meghan Beard, magnet program coordinator at Clay High School, was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. Beard attended St. Joseph’s Academy and then furthered her education at Indiana University Bloomington (IU Bloomington) for her undergraduate. Beard graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English concentrating on creative writing.
“In college, I never wanted to study education, but when I came home with my family, teaching was an easy way to have time with my kids,” Beard said.
Beard began teaching pre-K and taught for eight years before moving to a parochial middle school to teach. During that time period, Beard went back to school to get her certification in teaching.
“It took five years, but I received my certification, and then the following week after I received mine, they came out with the Transition to Teaching program that allowed you to do 18 credits in 18 months. Mine took five years and I have 66 credits on top of my BA.”
Beard began her career at Clay High School teaching freshman English.
“I immediately introduced myself to Mrs. Candy Butler, Clay's Visual and Performing Arts Magnet coordinator at the time,” Beard said. “I assistant-directed and directed plays and musicals with her my first year.”
During the second semester of her second year, Butler and Mansour Eid, former Clay High School principal, offered Beard the job of Visual Performing Arts (VPA) Facilitator.
Beard’s favorite part of her job is working with the amazing students at Clay High School and other schools.
“I love the creative process and discovering that as we the students and I work through the art material, be it music, dance, visual art or theater is what gives me joy,” she said.
Beard has always loved the arts. In high school, she was a part of visual art classes and performed in plays and musicals. She also took theatre classes at IU Bloomington.
Beard feels that some of the productions that have been put on at Clay High School and Summerfly have really been teaching moments for the students.
“I try to find those moments in every show we perform. We have performed beautiful productions of Shakespeare, Greek classics, relevant and contemporary social justice musicals, and historical shows.”
In one of Beard’s productions, a shallow pool was built on the stage with the audience built around it and students performed Greek vignettes in water. Clay High School’s theatre students are members of Indiana Thespians and compete against other high school programs.
“Clay has been so special to me,” she said. “I believe the community is incredibly close, diverse, and welcoming and we are a showcase for the fine arts. Clay is a proud community that celebrates the uniqueness in all of us. I am always supported here at Clay, and our students have a voice that is respected by their peers as well as adults. I feel our students represent the diversity of our city, and they are passionate about representing everyone. Our students are empathetic and warriors of social justice. Clay Fine Arts is a vibrant and award-winning program.”
Beard is happily married and has four children and two grandchildren. Beard’s hobbies include attending plays, musicals, movies, reading, and traveling to see her older children and grandchildren.
“Besides my amazing family, I love everything artistic: visual art, dance, theatre, and music. I was in a band in the early 2000s,” Beard said.