Timeline
Over the past 14 years, the Visual Communications Pathway has grown into a robust and inspiring program. The timeline below is a condensed collection of all the proud work that Mr. Sarabia and his students have created. There are many people who helped nurture and support this program, including the office of Career and Technical Education, as well as former teachers, mentors, administrators, colleagues and counselors who believed in in the potential of these classes to transform the lives of students.
Oct 2004
The Beginning
A year after Sac High opens as a Charter school, Mr. Sarabia is hired at the School of Business & Communications to teach ROP Visual Communications for a single period. He had just received his preliminary CTE credential in Arts, Media & Entertainment. This was almost 7 years to the day that Mr. Sarabia entered Mr. Stymeist's inspiring and transformational ROP Computer Graphics class at Hiram Johnson High School.
Mr. Sarabia had just turned 21.
Fall 2006
Laying the Foundations
Mr. Sarabia begins his role as a full time teacher at Sac High and expanded class offerings to include Computer Graphics and Advisory. Many of the lessons and projects were originally modeled on the great classes he took in High School.
Spring 2007
A Turning Point
Sarabia's Computer Graphics class collaborated with renowned Argentinian artist Claudia Bernardi and Sac High Students to produce the film Agents of Change during her art residence at 40 Acres Art Gallery. This experience would transform Mr. Sarabia's practice. The use of Art to promote social justice and provide students with a voice coupled with a vision for grand expansive projects would inform and influence Sarabia's program for the next decade.
Fall 2008
The Dinner Video
Mr. Sarabia oversaw the first student-produced video for the St. HOPE Dinner Fundraiser. The Visual Communications program would go on to produce a video for each St. HOPE Dinner thereafter.
Spring 2008
Work for the Community
The Visual Communications program secured a $10,000 grant from AT&T to have students produce promotional videos for Non-profit organizations in Sacramento. The organizations included WEAVE, The Wellspring Center, The Sac Regional Conservation Corp, Friends Care and St. John’s Shelter for Women, Success for Juveniles at Risk
May 2009
The Best of Sac High
Mr. Sarabia designs the Best of Sac High Poster and program for the first time. Mr. Sarabia and his class would go on to design the posters every year thereafter.
This was the year Mr. Sarabia also took a more active part in organizing the yearly event, which allowed students to showcase their talents in the fields of photography, fine art and digital media.
Summer 2009
A New Lab
The Career and Technical Education Department provides funding for a modernized lab: 35 new computers loaded with industry standard graphic design, video editing and audio production software. These computers to help fuel the creativity of the Visual Communications Pathway for the next 7 years.
Fall 2009
The Logos
Sarabia's class created, updated or vectorized logos for St. HOPE, Sac High, Oak Park Prep, & Triumph. Today these files are all are still in use except for the St. HOPE logo which was redesigned in 2016.
Fall 2010
Expanding the Program
Mr. Sarabia establishes the Visual Communications Pathway, expanding the program to 3 levels. Visual Communications, Computer Graphics, and Advanced Media productions. Eventually the Pathway would expand to include a Pathway Capstone.
May 2011
First Advisory Graduates
After 4 years together, Mr. Sarabia's first Advisory class graduates as seniors. Here, Mr. Sarabia helps a student with a tie before his Senior Presentation.
Sep 2011
The Silkscreen Lab
Established the Sac High Serigraphy Lab, allowing students to put their designs on apparel and print posters.
Oct 2011
Jamming Out
Mr. Sarabia brings guitars and amps to school for the first time. Devin Hunter brings his Drum set. The students just wanted to jam, but the idea for a music program was planted on this day.
March 2012
First Seeds of Music
Mr. Sarabia began after school classes to teach music, guitar or to give students who already knew hot to play a space to create music.
This was the first Jam Session in Sarabia's room featuring Devin Hunter, Symphony Barbee and DJ Barbee who was a 7th grader at the time. Symphony and DJ would back soon after to record more music.
April 2012
Context Travel
The first year the Visual Communications became formally involved with the Context Travel Transforming Youth Through Travel Scholarship. Mr. Sarabia helped students begin editing their travel videos after they came back. This program would grow to become one of the most competitive and successful scholarships at Sac High.
May 2012
Graduation Programs
First year that Sarabia’s class produces the graduation program and tickets. Sarabia's class would go on to design and produce the program every year thereafter.
July 2012
Founding the Studio
Founded the Annex Recording Studio at Sacramento High School. In the first iteration of the studio. Mr. Sarabia invested $4000 of his own money for guitars and amps, borrowed equipment, took other donations from friends and found equipment that was left unused in the old storage rooms at Sac High. He and the students took over an old room in the Annex that up to that point had been serving as storage. The founding members: Sundullah Ralph, Devin Hunter, Eli Nolasco, DJ and Symphony Barbee, Alex Polanco, Takarra Johnson & Iree Johnson
August 2012
Music Grant
CTE gracioously provides $8,000 in equipment in order to digitize and modernize the recording studio. The money allows the students to enjoy state of the art microphones, mixers and digital audio interfaces as well as Logico Pro, a professional recording software.
Dec 2012
The Band Debut
Founded the first Sac High ensemble band, Lovelle. From 2012 to 2016 Sac High would count with an ensemble band of students who loved rocking out.
Here the band debuted for the first time at the Fall Art show in December 2012.
Jan 2013
Teacher of the Year
Mr. Sarabia receives the St. HOPE Teacher of the Year award at the 2013 St. HOPE Dinner.
May 2013
Jamming at the Best of Sac High
Mr. Sarabia's students play for the Best of Sac High Art Show in May, starting a tradition of presenting music at the event every year thereafter.
Nov 2013
Get Schooled!
Students in Mr. Sarabia's class produce the video that helped win Sac High the national Get Schooled challenge where the renowned artist Zendaya came and became principal for a day.
2013-2014
The Annex Studio Sessions
The most productive two years of our music program, producing over 15 music videos with student playing original and cover music at the Annex Recording Studio. The videos above are some of our proudest examples.
Fall 2014
10 Years
Mr. Sarabia celebrates 10 years working at Sac High.
May 2015
The Big Grant
The Career and Technical Education Department again provides over $65,000 in funding to Mr. Sarabia's Program to modernize the media lab: 35 new computers loaded with industry standard graphic design, video editing and audio production and 3D animation software.
August 2015
3D Worlds
Taking advantage of the new equipment, Mr. Sarabia introduces 3D modeling and animation to the Visual Communications Curriculum for the first time. This was one of the first projects. Modeling, animating and rendering a Lego Piece.
Fall 2015
A New Framework
Mr. Sarabia introduces the "Creative Process." A conceptual framework modeled on the ideas of "Design Thinking" that guides students through the creative process, focusing on research, brainstorming, prototyping and a cycle of feedback and revision.
March 2016
A Trip to Paris
First year that Mr. Sarabia takes two Sac High students to Paris for the Context Travel’s Transforming Youth Through Travel Scholarship. A truly transformational experience as shown by Ana's amazing video which was also produced at the Sac High Media Lab.
October 2016
White Board Lessons
Mr. Sarabia's creates his first white board explainer. This sparked a tradition where Mr. Sarabia explains complex concepts in a wide range of subjects in a simple way through visuals. Ever since, thanks to Sarabia's white board, students have learned about Binary Code, Physics, Calculus, Trigonometry, Economics and much more.
August 2017
The Mural
Mr. Sarabia Collaborated with local artist and former Sac High Student Aizik Brown to create the Garden Mural, which was revealed at the 5th Annual Seeds of Hope Garden Dinner.
September 2017
A Rubric to Inspire
Arts Department Project Grading Rubric.pdfAs the Arts department chair, Mr. Sarabia finalized the Arts department rubric and mission, designed to inspire students to create projects with purpose, originality and technical detail.
January 2018
Now Online!
Mr. Sarabia launches this website, sachighmedia.com, to serve as a resource of information for students in the Visual Communications Pathway. The website includes class guides, tutorials, project guides and links to design resources.
January 2018
PD Time
Helped develop the Learning PD Cycle framework, which allowed teachers at Sac High the liberty of formulating a driving question, engaging in research and implementing their own initiatives to grow in areas of their own interest during their Professional Development time.
May 2018
The Future
All Visual Communications courses were re-submitted and approved for A-G credit with updated curriculum aligned to CTE and California Model Curriculum Standards. A rigorous, inspiring and expansive overhauling of the entire program, built from scratch, inspired by Mr. Sarabia's 14 years of experience. The program is an interdisciplinary exploration of technology, multimedia, science, writing, history, math and design.