Arts

Creative and Visual Arts
In the Arts Department, our students are encouraged to develop, nurture and stretch their creative voices through several expressive modalities. Following the National Core Arts Standards, each grade works through an essential learning question which informs and drives our curriculum throughout the academic year:

Grade 5
What is art? How do the elements and principles of art impact the world around me?

Grade 6
Who is an artist? How does art connect to my world and beyond?

Grade 7
How does an artist or artwork convey meaning and contribute to society past, present, and future?

Grade 8
How do I define my art? My world?

In the classroom, we use the Studio Habits of Mind and Bloom’s taxonomy of learning as core frameworks for each lesson. These tools lay the groundwork for developing strong visual arts vocabulary and technique.

Furthermore, students are gradually provided more autonomy in their learning through the choice spectrum arts model. In this teaching approach, students are given scaffolded opportunities to identify, create, and complete their own artistic design challenges. Our program emphasizes collaboration and community involvement, fostering partnerships across various disciplines within our creative community.

Music
All 5th graders learn fundamentals of theory and ensemble work in recorder class. Students in 6th-8th grade then choose from a broad variety of musical instruments, including ukelele, percussion, guitar, woodwinds, keyboard, digital music and voice. Students are encouraged to experiment with different instruments to find their musical voices, while also learning music theory and composition.

Dance and Theater Performing Arts
Dance classes include African dance with professional dance and drumming instructors as well as step dance (a rhythmic, body percussion, ensemble movement style). During Trimester 3 in Theater Performance block, students in all grades build on what they have learned in other classes about the expressive power of body, voice and language. The course culminates in a whole-school theatrical performance during the annual Festival of Arts and Achievement designed by students under the leadership of a professional director/choreographer.