First, students have the opportunity to experience several disciplines in the arts, learning the basic principles and techniques of each discipline in hands-on work in the studio. This two-fold approach toward the arts and their history and influence comes together in individual and group projects. In the Middle School, projects in arts classes are connected to other areas of study and serve as another perspective from which to explore a subject area. Through the arts, students experience the relationships among developing ideas and explore the creative process through a variety of media.
Students also learn to enjoy the arts for their own sake.
Our hope is that students will have experiences that will affect them deeply, touch the inexpressible, and connect beyond the reality of everyday life. Sixth-grade Arts classes meet daily on an alternating schedule. In addition, students are placed in a two-day course that changes every trimester. This type of schedule allows sixth-grade students to concentrate in a particular art while gaining exposure to the other arts areas.