Welcome to the web site of the Department of Fine and Performing Arts. The information below are the philosophies of each of the disciplines in the department. We hope you will explore the remaining pages of the web site and contact us with your thoughts.
Visual art is essential to the core educational experience of all children. It is a unique discipline that fosters multiple intelligences, and builds the bridges that strengthen bonds between cultures and generations. The nurturing of every students' ability to draw, create, and respond to visual art empowers and encourages the intellectual, social, and emotional growth of all children.
Through art education children learn responsibility, self-discipline, commitment, and collaboration, which are key attributes of successful learners. Furthermore, higher order thinking skills that include evaluation, analysis, and synthesis, and are constantly engaged as students reflect on artistic composition, aspire to reach performance standards, and learn to make qualitative judgments.
Art is an integral part of a child’s education. Participation in art fosters communication and understanding of ourselves and those around us. Skills learned through art reinforce and improve learning in many subject areas such as reading, language, visual arts, and physical education. It is through visual art that students don't experience the culture and aesthetics that enrich all aspects of life.
Music is essential to the core educational experience of all children. It is a unique discipline that fosters multiple intelligences, and builds the bridges that strengthen bonds between cultures and generations. The nurturing of every students' ability to perform, create, and respond to music empowers and encourages the intellectual, social, and emotional growth of all children.
Through music education children learn responsibility, self-discipline, commitment, and collaboration, which are key attributes of successful learners. Furthermore, higher order thinking skills that include evaluation, analysis, and synthesis, and are constantly engaged as students reflect on musical composition, aspire to reach performance standards, and learn to make qualitative judgments.
Music is an integral part of a child’s education. Participation in music fosters communication and understanding of ourselves and those around us. Skills learned through music reinforce and improve learning in many subject areas such as reading, language, visual arts, and physical education. It is through music that students experience the culture and aesthetics that enrich all aspects of life.
Theatre is a collaborative art form that combines words, voice, movement, and visual elements to express meaning. Theatre is the examination and resolution of fundamental human issues, and is built on understanding and presenting interactions between people.
The broad, worldwide base of theatrical literature ranges from classical forms, such as Japanese Kabuki and Shakespeare, to folk forms, such as traditional puppetry, to contemporary forms, such as animated cartoons and movies. Quality theatre education is similarly broad-based, extending beyond the teaching of acting to develop students’ abilities in areas ranging from technical theatre to directing, and from researching the historical context of repertoire to creating their own scripted or improvised works.
Theatre arts provide a balance among verbal, analytical, and intuitive experiences, while promoting an awareness and appreciation of cultural and historical diversity. The act of making theatre fosters creative thinking, problem solving, self-awareness, self-esteem, independence, and imagination. Theatre broadens the range of possible career opportunities. Academic preparation in theatre arts enables students to understand and participate fully in theatre, and to make informed aesthetic choices throughout their lives.
Theatre arts teach the importance of the disciplined individual contributing to the effort of the group. By understanding and expressing life experiences, theatre arts students understand themselves and others more deeply.
