Art Classes

Through the elementary art program students learn to handle a variety of art materials and the techniques to express themselves with these materials.

In the younger elementary grades, freedom of exploration is encouraged and in the later elementary grades the methodologies of art and drawing are emphasized.

Throughout the elementary art program, appropriate usage of the vocabulary of the artist is stressed and practiced during art sessions.

Areas covered include:

• Aesthetic Perception - Visual and Tactile
• Recognize Design Elements
• See Underlying Structures
• Discriminate Visual Objects
• Recognize Variety Visual Characteristics
• Creative Expression - Artistic Knowledge and Skills
• Apply Design Elements and Principles
• Create In Print Media-Explore printmaking techniques using finger painting (mono), built-up (glue), or carving (styrofoam) surfaces to make impressions on another surface.
• Create in Craft Media-Explore crafts processes such as weaving, modeling and construction.
• Create In The Graphic-Explore the use of symbols and signs to communicate Arts ideas and feelings.
• Create In The Photographic Medium-Use photographic processes (Photograms) to create interesting designs.
• Utilize Environmental Designs-Explore the relationships of objects and space by arranging objects (blocks) in space.
• Recognize Career Opportunities-Understand that careers in the visual arts exist and that artists use knowledge to create works of art and objects used in everyday living.

  Recognize and create art using diverse cultural themes.

  We encourage students to exxplore art outside the classrooma s well. You may want to explore: http://www.arttango.com/k5_info/k_info.php

   Sample art lessons

Mrs. Piaz's Music Class

The elementary music curriculum is organized around four primary types of activities: Performing/reading, creating, listening/describing, and valuing music.

Beginning in kindergarten, the curriculum involves students in progressively more challenging experiences in singing, playing instruments, improvising, composing, reading and notating, listening, evaluating, understanding relationships among the arts, and relating music to history and culture.

Developmental levels from grades K-5 are addressed by the use of appropriately chosen activities and musical material. Integration often occurs when regular classroom themes are used as a source for material in music classes.

Elementary students are active learners who make music by singing and playing instruments. When they listen to music, they respond naturally by moving, singing, or playing along. They create their own tunes, rhythms, and songs within contexts arranged for them. As they develop, the students learn to read music notation and use music vocabulary to talk about the music they hear. By providing opportunities for these natural tendencies to be expressed, the music program is student-centered and at the same time able to directly address the program's learning objectives.