Visual/Performing Arts
All students in the Middle School take classes in Choral and Instrumental Music, Studio Art and Drama during 5th, 6th, and 7th grade. Eighth graders begin to choose arts classes to specialize in and may take advanced arts options in several areas if their schedule permits. Fifth and sixth graders may audition for orchestra and handbell choir, and seventh and eighth graders may participate in orchestra, choral ensembles, a fall play and a spring musical.
The 5/6 Studio Art program is designed to give students the opportunity to develop and express their ideas clearly through various art materials. The process of self-expression is a pleasure and a challenge that requires a willingness to be personally involved with each project. Students use a wide variety of materials and techniques, including drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, and ceramics, and the class includes a look at the history of art around the world. As the students become increasingly familiar with the qualities and limitations of different art materials and techniques, they start to “think through the materials” and are better able to visually express their ideas with eloquence and complexity.
The 5/6 Drama program provides hands-on learning experiences that draw upon students’ inner resources, including the mind, body, voice, and imagination. Students become involved in the creative process relating to the roles of player, playmaker, and audience. The program stimulates communication skills for personal development and discovery.
Students attend two different Music classes in 5th and 6th grades. In these classes, students learn vocal and hand chime technique and performance as they sing and perform music of diverse cultures. They receive instruction in reading, writing, sight-singing, ear-training, basic musical forms, and music history. Instruments from all of the major families are presented, and students use Music Ace software in the music lab. Membership in the 5th or 6th grade Chorus is required. Any student may also audition for the Orchestra and Handbell Choir.
Seventh Grade Studio Art instruction is based around periods in American art which are reflected in the seventh grade English and History curricula. The Hudson River School, the Harlem Renaissance, and themes in contemporary art are examples of American art periods which we explore. Drawing, painting, clay sculpture, and collage are worked with in conjunction with questions and ideas generated by study of themes discovered in these periods.
Eighth grade instruction includes drawing, watercolor and acrylic painting, working with clay, architectural design, and printmaking. Also included in the course are art history, art criticism and aesthetics. Assignments such as designing a house and having a house designed for you by another student combine drawing skills, design skills, discussions about aesthetics, math skills, and a sensitivity to and appreciation of advertising. Digital design is addressed in a photo self-portrait assignment in which the students manipulate a digital photograph of themselves using the application Photoshop.
The Vocal Music program includes instruction in music theory, sight reading, and vocal technique that is specifically designed to meet the needs of the young singer. In seventh and eighth grades, students participate in more advanced vocal music classes and can elect to join one of three performing groups: 7/8 chorus, Boys Ensemble, or Girls Ensemble. These groups participate in two formal concerts during the school year.
Instrumental Music teaches students how to read, write, play, and listen to music. Students learn notation, solfege, transcription, theory, and analysis. Technology is integrated into the composition lessons through the use of FINALE music notation software. No previous musical experience is required.
Quakerism and the Arts provides an opportunity for seventh grade students to reflect on their own ethical and spiritual beliefs or disbeliefs while learning about some of the guiding testimonies and practices of the Religious Society of Friends. Personal stories are the theme of this class, and Playback Theater is the central method taught and used for reflecting on individual stories.
In 8th grade Drama, students learn to demonstrate the ability to prepare and execute a role, as well as gaining the necessary vocabulary to clearly and artfully express their beliefs to an audience. Students are exposed to arts administration, advocacy, and fundraising, as well as work with digital video technology. This creative process is explored through theater games and improvisations, readings, lectures, group projects and discussions.
