Art and Design
Photos Courtesy of C. Mac Images / Advanced Imaging ©2017
Photos by Carin Macnamara P’20
Middle School students have prominent roles in all theatrical productions.
All students in Grades 6 through 8 are required to take two, one-semester courses in the Department of Art and Design each year.
Middle school students are curious and inquisitive learners with active imaginations and keen senses of wonder; to that end, the offerings in the Department of Art and Design tap into this reserve and provide students with the opportunity to think critically and creatively. Most importantly, these offerings provide students with more than a vocabulary for speaking about technology and the arts - they provide a project- or production-based curriculum and opportunities for students to interface with the faces and spaces of those fields.
Below are sample courses. Click here to reference the MS Course Catalog and view all of the choices available.
Robotics
Designed to foster imagination and teamwork, Robotics places a strong emphasis on developing critical thinking and problem solving skills through project-based learning for success in all aspects in school and beyond. Students will begin to cultivate skills in:
- Science
- Technology
- Engineering
- Art
- Mathematics
Guitar Workshop
This is a non-performance based semester elective for students interested in learning how to play the guitar. From beginner to advanced, students develop guitar skills in a variety of styles and techniques. Topics include standard/alternative tuning, note/chordal reading, tablature, chord diagrams, and identification of notes on the fingerboard. Students learn how to accompany themselves on traditional as well as popular music styles and much more!
Digital Art
NEW FOR 2018-2019: Middle School students will explore the Elements of Art using iPads as a basis for creation. Digital art will be studied through a variety of apps, and critical thinking skills will be exercised as students solve creative problems through the use of technology. Apps that are explored may include Brushes, Sketchbook Express, iMotion and Do Ink. A sketchbook is required for this course.
Stage to Screen: the Hollywood Musical
NEW FOR 2018-2019: What does it take to become a professional dancer? And how does a professional dancer take their gifts from the stage to the screen? This semester takes a close look at the Great White Way and the silver screen; how is dance represented on Broadway and in movies? Dancers will study the work of Broadway greats and screen stars like Bob Fosse, Busby Berkeley, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, and Gene Kelly. Dancers will perform their capstone choreography projects in the Spring Dance Show.