Arts & Music

Music experience begins in the Early Childhood program through imitation as students sing along with their teacher. In Lower and Middle School singing is a daily activity. First graders learn to play the pentatonic wooden recorder, and the diatonic recorder in third grade. Every fourth grader learns the violin. In later years this can expand to include other string or band instruments. High School music classes offer orchestra, mixed-genre band, music theory, and songwriting. Students perform at concerts, assemblies, and other school events. Qualifying High School students may join our Tri-M Music Honor Society.

Our students, as young as first grade, participate in class productions annually. Lower and Middle School classes deepen their studies by creating a class production focused on the curricular theme of the year. High School students may participate in the extracurricular activity of the High School Musical production. Sophomore and Senior productions are elaborate. Students here do much of the work themselves, including costuming, lighting, sets, stage management, building a social media presence, and running the show.

Students from fifth grade through High School learn a variety of skills and woodworking techniques as they create utensils, bowls, stools, frames, dovetailed boxes, and even self-portraits out of wood obtained from sustainable practices. Final senior art projects have included violins, guitars, desks, chairs – all made by hand.

Fiber Arts begins in the lower grades with knitting, crocheting, cross-stitch, and hand sewing and grows more complex in older grades to include patternmaking, machine sewing, spinning, weaving, and bookbinding.

Our younger students begin with color exploration in watercolor painting and learn to bring form and balance to their Main Lesson Book drawings. As students progress, they will have both experience and study of color theory, perspective drawing, shading, and portraiture and will work with a variety of mediums.