Fine arts class is a yearlong immersive course in kindergarten through 5th grade. Students will learn the basic components that make up a work of art. We will focus on the Elements of Art (line, shape, color, texture, value and form) and will begin to learn about the Principles of Design (pattern, balance, space, variety, repetition, proportion) and understand how to incorporate these elements and principles into a work of art. We explore these elements and principles through songs, stories and videos. Students will develop their fine motor skills while they experiment with various types of media and materials to create art.
In music class, students focus on movements, listening and singing high and low, loud and soft, fast and slow and repeating rhythms. As they get older, we begin introducing the components making up a song. Listening to various pieces of music allows us to hear and develop an appreciation for music. We use a variety of instruments such as boomwhackers, egg shakers, bells, tambourines, bucket drums and body percussions to make music learning fun and interesting. In addition, they learn the instruments of the orchestra and the families they belong to. They also learn note values, rhythms and reading the notes on the treble clef.
In fourth and fifth grade the students “travel” around the world and begin learning about instruments and music in other countries as well as an introduction to other genres of music. Beginning with classical, we open up a world of music to them touching on such genres as jazz, blues and gospel. They are introduced to these genres learning the characteristics of what makes up this music as well as the iconic greats that made it popular to our culture. Once they are introduced to this music, an art project is introduced to them that also salutes this time period. Creating art, learning and listening to music of the time immerses the student in a deeper understanding of the culture and makes for a fun and interactive learning experience.
We encourage the fine arts in many ways at St. Joan of Arc. We offer group piano lessons, band, choir, dance classes, Christmas concert and our spring musical.