Arts-based curriculum?

[Anonymous]

Arts are absolutely valued in this area, but it's not clear what op is looking for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't think so. Probably because 1) as you can see from this thread, the arts aren't particularly valued in this area, and 2) the area doesn't have a ton of artists and teaching artists living here.

This is a bizarre response. We have places like the Torpedo Factory and copious museums with artists in residence. We have a plethora of choirs from
Amateur to professional and everything in between. We have incredible muralists. There are so so many people who pursue art outside of their vocation as well.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Incorporating arts into the classroom (at the elementary level) would include, for example using visual arts-based projects to teach social studies, or making extensive use of drama in the language arts curriculum. Some progressive schools might do this to some extent -- for instance, Lowell's website seems to indicate that this might be true to some extent at that school.

I'm looking for a school where art isn't a once-a-week "special", but where art is a daily class, in addition to art being incorporated into other subjects.

[Anonymous]

Lowell parent here. Arts is woven into the curriculum, and likely is at any progressive school.

[Anonymous]

Anne arundel has arts magnets starting in middle school.
The kids in the magnet program have intense instruction in their chosen art form, but all the kids in the school have art-integrated instruction in all classes.

https://www.aacps.org/Page/8230

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there any schools in this area that have an arts-based curriculum during the elementary-school years?

I know that the Lab School does, but the school is specifically for students with language-based disabilities.

I've got a child who would really love to have a daily art class in school, and for the rest of the curriculum to be art-based.

I'm thinking visual arts primarily, but other forms of art would be great (for example, a music-based school like the Crowden School in California would be welcome).

What do you see the benefits of this to be? What are you willing to trade off for that extra time spent on the arts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It was too far away for us, but we were so impressed by the visual arts at the Washington Waldorf School. They also emphasize music and movement at all grades. Has to be a match philosophically, probably, but there are likely few schools that have more opportunities for arts-based creativity. We were looking at high school, but happened to also see the lower school’s work on display and music class during our visit.

I've honestly never heard of this school. Is it on edges of DMV? Sound great!

[Anonymous]

OP, I don't know any local independent elementaries that are 'arts based", and I can see wanting that. However, every independent school I know of in the area offers robust "specials" (a variety of arts, movement,library, language, SEL) that will be head and tails in terms of variety and dedicated time over what is the focus in many public schools, where 'time on academic task" is often the rallying cry. Public schools have traditionally been driven by the year end standardized testing, and draw a direct line between classroom academic lessons and results. This makes sense since students and teachers and whole schools are evaluated by these high stakes tests. Unfortunately, many have lost the long term perspective on the over arching benefits of an enriched early education. Any of the area private schools are going to have many specials and plentiful outdoor time. You may take a closer look at Sheridan, which I believe had outdoor education as a focus during the year (this is an ethos, like arts education) as well as I believe a really fleshed out arts summer camp. I personally wish more schools had driving identities and specialty programs like you seek, but we do have a few around here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I don't know any local independent elementaries that are 'arts based", and I can see wanting that. However, every independent school I know of in the area offers robust "specials" (a variety of arts, movement,library, language, SEL) that will be head and tails in terms of variety and dedicated time over what is the focus in many public schools, where 'time on academic task" is often the rallying cry. Public schools have traditionally been driven by the year end standardized testing, and draw a direct line between classroom academic lessons and results. This makes sense since students and teachers and whole schools are evaluated by these high stakes tests. Unfortunately, many have lost the long term perspective on the over arching benefits of an enriched early education. Any of the area private schools are going to have many specials and plentiful outdoor time. You may take a closer look at Sheridan, which I believe had outdoor education as a focus during the year (this is an ethos, like arts education) as well as I believe a really fleshed out arts summer camp. I personally wish more schools had driving identities and specialty programs like you seek, but we do have a few around here.

Written like someone who has never had a kid in public school.
My fourth grader's specials in public school per week:
PE 2x
music 2x
band/orchestra/choir 2x (depending on what the child chooses)
art 1x
library/media 1x
Global Studies 1x

The art room in my seventh grader's small private schools is *way* smaller and less stocked, and they don't offer any music beyond the once a week generic music class. There are lots of other benefits for him at his private school, but stating that publics don't have art and music is simply a lie.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I don't know any local independent elementaries that are 'arts based", and I can see wanting that. However, every independent school I know of in the area offers robust "specials" (a variety of arts, movement,library, language, SEL) that will be head and tails in terms of variety and dedicated time over what is the focus in many public schools, where 'time on academic task" is often the rallying cry. Public schools have traditionally been driven by the year end standardized testing, and draw a direct line between classroom academic lessons and results. This makes sense since students and teachers and whole schools are evaluated by these high stakes tests. Unfortunately, many have lost the long term perspective on the over arching benefits of an enriched early education. Any of the area private schools are going to have many specials and plentiful outdoor time. You may take a closer look at Sheridan, which I believe had outdoor education as a focus during the year (this is an ethos, like arts education) as well as I believe a really fleshed out arts summer camp. I personally wish more schools had driving identities and specialty programs like you seek, but we do have a few around here.

Written like someone who has never had a kid in public school.
My fourth grader's specials in public school per week:
PE 2x
music 2x
band/orchestra/choir 2x (depending on what the child chooses)
art 1x
library/media 1x
Global Studies 1x

The art room in my seventh grader's small private schools is *way* smaller and less stocked, and they don't offer any music beyond the once a week generic music class. There are lots of other benefits for him at his private school, but stating that publics don't have art and music is simply a lie.

I've taught in both and had children in both. That is why I qualified with "many" and "most: - not "all". But thanks and glad your children are receiving the enrichment that many public schools have axed.

[Anonymous]

Waldorf schools do this for basically every subject area. Children interpret, write, and illustrate for all subjects elementary through high school. Google "Waldorf main lessons book" or "Waldorf geometry." Every student also learns a variety of age-appropriate instruments and has movement class (eurythmy).

We visited this one www.washingtonwaldorf.org (and their art on display was amazing!), but I know there are others in the DC area like Acorn Hill (for little kids, I think).

This would be a wonderful fit for my kids, but we are too far away Instead, I've tried to do a bit on our own as possible over the last decade. Our version of main lesson books are some of my (and my kids') favorite things to look back on and remember the changing interests and adventures. Kind of like a journal but better

[Anonymous]

OP again. In the pre-high-school years, I'm willing to trade off classroom time spent on 'pure' academics in return for substantially more time spent on arts subjects.

I went to a school for the creative and performing arts for part of my childhood -- in a different part of the US, of course. There was daily art, daily general music, daily chorus, daily drama, and daily PE. There was a period in my school day that I could use for instrument practice time. I spent more time in arts classes than in academic classes, and the academics were fast-paced and compressed. But the academics weren't low-quality; the assumption was that the students were bright and capable of learning academics without repetition (and that kids should be pushed to think critically, to write well, etc.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I don't know any local independent elementaries that are 'arts based", and I can see wanting that. However, every independent school I know of in the area offers robust "specials" (a variety of arts, movement,library, language, SEL) that will be head and tails in terms of variety and dedicated time over what is the focus in many public schools, where 'time on academic task" is often the rallying cry. Public schools have traditionally been driven by the year end standardized testing, and draw a direct line between classroom academic lessons and results. This makes sense since students and teachers and whole schools are evaluated by these high stakes tests. Unfortunately, many have lost the long term perspective on the over arching benefits of an enriched early education. Any of the area private schools are going to have many specials and plentiful outdoor time. You may take a closer look at Sheridan, which I believe had outdoor education as a focus during the year (this is an ethos, like arts education) as well as I believe a really fleshed out arts summer camp. I personally wish more schools had driving identities and specialty programs like you seek, but we do have a few around here.

Written like someone who has never had a kid in public school.
My fourth grader's specials in public school per week:
PE 2x
music 2x
band/orchestra/choir 2x (depending on what the child chooses)
art 1x
library/media 1x
Global Studies 1x

The art room in my seventh grader's small private schools is *way* smaller and less stocked, and they don't offer any music beyond the once a week generic music class. There are lots of other benefits for him at his private school, but stating that publics don't have art and music is simply a lie.

New poster here. It depends on your public. Our MCPS public in 4th grade had PE 1x, Music 1x, and art 1x, and library 1x. In our private we have PE every day or 4 times a week, music twice a week, and art twice a week. Also art is more incorporated into the social studies and language art curriculum. So maybe not "art based" like OP wants, but much more of the arts in our private than public.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP again. In the pre-high-school years, I'm willing to trade off classroom time spent on 'pure' academics in return for substantially more time spent on arts subjects.

I went to a school for the creative and performing arts for part of my childhood -- in a different part of the US, of course. There was daily art, daily general music, daily chorus, daily drama, and daily PE. There was a period in my school day that I could use for instrument practice time. I spent more time in arts classes than in academic classes, and the academics were fast-paced and compressed. But the academics weren't low-quality; the assumption was that the students were bright and capable of learning academics without repetition (and that kids should be pushed to think critically, to write well, etc.)

Explain more about the timing. The average elementary day is 6.5 hours. Even if you only spent only 30 minutes a day on each of the things you named, with no transition time, and 30 minutes for lunch with no recess, that would leave only 3 hours for reading/writing/math/social studies/science combined. That would be approximately 36 minutes/day for each core subject.

[Anonymous]

Westminster School in Annandale offers a classical education with an emphasis on the arts. Drama, art, music, STEAM are all part of daily classes plus each grade performs a play. The older students do a junior musical in 6th, Shakespeare in 7th and a full musical in 8th. The academics are advanced, but the arts classes are a big part of the daily schedule. For those with kids interested in arts and drama, it could be worth checking out.