Fine Arts

In keeping with the mission of our school system, Cornerstone and Pusch Ridge students are encouraged to explore and develop their gifts for use in God’s Kingdom. The Fine Arts Departments are committed to training students in the arts, to appreciate beauty, and develop an understanding that the creative arts are a reflection of our Creator God.


Fine Arts at Cornerstone Christian Academy


The theater arts classes introduce students to individual and group performance, as well as to writing for the theater.  All of our classes explore the following areas: monologue work, character development, scene study, dramatic techniques, and speech and voice development. We also learn to use theater vocabulary to critique the formal and informal works of theater. As a performance-based program, incorporating the memorization, critical analysis, interpretation, and expression of dramatic works, our methodology is solidly grounded in the classical emphasis of our school. 

Students who have been exposed to William Shakespeare from the earliest age have been given a gift of language, of ideas and thoughts, of wonder and beauty. Because Shakespeare must be performance-focused - the acting out of it is the ultimate beauty of the thing - a festival or time for performance is essential.

Students in Grades Kindergarten - Three are exposed to the life and times of Elizabethan England - its people, places and events. Using such resources as Lois Burdett’s Shakespeare for Kids, and Leon Garfield’s Shakespeare Stories, the students are given access to the stories and characters of many plays without losing them in a play-written format. Also utilized are Elizabeth Nesbit’s Beautiful Stories From Shakespeare For Children and Charles and Mary Lamb’s Tales From Shakespeare. The teacher reads these aloud and then the children narrate back from the wonderful plot lines, language, and voice of Shakespeare. For performance, children of this age will sing madrigals, recite sonnets and portions of plays, and dance Elizabethan dances.

Students in Grades Four - Six have an adapted play to perform which has been integrated with their curriculum. As well, due to the content of Reformation/Age of Discovery, students in Grade Six take time to study concertedly the life and times of William Shakespeare, by producing a copybook with this topic in mind. These short plays are performed at the culminating Shakespeare Festival in the spring.

The teachers and students alike are participants in the feast that is Shakespeare. For the educator, his primary work has been in the preliminary “tasting” of these delights both individually and collectively with other teachers prior to presenting them to the students. As for the student, he/she becomes an active participant daily in all that is Shakespeare. The student has thus become fully immersed as a reader, listener, narrator, artist, and actor in experiencing and expressing the words of Shakespeare through the study of a particular play (Grades 4-8). Upon finishing the reading of the text, the students prepare to present a play to an audience. The text now acts as the script. Parts of some characters and scenes are deleted because of difficulty or appropriateness and also as a result of time constraints.
 

Fine Arts at Pusch Ridge Christian Academy


 Visual Arts Department

Students learn the elements and principles of design: line, color, pattern, texture, value, shape, movement, contrast, and repetition through a wide variety of media including slides, films, videos, books and prints. This helps students to develop a critical and historical appreciation of art.

Drawing
This is a beginning level art class that focuses on drawing. Throughout the year students will examine and practice different drawing mediums including graphite and charcoal, as printmaking, drawing and printing techniques, pen and ink and color. The class will also focus on the development of the student’s personal drawing style.

Graphic Design
Graphic Design is the study of design and its role in the life of mankind. The foundation of this study is found in Genesis with God as the Creator, and man being made in God’s image. This class begins with the study of the elements and principles of basic design, with studies of different design media (layout, advertising, letterforms, packaging, etc.) with hands-on projects formulated from these studies.

Beginning Painting
This course will cover the basics of watercolor, pastel, and acrylic painting. The art projects will include still-life, portraiture, landscape, figure, animal life, and conceptualized subjects.

Photojournalism
In this one semester class students will learn digital camera shooting skills that include an eye for timing, peak action, and the decisive moment, and approaches to photo composition.

Advanced Painting
This course will strengthen the experience of watercolor, pastel and acrylic painting. Steps toward developing a personal artistic style will be encouraged.

Pottery
In this one-semester class students will learn what the Bible teaches about clay. Students will write an essay about Scripture teachings on clay. Students will hand build for one quarter and will throw on the wheel for the second quarter. Students will also produce clay sculpture projects during the second quarter. Hand-built projects will include pinch, coil and slab techniques.

Yearbook
As a member of the Blueprint staff, students will create a professionally published yearbook that is also a personal documentation of the school year. The class consists of learning and applying all of the skills required to produce a yearbook including: developing ideas for a layout spread, graphics, writing, fundraising, documentation, public relations, selling ads, and meeting deadlines for submission to the printers.


Music Department

The Music Department believes that the study of music helps to enrich us. Our goal is to allow all students the opportunity to experience music in many different aspects, so that music becomes a lifelong experience. The program provides opportunities to experience both singing and playing through the choral, band, and orchestra programs.

Marching/Concert Band
Marching/Concert Band is an opportunity for students to be part of a musical team. Students will develop technical ability on a chosen instrument, and they will also develop their personal level of musicality through the study of musical concepts such as balance, rhythm, phrasing and texture. They will also be exposed to many styles of band literature. The band will prepare music at its ability level and will have the opportunity to perform in several areas within marching and concert settings.

Orchestra
This class is an opportunity for musicians to learn or improve playing a string instrument for performance. Students will be exposed to a variety of string and orchestral music. Performances will include string ensembles, with selected woodwinds and brass invited from concert band.

Music Theory and Composition
In this one-semester class students will learn principle basics of music theory, combined with creating and composing their own music. New state-of-the-art equipment will be used to enhance this course.

Voice of Praise
This course is open to all students interested in exploring 4-part vocal choral music. It is a prerequisite to Ensemble and includes out-of-class concerts and performances.

Ensemble
This course is a singing-performance class. It includes 25 to 30 out-of-class performances and concerts during the school year. Coursework includes music-reading skills each day and music-theory skills each week, as well as memorizing all performance music.


Theater Arts Department

The theater arts classes introduce students to individual and group performance, as well as to writing for the theater.  All of our classes explore the following areas: monologue work, character development, scene study, dramatic techniques, and speech and voice development. We also learn to use theater vocabulary to critique the formal and informal works of theater. 

The curriculum is designed to serve as an introduction to the principles of speech and drama. Students learn effective skills in public speaking, oral interpretation, critical analysis, acting, and play production. Students also learn the history of drama as an art form, including the various types of drama and the major figures. The Advanced Drama class performs two major works each year.

Beginning Drama
This course introduces the student to the art of theatre in the areas of acting, producing and stagecraft. Students are involved in some performances, and in helping the Advanced
Drama class with major productions. The focus of the class is training with the understanding that theatre can and should be used for the glory of God. The class explores the elements of God’s truth in productions and strives to communicate effectively those truths to the audience.

Advanced Drama
This course is the study of the art of theatre in the areas of acting, producing, management, dramaturgy, stagecraft, makeup and costuming. The focus of the class is performance with the understanding that theatre can and should be used for the glory of God. Students explore the elements of God’s truth in productions and strive to effectively communicate those truths to the audience.

 

Bookmark and Share



site by: the visual studio & merge left marketing