[ Curriculum Statements ]

ARTS STATEMENT
CROSSROADS ACADEMY
October, 2001 

Philosophy
Arts education at Crossroads Academy aims to inspire students to appreciate and participate in the arts by encouraging their creativity, providing them with opportunities for presentation, and instructing them in the fundamental elements as well as the history of musical, visual, and dramatic arts.

Guiding Principles
A rich arts program promotes students’ aesthetic and intellectual development. At Crossroads, the arts program supports participation, self-expression, and enjoyment. Students are encouraged to expand upon the ways in which they inherently interpret the world through their senses. They are given opportunities to practice self-discipline and develop self-confidence as they strive for their personal best in their artistic expressions. These experiences culminate for many students in art exhibits throughout the school and community and in the two major theatrical productions presented each year through the combined efforts of the musical, visual, and dramatic arts.

Arts education also involves students in observation and critical thinking. They are instructed in the basic elements of each art form through a cumulative and developmentally appropriate program. Students observe examples by masters of the discipline, and they are encouraged to apply what they have learned to their own art experiences. They are also exposed to the historical context in which the arts developed. This approach helps students gain the ability to recognize the varied influences on these art forms in preparation for higher level critical analysis they may pursue in secondary school. In addition, to the extent that the school-wide curriculum allows, the arts are integrated into other academic disciplines, including history and language arts.