The Arts

At Convent of the Sacred Heart, we celebrate many forms of art. Performance is balanced with appreciation, recognizing that one’s own creativity often emerges from exposure to the creativity of others. Beginning in Preschool, opportunities abound for our students to discover their artistic talents—whether in the visual arts, music, chorus, drama or dance.

In addition to attending regular classes, students often work in small groups, or individually, with teachers who are specialists in their fields. Academic classes frequently collaborate with the arts department on projects, creating opportunities for interdisciplinary thematic work. Students also showcase their talent periodically through both performance and exhibition. Indeed, performances and visual artwork by students often highlight special events and celebrations on campus.

Of course, experiencing the work of truly gifted artists inspires any student of art. Guest artists, performers and lecturers visit the campus regularly, and our proximity to New York City offers students access to Broadway theater and world-renowned museums.

Visual Arts

Lower School

Lower School students learn the various elements and principles of art, as these are the building blocks for creating a visual vocabulary. These concepts are explored through various media such as: painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, and collage. Concepts related to perspective and observational drawing are introduced in the fourth grade. Throughout the year, many of the projects involve learning about the art work of a living artist, or the legacy of a remembered one. Often, artists in residence come into the classroom to teach a lesson, in connection to an exhibit of their personal art work in our school gallery. This is always a very fun and educational experience for our students.

Middle School

Middle School students study the elements and principles of art more in depth in the fifth and sixth grade. Seventh and eighth graders have a greater focus on using the tools they have learned to create meaning through visual images. Many of our projects involve learning about art history, or about the work of a living artist. Students in the Middle School work in a variety of media including painting, printmaking, sculpture, mixed media and drawing.

Upper School

Drawing and Painting

After developing a basic knowledge of technique and terms, students begin to explore their own experiences with visual images. Emphasis is placed on composition as it exhibits meaning, symbol, and idea. Students have many exhibition opportunities.

Art Fundamentals

Students broaden their knowledge and application of the principles and elements of art. Experiences include
painting, drawing, design, and sculpture.

Design

In-depth exploration of the elements of design in order
to create fashion, business cards, advertisements, textile and interior design.

Mixed Media

Explore physical and symbolic qualities of three
dimensional art materials such as clay, wood, plaster, collage, and found objects. Students have many exhibition opportunities.

Photography

Photography is a comprehensive course which studies both traditional camera use and black and white printing, along with the recent technologies. These include digital imagery, Photoshop applications, scanning and digital printing. Advanced students in level two and three focus on a theme and make books to showcase their work. The students enter national and regional competitions and have recently published in magazines, web sites and text books.

Dance

The Early Childhood Program of Pre-School through Kindergarten participate in a creative program of guided movement explorations, story and game structures and group improvisation.

Lower School dance works on alignment and beginning technique. Although, predominantly they study modern dance they are introduced to ballet. Students combine skill development with exploration and improvisation. As they mature they choreograph short studies that are shared with their classmates. Lower School overlaps the current academic curriculum with dance and sample dances from other cultures.

Middle School dance introduces students to ballet and jazz and continues to study modern dance technique. They study the craft of choreography through a sequential and comprehensive dance curriculum. We attempt to track portions of the academic curriculum in our dance program.

Upper school dance involves the study of ballet, modern dance and modern jazz. Students are involved in technique, explorations of dance concepts and choreography. There are several opportunities for performances throughout the year.

Drama

Drama is introduced as a formal part of the curriculum in Middle School. Drama classes at this level focus on drama techniques as well as public speaking skills. Students have numerous opportunities to perform in plays and musicals that are rehearsed during School hours. The girls also develop skills in improvisation, play writing and stage movement.

The Drama and Advanced Drama courses offered as electives in the Upper School are both year-long courses. In Drama, an overview of three areas of theatre is studied: acting, play writing and theatre history.

In the follow-up course, Advanced Drama, students continue to work on scenes, monologues and acting exercises that further develop the craft of acting. Students will be expected to hone their play-writing skills and have plays ready to be produced. A theatre trip is also scheduled for students in this class.

Madrigals

Auditions are held each fall for this elite Upper School singing group. While the primary objective is to achieve the highest artistic goals possible, the group performs frequently during the School year at liturgies, the Christmas Concert, the Spring Festival of the Arts and at off-campus venues including community service projects and choral festivals.

Madeleines and Nightingales

The Middle School has two of their own special choral groups. Under the direction of the Middle School Music Director, the girls perform at both school and community events.

Handbell Choir

Starting in the fifth grade, Middle School students have the opportunity to audition for and participate in the handbell choir. The group meets once a week and performs at various school functions throughout the year.

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