Art
Studio Art
Designed to be an exploratory course covering a broad variety of media. The student will develop their art practice through learning many different materials and techniques such as charcoal, pencil, pen, oil pastel, watercolor, acrylic, printmaking, and clay. Studio time is prioritized, but the class also includes verbal critiques, written artist statements, art history lectures, demos, and exercises.
- Materials: sketch book; 2B, 4B, H pencils; pink pearl eraser
Advanced Art (offered on rotation)
Each advanced art class builds on the foundation of Studio Art. Studio time is prioritized, but advanced art classes also includes verbal critiques, written artist statements, art history lectures, demonstrations, and exercises.
Drawing and Painting further develops a student’s experimental techniques, expression, content, and the student’s individual style in drawing and painting. This class adds additional mediums to the student’s repertoire such as gouache, oil, conte crayon, batik, and mixed media.
Sculpture and Ceramics offers the opportunity for students to create three-dimensional art in a variety of media. Students learn the techniques of hand building with clay, throwing on the wheel, wire sculpture, papier-mâché, and assemblage. Students are encouraged to expand their creativity and develop spatial thinking through 3D medias.
Printmaking and Fibers introduces the basics of reduction printing, etching, monotype, collagraph, felting, embroidery, and weaving. Students are encouraged to expand their creativity and technical potential through a variety of mixed media pieces.
- Prerequisite for each advanced art class: Studio Art
- Materials needed for each advanced art class: sketch book
Introduction to Graphic Design
Explores elements and principles of design and their effective application in graphic arts. Familiarizes students with the computer as a design tool. Utilizes Adobe InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop. Includes taking design projects from initial brainstorming to a finished design piece.
- For grades 10-12
Music
Band/Honors
Studies and performs high school-level wind literature. Includes progressive studies in wind instrument and percussion performance. Provides opportunity for individual participation in SCBDA Region and All-State Band auditions and clinics and group participation Concert Performance Assessment. Selected band members join the orchestra to perform symphony literature. Individual grades determined by rehearsal conduct, terms quizzes, and occasional playing tests.
Honors adds to the student’s membership in Concert Band a rotating cycle of assignments relating to music theory, practice habits, and wind band literature.
- Placement: by audition; honors is available for students in grades 11 and 12 by invitation or audition
- Required performance attire detailed below
Choir/Honors
Studies and performs high school-level and advanced choral music. Introduces basic music theory and develops sight-singing, musicianship, and choral tone. Includes weekly practice assignments. Presents music from several style periods in both sacred and secular formats. Participates in SCMEA choral festival and several community outreaches.
Honors adds to membership in Concert Choir that the student will complete music theory and ear-training projects, and participate in solo performance competition (e.g., BJA Solo competition, NATS competition).
- Placement: open for concert choir, voicing assigned by audition in class; honors is available for students in grades 11 and 12 by invitation or audition
- Required performance attire detailed below
Handbell Choir
Emphasizes development of ensemble skills and personal musicianship through the study of a comprehensive range of intermediate handbell repertoire.
Honors adds to membership in the Handbell Choir development of ensemble skills and personal musicianship through the study of a comprehensive range of advanced handbell repertoire, performing transcriptions of standard repertoire from across the music periods, original handbell compositions, and challenging arrangements of hymns and folk songs.
- Placement: by audition, requires music-reading ability; honors is available for students in grades 11 and 12, requires previous ringing experience or extensive musical experience playing piano or a standard band or orchestral instrument, by invitation or audition
- Required performance attire detailed below
Orchestra/Honors
Studies and performs high school-level and advanced orchestral music. Includes participation in chamber music groups, recitals, state contests and festivals, and outreaches.
Honors adds to membership in Orchestra that the student will complete music theory workbook projects, music history reports or presentations and ear-training projects; and participate in two solo performance competitions (e.g., Region Orchestra audition, BJA Solo competition, MTNA competition, SCMEA Solo Competition).
- Placement: by audition; honors is available for students in grades 11 and 12 by invitation or audition
- Required performance attire detailed below
Private Music Lessons
Private music lessons are available while at school—before, after or during the school day. Read more.
Concert Attire
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Speech
Debate/Honors
Develops research and analytical skills through extensive case writing and practice rounds in Lincoln-Douglas Debate format. Instructs in writing debate cases. Encourages students to participate in the school’s forensic team.
Honors course, which meets concurrently, goes further to develop skills in research and argumentation, questioning, and rebuttal. Students refine public speaking skills while applying more advanced techniques of debate. Students exhibit personal responsibility through independent study by participating in class assignments. Honors activities consist of advanced reading & writing assignments, projects, & enrichment activities.
- 1st semester only
- Honors course requires 5+ extracurricular debates
Drama
Teaches the basic principles of interpretation and acting. Encourages students to demonstrate a mastery of several genres of acting and some improvisational work. Students will produce a fully-staged theatrical production as a culmination of their coursework.
- For grade 12
- Prerequisite: .5 credit in another speech course
- 2nd semester only
Introduction to Speech
Introduces the field of speech through a laboratory setting that seeks to break down barriers of stage fright. Teaches the elements of pantomime, basic interpretation, children’s storytelling and acting and public speaking. Includes speeches such as personal experience, demonstration and informative speeches. Includes the areas of poetry and theater history.
- For grades 9–10
Introduction to Western Thought
Surveys philosophy, starting with the Greeks and ending with modern philosophers Rand, Rawls and Adler. Uses the Socratic method of teaching with an emphasis on active student learning. Students present a final oral philosopher project.
- 2nd semester only
- Not offered every year
Speech I/II
Explores a wide range of communication skills. Focuses on the development of techniques in articulation, emphasis and subordination, oral interpretation, storytelling, prose reading, declamation, expository speaking, extemporaneous speaking, group discussion, religious reading and humorous interpretation. Students will begin with literary analysis and basic interpretative techniques. They will learn how to compose and deliver effective orations. Students learn how to work in a group setting to present a reasoned defense of one side of a current event issue. Students both perform and learn to evaluate performances.
Speech II, which meets concurrently, builds on communication, interpretation, logic and reasoning skills introduced in Speech I. Develops independent and collaborative skills in evaluation and speaking. Students will study play production, impromptu duet acting, duo interpretation, public forum debate (PFD), RTV news/commercials, poetry, and student congress. Students are encouraged to participate in speech and debate competitions.
- For grades 11–12
- Prerequisite for Speech II: Speech I
Dual Credit
Suggested courses
- Ar 121 Drawing & Structural Representation
- Com 101 Fundamentals of Speech