Upper School
Upper School Arts
Integrating arts as an essential part of our upper school curriculum
We nurture the talents of our incredibly creative and passionate young people in our upper school arts program. Our arts curriculum provides all students the opportunity to explore different art forms and offers deeper study for those who are on a more advanced level.
Students choose from a wide array of arts courses to satisfy our two-year graduation requirement and they may elect to take courses for all four years. If a student has an interest in or a passion for a particular art, they can continue in that specific discipline for all four years and coursework will be tailored to the student’s individual level.
Visual Arts
Our talented arts instructors provide intensive training and portfolio development for students who wish to apply to competitive college arts programs.
With many visual arts course options, our upper school continues our rich tradition of masterful artwork in studio art classes such as Advanced Painting, Advanced Photography, Ceramics, Digital Art, Drawing and Painting, Photography, and Sculpture. Students also create digital media projects including posters and animated and live-action short films. Our spacious studios offer a variety of tools from the traditional (printing press, pottery wheels, and kiln) to the most up to date (Adobe multimedia suite).
Almost every year our talented students enter their work in the prestigious New York City Regional Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, garnering multiple Gold Keys, Silver Keys, and Honorable Mentions. Two of those students had their Gold Key-winning work exhibited in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and one student received a National Best in Grade Award.
The whole school looks forward to Arts Night every spring, when students share their art with friends and family. Students from lower, middle, and upper schools showcase their creativity and hard work with displays of paintings, drawings, sculptures, and multimedia projects.
Dramatic Arts
Students can choose an introductory or advanced theater course. Every year, two theater productions showcase the talents and hard work of our upper school students. In the fall, students perform a dramatic piece. In the spring, students focus on aspects of musical theater and perform in a musical production.
Drama classes include: Foundations of Theater, Fundamentals of Improvisation, and Advanced Theater.
Our students’ eagerness to spend long days rehearsing, building sets, and setting the lighting for an upcoming production is impressive. They dig deep and wow their audiences with their accomplished performances on stage. We welcome everyone’s participation, be it on stage or behind the scenes.
Music Arts
Our students’ enthusiasm for music is contagious. Students develop their musicianship in performance-based classes in which they strengthen their instrumental and vocal skills as members of small ensembles, such as our Jazz Band.
Music classes include: Band, Piano Workshop, Singing, TIMARA (Technology in Music and Related Arts), and World Music. Music Night is a highlight for students, giving them the opportunity to put on a concert and showcase their musical selections for friends and family.
To read more about all of the courses offered this year please refer to the Upper School Course Descriptions.