Arts

Study of the arts is an essential element of every student's experience at Foothills School. As educators, we know that the study of the arts enhances student learning in every domain and we will not relegate our arts experiences to rare electives programs or after-school experiences. The arts are relevant and critical to student achievement and every Foothills student receives instruction several times a week in fine art and music. Both of these core curricular areas are further enhanced by formal dance instruction, creative writing, handcraft and culturally-diverse folk art instruction, and film-making, all offered by guest instructors and experts in their fields in our CHOICE Electives Program.

Visual Arts

Every student at Foothills learns about movements in art history, and methodologies and material in fine art creation. Additionally, art experiences are tied directly to the inquiry-based "big questions" that students are asking in the academic classroom. Students learning about the body dissect it through figure drawing and exploring Cubism. As children explore the animal world, photography and line-drawing become a new way of seeing. Pottery, glazing, fiber art, batik, print making -- and so much more -- are all part of the art curriculum.

Performing Arts

The presence of performance experts who are also trained in education marks the school's performance arts program as exceptional. While the early grades focus on the building blocks of music (rhythm, musical styles and forms, the basics of "reading" music), the demands for music education increase for students at the Intermediate level. By creating an opportunity for every student to explore vocal performance and instrumental work, each student can explore what is possible in his or her musical future. By the time students reach their Senior level of studies, they elect to follow their passions -- vocal performance, band and orchestra, strings, or even independent studies in music and technology.