Fine Arts
We are proud of our beautiful art classroom, complete with a kiln and five pottery wheels and we are blessed to have Music Learning staff teaching our children music and how to play instruments. Please click on the links to the right to learn more.
Art
Each St. Joseph student receives instruction in art each week. Our Kindergarten - Seventh grades receive 45 minutes of instruction per week while those in 8th grades attend 45 minute classes two times per week.
The Art Curriculum includes:
(from the Diocese of Dallas Fine Arts Curriculum)
VISUAL ARTS ACHIEVEMENT STANDARDS
Media Students will understand, select and apply media, techniques and processes.
Elements and Principals Students will understand and apply elements and organizational principals of art.
Content Students will consider, select and apply a range of subject matter, symbols and ideas.
History and Cultures Students will understand the visual arts in relation to history and cultures.
Analysis, Interpretation and Evaluation Students will reflect upon, describe, analyze, interpret and evaluate their own and other's work.
Connections Students will make connections between the visual arts, other disciplines and daily life.
Special Additions to SJCS Art:
**Our art students participate in cross curricular projects using 2D animation software - creating 2D characters and animating them!
**Approximately 25% of all art lessons are religious in nature, and many lessons are cross curricular with math, science, writing, technology and history.
**Pottery and Clay:
Kinder, 1st and 3rd through 5th grade students hand build something out of clay that is fired in the kiln.
We have 5 pottery wheels in our SJSC amazing art room!!!
Each year, our 2nd graders make their First Holy Communion Chalices on the pottery wheel. Through middle school, our students create a different (and more complicated item from year to year) item on the pottery wheel.
Art Competition Opportunities:
PSIA: there are two opportunities for students interested in competing in PSIA art…
On Site Drawing: Students look at an arrangement of objects and draw it as a still life, as realistically as possible (one meeting before the competition, no weekly practice required). All middle school students are eligible.
Art Memory: Students learn about and memorize 60 different works of art, including the artist’s name and the title of the painting as well as significant depth into the history of each artist and painting (practice is once a week, October through April). Fourth through eighth grade students are eligible.
Other Art Competitions:
7th Grade: Yearbook Cover Art Competition -- all 7th grade students create a mock-up of a cover for our school’s yearbook based off of the school’s auction gala theme for the year. This project is completed in art class, one to two winners are selected and their artwork is used for the cover of the yearbook!
8th Grade: Christmas Card Competition -- all 8th grade students create a mock-up design for a religious themed Christmas card, several cards are chosen as winners and hundreds of them will be printed in color to go our to our St. Joseph parishioners. Some are printed as sets that are available for purchase for our school families.
Catholic School’s Week Poster Competition -- All students create a poster with the yearly, changing theme (such as: Be Golden) for Catholic School’s week. Winning posters from specific grade levels go onto compete against winners from other Catholic schools in the Diocese.
Google Doodle -- Students have the option to create a “Doodle” for Google as an art competition. Each year there is a new theme for the doodle (the word Google at top of their website is in bubble letters and each letter is filled in with doodle artwork).
Fine Arts Night
The culmination of our year of creating amazing works of art at SJCS is May's Fine Arts Night. Artwork from every grade level canvases the entire school building. Drinks and finger foods are provided and guests are invited to walk the halls and tour the "SJCS Art Museum" before taking in a show performed by our middle school choir and band classes!
Music Learning Choir and Band
The Music Learning Music Program believes that a true educator will practice what he teaches. Each member of the Music Learning Staff is an active musician in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex in addition to being a first-class educator. The Music Learning Staff brings a combined total of over 180 years of musical and education experience to the classroom.
Music instruction for grades K-5: The year of music instruction includes singing, dancing, and playing instruments as well as learning concepts such as long/short notes, whole notes, quarter notes, loud/soft and very slow/very fast music.
All children will focus on learning both patriotic songs and the liturgical songs that we sing each week at Mass.
The K-5th grade Christmas program is on December 17, 2019 at 6:30 pm. Mark your calendars to enjoy the beautiful story of the Nativity!
Band or Choir Elective for Middle School
Our St. Joseph Middle School students have the opportunity to choose their music elective. Each student chooses between continuing in choir or learning how to play a band instrument.
Middle school choir instruction includes review of the basics of music, singing a capella and with piano accompaniment, singing in two or three part harmony, and preparation for a Christmas concert and a Spring show.
The mission of the Music Learning Band Programs has as it’s primary goal the continuous musical development of each student. It aims to develop the student’s technical and musical proficiency of a band instrument within a fun, enthusiastic environment. Music Learning Band Programs aims to teach each student self-esteem, respect, discipline, creative problem solving, and an appreciation of the arts through music education.
