Fine Arts

Elementary Art

Kindergarten through fifth-grade students receive 60 minutes of art instruction per week from a certified art teacher. Students use Studio Habits of Mind to communicate original ideas through their artwork.

Elementary General/Vocal Music

Kindergarten through fifth-grade students in Rockwood receive 60 minutes of general music instruction per week from a certified vocal music teacher. Students develop rhythmic and melodic literacy skills by playing, creating, and performing music.

Elementary Strings

All third-grade students receive 60 minutes of violin instruction during the school day from a certified instrumental music teacher. Instruments are provided at no cost to students for use during class, and no home practice is required. Instruction is provided during the "specials" block, and therefore, students do not miss alternate instruction while taking violin.

In fourth grade, students may elect to study violin, viola, or cello. Students who do not wish to play participate in a technology course taught by a classroom assistant. In fifth grade, string bass is added as an instrument choice. For more information click on the links below:

4th Grade Orchestra Information

5th Grade Orchestra Information

Special Chorus

All elementary schools have a Special Chorus that meets before or after school and is open to fifth-grade students.

Middle School Art

Sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade students can enroll in art and design courses. Art courses are focused on developing artistic skills to communicate ideas, and design courses are focused on creating art for a function or to solve a problem. Eighth-grade students can enroll in Art Fundamentals, a high school course. This allows students to move more quickly into upper-level art courses in high school.

Middle School Music

Students can enroll in band, orchestra, and/or choir as full-year elective courses in middle school. The middle school orchestra program is designed for students who have been continuously enrolled in orchestra since elementary school. Sixth grade is the entry year for the band program. Students who wish to participate in Band in high school must continuously enroll in Band through middle school. Choir courses are available for students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. All middle school music classes have outside of school performance opportunities.

Middle School Theatre

Middle school theater courses allow students to develop skills in improvising, speaking, acting, and writing dramatic works. Students will also develop introductory-level technical theater skills. Middle school students have opportunities to participate in extracurricular plays and musicals.

High School Art

High school students can enroll in a wide selection of art courses. Art Fundamentals serves as the prerequisite for media-based courses in ceramics, drawing, graphic design, painting, photography, and sculpture. Advanced art students can take their skills to the next level in AP Art Studio and Art and Design Applications.

AP Art History and World Art are additional elective courses offered by the visual art department.

Students have opportunities to participate in extracurricular art clubs and submit artwork for art shows and contests.

High School Music

All music ensembles perform outside of school, and some travel and participate in competitions.

Band

High school band courses are available for students who were continuously enrolled in Band through middle school. Students enrolled in Concert or Symphonic Band may audition for concurrent placement in Jazz Band. Marching band is available as an extracurricular activity.

Orchestra

Orchestra courses are available by audition for strings players at all levels. Students who were not continuously enrolled in orchestra through middle school may enroll in Beginning Orchestra course without an audition.

Choir

Each high school offers a variety of choir courses for which students can audition and be placed. In addition to traditional choirs, Show Choir is available for students interested in singing and dancing.

Guitar

Guitar courses do not require any experience and are open to all students.

AP Music Theory

AP Music Theory is available for students with strong music literacy skills who wish to advance their aural skills and their ability to read and write music effectively.

High School Theatre Arts

High school theatre students have the opportunity to pursue coursework in acting or technical theatre, or they may take courses in both. Students in acting courses develop skills for being on the stage, and students in technical theatre courses focus on behind the scenes skills, such as lighting, audio, costumes, makeup, and set construction. Advanced theatre students have opportunities to develop skills in directing and writing for the stage.

Extracurricular plays and musicals are produced annually at each high school for students who wish to be involved in theatre beyond the school day.