Arts Education

The Arts

All students from Grade One through Six are exposed to a multitude of educational art projects, including the visual and dramatic arts, dance and music appreciation. Learning ‘in and through’ the arts enhances regular classroom instruction, improves student self-expression, and develops in our students a sense of socio-cultural awareness, both of our Judaic heritage and of the populations surrounding us. Where giftedness or a special talents is demonstrated by a student, every effort is made to explore and develop these gifts. These courses have become integral parts of the comprehensive elementary school program at JPPS.

The Visual Arts Program

Each class, at every grade level, has weekly art lessons, conducted in French, by an art specialist, who is reinforced by the French teacher. The formal program allows the students to explore various media and techniques, such as drawing, painting, construction, and elements of design.

The Music Appreciation Program

Music is integrated into all the holiday celebrations and helps the students develop an appreciation and awareness musical styles and origins. Overall objectives include making students aware of different musical forms (e.g., classical, jazz, folk, rock) and different musical traditions in Yiddish, Hebrew, French, and English; introducing students to the lives and works of great composers; enabling the students to express themselves through song; and promoting and develop a knowledge and appreciation of an orchestra.

Drama

Drama is woven into the fabric of our language arts/social studies program in English, Hebrew, French and Yiddish. Children are natural actors, and our teachers tap their proclivity for dramatization. Overall objectives include teaching languages through role-play, puppetry, etc.; reconstructing historical events for better comprehension and retention of information in social studies; and using improvisational techniques to deepen students’ understanding of character and plot in language arts classes. Activities iniclude classroom-focused plays, puppet shows, paper bag dramatics, etc.; attendance at theatre performances at The Segal Centre for Performing Arts at the Saidye and other theatres and special theatre performance held at school by professional theatre groups, like Geordie Productions and Youth theatre.

Dance

Dance is integrated into the teaching of many content areas such as multicultural studies, creative movement, and Jewish holidays and celebrations.