FINE ARTS : MUSIC
In addition to regular music instruction in Preschool through 5th grade and Middle School electives during the school week, GLS Wildcats have additional opportunities to participate in award-winning musical ensembles at church services, school concerts, community events, festivals and competitions.
ELEMENTARY MUSIC OPPORTUNITIES
- Choristers (Elementary Chorus)
- Elementary Band
- Early Ringers (Beginning handbells)
- Musical Theatre
MIDDLE SCHOOL MUSIC OPPORTUNITIES
- Spirit Singers
- Wildcat Band
- Percussion Ensemble
- Praise Team (Chapel participation)
- Musical Theatre
FINE ARTS: VISUAL ART
Art classes are taught weekly in Preschool through 5th grade, and in 6th-8th grade as an elective. Wildcats use a variety of mediums in both two-dimensional and three-dimensional projects. The masters, modern artists, and current illustrators are introduced at every grade level.
GLS promotes personal creativity and talent by giving scholars the opportunity to explore famous art, artists, and cultures from around the world. In addition to studying art history and technique, students develop their own God-given artistic abilities with painting, drawing, printmaking, clay modeling, ceramics, drama, and more.
Wildcat art is showcased bi-annually on campus for families and friends of Grace to enjoy and appreciate.
The Importance of Art Integration
- Working in the arts helps learners to develop creative problem-solving skills.
- Teaching through the arts can present difficult concepts visually, making them more easy to understand.
- Art instruction helps children with the development of motor skills, language skills, social skills, decision-making, risk-taking, and inventiveness. Visual arts teach learners about color, layout, perspective, and balance - all techniques that are necessary in presentations (visual, digital) of academic work.
- Integrating art with other disciplines reaches students who might not otherwise be engaged in classwork.
- Art experiences boost critical thinking, teaching students to take the time to be more careful and thorough in how they observe the world.
- A study of Missouri public schools in 2010 found that greater arts education led to fewer disciplinary infractions and higher attendance, graduation rates, and test scores.