The Arts
Mission statement: Our mission is to encourage the Colegio Roosevelt community to embrace and experience the arts as an essential part of being human.
FDR arts programs offer opportunities for studio practice, problem solving, collaboration, and cultural investigation through classical and contemporary music, acting, directing, and playwriting, drawing, painting, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, and digital photography. We believe that the arts are an excellent form of engaging with our surrounding world and offering social solutions with integrity. Through exploring different artistic traditions, students become aware of the cultural contexts that inform perception and creativity and begin to see their own work in context. Students explore various eras and styles of all arts as part of the curriculum. FDR recently revamped the Performing Arts programs. Our new, state of the art proscenium theater, blackbox theater, film studio, and classrooms offer students an excellent opportunity to explore all areas of production and performance.
During Early Childhood and Elementary School (EC 3 through 5th grade), students have weekly music classes taught by specialist teachers. For visual arts this begins in Kindergarten, with EC3 and EC4 classroom teachers offering transdisciplinary units that are rich in arts learning. In addition, artistic knowledge, conceptual understanding and skills are developed.
The Middle School build on these experiences, as all students participate in visual or performing arts. In grades 6 - 8 students are exposed to a variety of opportunities and encouraged to take part in these to discover their artistic path.
High School students generally choose an area of arts focus to delve into more deeply, and students who choose to continue onto the Diploma Program (DP) may concentrate on at least one art discipline - music, theater, or visual arts.Students will have developed an inquiring, reflective approach to their work as well as a deeper understanding of the role of the arts in society and the world, and in their own lives. This is connected authentically with the unique Theory of Knowledge learning that is so rich in the arts. Reflection, evaluation, artistic self-expression, collaboration and communication are intrinsic to the beliefs and values held in Colegio Roosevelt's arts programs.