THE ARTS CLASSES
EDCUATIONAL PHYLOSOPHY
MUSIC
​Music classes and private instruction lessons are offered at Peachtree Learning Center in order to encourage students to steward the God-given gift of music, to educate students in the fundamentals of music theory, appreciation, and expression, and to inspire students to develop their personal musical talents and musicianship skills.
We encourage students to steward the God-given gift of music by teaching music from a Biblical perspective and by modeling stewardship as we teach and engage with students in the classroom setting and in private instruction.
We educate students by being intentional in our approach to music education and by incorporating the standards set forth by the Tennessee Board of Education and other experts in the field. As we infuse a unique theme each year in our music classes, these standards are diligently incorporated into each class period. These standards do not, however, dictate our philosophy of music education or our methodology.
We inspire students by introducing them to various genres of music and avenues of musical stewardship and by providing them with the tools needed to cultivate their own forms of musical expression.​​​​​​​​​
ART
FOUR STRANDS OF VISUAL ARTS LEARNING
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1. Art making: Art making is the primary purpose and activity of the art classes. Through exploration of media-painting, drawing, printmaking, collage, sculpture, and applied design, students develop an understanding of the principles of art and elements of design, deepening their expressive and critical faculties, honoring their art skills, and cultivating their God-given imagination.
2. Literacy in the Visual Arts: Visual Arts has its own vocabulary and literacy, as well as its own set of skills that support learning across the curriculum. Students hone observation skills and discuss works of art; develop visual arts vocabulary to describe art making, the tools and techniques used to produce art, and the elements and principles of design; and reflect on the process of making art.
3. Making Connections through Visual Arts: Students recognize the societal, cultural, and historical significance of art; connect the visual arts to other disciplines; apply the skills and knowledge learned in visual arts to interpreting the world.
4. Community and Cultural Resources: Our area is rich in community and cultural resources. Students, by working with a variety of school staff, access primary resources in the community to extend their learning beyond the classroom. Students should be actively engaged with the institutions, schools, studio, community-based organizations, libraries, exhibitions, and artists that contribute to the cultural and economic vitality of the area. These resources are integral to the development of young artists, expanding their horizons and enhancing the instruction they receive in school.
HERITAGE ARTS
Heritage arts are traditional skills, crafts, and artistic expressions passed down through generations, representing a community's shared history, culture, and identity. They include functional, handmade items like pottery, textiles, and quilting, as well as performances and techniques that connect individuals to their roots.
Dance classes at Peachtree Learning Center are focused on connecting the mind, body, and spirit through movement. We believe that dance and movement are a perfect display of how wonderfully designed our bodies have been made to express ourselves without the utterance of one word, and that our bodies have become a voice that speaks and communicates the message of our Creator. We value the creative potential that each individual life carries and we encourage students to find their own distinctive creative voice through movement in each of our classes.
In each class, we focus heavily on building strong coordinated bodies because our bodies are used to communicate our ideas and thoughts. We focus on solid dance technique principles and standards to build a foundation for our students to then be able to branch out into their own creative movement styles.
The Mind is essential in dance and we encourage intentional thinking in our dancers. We educate our students using a dance vocabulary taken from a variety of specific dance techniques and introduce students to a wide variety of dance styles. We also incorporate the dance standards set forth by the Tennessee Board of Education as well as other experts in the field of dance.
The spirit within each student is what makes their movement come alive. We believe that each student is gifted with great creative potential and we encourage students to explore and discover their own creative spirit through movement. We also emphasize that our bodies are the temple of our spirit and we see dancing with our bodies as a beautifully expressive tool for worship.
DANCE & MOVEMENT
DRAMA
More to come soon!