Academics Overview

The Arts Advantage: Why Your Child Needs an Arts Education

Arts

Stevenson’s Arts Program:

There’s no doubt that the arts are fun for kids! Diving into the tempura paints and making a beautiful picture to hang on the walls of our halls or on the fridge at home can be pretty “awesome.”

Acting in a play is exhilarating.  Being a part of  a dance ensemble can teach a child valuable lessons about working as a group. But the arts also help students develop on many other fundamental levels.

At Stevenson our Arts Program includes dance, drama, chorus, band, orchestra, visual arts, graphic arts, as well as technology integration with the arts. Research has proven that an arts program allows students to learn and develop important characteristics they will need as adults.

Creativity - This may seem like a no-brainer, but the arts allow students to express themselves better than math or science. As the Washington Post says: In an arts program, your child will be asked to recite a monologue in six different ways, create a painting that represents a memory, or compose a new rhythm to enhance a piece of music. If children have practice thinking creatively, it will come naturally to them now and in their future career.

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  • Improved Academic Performance - The arts don’t just develop a child’s creativity—the skills they learn because of them, spill over into the academic arena. PBS says, “A report by Americans for the Arts states that young people who participate regularly in the arts (three hours a day on three days each week through one full year) are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement, to participate in a math and science fair or to win an award for writing an essay or poem than children who do not participate.” Stevenson’s record speaks for itself!

  • Motor Skills - To make art or play an instrument - these may seem as simple things to do, but to hold a paintbrush and scribbling with a crayon are an important element to developing a child’s fine motor skills. According to the National Institutes of Health, developmental milestones should be developed in order that student “physical experiences grow.” These experiences will enhance a child’s life now and later.

     

  • Confidence - While mastering a subject certainly builds a student’s confidence, there is something special about participating in the arts. Getting up on a stage and singing gives students a chance to step outside their comfort zone. As they improve and see their own progress, their self-confidence grows.

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  • Visual Learning - Especially for young kids, drawing, painting, and sculpting in art class help develop visual-spatial skills. Dr. Kerry Freedman, Head of Art and Design Education at Northern Illinois University says, Children need to know more about the world than just what they can learn through text and numbers. Art education teaches students how to interpret, criticize, and use visual information, and how to make choices based on it.

  • Decision Making - The arts strengthen problem solving and critical thinking skills. How do I express this feeling through my dance? How should I play this character? Learning how to make choices and decisions will certainly carry over into their education and other parts of life.

  • Perseverance - I know from personal experience that the arts can be challenging. When I was trying to learn and master the violin, there were many times when I became so frustrated that I wanted to quit. But I didn’t. After practicing hard, I learned that hard work and perseverance pay off. This mindset will certainly matter as they grow—especially during their career where they will likely be asked to continually develop new skills and work through difficult projects.

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  • Collaboration - Many of the arts such as band, choir, and theater require students to work together. They must share responsibility and compromise and to achieve their common goal. Stevenson students learn that their contribution to the group is integral to its success—even if they don’t have the solo or lead role.

  • Accountability - Just like collaboration, kids in the arts learn that they are accountable for their contributions to the group. If they drop the ball or mess up, they realize that it’s important to take responsibility for what they did. Mistakes are a part of life, and learning to accept them, fix them, and move on will serve them well as they grow older.

Stevenson has been named a Florida Arts and Music Model Demonstration School

Stevenson's Program

Stevenson provides students with a rigorous and arts-integrated curriculum.  Every student participates in Dance class weekly and students in grades Three through Six choose Arts Wheel Electives (each year offerings may change) to participate in weekly.  In addition, every third grade student learns to play the violin during the school year.  Stevenson teachers deliver curriculum at a fast pace.  The pacing is needed to ensure that additional and unique Arts opportunities are afforded to our students.  We believe in helping students to find their passions!

STEAM Wheel

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One of the most unique aspects of Stevenson Elementary is that students in 3rd-6th grade choose two additional Arts/STEAM classes as part of their weekly schedule. These electives are know as the STEAM or Arts Wheel.  

Arts Wheel Choices Include: 

  • Drama

  • Orchestra

  • Band

  • Visual Arts

  • Art Production

  • STEAM

*Dance is also part of the curriculum in grades K-6

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Guidance Program

At Stevenson, our guidance counselor meets with classes as needed to facilitate lessons and enhance the development of our students.  The focus for students is on character education, self-awaremess and making positive choices.   

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