PRACTICAL AND PERFORMING ARTS

Drama is an exciting place to discover your creative abilities, build your imagination, connect to others, and become a better communicator onstage and off. It doesn’t matter how much theatre experience you’ve had – from a little to a lot to none – Gain confidence (and have fun!) through the study of artistic discipline, the elements of theatre, basic acting techniques, script writing strategies, scene development, technical theatre (set design, lights, sound, props, costumes, and makeup), and the entire production process. Discover your gifts, strengthen your talent, and develop your skills through Drama!

We live in a digital society. Students must be given the opportunity to learn and develop digital literacy skills. From keyboarding and word processing to computational thinking and coding, digital literacy skills are needed more than ever. We will teach students the critical digital literacy skills they must have to succeed on online assessments, college, and in their future careers. Students need to become proficient with all Google tools and Microsoft’s Office Suite – Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Publisher. These applications will see them through high school and then on to university.

This course will cover a combination of contemporary, jazz, hip hop, and ballet. Dance techniques are enriched and enlivened through study of works by a variety of diverse artists, developing genre-specific movement vocabulary and dance terminology, and building knowledge and skills related to somatic practices, dance composition, analysis of effort and outcomes, dance history and culture, collaborative work, and rehearsal and performance protocols.

This course will cover an overview of basic cooking techniques including boiling, frying, grilling, etc. The course will also cover knife skills as it relates to food preparation. Other topics include the basics of measurement, cooking sanitation, and how different foods work together in the science of food. This course will prepare you to cook basic dishes and provide a culinary foundation for more advanced cooking courses. It will be a full year class where everyone will participate.

Spanish 1 introduces students to the culture and language of the Spanish-speaking world to further create the opportunity for intercultural understanding. Spanish 1 will motivate interest in authentic culture through interactions taking place between the teacher and student. Students will practice the four skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) of the Spanish language. These skills will enable students to communicate meaningfully, effectively, and creatively using the target language for real-life purposes. The Avancemos curriculum utilizes many different tools including group collaboration, hands-on activities, and real-world application. Avancemos is currently being used in the area high schools, which will allow students an easier transition into Spanish II. (Please note that completion of this course will fulfill one foreign language high school credit.)

STEM is a course at CCA in which curriculum is based on the idea of educating students in four specific disciplines — science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This is done in an interdisciplinary and applied approach. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Education provides students with hands-on, problem-based learning opportunities that introduce the principles to develop, produce, use, and assess products related to all four subject areas in tandem. This new framework emphasizes depth over breadth, using scientific inquiry and the engineering design process as part of students’ learning experience, and has core scientific concepts revisited at multiple levels to help build on prior learning and facilitate a deeper understanding. Students additionally develop individual and teamwork skills to participate in society and the workplace. Activities are focused on content related to all four areas technology as a body of knowledge, using resources and actions to apply engineering design, use processes to produce artifacts and systems, use devices, tools, and systems safely and appropriately, and assess impacts on society and the environment. The students will use LEGOS and other materials to provide hands-on, challenging activities that engage the student while developing critical thinking skills and communication. Students will research, problem solve, and develop solutions to real-life problems. Using coding and engineering concepts, they will design and build a programable LEGO robot.

Middle school students who enjoy singing or playing instruments will have the opportunity to excel in this very diverse program. The worship band students have the privilege of leading worship for our weekly middle school chapel. This band consists of singers, guitarists, drummers, and keyboard players.

In this elective, the students will have the opportunity to have fun as they take photos, design pages, and gather information for CCA’s Yearbook. This elective will provide instruction in yearbook production, beginning journalism, event photography, and photo layout. Students will learn about photo assembly and editing. Everyone in class will have the opportunity to participate in beginning photography.

Our full year art elective has been expanded to include many fun, yet creatively challenging projects. The students will be introduced to the Elements and Principles of Design and Art - color, shape, line, form, space and texture, rhythm, harmony, balance, contrast, movement, pattern, proportion, and variety - using this knowledge to create works of art ranging from drawing, painting, architecture, pottery, sculpture, mosaic, mask-making, collage, printmaking, textiles to murals. Students are encouraged to come with a willingness to try new things in this hands-on, project based elective.

This program consists of 5th-8th grade students. Students in the Beginning Band will have the opportunity to learn to play one of the following instruments: flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, baritone, tuba, percussion, oboe, saxophone, or French horn. In addition to learning how to play an instrument, students are instructed in musical notation, terminology, theory, history, improvisation, and composition. Band students are given opportunities to practice and perform in large ensembles, small ensembles, and as soloists in campus concerts as well as performances in the community. No experience is required to learn to play an instrument.

CCA is pleased to offer Chorus for all of you who love to sing. This ensemble will strengthen your musicianship. You will learn your voice type, read music, sing with others, and perform with others. Use your voice to glorify God! This elective will require additional before or after school participation in rehearsals and performances such as the Christmas program and Fine Arts Spring Showcase. Whether you consider yourself a beginner or practiced singer, we’d love to have you.