A Portledge education emphasizes the importance of the arts. Visual arts play an essential role in that it helps to foster imagination and creative problem-solving skills. Young children are encouraged to experiment with media, techniques and materials as they develop a foundation for further learning in the arts. The understanding and use of art vocabulary becomes a useful tool for students as they develop aesthetic judgment skills, embrace open-mindedness, and become independent thinkers in their creative pursuits.
Lower school students learn through active participation in the creative process. Beginning Pre-kindergarten, students participate in structured visual art classes and continue through fifth grade. Art instruction includes introduction to the art elements, art materials, art history and cultures from around the world. Ancient, traditional and contemporary art and artists are examined within the context of specially designed units in class. Art classes meet one to two times per week from forty to sixty minute periods depending upon grade level. Our art curriculum includes explorations in drawing, design, woodworking, ceramics, sculpture, photography, and mixed media. Students frequently have the opportunity to work independently while designing or building individual projects at one or more of the creative work stations in the art room. These creative stations include the wood working table, clay table, cut and color table, sculpture building table white board area and Lego building station.
Art Field Trips:
Students in grades first through fifth are able to visit world class art museums in New York City and on Long Island through participation in specially designed art field trips organized by Ms. Benter and Mr. Myers. 2011-2012 art field trips are listed below.
First & Eighth grade art partners will visit the Whitney Museum in New York City.
Pre-Kindergarten & Kindergarten will travel together to the Tilles Center to view performances related to Eric Carle & Knuffle Bunny.
Third graders will visit the Jewish Museum in New York City.
Fourth graders will visit the Heckscher Museum in Huntington
Fifth graders to visit Claytime in Huntington.
Art Enrichment:
Students may attend Open Studio in the Lower School art room, on a rotating basis during recess time each week. Fourth & fifth graders may attend on Tuesdays and children in first through third may attend on Wednesdays. Students may work on independent projects of their own design.
Junior Docent Program: Our second year!
Selected fifth graders will participate in the Junior Docent training program at the Heckscher Museum. Once training is completed, the fifth graders will lead our Portledge second graders through an art exhibition at the Heckscher Museum during the spring.