ARTS
Sharing Christ with our Actions
St. John's students are given the opportunity to explore and express their creativity through music, art and theater. Experiences are offered beginning in preschool and their skills are developed and built on year after year. These musical presentations are designed to share God's truth and stories from the bible through word and song.
We want our students to be creative, not only because it strengthens their minds, but because it is also beneficial to their bodies! Many of the motions involved in making art, such as holding a paintbrush or scribbling with a crayon, are essential to the growth of fine motor skills in young children. Making art provides opportunities for our teachers to share words for colors, shapes and actions beyond the basic structures students learned as very young children.
Vocal Music
The choral music program at St. John’s consists of choirs at each grade level from K-5. The choirs practice 1-2 times per week during school and sing during school chapel and church services and community events several times per year, including the City of Orange Tree Lighting Ceremony. Choral Director Audrey Mink inspires our students to sing to the glory of God for all to hear!
Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth!
Psalm 96:1
Instrumental Music
Making a Joyful Noise unto the Lord!
Instrumental music is part of the weekly classroom schedule in grades K-5. The recorder is introduced in fourth grade, ukulele in fifth grade, beginning/intermediate band is offered to students in grades 4-8, and advanced band is offered to third-year band students (grades 6-8). Handbells are offered to students in grades 5-8. Students perform in school chapel and school events, as well as several special performances during the year. Our music teacher, Mrs. Elliott, has a passion for working with beginning instrumental music students. She loves teaching them how to serve and honor God with their musical gifts and hopes to help inspire a lifelong love of music!
Visual Arts
Fostering a Creative Spirit
St. John's is blessed to have a wonderfully creative art teacher, Ms. Boezinger. The range of techniques and mediums that they present to our students is especially evident in our spring art show, Expression Explosion. Students are encouraged to express themselves and take risks in creating art, developing a sense of innovation that will carry into their adult lives. Learning to create and appreciate visual aesthetics through drawing, sculpting with clay, and painting all develop visual-spatial skills, which are more important ever in our technology-driven world.
Private Music Lessons
Our students also have the opportunity to take private music lessons through St. John’s Music Conservatory. These sessions are arranged to fit into the student’s school schedule or after school. Opened in the fall of 1986, St. John’s Music Conservatory provides year-round musical instruction within a Christian environment for students of all ages.
Most “classical” instruments, including guitar and voice, are taught by professionals in their respective fields. Students are given the opportunity to play in recitals three times a year, and advanced students have the opportunity to play in our church services. The Conservatory provides quality lessons to students, church members, and many in our community.
Arts in Education
The experience of making decisions and choices in the course of creating art carries over into other areas of instruction at St. John's.
Art education strengthens problem-solving and critical-thinking skills through encouraging students to use descriptive words when discussing their own creations or to talk about what feelings are elicited when they see different styles of artwork. The process of mixing mediums, building creative projects, and discussing art and creativity reinforces the lessons our students are learning in Science, Math, English, Technology, Social Science and so much more!
