Program Overview:
New York State Learning Standards for Music:
Click here for a Music Department Flow Chart
Music Department Goals and Vision:
First and foremost the vision statement from the Music Department is about improving the music education of all children. It is not about advocating for a particular theory of music education, or a particular way of recording or reporting progress in music education. It is exclusively about improving how the art of music affects children’s lives.
Believing passionately that music enhances the human condition, deepens aesthetic experience and forms a powerful connection in the brain between cognitive, affective and psychomotor skills; the music department tries to bring that sense of power and beauty into the lives of students.
The Music Department in the Jericho Schools is encouraged to be passionate messengers for music and music education. We are all teacher/musicians. That is to say, we teach children first and our subject is music. We strive to meet the educational needs of students through music. To that end, all of our curricula offerings are child-centered (rather than teacher-directed) and highly student participatory (rather than lecture driven.) Our courses strive to accommodate and celebrate differences and diversity rather than lock-step everyone in a “one-size-fits-all” mold. We then take those individual differences and highlight the diversity, blending and homogenizing the contributions of all students into an ensemble. In much the same way that the school is made up of a diverse population, the band (or chorus or orchestra) is made up of a wide variety of differing instruments. The hallmark of excellent teaching and masterful music education is when a teacher/rehearser/director can skillfully bring the individual parts together in a concertized whole.
Coupled with this is understanding when to be a leader (soloist) and when to be a follower (ensemble or team member). The vision for the department should be to foster ethical, fair-minded, disciplined, cooperative, and creative problem-solvers, capable of assuming the dual roles of leadership or teamsmanship as each individual situation dictates. Students should be able to transfer acquired knowledge and appropriately apply musical understandings to new situations.
There is no evidence to suggest that “higher standards” will do anything except expand cognition, but the integration of The Arts in a comprehensive curriculum will make us more human and more complete. While newer technologies may someday revolutionize the way we compute, write, sort, summarize, edit, and present ideas, it will remain incumbent upon the Arts to tap into our humanity and our ability to react, feel, emote, sympathize, appreciate, love, express, and create.
Music Department Instructional Units: The Board of Education and Administration strongly and proudly support the District's Music and Fine Arts program, which also includes visual arts, media and graphic arts, and dramatic and musical productions. Students have received recognition and honors in all areas of the arts on the national, state and local levels.
Featured Ensembles
Our Chamber Orchestra (student-run) has entertained in numerous Senior Care Facilities in the area.
Music & the Common Core
Fine and Performing Arts teachers have been making connections to mathematics and language arts through the content of their individual discipline. Within the Arts, the content of art, music, dance, and theatre are based on Artistic Behaviors:
These Fine Arts Artistic Behaviors share commonalities with the Standards for Mathematical Practice:
Additionally, Fine Arts teachers encourage their students to be articulate. As artists, we believe in the importance of being able to be reflective, have the ability to critique your work and the work of others, have the ability to follow directions, as well as to be able to write clearly.
New York State Learning Standards for Visual Arts:
Click here for Art Department Flow Chart Art Department Goals and Vision
First and foremost the vision statement from the Art Department is about improving art education of children. It is not about advocating for a particular theory of education, or a particular way of recording or reporting progress in education. It is exclusively about improving how the art affects children’s lives.
Since art enhances the human condition, deepens aesthetic experience and forms a powerful connection in the brain between cognitive, affective and psychomotor skills; the art department tries to bring that sense of power and beauty into the lives of students.
The Art Department in the Jericho Schools is encouraged to be passionate messengers for art education. We are all teacher/artists. That is to say, we teach children first and our subject is art. We strive to meet the educational needs of students through art. To that end, all of our curricula offerings are child-centered (rather than teacher-directed) and highly student participatory (rather than lecture driven.) Our courses strive to accommodate and celebrate differences and diversity rather than lock-step everyone in a “one-size-fits-all” mold.
Art Department Instructional Units:
Art is taught as a classroom subject at the Elementary School level by certified art teachers. At this level they bring a variety of art styles and genres to the students to develop both awareness and an appreciation for art in its many forms. Students learn how to use art tools to create individual projects. As they do they develop a sense of color, balance, texture, form and special relationship. As students get older, more advanced concepts are added in this spiral curriculum.
At the Middle School, art is integrated with all areas of instruction. A highly competent staff guides 6th-8th graders through art projects. Additionally, students are exposed to digital art in computer labs. A variety of software is used to allow for student creativity.
At the High School level, Digital Media Art, Studio Art, AP Art Seminar, Photography and more specific areas of art make up a comprehensive art curriculum. An expert staff can assist further development of art concepts as well as encourage and critique artistic efforts. The creative process is celebrated as students become artistically independent and advanced. AP Exams are offered in Photography.
For Fine Arts Course offerings at the High School, please click here