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VISUAL
ARTS
The visual arts department at Oakbrook reaches all students with
every student in K4 through grade five participating in visual
art classes once per week.
Beginning in grade 6, students can choose art as an elective
class. Oakbrook’s middle school art classes include an introduction
to the elements of art and principles of design as well as modern
art, multicultural art and a look into art careers such as graphic
design, architecture, automotive engineering, and illustration.
The high school art program includes Sculpture, Drawing 1, Painting
1, Women in the Arts, Surface Design, Mixed Media, Painting I,
Book Arts, and The Bible Through Artists’ Eyes, which is a study
of Biblical themes and symbolism in Christian art throughout history
and may be taken for either Art or Bible credit.
For the highly advanced art students already working at a very
independent skill level, we offer Advanced Studio Art that leads
into the final advanced course of AP Studio Art. These students
are highly motivated to stretch their abilities even further while
working carefully on building a portfolio of artwork that shows
the breadth of subjects and media they can handle at a high skill
level as well as a concentration series on a particular theme of
interest.
Upper school students also have the option of becoming a member
of the Art Club, which meets once per month.
Visit
our student Art Gallery.
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BAND
Band students begin with Beginner Band in grade five, designed
for students interested in learning to play a musical instrument,
understanding musical notation, and performing in public and continue
through middle school. Each year the students learn fundamentals
that increase expertise on their instruments.
The high school program is dedicated to the advancement
of good band literature. The band is made up of a select number
of students based on specific instrumentation. The band will
begin to learn how to sight read difficult music and make mature
musical decisions. Participation in band classes allows opportunities
to participate in concerts, solo and ensemble festival, region
and all-state auditions, parades, pep rallies and community events.
Besides several concerts and clinics throughout the year, these
students
are strongly encouraged to participate in Region and State wide
auditions/competitions. This group of students marches in the city-wide
Christmas parade each year.
Oakbrook's band received an Outstanding Performance award from the South Carolina Band Director's Association in 2010. This was after participating for the first time in Concert Festiva,l which is sponsored by the SCBDA.
Students are also encouraged to take private lessons and participate
in other musical opportunities such as church and community bands.
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DANCE
Oakbrook’s dance program began three years ago and has grown
significantly each semester. Students begin dance classes in the
lower school and may continue through middle school, where they
explore the basic levels of a variety of dance genres, including
ballet, jazz, modern, and ballroom.
Dance is an interactive and innovative class designed
to provide students with the opportunity to learn and appreciate
the art form of dance. One of the main standards explored is
dance technique, which enables the students to become literate
in dance fundamentals, in a variety of genres, such as ballet,
jazz, modern, and tap, and to be engaged in activities involving
body awareness, movement exploration, and the understanding of
the dance elements-body, time, space, and energy. Emphasis is
also put on understanding choreographic principles, processes,
and structures while acquiring the skills to create and interpret
ideas and feelings through dance. Students will use critical
and creative thinking skills, learn history and culture, connect
dance with healthy living, and relate dance with other disciplines.
Advanced Dance course, offered to students by audition, is designed
to emphasize and refine all main technique areas and master specific
dance vocabulary related to the efficient and artful use of the
body as an instrument.
Creative Movement is an option
that 1st-5th grade teachers can choose and sign up for this first
semester. Creative Movement provides the students with opportunities
for noncompetitive, success-oriented and creative experiences.
Through movement, children learn about their bodies, the space
around them, and each other.
As dance is a growing program, teacher Jenny Howard continues
to experiment with new performance opportunities, conventions,
and clinics. The class’s biggest fundraiser for the year is its
Dance Clinic that is held for grades 1-5 in January. Students learn
the basic fundamentals of dance and they also learn a dance sequence
that is performed at halftime of one of the basketball games.
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DRAMA
Students can choose drama as their elective beginning
in the 5th grade. They can continue to study drama through the
12th grade.
Drama gives the student an increased appreciation
of and additional experience in theater as an art form. The students
act, direct, or are technically involved in scenes, one-act plays
or full length production. They read, write, and evaluate plays
as well as view and critique electronic and live performances.
History, culture and technology of theater are examined and explored.
Through creating theater, students grow in their ability to comprehend
the world and to communicate with others.
Students have the opportunity to attend theater
competitions and present smaller productions. Out of the past two
years, Oakbrook's drama team won first place in the SCISA State
One-Act Play competition and won the regional title in both years.
Students have the opportunity to audition for the
annual school musical each spring. Students do not have to be enrolled
in a drama class to audition. Past musical performances include:
The Wizard of Oz, The Music Man, Bye Bye Birdie, and Into the Woods.
Coming in 2009: Beauty and the Beast
Drama Club is also available to students interested
in Drama. This club meets once per month for upper school students,
and membership is not eexclusive to those in drama class.
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JOURNALISM/YEARBOOK
Oakbrook’s journalism program includes newspaper and broadcast
media. This year, the two programs have converged. Media convergence,
defined as the sharing of content and/or staff with another media
platform, is the most significant development in the news industry
in the last century. Convergence has enabled media companies to
gather and share information over a variety of platforms. Oakbrook’s
two journalism staffs – broadcast and newspaper – work together
while learning each trade. The newspaper prints five to six times
a year, while the broadcast show, "The Update," airs each Friday. In addition, the broadcasting staff produces special documentary shows as well as public service
announcements.
The Yearbook staff works tirelessly throughout the year creating
the annual. The staff is reponsible for writing, editing, and laying
out the yearbook using complex computer software. |
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