Arts
A vital and valued component of a BFS education, the arts are seamlessly woven throughout the curriculum. Our creative art program intentionally offers a wide breadth and depth of experiences in every grade. We engage students at every grade in woodshop, music, theatre, and visual art - with expanding complexity and autonomy as students progress through the grade levels. Our curriculum is project-based and inclusive - every student is a part of every art demonstration and/or performance, including our talent show, plays, holiday concert, visual art show, and more.
Visual Arts
In our learner-directed visual art program, we maintain a careful balance between direct instruction and independent work so that each student has sufficient opportunity to inquire, engage, discover, apply, and evaluate their own ideas. At each grade level, students will learn about:
- Art Production – the making of art… techniques and tools
- Art Criticism – the discussion of art… terms and critiques
- Art History – who made what and when…. culturally and historically
- Aesthetics – the philosophy of art… questions about art that seem to be unanswerable… what is art? what is beauty?
Each year, collaborative visual art projects take place within each class and division, as well as school-wide.
Woodshop
In BFS's well-equipped shop, students in 1st through 8th grade develop lifelong hard and soft skills. As they take an idea from concept to flat drawing to finished three-dimensional object, they learn about the safe and appropriate use of a variety of age-appropriate tools, and refine their drawing and measurement skills. They also learn to solve problems, to engage in critical thinking/reasoning, to present their own work, and to respect the work of others.
Music
Our music program is grounded in the Orff-Schulwerk method, an approach to building musicianship in every learner through the integration of music, movement, speech, and drama. The result is a joyful, interactive classroom where play, imitation, experimentation, and personal expression occur naturally as students become confident, life-long musicians and creative problem solvers. We teach music theory and history, and students at every grade level explore a variety of instruments, genres, and technologies.
Theater
Each year, all students participate in a theater production with their classmates. Students are encouraged to shine in a loving and supportive environment, whether they have been performing their entire lives or never stepped foot on stage. From small plays and history fairs to iMovie creations and fully-staged musical productions, BFS students and teachers work together to create amazing performances, cheered on by the entire school community.