FINE ARTS DEPARTMENT
Art IV
Art III
Piano
Art II
Select
Choir
Guitar
Art I
Senior High
Chorus
Senior High
Band
Art I - This is a full year course offered to students in grades 9-12. Coursework includes an introduction to
ceramics, elements and principles of design, painting, drawing, sculpture, and fibers. Ceramics will deal with
the three basic hand-building processes and wheel throwing along with learning about glaze and glazing
techniques. Through the use of the “grid” theory the students will enlarge a photograph as a subject for an
acrylic painting. To develop hand/eye coordination, the students will hone their drawing skills by creating a
still-life drawing using pencils and charcoal. The students will learn about drop spindle wool spinning and
dyeing to create a small woven sampler. Art movements such as Cubism, Abstract Expressionism and
Surrealism will be discussed.
Art II - This is a full year course offered to students in grades 10-12 who have completed Art I. The student
must have made no lower than a C- in their last art class to enter this class. Working both in two and three
dimensions, coursework for this year is geared somewhat around studying the human face and body. The
students will create a self-portrait, ceramic bust. The students will explore using different mediums. A head-totoe fantasy portrait will be created using colored pencils. The students will produce a composition from a
photograph using the pen and ink process. Using watercolors, the students will create a still-life composition.
Some twentieth century artists will be covered.
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Art III - This is a full year course offered to students in grades 11-12 who have completed Art I and II.
Coursework for this year will cover such areas as collage, ceramics, drawing, painting, and fibers. Ceramics
will study the debate: Form vs. Function and create either a teapot and cups or a soup tureen and bowls
combing both elements. The students will experiment with scratchboard and batiking fabric. A hard edge
painting will be a follow up to the twentieth century artists’ discussions. A still life using colored
pencils/pastels combination will be done. The students will explore graphic design through the creation of a
collage.
Art IV -This is a full year course offered to students in the 12th grade who have completed Art I, II, and III.
This is considered a studio class. The students are required to contract with the teacher a minimum of four
major art pieces. The student must know and list supplies that they will need for their projects. The students
must also complete two research papers. One paper must research an artist of their choice. The paper must
consist of five typewritten pages of information-sighting their resources. It must also have a cover page and a
page of scanned or copied examples of that artist’s works. The other research paper deals with a fictitious
scenario in which the student has become a new art teacher. They must set up a new art program, spend money
according to the budget provided, fill out requisition forms, and design their new classroom.
*You may not take a next level art class if you made a grade lower than C- in the previous art class.
SR. BAND - Sr High Band is a one-year class open to all students, grades 9-12 who have participated in junior
high band or by audition. Marching band begins just before school commences with a few scheduled summer
practices as well as a week-long band camp. During the school year, the band rehearses during normal class
time, as well as some evenings. Performances include all home football games, at least two band
festival/competitions, Veterans Day Parade, Christmas Parade and the Homecoming Parade. All performances
and after school rehearsals are required. In early November the regular marching season comes to a close and
concert band will begin. The concert band will be playing an exciting, as well as a wide, range of selections
from all different styles, tempos, and periods of history. Each student will audition for chair placement. The
Concert band's first performance is the annual Christmas Concert, which also features the High School Chorus.
After Christmas break, the band begins preparation for District and State Music Festival. Other performances
include: All District Band concert, a Spring Concert, Awards Night and graduation. Band members also play in
pep band for basketball games. Varsity basketball players, both boys and girls, and cheerleaders will not be
required to participate in pep band. There are several optional performing opportunities in band including: color
guard, area honor and all state bands, district honor band, solo and ensemble, and private lessons.
SR HIGH MIXED CHORUS - This choir is for boys and girls in grades 9-12 who wish to further their
understanding of vocal production and performance. The group will explore four-part music in several different
genres, including both classical-based and popular-based choral literature. Music theory and music history will
be taught within the context of the music presented in class. Choral music in the classical tradition will expose
students to both sacred and secular poetic texts, the use of Latin and other languages, and both accompanied and
a cappella selections. Choral music in the popular tradition will often require the use of staging and/or
choreography that is appropriate to the style. Emphasis at all times will be on standard practice vocal technique.
Fundamentals of tone production stressed will include proper diction with respect to style, appropriate breathing
and breath support, physiological aspects of tension-free singing, including loose jaw, open throat, etc., proper
application of vowels and consonants, and attention to group dynamics such as balance, blend, and overall
teamwork. Students will be periodically evaluated and graded on all of these elements. In addition, a large
portion of the student's grade will be based upon his/her participation in performances. There are four concerts
per year, as well as league, regional, and state music festivals. Students are encouraged to audition for district
and state honor choirs, for regional solos and small vocal ensembles, and for NHS select choir. Cost to students
may include dry-erase markers for music theory review in class and performance attire.
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SR HIGH SELECT CHOIR - This choir is open to students in grades 9-12 by audition. Students in this group
will be required to perform for many school and community events. The NHS Select Choir traditionally
performs at home basketball games, at the annual Neodesha Arts and Crafts Fair, at regional and state music
festivals, and in at least 4 concerts per year. The group also often accepts invitations to sing for communitybased organizations. Therefore, members of the group need to be well organized and willing to perform during
evenings and on weekends. The NHS Select Choir performs a wide variety of music. In the fall semester, the
group generally learns a twenty-minute show that includes staging, choreography, and costuming. This show,
with variations, is performed throughout the year for different audiences. In the spring semester, the group
focuses on classic literature, including madrigals, spirituals, and other music traditionally appropriate for music
festivals and contests. Students are often required to sing a cappella, and in different languages, particularly
Latin, French, Italian, and German. Grading is almost entirely performance-based, so attendance is a must.
Students with jobs are expected to make performances a priority. Cost to students may include a variety of
performance attire and various trip expenses.
BEGINNING GUITAR CLASS - Guitar class is a semester class open to all students in grades 9-12 with no
formal training on the guitar or music reading on the guitar, those who have not played the guitar, and those
who have had no experience on any instrument. Ear training, note reading and visualization are used as tools to
help develop confidence and learn simple solos and group pieces. The style of the music ranges from Blues to
Beethoven. Students must provide their own guitar and purchase their own book that comes with a CD. The cost
of the book is $10.
PIANO - Piano Class is open to students in grades 9-12. There are accommodations for beginning,
intermediate, and advanced students, and, therefore, no prerequisite. Students will learn and reinforce
fundamentals of piano technique, including hand position, music reading, scale patterns, chord structure, and
performance. A graded, progressive piano method is used, with supplementary material offered to the students
at different points in their development. Grading is based upon periodic evaluations of student progress in their
application of piano technique as well as their progress in the accompanying music theory curriculum. Quarterly
and semester exams are performance-based.
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