Cultivating imagination & creativity
The arts cultivate imagination, encourage mental plasticity, and enrich a child’s understanding of others and themselves. Through their work in the visual and performing arts children develop the creativity, innovation, and problem-solving skills they can apply across the curriculum.
Visual Arts
Preschool students learn primarily through creative play and visual art is an essential component of the curriculum. Lower School students develop skills in drawing, painting, and ceramics under the guidance of a visual art teacher. When possible the art curriculum is integrated with classroom themes. Upper School students tackle projects of greater complexity in the art studio. The spiraling curriculum revisits and builds upon skills learned previously to ensure continuity in skill development. Student work is prominently displayed around the school buildings and trips to local museums augment the art history component of coursework.
Music
Music and movement are an integral part of the preschool curriculum and students also meet with a music specialist once a week. Kindergarten through second grade students learn basic melodic and rhythmic skills in twice weekly music classes. A Pre-Twinkle program is integrated into the Kindergarten curriculum and students in the first through third grades can take in-school lessons on the violin, viola or cello. Lower School Chamber Strings is an ensemble for those students ready for that experience. In 3rd grade, the recorder is introduced and students join their first chorus. Lessons on band instruments begin in the fourth grade. Students in Grades 4-8 participate in Band and Chorus and have an opportunity to continue their string instrument lessons after school. Students in Grades 5-8 also may be invited to join Jazz Band and string students in Grades 4-8 may be invited to participate in Upper School Chamber Strings.
IDS musicians of all ages perform at school and community events and students in grades 6-8 have the opportunity to audition for the Connecticut Music Educators Association’s Southern Region Music Festival.
Theater Arts
“The world is our stage” is more than an expression at IDS. Kindergarten through Grade 4 students perform in an age-appropriate class play each year connected to the curriculum. They act, sing, dance, design, and build sets. The plays are performed for the entire school community.
Upper School students have theater arts incorporated into their English classes where they learn public speaking skills, creative writing, and acting skills. Upper School students also have the option to audition for the annual spring musical or participate in the Tech Crew where they learn about set design and manage the sound and light for performances.
