I believe that we value teaching the whole student. So fine arts here of course includes the visual arts. One of my goals with all my students is to get them exposed to as many different mediums as possible.  They have music in elementary. In middle school, again that band and that choir and that orchestra continue but also then we bring in the performing arts.

I play violin. I've been playing it since 4th grade so I really enjoy that. And I also really love to sing. Our musical this year was Mulan Jr. And I was Mulan. I think our whole class had so much fun doing it.

The first practice, everyone comes. They just sit in my room and we talk through the whole play. And then they start to memorize it. They start to become the character.

I love the way the curriculum is interwoven into the arts. If they are studying a particular subject, it’s interwoven into the music that they're singing in choir and into the art that they're learning.

We just participated in the fine arts night and that awesome to see. To walk around the school and see all the different artwork .

Our art teacher, he really pushes us to think outside the box. Sometimes I can just use my imagination and draw something or make something.

Taking art and being involved in art, one of the benefits is that it teaches students to take risks. You're going to find art everywhere. Some people like to say it drips from the walls. Anywhere I have an open spot, I'm going to be hanging that artwork.

Most schools will sing music in C Major key and you come into a gathering space on a Wednesday morning and the children are singing in descants. They're singing in minor keys. They are singing in times that are not four four.  It’s just unparalleled. There's just not a school around here that can do that.

I'm teaching them proper singing technique, diction, all those kinds of things. But for band , the fundamentals of musicianship. The commitment to fine arts here helps to develop the whole child; the brain, the creativity. Hardly ever have we had a valedictorian or salutatorian or in our top five graduates that aren't in the fine arts as well.

Often times it's those art programs that typically get cut. We've never seen cuts in those programs. And I do think that's what makes the kids here ready to step into God's world and God's plan for them.