“Fine Arts is that in which the hand, the head and the heart go together." This precise quote, written by John Ruskin two centuries ago in Great Britain, is the credo of Walnut Hills Elementary School. An education here addresses the visual and performing arts, and, more importantly, their integration into the regular core curriculum. Our program offers a three-prong approach...
Academic Excellence
Arts Integration
Plus Time
At Walnut Hills Elementary School, the multiple intelligences are central to learning. Each student is challenged to reach their potential academically in an environment that nurtures individuality and creativity. Here at Walnut Hills we pursue a rigorous and challenging core curriculum coupled with the arts so that we enable all of our students to fully realize their intellectual and creative potential.
Walnut Hills is a school that has something for just about everyone: a solid curriculum in the core subjects, plus a program with a special focus on arts integration. To accomplish this we have included 8-week sessions held during the school day to provide added opportunities for students to participate in a variety of enrichment activities.
Academic Excellence
Walnut Hills expects academic excellence for all children. We achieve this by teaching a rigorous core curriculum. Each grade level has clearly defined expectations for their students that meet or exceed the state standards. Teachers acknowledge that students learn in a range of ways. We are committed to teaching our core curriculum by integrating the eight multiple intelligences into our instruction. We believe that students have multiple intelligences that can be nurtured over time. Teaching to the intelligences addresses every learning style and modality. No child is left behind at Walnut Hills.
Arts Integration
When children study the arts, significant elements of their education find focus and expression. “Students exposed to drama, music, art and dance do a better job at mastering reading, writing, math, science and social studies than those who focus solely on academics”, says a report by the Arts Education Partnership. The staff at Walnut Hills believes this as well. The integrity of each arts class (art, library, gym, and music) is maintained while integrating content from the core curriculum
Plus Time Program
Plus Time is an opportunity for students to be captivated by exciting, energizing classes
which purposefully integrate the arts with the core curriculum. Students are given
the opportunity to select their class choice for both the fall and spring sessions of Plus
Time.
Staff throughout the school offer a variety of Plus Time classes which range in content from the typical core academic realm to a broader realm of courses such as cooking, ballet, hand chimes, graphic arts, board games, robotics, gym games, and lacrosse to name only a few.
Students are exposed to the arts by rotating through movement, music, art, theater, math and language experiences. Through this exposure students begin to discover their areas of strength in the arts.
Students choose topic areas in which they would like to participate. Students are then given the opportunity to select their class choice for both the fall and spring sessions of Plus Time. Classes are offered in many different areas twice a year for eight week sessions.