6th Grade

On December 8th, 601 and 602 will perform their first concert, wrapping up the term. We will then welcome two new 6th grade classes to chorus.

7th/8th Grade Majors

On December 21st at 6pm, the 7th and 8th grade chorus majors will perform in the annual Winter Concert, the first since 2019! They will be performing repertoire such as “El rio,” “Wade in the Water,” “The Lake Isle of Innisfree,” and even a special combined piece with the 7th grade dance and chorus majors. We hope to see you there!

Graphic Arts (Ms. Eisenberg)

6th Grade

Classes 601 and 602 are working on completing a digital painting assignment using Adobe Photoshop. The students learned how to draw and paint a self-portrait of themselves using Adobe Photoshop and Wacom drawing tablets. They learned the definition of a self-portrait, and how to paint shading in an artwork to look three-dimensional. The students learned how self-portraits can be both realistic and abstract in style. They observed self-portrait artwork dating back to the 16th Century through to the 21st Century.

7th Grade Majors

 Students have been learning about product design, packaging design, and advertising. They are working on completing a three-part design project. Through research and writing they studied the history and brand identity of the company named Ray Ban. Like a real graphic designer, they were given the challenge of designing a new line of Rare Prints sunglasses by Ray Ban. The sunglass design needed to be based off of a theme. The students learned to design patterns both by hand and digitally that focused on the principles of design. Currently, they are in the stages of learning how to market and brand their sunglasses. They learned how to create packaging design. They designed a two-dimensional box for their sunglasses that was printed, cut, scored, and glued together by hand to make a three-dimensional box. The students studied advertising and are designing an advertisement that brings awareness about their sunglasses to consumers. The ads can be displayed both as print and online. All three parts of the project focused on color theory, scale, texture, typography, and literacy.

8th Grade Majors

The eighth-grade graphic arts majors will be introduced to the style of Pop Art and the artist named Andy Warhol. They will learn about propaganda artwork and how the Pop Art era emerged during the 1950’s followed by the aftermath of WWII. The students will design a vector Pop Art portrait that focuses on a world issue or social justice topic. They will use Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop to create a vector portrait in the style of Andy Warhol. They will study the color theory process of Warhol, and how the use of repetition in his artworks referred to big businesses and consumerism

Visual Arts (Ms. Herrity)

6th Grade

7th Grade Majors

Visual Art majors are becoming pros with perspective drawing technique – mastering both 1 and 2-point perspective. Students are working on developing a story of the future and then will be creating a large ink and watercolor painting that depicts a scene from their story. In class we’ve been learning to use and control a penholder, nib, and waterproof black india ink. Creating value scales of marks: stipple, hatch, cross-hatch, and then applying these techniques to real life examples. Watercolor techniques will be explored as well before the project gets going!

8th Grade Majors

Visual Art majors in 8th grade just wrapped up a sculptural mask project and will be moving into a drawing project that focuses on the equal importance of negative space to positive space. Students will be drawing a stool or a chair by drawing the “empty” spaces in and around the form. Sketchbook homework will return for 2nd marking period and will be assigned and due on a bi-weekly basis

Theater (Ms. DiRenzo)

6th Grade

As we close out the first marking period of Theater, we cap off the following units of study:
6th Grade- 603 & 604: We will combine our studies of ensemble building and stage composition with an introduction to Greek Mythology. Students will work in 4 groups to read and analyze a Greek Myth of their choice and cooperatively write their own play based on the events in the myth. ***New classes will begin our time together building our ensemble through theater games and learning the new routines of the Theater Studio.

7th Grade Majors

Students are currently studying and practicing the skills of improvisation through games and scene work. Improvisation is a process by which we may choose to create theater which is unscripted and unrehearsed. We will use this process in the future to create our own pieces inspired by the 7th grade experience.

8th Grade Majors

As we close out our Audition Prep unit, we are recording auditions tapes in class for students to submit. We will then begin our literature study of Sophocles’ Antigone in preparation for the Theater Design Unit where students in small groups will design and produce a scene from the play.