Beginning art students at WRHS may enroll in Art Skills, Concepts, and Design. This course introduces the student to the basic language of the visual artist. Students will study howthe elements and principles of design are used to communicate visual ideas. In a studio art setting, students will use their knowledge of the elements and principles of art to create their own two-and three dimensional artwork. Students will experiment with different media and use a wide variety of artistic techniques. Students will also view and analyze different artistic styles.

While it may be helpful for students to have successfully completed Art Skills, Concepts and Design it is more critical that they have an interest in the field of teaching or working with people with special needs to enroll in Art Peer Tutors. Students will investigate teaching methodology, study special needs issues, and gain practical experience as a peer teacher in visual art making. Art Peer Tutors is similar to a student teaching experience in college. Students will prepare and implement art lessons for students with special needs. Each peer tutor will work with a partner: the ratio of two peer tutors to one special needs student is desired. This is a half -year course and will include working in two- and three-dimensional art media on projects that are age and ability appropriate for students with special needs. Tutors will meet with course instructors for a portion of class time to study teaching methods, examine educational issues and classroom management techniques. Students with special needs will attend scheduled classes and participate in creating visual art. Peer tutors will teach several of the art lessons; a visual art teacher will facilitate the classes.

This studio art class builds on 3-dimensional form skills introduced at the middle school level and Art Skills, C oncepts and Design. Students will view, analyze and create 3-dimensional artwork. Additive, subtractive, and mixed media sculptural techniques will be used. The students will create functional ceramic objects as well as non-functional sculptures.

Ceramics and Sculpture 2 builds on the skills developed in Ceramics and Sculpture 1. Ceramics and Sculpture 2 introduces students to the more advanced clay techniques, larger slab construction, and armature skills. Potter's wheel techniques, glazing, staining, and kiln preparation and its care will also be covered. Additive and subtractive sculptural techniques will also be addressed.

This course is for students who enjoy and want to learn the skills necessary to draw and paint realistically. This studio art class focuses on the development of the fundamental skills of drawing and painting. Students will be introduced to and experiment with various drawing and painting media and techniques. Students will also view, analyze and evaluate their own artwork and the work of various artists.

Drawing and Painting 2 is offered in the spring for students who successfully completed Drawing and Painting 1 and want to further explore drawing elements and painting techniques. Students will build upon prior knowledge of Drawing and Painting 1 to create drawings and paintings with dynamic creative composition and personal expression. Students will be exposed to, and experiment with, a variety of technologies. Assembling a portfolio of at least eight personal best works is a requirement.

Advanced Art is for the student who wants to pursue a career in the field of Art or for the student who wants to take AP Studio Art. Students will build their college/university art portfolio by working on projects that are appropriate to this purpose. This would include original artwork in a variety of techniques and media, preliminary sketches, the development of an idea, work drawn and painted realistically, abstractions, and non-objective examples. Portfolio work will include two and three-dimensional artwork depending on individual concentration decisions.

This course will introduce concepts and methods of illustration and two-dimensional design that constitute successful pictorial and graphic communications. The emphasis will be on the principles of design with discussion of the elements of art as being an inherent part of visual communication. There will be an exploration of diverse drawing and painting techniques, such as high-contrast illustration using black and white to convey mood and emotion, cross-hatching, stippling, cross contour and layering of multi-media. Assigned projects will encourage the learner to explore illustration and two-dimensional art for application in a variety of print media and further development into three-dimensional product design. Art styles and expressions will also be studied.

In this elective course students will be able to properly manipulate a 35mm DSLR camera to take photographs. With the camera students will also explore the characteristics of light and image formation as well as the production of a well-composed photograph. Using Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, the student will learn how to balance light, hue and saturation to make photographs. Other assignments will involve critique and analysis of photographs and an introduction to the history of photgraphy

The photography processes explored in Photography 1 will be extended in Photography 2. Students will be introduced to additional equipment,light sources, and techniques. Students will hone their skills and techniques and be able to make a connection between personal expression and the intentional use of photographic materials. Student will also use digital imagery and computer technology in this course. Students in this course have the opportunity to earn 3 credits from Southern Connecticut State University

The skills and techniques covered in Photography 2 will be extended in Advanced Photography./ECE DMD 1002 Students will also learn various alternative forms of photography (such as photo collage, studio lighting, advanced Photoshop techniques and other experimental processes) as well as current digital photography and computer technology. Students in this course have the opportunity to earn 3 credits from UConn.

The Advanced Placement in Studio Art program enables highly motivated students to perform at the college level while still in high school. This college-level course adheres to the suggested College Board Curriculum. Students can choose one portfolio type per year to submit for grading. The AP Studio portfolio is a performance-based exam, rather than a written exam. Students are expected to pay for and submit their AP portfolio to the College Board in Mayfor evaluation. Students will have to keep a sketchbook and do assignments the summer before taking this course.

his elective course in visual communication teaches skills and concepts for the production of commercial art. Students will utilize art programs on the Macintosh platform to create their graphic design pieces. Elements to be studied include typography usage and design, logo and icon design, corporate identity and page layout.

This elective course in visual communication teaches skills and concepts for the production of commercial art beyond those learned in Graphic Design 1. Elements to be studied include three dimensional design and industrial design. Students will utilize art programs on the Macintosh platform to create their graphic works.

This elective course is offered to students who show an in-depth interest in the field of graphic design. Graphic Design 3 will strengthen skills introduced in the previous two graphic design courses. Students will work primarily with clients in the school, district and surrounding communities. Class projects will also be assigned that bolster the skills they needs to serve their clients. Elements to be studied will be portfolio design, resume design, and artwork presentation for shows and everyday postings around the school.

The Advanced Placement in Art History course enables highly motivated students to perform at the college level while still in high school. This college-level course adheres to the suggested College Board Curriculum. In the AP course in Art History, students will be required to think critically and should develop an understanding and knowledge of diverse historical and cultural contexts of architecture, sculpture, painting and other media. In this course, students examine and critically analyze major forms of artistic expression from the past and the present from a variety of cultures. While visual analysis is a fundamental tool of the art historian, art history emphasizes understanding how and why works of art function in context, considering such issues as patronage, gender, and the functions and effects of works of art. Many colleges and universities offer advanced placement and/or credit to students who perform successfully on the AP Art History Exam. The AP Art History Exam is a written exam. Students are expected to pay for and take the College Board Exam in May. Students will have to do assignments the summer before taking this course.

Concert Band is an instrumental performance ensemble through which students can explore unique musical opportunities. Students will be challenged to develop their individual music skills, investigate a varied repertoire of performance styles and practices, and communicate musical ideas as part of a large ensemble. Commitment to a more in-depth study of music is essential both during class time and for at home practice. Attendance at all rehearsals and performances is required. Performance opportunities include, but are not limited to, scheduled concerts, Fine Arts department events, and community performances. This course can be repeated yearly.

Percussion Ensemble is a performance ensemble dealing with the study of percussion instruments. Students will learn the history, musical language, and background of various pitched and non-pitched percussion instruments. Course requirements will include public ensemble performance as well as several in-class solo performances. Instruments covered will range from keyboard percussion instruments to membranophones such as the snare drum. Students will gain a more advanced understanding of music notation. Attendance at all rehearsals and performances is required. Performance opportunities include, but are not limited to, scheduled concerts, Fine Arts department events, and community performances.

Musical Theater Workshop is a course designed for aspiring vocalists. Students enrolled in this course will study and learn a variety of repertoire from the Broadway musical genre, including the storyline and context within which the music is used. Students will be challenged to learn solo/duet/ensemble song selections in developing an audition portfolio as well as a digital recording portfolio of their own performance. Attendance at all rehearsals and performances is required. Performance opportunities include, but are not limited to, scheduled concerts, Fine Arts department events, and community performances. This course can be taken as a hyear course or taken repeatedly as a full year course (if student schedule allows).

Students who participate in this full year performance ensemble will be challenged to develop their vocal technique and performance practices.A wide variety of performance literature will enable students to create strong foundations in vocal music, identify basic forms and techniques of singing, and explore the range of their individual vocal capacities.Attendance at all rehearsals and performances is required. Performances include, but are not limited to, scheduled concerts and Fine Arts events.

Music Theory is a half-year, comprehensive course of study in music. This course will be an introduction to the basics of musical language. Students will explore fundamental and technical aspects of musical language, its historical foundations, and common practices. Students will be challenged to advance their individual music skills, express musical ideas, develop a command of the written/aural language, and create original compositions in different styles, using a variety of traditional instruments and music technology applications.

Applied Instrumental Study is a course that can be repeated for multiple semesters. Students will have the opportunity to develop and then master the skills necessary to perform a variety of classical and contemporary guitar and/or piano music. Students will learn the history, musical language, literature and common practices associated with the instruments' style. The school will provide a limited amount of instruments. (Students in need of a school guitar should speak to the instructor prior to enrolling in this class to ensure availability).

Students have the opportunity to further their musical experience as a member of a unique rock ensemble. Students will study contemporary/rock styles, structure, techniques, and song selections. This unique ensemble will feature instrumental performance and singers, as well as creativity and use of music technology software to assist in the development of original arrangement/compositions. Commitment to a more in-depth study of music is essential both during class time and at home practice. Attendance at all rehearsals and performances is required. Performance opportunities include, but are not limited to, scheduled concerts, Fine Arts department events, and community performances.

As its name implies, this course is designed to develop an appreciation of the art of music, through the study of a variety of styles and examples of music covering musical trends of the last 500 years. Although most of the focus will be on "western" historical music trends, the range of study includes from Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven, to Gershwin,Jackson, and Mackelmore. Students will have daily opportunities to gain deeper understanding of the beauty and details within the music, and find common themes that connect music across cultures and across time periods of history. Students who meet the standard/criteria established by the UConn Music Department will receive 3 college credits through the ECE program. Students must register online with UConn ECE in order to be eligible.

The goal of the ECE Fundamentals and Ear Training 1 course is to develop a student's ability to recognize, understand and describe basic materials and processes of music that are heard or presented in everyday music ensembles. The achievement of this goal may be best promoted by integrated approaches to the student's development of Music Literacy Ear training (aural skills) and rudimentary keyboard skills.

The goal of the ECE Fundamentals and Ear Training 2 course is the further development of skills in music reading, sight, signing, and writing. The ultimate goal of the ECE Fundamentals and Ear Training course is to develop a student's ability to write, sign, and play major scales, all three forms of minor scales, pentatonic scale, whole-tone scale, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, and Mixoiydian modes.

The ECE Popular Music and Diversity in American Society course is an introduction to popular music and diversity in America: jazz, blues, Top 40 pop, rock, hip-hop, and other genres. Musicians and their music are studied in the context of twentieth-century and contemporary American society, emphasizing issues of race, gender, class and resistance.

ECE Music 1003 is designed to introduce students to the most significant genres of American popular music of the last one hundred years, and to the role of cultural diversity in their evolution. It will emphasize pre-1940 African American genres, the music of rural and non-mainstream urban Caucasians, and post-1945 pop and rock music across the expanding American demographic spectrum, including newimmigrant groups from the Carribean basin and and Central and South America. It seeks to make students more culturally discerning and active listeners by surveying the elements of music

Acting 1 introduces the student to the craft of acting. Students will develop an awareness of what it takes to be an actor: attaining believability and truthfulness on stage; creating characters; being familiar with areas of the stage, blocking notation and body position; speaking publicly; and the performance of a scene. Through theatre games and improvisational work we will strive to achieve trust, self-discipline and an appreciation for the many facets of the actor's craft. Students will be expected to work both in collaborative groups as well as independently, as Acting 1 is a modified studio course.

Acting 2 expands upon the actor's growth begun in Acting 1. It is a more specialized course of study that offers more individual performance assignments. Two scenes are studied rather than one; voice and speech work is introduced; and acting elements, such as subtext, sense memory, emotional recall, as well as a sense of pre- and post-scene and assimilation are introduced. The lessons are more detailed and require more creative thought, independent, self-motivated work, and focus

Advanced Acting is designed for advanced acting students and will explore the techniques and styles characteristic of classical theatre, performance art, modern American drama and current trends in regional, collegiate, Broadway and Off-Broadway theatre. Scenes from the above types of plays will be performed by students followed by detailed critiques and class discussion. Students in this course will be exposed to the skills and flexibility needed for successful university work in theatre. Advanced Acting is both a direct instruction and studio course.

Theatre magic has as much to do with what goes on behind the scenes as it does with the performances themselves. In Stage Craft students will actively explore various elements that constitute the technical art of theatre production. In the first half of the course, students will learn the basics of technical theatre convention including lighting, sound, basic set construction techniques, painting, costuming, make-up and properties design.

Stage and Sound (Stage Craft 2) is a semester elective course whose purpose is to enhance the general skills/background of students interested in the technical workings of theater. The following units of study are included: equipment and organization, technical roles, history of theater, support for acting/scene/staging, and crew/team performance.

This is a practical skill-oriented course. Student participation and development of technical/hands-on skills is required.

This studio course will be modeled upon a conservatory type instructional model. An intensive course, the focus will be upon developing an acting portfolio for university study and professional work, researching and exploring the various "schools" of acting (Adler, Stanislavsky, Grotowski, Meisner, etc.), and beginning the process of analyzing and directing one-act plays. In addition, we will tour local professional theatres (Long Wharf Theatre, Hartford Stage, Yale Repertory Theatre) and local university theatre programs to familiarize ourselves with the study of acting. This course is run as a studio course and requires maturity, self-motivation and a willingness to work independently.

This course is designed for high hchool students to assist students in the Life Skills education program. It is a unique learning experience in which peer tutors will have opportunities to develop positive attitudes and relationships with students with disabilities. They will tutor students with disabilities in creative dramatics while including interdisciplinary lessons that touch on academic skills, social skills, behavior and other life skills.

Movement for the Stage will explore the techniques and styles used in creating character and situations for the stage through specialized movement. Students will be experimenting with varying movement styles and the movement requirements specific to types of theatre: Greek; Elizabethan (Shakespearean); Restoration Comedy; Commedia dell' Arte; Theatre of the Absurd; performance art; and modern dance. In addition, students will be introduced to the basic principles of space, shape, time, dynamics, and effort as they apply to movement. Students will be expected to come to class prepared to move each day. No dance experience is necessary.