Arts

What it is and Why

Visual Art

DSHK’s art program is designed to foster creativity and imagination to help our students become well-rounded individuals. Our child-centered, innovative art studios provide space for our students to develop a depth of knowledge and understanding by exploring various forms of art from different time periods, places and cultures; experimenting with different art media and tools; expressing themselves through studio art, and reflecting on their work, peer’s work and their own growth. Students develop creative problem-solving skills, communication skills, analytical thinking skills, critical and reflective skills and meaning-making skills that can be applied across the subject areas and applied to their daily lives. Drawing, sculpture, painting, wood-working, ceramics are just a few of the visual art mediums that our DSHK artist will experience. Through comprehensive learning experiences, students will investigate art throughout history and across diverse cultures to better understand the vital contribution the arts make to the quality of our lives.

Music

Performing, creating, and responding to music are fundamental music processes in which humans engage. We believe that students learn by doing: singing, playing instruments, moving to music, and creating music. Research has also proven that students with music training have better skills in mathematics, language, reasoning, logic, spatial intelligence, creative thinking, and problem-solving. Our music curriculum consists of the four disciplines of a) listening and responding, b) performing and movement, c) music appreciation, and d) composition.

Drama & Dance

Dance and drama are intellectual, creative and physical art forms that enable students to learn about the richness and diversity of expression and communication. Attending and creating theater experiences promote self-expression, empathy and collaboration. With the physical body as the means to experiential learning, our program engages children in a variety of classical, post-modern and contemporary dance and theatrical traditions to support individual learning styles, interests and abilities.

DSHK Overview

“The Dalton Plan is not a curriculum, it is a scheme of educational reorganization which reconciles the twin activities of teaching and learning. When intelligently applied it creates conditions which enable the teacher to teach and the learner to learn.”
by Helen Parkhurst

Student Led Projects

Chinese Culture