New Kindergarten-Grade 4 Arts Curriculum Coming Soon!

By Shelley Smith-Dale, Arts Coordinator

The Alberta Arts Curriculum that is taught at TIS is undergoing changes. The Kindergarten to Grade 4 arts program is the first curricula to change, with Grades 5 to 8 to follow in the next couple of years, and then Grades 9 to 12 after that. The new K to 4 Arts curriculum will be implemented in 2018-2019, which is exciting as it better reflects our international school status.

In the Alberta curriculum, arts education incorporates unique skills, components, and languages that speak to people in different ways. Students develop their capacity to experience the world aesthetically, intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. They actively engage in creative processes and think critically as they make connections to various artistic works. Arts education offers opportunities for students to participate in and experiment with various forms of expression and through the exploration they connect, create, and respond to and through the artworks. The arts have been proven to foster powerful forms of personal, social, and cultural expression that enable students to develop a sense of personal identity and vitality.

Why is arts education so important? It empowers students to discover themselves as individuals and as members of communities. The arts provide a place where students, through creative processes, can take risks, be innovative, and strengthen cultural identity, personal well-being and resiliency. Growth in the arts follows the natural development of the student. Arts education is vital for building a creative, innovative and culturally aware society that encourages reflection and inspires social action. Arts education is essential to a comprehensive education in the twenty-first century.

Experiences in the arts have the potential to transform individuals and their perceptions of the world. Culture is shared, political and social issues are explored, conversations are encouraged, and pathways for healing and wellness are promoted. Authentic, hands-on experiences that are personally relevant and meaningful provide students with opportunities to communicate and connect their understanding of the world in new and imaginative ways.

Arts education develops understandings of the many forms of artistic expression and promotes lifelong learning, opening doors to multiple career pathways both in and outside of the arts. Through arts education, students gain an understanding of who they are and develop the ability to express themselves and what they know and feel in personal and meaningful ways throughout their lives.