Arts
The Arts are a vital part of our curriculum. For many students, creative expression is a powerful teaching and learning tool—and many of our students find the Arts to be a strong channel for expressing their diverse voices.
Each year, we celebrate our students' work with special showcases, including the Winter Concert and a Spring Arts series highlighting visual art, film, maker, and performing arts. Our entire community comes out for these events; they are a social highlight of our year.
DRAMA
Performing arts instill both a fundamental knowledge of theater basics and an applied practice of the art. Students learn the many nuances of performance and even practice writing original scenes.
MUSIC
The vocal and instrumental music program at Sterne helps students discover and develop their musical talents and skills. Students of all levels are able to participate in a variety of music classes as an elective or after-school club. Student music is showcased at school-wide celebrations and events.
VISUAL ARTS
Sterne's visual arts program supports creative expression as students learn to design and direct their own projects based on their interests and curiosity. Sterne's art faculty employ a variety of media and techniques, including digital art, painting, drawing, and sculpting. The visual arts curriculum includes the language of art, history of art, and hands-on practice for a well-rounded approach. Student art is displayed all over the school, including our special gallery walk space.
DESIGN & ENGINEERING
More than a Maker class, Design & Engineering students begin with a problem to solve, "thinking" with "things." Using an iterative design process of embracing failure, they move back and forth between tinkering, making, and engineering as they share ideas and explore to create. Our goals of creativity in a nurturing space align with habits of mind, which include collaboration, optimism, and ethical considerations. Instead of preparing for the future, we work with empathic reasoning in helping us problem-solve to shape the future.
FILM
Our Film students learn everything from directing, production, acting, costumes, set design, and special effects. Students range all over the neighborhood in pursuit of just the right footage, and the resulting films are shown in school and at the Spring Arts series.
Facilities
Sterne is constructing beautiful new spaces for our Arts programs. These spaces are slated for completion in January 2023 and are a wonderful complement to the Gina & Stuart Peterson Art & Science Wing, which was completed in 2018. New spaces include:
- A drama classroom and black box theater
- A digital film studio
- A music classroom and recording and practice studio
Until these spaces are completed, drama and film students will continue to use existing classroom space, and for performances, we will rent professional theater spaces such as the Cowell Theater.