Creativity and innovation are the essences of 21st-century leadership. With knowledge readily available thanks to the World Wide Web, 21st children or “digital natives” are challenged with the concept of how to process, apply, and create with this knowledge. As such, The Arts are embedded into the La Paz experience as a core course from preK-12.
Students will develop a deeper appreciation for the arts and its contribution to our daily life.
Visual Arts
The Visual Arts education experience may include, but is not limited to, drawing, painting, ceramic arts/pottery, sculpture, 2D design, 3D design, photography, printmaking, graphic arts, media arts (film, video, TV, animation, digital), textiles, jewelry, glass arts, and the (IB) International Baccalaureate Visual Arts in both, Standard and Higher Level learning. The Visual Arts Program at La Paz Community School is designed to prepare students for the International Baccalaureate Visual Arts diploma. The program is divided into four stages to better-fit appropriate grade level learning and artistic capabilities. Students will learn the basics of Art & Design, appropriate art vocabulary, various artistic styles, and learn about influential artists and movements. Students will have the opportunity to work with a wide range of mediums (painting, sculpture, drawing, woodworking, video editing, etc.). Upon completion of the program, students will develop a deeper appreciation for the arts and it’s contribution to our daily life. All students are required to have a sketchbook for documentation and creative growth purposes.
Music
This program is intended to convey to the mind of the child and young adult, clear and simple knowledge that everything surrounding humans is musical. Through reading and learning content via a variety of mediums including the voice, percussion, ukulele, marimba, and electronic recordings, they will realize that life is permeated by music. This program is intended to mark a step forward in learning music so that no child of La Paz is left without this fundamental experience of enjoying this beautiful art which is essential to the spiritual greatness and cultural prosperity of Costa Rica. The program seeks primarily to comprehensively develop the musical training of La Paz students, with creativity, cultural awareness, along with intellectual and physical participation in each of the acts of daily life in one universal language of music.
Drama
In grades K-10 Drama students explore the theatrical arts through a constructivist movement approach. The creative process is at the backbone of the experience, where students are taught how to develop their own presentations while learning basic drama skills.
