Every Child is an Artist in Oak Knoll Lower School
All children have a natural inclination for creativity – and in Oak Knoll’s Lower School, students in grades preK-6 have extensive opportunities to discover and share their artistic talents through the visual arts, fine arts, painting, drawing, drama, dance, choral and instrumental music, and more. We can’t wait to see what your child creates here!
Visual Arts
Paint. Clay. Plastic. Fabric. Paper. Glass. Oak Knoll students use various media and materials to express themselves, learn the key principles and elements of art, and gain an appreciation for the works of artists spanning history and cultures – from Prehistory to the Renaissance, from West Africa to Ancient Greece and Maya civilization.
In a culminating and celebratory event, student artists proudly display their artwork during the Spring Arts Festival in Bonaventura Hall.
Performing Arts
The Oak Knoll drama studio, with its miniature stage, is a lively place where young students learn the art and skill of performance and public speaking through movement, pantomime, storytelling, puppetry, improvisation, and small and large group performances.
Students interested in creative dramatics can also expand their opportunities in After-School Adventures, which has many popular classes for children of all ages and talents. (Recent performances have included “Annie” and “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.”)
Music and Creative Movement
Lower School students experience the joys of music in general music classes and an age-appropriate chorus. Children sing, move, and play percussion instruments while learning melodic and rhythmic reading. All classes have a unit on World Drumming, and students in grades 2-4 have a unit on playing the recorder.
Students also develop foundational movement skills through Creative Movement classes (grades K-2), and girls in grades 4-6 can participate in the Dance Apprentice program with middle and high school dancers, taking formal classes in ballet, modern dance, and jazz.
