Arts

Semester One – C block electives

Computer Programming

Learn to code or level up your coding skills! You’ll make projects with the micro:bit, a pocket-sized computer with its own lights and sensors. Projects may include a step counter, password generator or a fortune teller.

Studio Art

Seventh/Eighth-grade Studio Art is an exciting course where students will add to their foundational skills, exploring techniques in the mediums of drawing, painting, printmaking, papercutting and collage. Working both from observation and creative imagination, students will gain a hands-on experience while studying the context and history of contemporary and global art traditions. Students will be encouraged to find their own creative voice through artmaking, building self-confidence and skills in self-reflection.

Dance

This course is intended to be a practical introduction to the world of dance with a focus on developing strategies for healthy living, releasing stress and having fun while moving! Students in Dance will explore the fundamentals of 3 or 4 different genres of dance throughout the semester. These may include Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Contemporary, Hip Hop, and/or Social Dance, as determined by student interest. No previous dance experience is necessary!

Semester Two – C block electives

Studio Art

Students may enroll for both semesters of art if they choose.

Seventh/Eighth-grade Studio Art is an exciting course where students will add to their foundational skills exploring techniques in the mediums of drawing, painting, printmaking, papercutting and collage. Working both from observation and creative imagination, students will gain a hands-on experience while studying the context and history of contemporary and global art traditions. Student will be encouraged to find their own creative voice through artmaking, building self-confidence and skills in self-reflection.

Monologue Writing and Performance

Whether in a virtual classroom or socially distanced on campus, the show must go on! 7/8 Drama will provide students the opportunity to perform scripted monologues as well as write their own.   Over the course of the semester, we will break down the steps of monologue performance into friendly, attainable goals, and each student’s process will include collaborative coaching from their peers and their teacher.  For example, we will cover skills such as vocal technique, body language, subtext, tactics, and stage presence.  During the second half of the semester, each student will create a monologue journal and develop one of her favorite entries into a theatrical piece to be performed in class!  This course is a great way to develop and polish your acting skills with lots of hands-on coaching.

Design Thinking

In Design Thinking, students will be using household tools, hardware and software to create innovative products. They’ll learn to build empathy with product users, define problems, brainstorm solutions, build prototypes, and improve them through iterative testing.

Semester One – G block electives

Monologue Writing and Performance

Whether in a virtual classroom or socially distanced on campus, the show must go on! 7/8 Drama will provide students the opportunity to perform scripted monologues as well as write their own.   Over the course of the semester, we will break down the steps of monologue performance into friendly, attainable goals, and each student’s process will include collaborative coaching from their peers and their teacher.  For example, we will cover skills such as vocal technique, body language, subtext, tactics, and stage presence.  During the second half of the semester, each student will create a monologue journal and develop one of her favorite entries into a theatrical piece to be performed in class!  This course is a great way to develop and polish your acting skills with lots of hands-on coaching.

Student Voice and Leadership

This course is entirely student driven, it is your opportunity to share your voice and leadership with the community. It will serve as a great introduction to the world of service and leadership. Students will be encouraged to think, create, and innovate with a focus on how to best build community and connections within the school and to the larger community. Students will develop as leaders, build community, and organize school-wide connections.

Current Events

Curious about the world and what’s happening in the news? Curious about what’s happening in our city, state, nation and world? Curious about the election this November? Wondering how you can get involved and become a changemaker? Yes? Then, current events class is for you! The objectives of this course are: to enhance our understanding of world events, to make the connection between current events and history, to encourage all of us to be more informed and media literate citizens, and to help us to make intelligent decisions as we take your place in history.

Broadway Bootcamp

Curtain up and light the lights! Whether you know all the lyrics to Hamilton or you are new to the world of musical theater, Broadway Bootcamp is the place for you! Students will not only learn how to sing, dance and act, but they will also learn about the fascinating history behind the bright lights of Broadway. From Guys & Dolls to Hairspray, students will learn original choreography from classic Broadway shows while also learning how to tell a story through song. We will also study famous musicals throughout history by reading scripts together and watching legendary performances from some of Broadway’s most iconic stars. The class will culminate in a Broadway Showcase where students will put their skills to use in front of an audience. Whether you are new to the world of musical theater or you are a Broadway super fan, Broadway Bootcamp is sure to be your favorite class this year. After all, there’s no business like show business...

Semester Two – G block electives

Studio Art

Seventh/Eighth-grade Studio Art is an exciting course where students will add to their foundational skills exploring techniques in the mediums of drawing, painting, printmaking, papercutting and collage. Working both from observation and creative imagination, students will gain a hands-on experience while studying the context and history of contemporary and global art traditions. Student will be encouraged to find their own creative voice through artmaking, building self-confidence and skills in self-reflection.

Dance

This course is intended to be a practical introduction to the world of dance with a focus on developing strategies for healthy living, releasing stress, and having fun while moving! Students in Dance will explore the fundamentals of 3-4 different genres of dance throughout the semester. These may include Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Contemporary, Hip Hop, and/or Social Dance, as determined by student interest. No previous dance experience is necessary!

Student Voice and Leadership

This course is entirely student driven, it is your opportunity to share your voice and leadership with the community. It will serve as a great introduction to the world of service and leadership. Students will be encouraged to think, create, and innovate with a focus on how to best build community and connections within the school and to the larger community. Students will develop as leaders, build community, and organize school-wide connections.

Computer Programming

Learn to code or level up your coding skills! You’ll make projects with the micro:bit, a pocket-sized computer with its own lights and sensors. Some projects might be a step counter, password generator, or a fortune teller.

Glee is a year-long non-auditioned choir. Over the course of the year students will learn the basics of good singing, presentation skills and different genres of choral music from traditional to pop. The course is focused on building community through singing and developing good basic singing and presentation skills. One highlight of every year is the Composer Workshop where we prepare music of a composer we enjoy and then spend a weekend with that composer exploring their music and creative process.

Glee is currently a zero-hour class, meeting before school.

The Chamber Choir is a year-long auditioned and select choir that meets once a week after school on Wednesdays, and approximately once a month after school on Tuesdays. Chamber Choir is a musical ambassador for the school which performs outside of school and tours every other year. Choir members will have an advanced sense of pitch and musicality, be able to learn advanced choral repertoire independently, as well as to commit to our rehearsal and performance schedule.

Chamber is currently an after-school class, meeting on Wednesday afternoons.

Students learn basic music reading and ensemble skills in the context of preparing music for performance, covering a variety of musical styles. Class includes one evening concert each Semester as well as participation in liturgies and school assemblies. Maximum class size of 22.

Handbells is currently a zero-hour class, meeting before school.

Students increase their music reading and performance skills while expanding into areas such as conducting, arranging and concert planning. In addition to one on-campus evening concert each Semester, this class includes several off-campus performances as well as participation in liturgies and school assemblies. Maximum class size of 14.

Handbells is currently a zero-hour class, meeting before school.

This course includes hands-on exploration of music technology, including synthesizers, digital audio software and virtual studio technology. Basic music theory concepts and compositional techniques are covered as well. Students will end the class with a portfolio of multimedia examples they have created. This class makes use of the Digital Media Lab.

High School Theater and its participants have helped shape our society throughout history. The theater program is designed to challenge, excite, empower, ignite and celebrate girls as they delve into the art of being human.

Why theater at Forest Ridge? Girls explore the following in this program: how empathy changes the world, personal expression, public presentation skills, the power of storytelling, time management, communication skills, trust with self and others, diligence, generosity of spirit, acting technique, vocal technique, dance technique and much more. All students are invited to participate in this ever-evolving program. There are three main projects a year, allowing those with multiple interests to choose a season that works for them.

High School Theater Arts Production is a currently an after-school activity at Forest Ridge.

This course presents a unique opportunity for intensive practice and development of oral presentation and academic writing skills. Students work to create meaning and knowledge through writing and speaking as they negotiate issues of language, culture and power.

This workshop-type course explores and develops presentation skills for students through projects that include, but are not limited to: debate, impromptu speaking, oration and civil discourse, mock interviews and tools for cross cultural dialog. While the teacher will provide exercises and projects, students work towards meeting their own goals, and evaluation is based on growth. Students may earn credit for either a Fine Arts class or an English elective.

The material in Dance: Technique is suitable for students with any level of previous dance experience or none, from first-time beginners to advanced dancers! This course satisfies the prior dance experience prerequisite to choreograph for DanceFest.

This course is open to all students who want to explore various drawing and painting mediums, like pencil, pen, charcoal, scratchboard, paint, pastels, and watercolor, and understand when and where those mediums and techniques were used in art history. By the end of this course, students will know how to successfully implement shadows by blending values, utilize the grid-transfer, mix colors, add texture, and more. Students will create numerous paintings and drawings as they find their artistic voice while deeply understanding the Elements and Principles of Art and Design.

Students will extend and cultivate their understanding and development of various drawing and painting mediums and techniques in this one-semester course. Students will focus on creating a thematic concentration to their work while incorporating personal meaning to their work.  Maximum class size of 18 students.

This course is open to juniors and seniors who have previously taken a studio art course and who have passed a portfolio review.  This course is designed for art students who can work independently, are critical and creative thinkers, and may consider a further pursuit of art at a higher academic level.  Students will explore a wide variety of art mediums and techniques to strengthen their artistic voice. Studio Artists will deep dive into research of global historical and contemporary artists to inform and inspire their own work. Students will begin to develop a portfolio of work that investigates thematic personal expression.

This year-long course is open to Seniors who have successfully completed Studio Art I.  This course will be a continuation for students to build their portfolio by strengthening their skills with art mediums and processes. Many projects include a research component, and students will work independently to create a body of work with an over-arching theme/concentration that will culminate in an art show at the conclusion of the year. Students will work with instructor to establish goals and assessment tools and will track their progress as they build their portfolio. 

This semester long course is an introductory course to the visual arts. This course is open to all students who want to explore the elements of art and the principles of design through two- and three-dimensional art making. Students experience drawing, painting, graphics, printmaking and sculpture, and learn more about their world by studying the many art worlds in which artists engage.

This semester class offers students the opportunity to delve deeper into the art making processes explored in Design Thinking I. Students generate and conceptualize artistic ideas, adding to their art-making skills with a variety of art mediums. There is an added component of art and design utilizing the Forest Ridge Shop, with projects using the laser and vinyl cutters, 3D printing and more. Students learn about artists throughout history and about the art of contemporary artists.   

This semester long course combines principles of digital photography and imaging with elements of graphic design. Students begin by exploring essential aspects of digital photography:  What is aperture? Shutter speed? ISO? White Balance? Light Meter? How is Photoshop^® used to effectively edit photos?

This first part of the course focuses on basic camera mechanics and the development of compositional skills. Students learn photo editing techniques utilizing Lightroom^® and Photoshop. With basic photography skills firmly in place, students then begin an exploration of graphic design with a focus on typography, illustration and color theory. The course culminates in a short project that combines all these skills.

This course requires students to have a digital single lens reflex camera which allows students to have manual control over aperture and shutter speed. Cell phone cameras are not acceptable.

This semester long course extends the skills learned in Digital Photography and Design I. The class is organized around design challenges that allow students to experiment with more advanced photography skills such as long exposures and double exposures. Likewise, students deepen their understanding of Photoshop^® with projects that focus on advanced compositing skills. These design challenges will also give students opportunities to explore more advanced aspects of graphic design such as sequence, visual hierarchy, grouping and symbol recognition. Students are assessed through the development of a portfolio developed throughout the semester.

This course requires students to have a digital single lens reflex camera which allows students to have manual control over aperture and shutter speed. Cell phone cameras are not acceptable.

This course introduces the student to several different methods of hand-building and wheel work. All ware is fired and glazed and put on display throughout the school. Students also learn to work with several different types of clay and glazes. Maximum class size of 12 students.

This course provides the opportunity for students to expand on their ceramics fundamental skills while diving deeper into their personal style. Students will explore new construction methods and surface design techniques. Research of global historical and contemporary ceramic artists will influence project choices and areas of independent study. There will be many opportunities for students to display and present their work. Maximum class size of 12 students.

Ceramics III