Students Are Taught Foundational Musical Concepts

At Wesley Christian Academy, two music specialist teachers teach the subject of Music to students in Grades 1-8 in a fully equipped music room. Students engage in performing, creating, analyzing, and reflecting on various types of musical experiences. They are taught foundational musical concepts through hands-on activities, singing, games, and movement. Students are introduced to the use of percussive instruments in grades 1-3 and continue growing musically by learning the recorder in grade four. After gaining this foundation in the primary grades, students advance to learning further musical concepts in an instrumental setting. They select a band instrument on which they will focus for the duration of their time at Wesley. This gives them a strong musical background and the skills needed to appreciate and be engaged in music throughout their lives. In addition to the experiences they receive in class, students have the opportunity to be involved in a wide variety of extra-curricular musical activities. Our ensembles include the Ukulele Club, Recorder Club, Junior Band, Boomwhacker Ensemble, Worship Team, and Senior Band. Furthermore, opportunities to join the choir are given to students in all grade levels. Starting in grade six, students are welcome to join the Senior Band. Both our Primary Choir and Senior Band have participated in the York Region Music Alive Festival and earned Gold standings. Performance venues for our ensembles have included Canada’s Wonderland, the Unionville Festival, Markville Mall, and senior residences in the local community. The Visual Arts are typically taught by homeroom teachers and are often integrated into other subject areas to enrich the learning experiences. Students receive a solid grounding in the principles and elements of art. Artists, artistic styles and movements (such as the Group of Seven, Impressionism, and abstract art) are studied in all divisions of the school. Our drama program is also often integrated into other curriculum strands. Students are introduced to dramatic forms and styles such as tableaux, mime, monologue, character development and the preparation of smaller class productions. The program is further enriched with extra-curricular experiences. Each year, many of our students are involved with the production of the school play. Not only are a large number of the students involved in the cast and chorus but others take on leadership roles in all areas of production, including set design, sound and lighting, stage preparation and management. This allows them to see the many aspects involved in the production of the dramatic arts.