The Arts
Te toi whakairo, ka ihiihi, ka wehiwehi, ka aweawe te oa katoa. Artistic excellence makes the world sit up in wonder.
A broad arts education enables students, as creators, presenters, viewers and listeners, to be able to participate in, interpret, value, and enjoy the arts throughout their lives. The development of arts literacies also helps to ensure that they attain the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the modern world.
Learning in, through, and about the arts enables students to …
- extend their creativity
- enhance their personal well-being and resilience
- express and interpret ideas within creative, aesthetic, and technological frameworks
- increase their confidence to take risks
- learn to work both independently and collaboratively
- use imagination to engage with unexpected outcomes and to explore multiple solutions.
Arts education explores, challenges, affirms, and celebrates unique artistic expressions of self, community, and culture. It embraces toi Maori, valuing the forms and practices of customary and contemporary Maori performing, musical, and visual arts.
While all year 9 students participate in a broad arts programme, including art, music and drama, students in year 10 can choose to continue with their arts education. Art, including photography from year 12, music, and drama can all be pursued to University Entrance level.
We also have significant extra-curricular opportunities for students, including itinerant music lessons, choir, music concerts and competitions, the Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival, school productions, Kapa Haka, art competitions and exhibitions and dance competitions.
Staff:
Music: Mr N Orr – on@stratfordhigh.school.nz
Drama: Ms Heidi Seales – sh@stratfordhigh.school.nz
Art & Photography: Mr D Gilgenberg – gd@stratfordhigh.school.nz
Arts Coordinator- Mrs Kate Hansen – hka@stratfordhigh.school.nz
