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Creative Arts
Creative arts is comprised of both compulsory grade level and cross grade elective classes. Please consider the compulsory classes for your grade level when making elective choices. Course descriptions for these classes are below the elective descriptions.
Elective Classes
Students are asked to rank their preferred choice of the classes below. Whilst every attempt is made to ensure students receive their first choice please bear in mind that to keep class sizes balanced this may not be possible.
Students choose 1 elective for each Semester.
Semester 1 Choices:
This course is designed for students in Grades 6–8 who already play a musical instrument and would like to further develop their ensemble performance skills. Students will rehearse and perform together while improving listening, rhythm, balance, teamwork, and musical expression. Students will also explore improvisational skills through guided musical activities and collaborative exercises. They will learn to create simple melodies and rhythms, respond musically to others, and develop confidence in spontaneous musical expression.
Drama Open Scenes
Students will be introduced to the most basic of scripts: the contentless/open scene script. They will learn/apply their knowledge of character/relationships, setting, objective, and tactics to add content to a contentless scene. Students will also learn the basics of set design and blocking, and will begin using voice expression to communicate clearer characters. The course culminates in a performance assessment in which students will work in pairs to add content to and perform a contentless scene.
DT: Foundations
Design Technology Foundations is a middle school elective for students in grades 6–8. The course extends the making and design experiences of grades 4–5 and prepares students for the expanded tools and materials available in the grade 9–10 elective Design Technology. Students engage with design thinking methodology and the design cycle within a studio structure. They apply hands-on construction techniques to cardboard and wood fabrication alongside 3D CAD modeling and 3D printing to create collaborative solutions to authentic, community-rooted problems. Learning happens by doing, and students set and track personal growth goals through Approaches to Learning (ATLs) each semester. The course is offered at three levels — Explore, Develop, and Refine — allowing students to take it more than once with increasingly sophisticated learning expectations and greater independence in the design process.
2D Art
Two dimensional Visual Art will explore working with a variety of dry media (graphite, chalks, charcoal, paper) and wet media (paint, oil and chalk pastel) and digital platforms while focusing on techniques and styles, including exploring value studies, still life, collage, portraiture and trompe l’œil works.
Newscasting, Journalism, & Media Production (full year course)
This course will be dedicated to developing the newscasting, journalism and media production skills in those students who are interested in being on the FISW Media Team, as well as being responsible for the collaborative production of an Assembly Day Student Newscast..
Technical focus will be on advanced camera techniques and digital editing. Content includes interviewing techniques, script-writing, storyboarding, scheduling, producing, directing, and creatively splicing video shorts. Other areas for exploration will include advanced lighting and sound techniques, as well as live-stream recording and editing.
This course seeks to nurture young journalists, newscasters and filmmakers. Together we will explore a range of media texts, produce media work in a variety of formats, and be part of a group productions.
Semester 2 Choices:
This course is designed for students in Grades 6–8 who already play a musical instrument and would like to further develop their ensemble performance skills. Students will rehearse and perform together while improving listening, rhythm, balance, teamwork, and musical expression. Students will also explore improvisational skills through guided musical activities and collaborative exercises. They will learn to create simple melodies and rhythms, respond musically to others, and develop confidence in spontaneous musical expression.
Motion Lab
This elective course invites students to explore movement as a powerful tool for self-expression and creativity. Through the study of various dance styles and techniques, students will learn how to use their bodies to convey emotions, tell stories, and develop their own artistic voice. Everyday movements will be reimagined and transformed into expressive choreography, encouraging innovation and collaboration. No prior dance experience is required—just a curiosity about movement and a willingness to explore. The course culminates in a showcase performance, where students will present their creative work and celebrate their growth.
DT: Foundations
Design Technology Foundations is a middle school elective for students in grades 6–8. The course extends the making and design experiences of grades 4–5 and prepares students for the expanded tools and materials available in the grade 9–10 elective Design Technology. Students engage with design thinking methodology and the design cycle within a studio structure. They apply hands-on construction techniques to cardboard and wood fabrication alongside 3D CAD modeling and 3D printing to create collaborative solutions to authentic, community-rooted problems. Learning happens by doing, and students set and track personal growth goals through Approaches to Learning (ATLs) each semester. The course is offered at three levels — Explore, Develop, and Refine — allowing students to take it more than once with increasingly sophisticated learning expectations and greater independence in the design process.
3D Art
In this three-dimensional Visual Arts class, students will be working with various materials to create artworks to further their understanding and manipulation of the elements of art and principles of design. Media to be explored include but are not limited to: wire, cardboard, paper, clay (ceramics), wood, natural, and found objects.
Newscasting, Journalism, & Media Production (full year course)
This course will be dedicated to developing the newscasting, journalism and media production skills in those students who are interested in being on the FISW Media Team, as well as being responsible for the collaborative production of an Assembly Day Student Newscast..
Technical focus will be on advanced camera techniques and digital editing. Content includes interviewing techniques, script-writing, storyboarding, scheduling, producing, directing, and creatively splicing video shorts. Other areas for exploration will include advanced lighting and sound techniques, as well as live-stream recording and editing.
This course seeks to nurture young journalists, newscasters and filmmakers. Together we will explore a range of media texts, produce media work in a variety of formats, and be part of a group productions.
Compulsory Classes
Semester 1
Grade 6 - Sustainability for Life
Sustainability for Life is a comprehensive course designed to equip individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to live a sustainable lifestyle seamlessly integrated into everyday routines. From budgeting to upcycling, cooking, and beyond, this course offers a holistic approach to sustainability that empowers students to make impactful changes in their lives and communities.
Grade 7 - Drama/Music
This interdisciplinary course invites Grade 7 students to master the science of light and the art of performance through the enchanting medium of shadow puppetry. Students will transition from technical puppet design to expressive physical manipulation, learning how to translate complex emotions onto the screen through silhouette. A vital component of the experience is the integration of live sound, where students compose original music and sound effects to heighten the atmosphere of their productions. By collaborating with peers to perform their visual and auditory creations live for a young audience, students develop theatrical precision, musical timing, and a capacity for critical reflection on diverse storytelling traditions.
Grade 8 Art
Students will explore the following techniques and media in this semester-long, 100 minute block class: perspective drawing–origins and applications; subtractive sculpture; the Modernism movement culminating with Modernist artist research paper and original artwork.
Semester 2
Grade 6 - Drama/ Music
In this integrated course, Year 6 students explore the creative world of advertising to understand how commercials influence their audience. By combining Music and Drama, they investigate how specific sounds and acting techniques are designed to trigger emotional responses and persuade viewers. Students develop creativity and problem-solving skills as they decode hidden media messages and experiment with "remixing" existing ads to change their purpose. To demonstrate their learning, they must think outside the box to write, score, and produce an original commercial that brings their own unique ideas to life.
Grade 7 - Art
Students will explore the following techniques and media in this semester-long, 100 minute block course: exploring a variety of artworks that are considered “abstract” and working with digital media, pen and ink with watercolor as well as printmaking to develop our understanding and creation of own abstract artworks.
Gr 8 - Sustainability for Life
Sustainability for Life is a comprehensive course designed to equip individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to live a sustainable lifestyle seamlessly integrated into everyday routines. From budgeting to upcycling, cooking, and beyond, this course offers a holistic approach to sustainability that empowers students to make impactful changes in their lives and communities.
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