• ARTS AT AACA

    AACA has two complementary programs of arts education- our PK-8 arts classes and our arts integrated academic courses. Our arts-integrated academic philosophy emphasizes teaching the whole child, while our trajectory of PK-8 arts classes offers students the opportunity to explore and build skills in several artistic subjects throughout their elementary and middle school experiences.

    Arts Integration is a way of teaching our preschool-eighth grade academic subjects through the arts. While each project varies, a collaboration between the arts team and classroom teachers is essential to ensuring that arts integrated projects meet objectives in both academic and artistic subjects.  Elements of arts integration may include field trips to Chicago’s cultural institutions, in-school performances by arts organizations, and integrated units taught in collaboration with artists-in-residence.

    Our PK-8 curriculum includes visual arts, drama, and music as core subjects, while middle school students can also explore band, media arts, and choir. This year we’ve shifted our arts classes to ensure greater continuity for our younger students, opportunities for better scaffolding the PK-8 trajectory through the arts, and more exposure for middle school students to all arts informed by their interests. All arts classes are graded using a custom rubric based on the National Core Arts Standards and the Studio Habits of Mind framework developed by Harvard Project Zero.

     

     

  • A PEEK INSIDE ARTS AT AACA
    Take a peek inside our art studios and classrooms to witness how arts integration is launching learning higher at AACA. Every other week, we share a Sway presentation that highlights exciting things happening in our arts studios and classroom. 
  • A Peek into PK-4 Art Classes

    Posted by Becky Manuel, Director of Arts Integration on 12/4/2019
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  • A Peek into Middle School Art Classes

    Posted by Becky Manuel, Director of Arts Integration on 11/28/2019
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  • A Peek into Middle School Art Classes

    Posted by Becky Manuel, Director of Arts Integration on 9/30/2019
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  • A Peek into PK-4 Art Classes

    Posted by Becky Manuel, Director of Arts Integration on 9/27/2019
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  • A Peek Inside: PK - 4th Arts Classes

    Posted by Becky Manuel, Director of Arts Integration on 4/30/2019 8:00:00 AM

    Two Alphonsus Academy students composing music

    Check out this Sway to learn about what's happening in the PK-4 arts classes this month!

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  • Second Trimester Arts Integration

    Posted by Becky Manuel, Director of Arts Integration on 4/1/2019 3:00:00 PM

    Arts Integration Report

    Check out what's happening as we recap our Second Trimester Arts Integration classes! Please click here for the new Sway.

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  • March 2019 Sway

    Posted by Becky Manuel, Director of Arts Integration on 3/7/2019 3:00:00 PM

    March 2019 Sway image

    Check out the end of Trimester 2 in our Arts Pathways classes! Please click here for the sway.

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  • PK-4th Grade February Sway

    Posted by Becky Manuel, Director of Arts Integration on 2/14/2019 3:00:00 PM

    Sway PK-4th Grade Check out this Sway to learn about what's happening in the PK-4 arts classes this month!

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  • January 2019 Art Pathways Sway

    Posted by Becky Manuel, Director of Arts Integration on 1/31/2019 3:00:00 PM

    Sway 1.31 New year, new sway! Please click here to view our new sway dedicated to all the incredible work our students did in January.

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  • PK-4th Grade Holiday Sway

    Posted by Becky Manuel, Director of Arts Integration on 12/20/2018 3:00:00 PM

    Holiday Sway Check out this special holiday Sway featuring our PK-4th graders. Please click here for the new sway!

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