Smart with Arts
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Nearly 5 years ago when I was looking for a preschool for my youngest child I was quickly drawn into Hillside not just for their amazing preschool program but for their commitment to the arts at all levels of learning. Many of you have heard the educational buzz word of S.T.E.M (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) but at Hillside we are so lucky to be a S.T.E.A.M school.
At Hillside our students are exposed to a wide array of arts at all levels at Hillside such as art, music, creative movement and many art based electives for our middle school students. But what many of you may not realize is that our entire arts team works tirelessly to collaborate with our primary teachers to ensure that your child’s learning is reinforced through the arts. The arts allow for us to meet many of the essentials of project based learning, such as in-depth inquiry and voice and choice.
An example of what this might look like would be how Nisha Haley, our Creative Movement/Drama Teacher partners with our preschool teachers to bring the class’s current theme alive through movement. Our music teacher Sarah Bender has partnered with our Middle School team to teach the students about musical composition so that student teams can create an original music piece to accompany their plays during the History Alive Expos.
In Art, Tara Jennings leads the students through 
art expression that explores many mediums and styles that originate from the time period or culture that students may be currently studying. You might be asking yourself, why is this important to the success of my student in their learning path?
The answer is simple;
There is an overwhelming amount of research that shows when children are exposed to arts in education they have higher academic achievement in math, reading, cognitive ability, critical thinking, and verbal skills. Arts learning can also improve motivation, concentration, confidence, and teamwork. These are many of the things we all want for our children and some of the reason why you may have chosen Hillside for your child.
With the rising cost of education many schools public and private schools find it a struggle to continue to provide these programs. Many schools only offer Music, Creative Movement and Art as an elective or after school program. We are so blessed to have a school community that recognizes the importance of arts in learning and works to ensure that this plays a major role in our programs. Please consider investing in Hillside’s art program through our annual giving campaign.
If you would like more information about the importance of Arts in Education please take a look at the links below.
https://www.edutopia.org/arts-music-curriculum-child-development
http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/music-arts/the-importance-of-art-in-child-development/
http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/music-arts/the-importance-of-art-in-child-developme