Parkland Magnet High School strives to integrate the cultural arts into the lives of its students. Integrated curriculum and independent courses provide students the opportunity to gain an international perspective of the arts.
Parkland offers the following Arts courses.
Humanities Wheel is a course unique to Parkland where we have created the opportunity to expose all incoming students to the IB philosophy, aims, and objectives. Every Parkland freshman takes a "wheel' of four courses: Intro to Theory of Knowledge (the IB philosophy course), Creative Writing, and two art appreciation courses (visual art, music, dance, theatre arts) of the student's choice.
Visual Arts courses begin with Visual Arts 1 and continue up through IB Visual Arts 2. Students are assigned projects that expose them to the breadth of artistic expression while allowing them to demonstrate competency in the methods of production. In the higher level courses students are encouraged to explore the various mediums with which they work and the masters of those mediums. There is a strong focus on individual growth as an artist in these courses. Students participate in various art benefits (including Empty Bowls and Habitat For Humanity's Bird House Project) throughout the year. Student art is exhibited throughout the county, with the culminating event being the Annual International Baccalaureate Art Show.
Theatre Arts offers courses beginning with Theatre Arts 1 and carrying forward to Theatre Arts 7. IB Theatre Arts is also offered. Student performances are scheduled for the Fall and Spring. Students also perform in statewide competitions in the fall, Shakespeare workshops in the spring, and various other theatre outreach programs where they work with elementary and middle school students.
Music has a strong presence at Parkland in the forms of the marching band, orchestra, men's chorus, women's chorus, and the musical theatre productions produced in the Spring. Instrumental opprotunities range from the drum line to the string quartet. The chorus has won regional competitions and has produced their own cd. The study of music theory and composition is made available to students through the IB Music course.
Dance at Parkland seeks to facilitate the opportunities for students to open their minds and absorb multifaceted learning experiences. Students are introduced to modern dance as an approach to studying dance as an art form that requires creative thinking, body knowledge, mind-body awareness and physical skills. Parkland dance develops technique and refines students' skills as both choreographer and performer. Dancers study the purpose of dance, dance genres, cultural themes, artistic conflicts and resolutions, innovation, social issues, technical application and significant contributors.
