ELECTIVES (Middle School and High School) AND SPECIALS ROTATIONS (Lower School)
Noble Academy Goes Beyond Academics
Visual Arts
At Noble Academy, we value visual arts as an opportunity for our students to find success in creative pursuits, practice critical thinking and problem solving, and take part in hands on activities which are often an area of strength for students with learning or attention differences.
Student artwork is on display throughout the school, and high school students are invited to display and sell their artwork at an end of year art show in our Upper School lobby.
Lower School (Grades 2-5)
In Lower School art, students are exposed to a wide range of materials. Projects are generally goal oriented and take from one to several class periods. Each student will use new materials as well as use some familiar materials in different ways. The environment in these classes is always supportive of effort despite skill level, while still challenging each student to continue to improve their basic skills and imagination. Time for free expression with a variety of materials is provided. Students attend art as part of their specialist rotation.
Middle School (Grades 6-8)
Middle School art focuses on more sophisticated techniques and improved skills in a variety of media. Students will learn traditional challenges in art like perspective, proportion, mixing of colors and other such building block skills. Projects in Middle School last for several days, and students are encouraged to continue to push their skills and abilities. Students are asked to be reflective about work they have done, and occasionally comment on the work of others. Students will leave Middle School with a basic understanding of issues in art making and a strong sense of their potential as artists. Students attend art as part of their specialist rotation.
High School (Grades 9-12)
Students in high school are asked to define themselves as creative thinkers and artists. Materials available to high school students include painting, drawing, ceramics, design, computer art and photography. Students are given the opportunity to address projects in their own way, finding what is interesting to them in the project and exploring it. Students learn many techniques and explore issues about particular media and historical information about the styles of art. Students are asked to think critically about their own and others’ work. Each student keeps a sketchbook with assigned sketches each week to practice both the skills of sketching, coming up with ideas and researching artists and art movements. These sketches will often be directly related to projects they are working on. Students in high school attend art for the entire year. Courses are determined by student interest and may include Studio Art, Digital Design, Photography (black and white), Ceramics, Drawing and Painting, Advanced Art.
Students at Noble Academy have a full range of elective courses including visual art, performance art, music, foreign languages, honors courses and independent study courses. These courses ensure a rich experience for students at Noble Academy and expose them to a variety of mediums, art forms and modes of artistic expression.
We value physical activity and have the opportunity for all students to go outside in the middle of the day. We also include advisory time for Upper School students and guidance activities for all students on topics that are relevant to their age and experiences. Our students learn to advocate for themselves to prepare them for college or the working world as successful lifelong learners.
Learn more about some of our electives and specials:
IDEAPath
The IDEApath is a program designed to give every student at Noble Academy access to sophisticated tools such as 3D printing, laser cutting, green screen and video editing as well as assistance and guidance in generating project ideas and executing plans. Individual students can take IDEApath as an elective course and design and pursue projects in their areas of interest. Content area teachers can have access to the tools and assistance of the IDEApath staff for students to work on projects in their classes.
The IDEApath is located in the school library. Every completed project is documented and housed in the library, crediting the student(s) with authorship of the project. In this way we emphasize the cycle of "Making Ideas into Things, and Things into Ideas."
The IDEApath is made up of four separate but connected spaces:
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The IdeaLab - a space for design thinking, collaboration and planning. The space features an entire whiteboard wall, a TV students can wirelessly cast their computer screens to, post-it notes, markers and materials for quick prototyping.
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The MakerSpace - a student designed space for making physical object, models and designs. The space includes two 3D printers, a CO2 laser cutter, hand and power tools, building and engineering tools such as legos, and miscellaneous scraps for imaginative building.
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The DesignStudio - this space features a variety of computers, including powerful touch screen machines that allow for easy minipulation of 3D models, hand drawn designs, websites and layouts of all sizes. There is also a large format inkjet printer for creating posters and banners.
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The RecordingBooth - with a large green screen, an animation booth and audio recording equipment, this space has everything needed to create content for making movies, music videos, animations and other recorded materials.
These four spaces are designed to easily work together to create even more sophisticated projects. Students can plan a video shot by shot in the IdeaLab, create digital characters in the DesignStudio, 3D print them in the MakerSpace, film them in the RecordingBooth and edit their video back in the DesignStudio.
IDEAPath
Check out Mr. Renne's projects as well as our IDEAPath classes' work by clicking above.
Performance Arts
At Noble Academy, performance art is extremely important to establishing that there is not just one way to learn. A lot of our students learn through doing and drama is the epitome of this process.
Many students come to us with a lack of confidence in themselves and their abilities. Learning to perform on stage in front of an audience helps them gain the confidence to perform in many other ways; academically and socially.
Lower School (Grades 2-5)
The focus of Performance Arts in grades 2-5 is to encourage students to make personal choices through movement, dialogue, and expression. Students participate in the rehearsal process by enacting a script and use simple play writing to demonstrate specific character choices. A combination of independent study and small group collaboration is used. Students develop interpersonal skills for use in drama. The emphases at these grade levels are:
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Applying character choices
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Experiencing stories through creative drama
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Experiencing a variety of scripts
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Enacting characters
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Participating in dramatic presentations
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Working collectively in production teams
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Learning appropriate theatre and audience etiquette
Middle School (Grades 6-8)
The focus of Performance Arts in grades 6-8 is to encourage students to develop theatre literacy. Through active creation of theatre, students learn to understand artistic choices and to critique dramatic works. Middle School students play a larger role in the planning and evaluation of their work. They continue to use drama as a means of confidently expressing themselves. The emphases at these grade levels are:
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Functions and responsibilities of actors, designers, directors, playwrights and audience
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Acting, improvisation, and characterization
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Participating in presentations
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Working collectively in production teams
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Learning appropriate audience etiquette
High School (Grades 9-12)
Students in grades 9-12 view and construct dramatic works as metaphorical visions of life. By creating, performing, analyzing and critiquing dramatic performances, they develop a deeper understanding and acceptance of personal issues. Performance Art is a more detailed study of theatre vocabulary, reading, and acting. In addition, students analyze and critique work developed by themselves and other students. When this class is not offered as an elective due to scheduling, there will be an after school opportunity to participate in a spring production. The emphasis at these grade levels is for the student to:
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Develop an appreciation and understanding of theatre in relationship to themselves
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Develop an appreciation of theatre as an art form
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Develop an appreciation of theatre as a career possibility, as entertainment and as a means to learn about, question, and celebrate life.
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Exploring the concepts of self, body, voice work, improvisation, and acting techniques
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Offer an opportunity for informal production
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Develop creativity and spontaneity
Music
The Noble Academy music program is a partnership with the Music Academy of North Carolina that provides a music program that enables students of all ages, interests, abilities, and backgrounds to discover, develop, realize, and express their innate talents.
“The Music Academy of North Carolina is proud to partner with Noble Academy to bring Lessons for Life to these gifted, creative students. We believe in the power of music to unlock creative potential, and we’re committed to enabling your students to discover, develop, realize, and express their innate talents in fulfillment of our mission and yours.” | Kellie Burgess, Executive Director
MANC teachers typically offer a class to our 2-5th grade rotations, as well as a high school class that may change based on interest. Sometimes, a specialists rotation is offered to our Middle School students from year to year. To learn more about our faculty or the Music Academy please visit our website at www.musicacademync.org
Lower School (Grades 2-5)
Music (when offered) at this grade level is primarily experiential. Music students explore music concepts such as rhythm and reading treble clef. Students also use Stomp instruments to develop rhythmic abilities and create their own music.
Middle School (Grades 6-8)
Middle School music students (when offered), will explore music reading concepts such as rhythm and reading treble clef. Students will learn to play the recorder with the highly motivational Recorder Karate method. The class will also explore the instrument families of the orchestra and will end with a project on a single instrument of their choice.
High School (Grades 9-12)
The high school music class offered regularly is Guitar. This class allows for just as much, if not more, individualization as can be found in our academic classes. Students do not need to have any prior music or guitar experience to take this elective. However, students who already do have music or guitar experience will be able to further develop their knowledge and skills.
Physical Education
High school students must complete one health/physical education credit in high school. PE/Health is typically taken in ninth grade, but is offered to older students who may not have already completed this credit. PE/Health helps students develop proactive health behaviors through exercise and healthful living. For students who have already completed this requirement, we offer Advanced PE classes. Advanced PE includes instruction in gym safety, basic muscular anatomy, weight-training principles, exercise routine design, participation and teamwork. The class goal is for students to have a greater respect for their physical well-being and to teach them the value of a sound and smart exercise program. All of our PE classes take place at the Spears YMCA.