Visual Arts
Creativity, relevance, personal interpretation, and aesthetics are emphasized at all levels of the visual arts experience at Principia.
Early Childhood
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In Early Childhood, nature is brought into the classroom through art that reflects the children’s surroundings. Incorporating the Reggio Emilia approach, students learn to use materials to communicate or represent their interests, discoveries, and emotions through art. Natural elements are used to help students broaden their understanding of the outside world and deepen their connection with what they’re learning about in the classroom. |
Lower School
In the Lower School, art is integrated into the academic program through social studies and science. While applying their creative skills to topics, younger students make relevant connections to curriculum while learning the basics of line, color, and perspective.
Middle School
Middle School students use a variety of media tools as they prepare for more advanced technology use in the Upper School. Art is integrated into language arts, science, and social studies, helping students make powerful and relevant connections while developing fundamental artistic skills. Whether it's visiting the St. Louis Art Museum to study Impressionism or designing a board game, students have opportunities to demonstrate creativity and master understanding of key art concepts.
Upper School
In the Upper School, cross-disciplinary projects offer many opportunities to incorporate art, and we offer an array of courses in 2D, 3D, digital, and video art for the dedicated artist.
Media Studies
Students grow as creative producers and critical consumers in Media Studies courses. Students are trained to use cutting-edge equipment and editing tools as they learn video production and storytelling techniques in our state-of-the-art television and sound-recording studios. Here, Upper School students produce our School news show (Principia News Network), which broadcasts important news and fun feature stories about what’s happening on campus.
Teamwork is essential and students learn how to think creatively and critically on a deadline. As they’re filming, editing, and interviewing, students expand their knowledge of the ever-changing media landscape and cultivate collaboration and communication skills through hands-on projects and experiences.
