What is Arts Integration?

Northside Elementary School of the Arts offers an art integrated approach to learning and embraces art education throughout its curriculum.  Classrooms follow the South Carolina state standards while adopting the arts into the basic curriculum as well. Students have a high level of engagement and hands-on learning in both the core classes as well as in the arts classes. Engaged students are more active learners, display increased retention, and learn to think more critically.

At Northside Elementary School art education is for every student, every week. In addition to the core academics, Northside offers drama, dance, visual arts, and music.  These classes will explore subjects on a deeper level. For example, in drama class, students will be doing more than just performing and acting; they will learn storytelling, social skills, and public speaking.

Each year, students in all grade levels will be involved in a production and/or an Integration Showcase. Productions range from Christmas musicals to theater plays. Integration Showcases integrate standards from the classroom with standards from the art courses to create a performance based on their learnings. This is a way for students to showcase to the audience and their family what has been learned in the classroom.

Can this program be beneficial to my child?

The Arts Integration program at Northside is not only for students with artistic abilities but can benefit children who grasp things visually or creatively. Arts Integration provides students a different way to experience learning and different outlets to express what they learned. Students engage in a creative process which connects an art form and a core academic subject area that meets learning objectives in both areas.

Program Specific Course Offerings/Instructional Models:
Northside is an Arts in Basic Curriculum (ABC) school The ABC Project provides leadership to achieve quality, comprehensive arts education (dance, music, media arts, theatre, visual arts and creative writing) for all students in South Carolina.The ABC Project is cooperatively directed by the South Carolina Arts Commission, the South Carolina Department of Education and the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Winthrop University. This program is funded through an ABC grant.

Awards/Recognition/Designations Received:
Northside is the recipient of the Distinguished Arts Program (DAP) grant. DAP grants provide funds for one-year projects. Successful DAP proposals must indicate in the strategic arts plan that the applicant will include all arts forms—dance, music, theatre, and visual arts—over a three-year period of the strategic arts plan.

Host School:
Northside Elementary School of the Arts
840 North Annafrel Street, Rock Hill, SC 29730 

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Contact for Program Specific Questions:
Principal Ms. Lesley Rouse: lking@rhmail.org