Scarsdale Public Schools

The arts prepare students for a 21st Century, interdependent world. Programs and initiatives develop the whole student, nurturing the heart and spirit, as well as nourishing the mind.

Arts initiatives develop students' capacity for original thinking and creative problem solving. They promote understanding of students' own culture as well as the achievements of other cultures.

Arts instruction invites a connection among different subjects (history, literature, arts or math, science and arts, e.g.) It is also a medium for teaching skills that are important in all disciplines.

• Self-expression, personal development and enrichment - the arts uniquely help us understand that words do not exhaust what we know or experience.
• Critical and creative thinking- skills of close analysis and interpretation, the capacity to make judgments, find alternative solutions, e.g.
• 21st Century dispositions - discipline and focus, team and social skills.
• 21st Century knowledge - historical perspective, understanding of societies and cultures.
• Active engagement and enjoyment: a love of learning.

We will use the arts to enable all graduates:

• to meet standards for aesthetic education. (See What is aesthetic education?)
• to meet standards for understanding of human cultures.
• to meet standards for critical and creative thinking and problem-solving.