Bible  Music and Art at GCA Bible Students receive biblical instruction at every grade level. In the elementary grades the instruction is part of the normal classroom curriculum. In the middle school and high school programs the students have one period of bible daily. In all levels of the program once each week the students participate in a chapel program.  Music Our program consists of general music, band, and choir. At the younger level, children learn basic musical concepts through hands on learning, discovery, and experience. Children use a variety of text series, play games, sing and play a variety of music including contemporary Christian music, American folk songs, classical music, and music composed by our music teacher. The year children will frequently use hand signs, sight sing, and learn rhythmic patterns. At the older level, children continue their musical education by learning more complex concepts and expanding established concepts. Choir at GCA Middle School Choir Our Middle School Choir is made up of 6 th -8 th grade students. This choir meets during school as a during a class period and perrforms in a number of school and public venues. Band at GCA Band is available to any student 5th grade and above. There are two bands, beginning and intermediate. Both bands are offered during school. Recorder at GCA Recorder is a type of flute that is taught in the 4 th grade general music classes. Learning recorder aids in developing finger dexterity. This helps to prepare children wishing to join band. It also provides yet another venue in which to experience and learn music. It is crucial that children not only understand concepts of music, but that they have the opportunity to activate these concepts into practice on an instrument. Children may purchase their own recorders to be used throughout the year. The Importance of Music The importance of music is truly immeasurable. Researchers are still discovering music’s benefits daily. Perhaps of most importance is music’s location in the brain. Music uses the right hemisphere. For the child who is left brain dominant, using the right hemisphere creates connections between both halves of the brain. This enables the child’s brain to access both hemispheres when needed, such as for tests or difficult situations. For the child who is right brain dominant, music (and other fine arts) usually “speaks” to him and provides an easy route for learning, discovering, educating, and socializing. While all the fine arts (dance, drama, art, and music) provide this important key to the human brain, music has an additional component which is more integral than in the other arts; pattern. Music is entirely based upon pattern such as is language, movement, and math. Learning and experiencing pattern recognition through music greatly influences recognition in the other areas and can improve these. For example, the simple act of physically maintaining a steady beat (a constant pattern) during a song can improve both gross motor coordination and tracking in reading. Recognizing patterns in music by sound can improve spoken language and phonics while recognition by sight can improve math skills such as counting. Art Our Program The visual arts program at Genoa Christian Academy will provide your child with a strong arts foundation. The basic elements of design used by an artist when creating a work of art (color, value, line, shape, form, texture and space) are thoroughly explored. Students will learn art principles including balance, emphasis, harmony, variety, gradation, movement, rhythm and proportion. Each student will develop abilities to express ideas in original works of art in many mediums, develop an understanding of art and artists of different cultures and historical periods, and learn to evaluate their own artworks and the work of others. The students are given ample opportunities for collaborative team work and problem solving. The visual arts program is linked to the other arts—music, theatre and dance. Students discover parallels and differences in the concepts, processes and products among the fine arts. Additionally students will have opportunities to discover the many ways that art supports and reinforces language arts, mathematics, social studies, science and other subjects. The art classroom at Genoa Christian Academy provides students a non-critical environment where the process of discovery, exploration and creativity is celebrated. God has given each child a joy for art. Their creative ability is developed into talent through practice and perseverance. The students are encouraged to use their art as a means to inspire others, to uplift and elevate, to touch the hearts of men. Too often today art is used solely as a vehicle to shock, offend or to test the boundaries of censorship. What a person allows to occupy his mind will sooner or later determine his speech and action. We are each called to think on those things that are praiseworthy and then put those things into practice. “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8 The Importance of the Arts Visual art offers every student the opportunity to be successful. Students sharpen their abilities for problem solving and creative thinking. As students perceive, comprehend, imagine and evaluate they also develop interpretive, analytic and critical thinking skills. Visual art provides them with many opportunities to categorize, match, compare and determine patterns. They learn to think abstractly by establishing relationships between seemingly unrelated concepts. Research shows that students who complete cooperative group tasks tend to have higher academic test scores, higher self-esteem, stronger social skills and greater content knowledge and skills.