Ethel Walker SchoolAfter starting by studying plays from classic and contemporary playwrights, this course culminates in an open performance of students’ original plays. Students learn how to write in the voice and style of those plays. Students then develop their own voice and style and create an original 15-minute play that will be staged with other students in the class (or from beyond the class). Students will learn how technical aspects of the theater can inform storytelling, such as devising their own lighting to reflect the mood of the piece/characters’ journeys, costume creation/choosing, period prop acquisition, and research, etc. Class will also include interactive theater exercises amongst students so playwrights can become empathetic towards the writers they are writing for. Activities may include analyzing dialogue and character relationships through video clips from movies, TV shows, and creating a short play from current events using interviews, news stories, and videos as source material.
Offered Spring 2024
This is a semester-long course designed to cover the two separate but related areas of:
1. All facets of movie production, including script writing, working with talent, camera work, sound, directing, locations, costume, props, and post-production editing. Genres studied include shorts, feature films, documentaries, and music videos. The course will involve hands-on, small team experience developing production timelines and filming with DSLR cameras after review of best practice examples of each motion picture type. Instruction in post-production editing techniques will be taught to allow finished products to be shown to the local community and/or entered into film showcases and festivals.
2. Work designed to create a live-streaming channel dedicated to live and recorded content centered on the Walker’s student experience. It includes aspects of studio work, live interviews, field recording, content production, show hosting, script writing, and all in front of camera and behind camera functions. The goal is to produce shows that air routinely in a published schedule that reflect the interests of the participating students and that mimic an in-house television station broadcast on a streaming platform.
Open to Grades 9-12
Credits: 1
Prerequisite: Studio Art or other relevant Visual Arts course and department approval
This is a one-year college-level course with heavy emphasis on portfolio production and review. Advanced Art students will produce a series of sequential visual forms while exploring in greater depth a particular visual concern or inquiry, through practice, experimentation and revision. Emphasis will be placed on the elements of art, the principles of design, materials, processes and ideas, and skill development. Students will study and discuss historical and contemporary artists to aid in their own creations and development. Students may choose to submit portfolios to the Advanced Placement program in the spring in Advanced Placement Drawing, Advanced Placement 2D Art and Design, or Advanced Placement 3D Art and Design. The course is taught in the same physical space and time block as the Studio Art course.
Prerequisite: Studio Art or other relevant Visual Arts course and department approval
This is a one-semester course for the higher-level ceramics student who has already completed Ceramics 1 and has mastered the basics of throwing pottery on the wheel. In this course, students will explore the act of combining hand-built elements with wheel-thrown pieces. Projects will include teapots, nesting bowls, water pitchers, vegetable steamers, ring holders, and citrus juicers. Students will also be tasked with using the principles of design to create an effective and attractive composition for an independently produced original piece of art, which may be either decorative or utilitarian.
Prerequisite: Ceramics 1
Open to Grades 6-8
This ensemble is for Middle School students who are interested in preparing and performing orchestral music. The Middle School Orchestra performs at Middle School concerts. This experience will prepare the musician for the Upper School Orchestra. All musicians at any level are welcome.
This class moves at the pace of the Advanced Placement Music Theory course with the intent to prepare the student to participate in the Advanced Placement testing program. This course includes fundamentals of music theory and related aural skills, score analysis, sight-singing, and harmonic and melodic comprehension. The student’s eligibility will be determined by the instructor.
Prerequisite: Departmental approval
This course explores the basic modes of visual expression, which may include drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography, animation, textile arts, and ceramics. Coursework is designed to help each student develop their own identity through art, as well as self-confidence and independence. The curriculum connects with the Middle School program of study whenever possible and provides a well-rounded artistic basis for Upper School-level visual art courses.
Grades 6-8
Middle School music classes meet once per week within grade levels, and once per week as a full Middle School. The grade level class includes singing and choral activities, folk dancing, rhythm training, music theory, musical theater/theater exercises, sight-singing, and audition preparation. There is continued emphasis on listening and skill development, as well as music appreciation. The full Middle School music meeting is called Choristers. All Middle School students participate in this choral group, which performs in the Holiday and Spring Concerts, as well as all-school Chapels.
The Middle School theater classes will focus on the fundamentals of dramatic performance. The classes will build the necessary skills for character development and stage presence through scene work, theater history, and improvisational exercises. Theater studies help students to hone public speaking skills, teach them to listen and respond effectively, foster their spontaneity and problem-solving skills, help them to grow as collaborators, and give them the confidence to take risks on stage and in life.
The Middle School dance program concentrates on the development of technical skills, and the appreciation of the art form. An annual dance performance is included in the yearly activities.
Visual Arts courses are offered at several different levels. Students with a passion for a particular field may register for the same course over multiple semesters.
This course is designed to accommodate students with a desire to learn about art or to continue evolving in their artistic pursuits. Students will work on a variety of media, tools, and techniques through open-ended assignments that challenge them and encourage creativity and originality. Through studio practice, application of the fundamentals of art, and informed decision-making, students will create a body of work that demonstrates a high level of quality and growth over time in content, technique, and process.
This course is designed to follow the prerequisite Photography 1 and includes elements of studio photography, fashion photography, staged photography, modern photography, street photography, drone photography, photojournalism, and the study of contemporary artists. DSLR cameras are supplied for the duration of the course. The course incorporates field trips for photography assignments. It will also include an emphasis on independent studies as students focus on their own interests, all while creating an online portfolio of their best work.
Prerequisite: Photography 1
This semester-long course is designed to cover a broad range of digital photography techniques, principles, equipment, and image subjects. A Nikon DSLR camera is supplied for the duration of the course. The course also covers areas of post-production and image manipulation. It includes principles of exposure, portrait photography, landscape photography, macro photography, sports photography, food photography, black and white photography, low light photography, light painting, wildlife photography, in-class challenges, and more than 20 other topics. Over the course of the semester, independent shooting, collaborative peer critiques, and historical research will contribute to each student’s final portfolio that exhibits her individual photographic style.
In this class, students will experiment with different media, fabrics, papers, and techniques. Students will discover their own personal artistic voice while focusing on composition, textures, and layers. This exploration of mixed media and collaging uses background treatments and transfer of images, including the use of photographs and found objects to add meaning to their works. An overview of historical and contemporary collage will also be explored. The course also offers students an opportunity to design and build 3D structures. Additive and subtractive (carving) sculpture, construction, mobile, assemblage, molding/casting, and model making will be studied.
Students may take this course for either semester but are encouraged to stay in the course for the whole year to help bring the yearbook to publication.
This course allows students to develop the design, writing and photography skills needed to create a thorough, interesting, and dynamic documentation of the life of the School: the official school yearbook, the Pepperpot. This course includes elements of art, image manipulation, design, layout, article writing, research, editing, marketing, publishing, and sales. Students will have additional responsibilities and take greater leadership roles each time the course is taken.
Visual Arts courses are offered at several different levels. Students with a passion for a particular field may register for the same course over multiple semesters.
Drawing is the foundation from which we develop our visual vocabulary as we hone our observational skills. Drawing from observation or from life is a critical skill to develop for anyone wanting to quickly and visually express ideas, as it trains the eye, hand, and brain to translate the 3D form into a 2D illusion. In this multilevel class, whether taken for the first time or as continuation to further develop one’s visual skills, students will be exposed to a variety of “dry media” (graphite, oil and soft pastels, charcoal, etc.) and “wet media” (transparent and opaque painting, including watercolor, gouache, acrylic, and oil), learning the necessary technical skills to communicate their ideas, while continuing to strengthen their knowledge of the elements and principles of design. Students will also discover the expressiveness of color and media application techniques while learning color theory. They may take this class as a repeated course in order to prepare their art portfolios for college admission and to fully develop their visual and unique language. There will be opportunities for students to work on public art projects that enhance our school community.
Visual Arts courses are offered at several different levels. Students with a passion for a particular field may register for the same course over multiple semesters.
The Ceramics class will provide an opportunity for students to develop a body of work that is both conceptually valid and reflective of their artistic style. Sculpture techniques, the science of glazing, and wheel skills are taught to all levels of students, and they will be encouraged to experiment at all times. In addition to developing technique, students will design their own multi-part construction based on exploration of pottery around the world. Each student will be expected to produce work that portrays her creative powers and technical abilities.
Open to Grades 9-12
African Drumming is an essential part of Walker’s music program. The group utilizes a variety of drums, some of which were constructed from trees on the school property in Simsbury. Students study a wide array of styles and develop an appreciation for the intricate musical sounds, and variety of moods the different drumming disciplines convey and express. The tones of the instruments as well as the use of a particular rhythm open the mind to the rich world of music and enhance the capacity of each drummer. Students are encouraged to both read and hear patterns so that they engage the better part of themselves when they play together. The group often performs on campus and continues to create a moving presence at Walker’s.
Open to Grades 9-12
Orchestra is open to instrumentalists who are capable of individual preparation and working toward a standard of musical excellence in a group setting. This is a wonderful environment in which to develop technique and broaden the musical experience.
Open to Grades 9-12
The Bell Choir performs for many events on campus and can be taken as a music discipline for Music Majors. This course teaches a basic understanding of rhythm and note reading and allows students of all levels to perform in an ensemble. All musicians are welcome.
Open to Grades 9-12
Each year, our campus rock band, Sundial Sound, morphs and evolves as new students join the group. Students who sing and play drum set, keyboard, guitar, bass, percussion, and other instruments collaborate as an ensemble to play classic rock and more contemporary covers, learning how to exchange musical ideas and work together as a group towards a rock concert performance at the end of the school year.
This vocal ensemble is an a cappella singing group. Only members of the Choir may audition. This ensemble performs music from a wide range of genres. Auditions take place at the beginning of the school year and include a simple sight-singing exercise, presentation of a piece that best shows the singer’s voice, and a group piece that determines vocal blend and intonation.
By audition
The Chamber Ensembles afford the serious musician the opportunity to perform fine works. Students must be proficient on their instrument and enjoy working in a focused, musical environment. These ensembles are called upon to perform at many functions throughout the school year.
By audition
Credit is given to students who wish to take two private lessons a week or two music disciplines, not including Choir. A half credit is given along with grades and comments for each semester. Music majors are expected to perform during the school year.
A two-semester course that involves the study of the laws, forms, and language of music with a focus on assimilating these skills and demonstrating them in compositional forms. The course is taught at the level of the student and progresses according to her capacity. It presents the basics of music theory, dictation and notation, and ear training before composition is introduced. The advanced student may study composition and harmony and musical analysis.
A full Arts credit is given for this course. It fulfills the arts graduation requirement but is not figured into the GPA. Walker’s Choir performs regularly at many school functions and presents two major choral concerts. This ensemble enjoys meeting a varied repertoire and honing musical skills such as sight-reading and vocal production. Students interested in Grapes must be part of this ensemble.
Open to Grades 6-12
This course provides students with an opportunity to learn and improve vocal technique and to experience a repertoire of various styles. Enrollment in Choir is not required. Voce Felice, a fine vocal ensemble, is formed from members of this class. Individual singers have the opportunity to perform as soloists at the end of the school year concert. All singers are welcome.
Open to Grades 7-12
The Gospel Choir is a lively vocal ensemble that incorporates musical styles from the spiritual, blues, and gospel genres. This ensemble demands a willingness to participate in the appropriate style that this music commands. All singers are welcome.
Private lessons are offered for many instruments. Numerous recitals and assemblies involve the music program, and public performance opportunities continue to expand the musical experience here on campus.
Financial Commitment: Private lessons are billed through the Business Office. The Music Instruction Agreement must be signed by a parent/guardian and returned before lessons can begin. Please contact the Business Office for additional details.
The goal of this course is to develop self-awareness, master acting guideposts, and build on previous knowledge of stage acting through the use of scenes, improvisation, and monologues. This one-semester class introduces students to basic acting techniques rooted in Stanislavski and Meisner, incorporating effective use of the voice, principles of stage movement, building a character, playwriting, story creation, and improvisation. The course is designed for students interested in exploring theater as a means of personal development and expression, as well as for those who wish to begin to study the craft of acting and/or playwriting. Students are expected to memorize lines, write journals, and be evaluated on their performances. This course may be taken more than once, so the course will be tailored to the students’ interests and needs.
Offered Fall 2023
This course is designed to give students an overview of dance technique, improvisation, composition, and history. We will focus on several techniques and history to build strength and knowledge in the art form. The study of dance composition through improvisation and design concepts will also be a focal point of the course. Recommended for students with little to no experience in dance.
Offered Fall 2023
This course focuses on the process of choreographing original dance pieces. Students will learn composition through experimenting with the elements of movement: time, space, weight, and flow. This course is recommended for students with some dance experience through the advanced level.
Offered Spring 2024
