Ethel Walker School
In Walker’s Middle School Visual and Performing Arts program, students are guided through a variety of disciplines, including visual arts, music, dance, and theater.
Students learn how to organize their thoughts and ideas into cohesive visual expressions in studio art, ceramics, and photography and they explore various dance, music, and theater techniques along with building their artistic voices through composition. The Middle School arts experience prepare students for Upper School programs and beyond. Arts classes also help students develop a variety of skills such as communicating ideas, brainstorming solutions, and the ability to effectively work in groups and individually.
Studio Art is an introduction to the fundamentals of art for 6th and 7th grader students and a continuation of skill development for our 8th graders in order to prepare them to advance to the next level in the Upper School. Students are guided through a variety of media, art processes and concepts, and encouraged to use their creativity and imagination to create artworks as they learn how to organize their thoughts and ideas into cohesive visual expressions.
In this introductory ceramics course, students develop and refine their skills in hand-building and wheel-throwing. They explore a variety of decorative techniques on the clay surface as well as with the finished surface of their pottery. To increase their understanding of ceramics, students become familiar with a working vocabulary of clay terminology. Pieces are fired in an onsite kiln.
The photography digital image course, designed for seventh graders, is an introduction to manipulating digital images in creative projects. The course includes creation of original works in collage making, photomosaics, stop motion animation, macro photography, and photo sculptures.
The Photography Digital Media course is for eighth grade students and is designed to follow on from the seventh grade Digital Image course. It an introduction to aspects of digital photography, web-page construction, portfolio compilation, digital design, story-board creation, slideshow production, and video production.
The Middle School Dance program is offered during the school day and it concentrates on the development of technical skills, and the appreciation of the art form. An annual dance performance is included in the yearly activities. Dance forms include ballet, hip hop, and tap. Dances from various cultures are also explored.
The Middle School theater classes focus on the fundamentals of dramatic performance. Students build the necessary skills for character development, scene work, and theater history.
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 theatre/theatre exercises, sight singing, and audition preparation. There is continued emphasis on listening and skill development, as well as music appreciation.
The entire Middle School meets and performs as the Choristers. All Middle School students participate in this choral group which performs in the Holiday and Spring Concerts, as well as at all-School Assemblies.
Private lessons are offered for many instruments and numerous recitals and assemblies are offered throughout the school year. Public performance at these events is encouraged. Private lessons are billed through the Business Office. Further details on arranging private lessons and fees can be found in the Parent Portal.
I feel like Walker's theater program has influenced me as an individual in the way that I feel more comfortable being myself. I think learning how to be an actor/singer has lifted me from a time in my life when I was younger when I wasn't as confident... I find that's one of the beauties of being an artist/performer, finding yourself in the art you create and portray and sharing it with others.
—Fiona V. ’29
Walker’s Theater Program produces shows annually that fill Ferguson Theatre. During the fall, Middle School cast members rehearse a theatrical production that is presented to the community in early March. Past productions have included Peter and the Starcatcher, And Then There Were None, and Legally Blonde The Musical.
