For Information on the Arts Programs contact:
Antonio C. Scott
Fine Arts Program Specialist
40 Orange Street
St. Augustine, FL 32084
904-547-7565, fax 904-547-7544
www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/arts/
Antonio.Scott@stjohns.k12.fl.us
The St. Johns County School District and the St. Johns County School Board support arts instruction in all schools and at all levels, K-12. Every elementary school has both a full-time art and music teacher. Secondary school arts programs vary according to student interest and enrollment. The St. Johns County Centers for the Arts (SJCCA) are located at R. J. Murray Middle School and St. Augustine High School. At SJCCA, sequential courses are offered in visual and performing arts: chorus, instrumental music/band, drama and dance. Students must apply to attend the SJCCA schools. Students will audition into appropriate class levels.
Access to the Arts in Grade Levels K-5
The St. Johns County School District provides visual arts and music education for every student in grades K-5 on a regular schedule. Most students have music and art once per week, although in some schools, the rotation interval is six to nine days. Music pedagogies include Kodály, Suzuki and Orff methods. All teachers are certified in their arts area. Some schools offer after-school arts club opportunities, such as guitar, violin and chorus.
Visual art students learn a variety of art forms, including drawing, painting, sculpture, mixed media, printmaking and pottery. Art is featured prominently at every school, and students are encouraged to participate in local, state, national and international shows and contests, such as Crimestoppers Poster, Betty Griffin House “Day Without Violence,” Art Works and others.
Music students learn the basic building blocks of music, including rhythm, melody, harmony and musical collaboration on a wide range of percussion and melody instruments, including drums, xylophones and recorders. Students participate in regular school and public performances throughout the school year, especially around holidays and at the end of the school year.
Art and music teachers encourage parental involvement in the arts education of their children. Exposing students to live music and art shows broadens their horizons and allows them to make informed choices in developing their artistic tastes. Parental and community attendance at school shows and performances reinforces the value of music and art in education and in life.
Middle School (Grades 6-8)
In SJCSD, we believe the middle school years should build on the arts education gained in elementary school and are significant to the success of our students when they matriculate to high school. Although programs vary from school to school, dance, music (both instrumental and vocal), theatre and visual art are available at the middle school level. All middle schools have band programs and offer 2-D and 3-D visual arts. Strings and guitar are available at Sebastian Middle School. Dance is available at Murray Middle School. Theatre is available at all six middle schools and all academies as either a course or as an extracurricular activity/club. Students at the St. Johns County Center for the Arts (SJCCA) at Murray Middle School can choose sequential arts electives in the disciplines of band, chorus, dance, theatre and visual art which includes digital design. Students can gain high school elective credit for one visual arts course at Murray Middle School, allowing them to enroll in a higher-level course upon entering high school.
Students in the performing and visual arts programs participate in many community events, including local and regional festivals, parades, competitions and showcase performances. Students can audition for middle school Honor Band and All-State band and chorus. Each year the St. Augustine Art Association hosts an All County Middle School Art Show in April. Additionally, students participate annually in the following contests: Middle School Art in the Capitol, the 7th Judicial District’s Crime Stoppers Poster contest, Martin Luther King Jr. Essay and Poster contest and the Betty Griffin House “Day Without Violence” art and poetry contest, among others.
Information and applications for SJCCA at Murray Middle School will be available in early February for the upcoming school year. For more information, call 904-547-8470 or see www-mms.stjohns.k12.fl.us. Students who are not zoned for Murray Middle School must apply for an Out of Zone waiver to attend SJCCA.
Access to the Arts at the High School Level 9-12
There are two distinct learning paths available for high school students to pursue their interests in the performing and visual arts. *
Visual and performing arts elective courses are available at all St. Johns County School District high schools, except St Johns Technical High School.
Courses offerings may include band, chorus, dance, theatre and visual art.
Not all courses are offered at all schools.
Students who are interested in pursuing an Arts Program of Study are encouraged to apply to the St. Johns County Center for the Arts (SJCCA) at St. Augustine High School.
SJCCA offers four strands of arts focus: Dance, music (band, jazz, vocal/chorus, guitar, orchestra and piano), theatre (acting, musical theatre and theatre tech) and visual art (2D, 3D and digital design).
Students who are not zoned for St. Augustine High School must apply to attend SJCCA at SAHS.
Applications for SJCCA are available to rising 9th– and 10th-grade students. Applications and additional information for SJCCA are generally made available on the St. Augustine High School website at the beginning of the second semester. For more information, call 904-547-8530 or see www-sahs.stjohns.k12.fl.us. The SJCCA website is www.sjcca.org.
*IB, AICE and AP Art History are offered at select schools.
Students in the performing and visual arts programs participate in many community events, including local and regional fairs, parades and festivals, competitions and showcase performances. Our district has a long-standing history of student musicians being selected to perform in various All-State ensembles each year. SJCSD has proudly partnered for 15 years with the St. Augustine Art Association, which hosts an annual juried All-County High School Art Show each March, with various awards in multiple mediums. Additionally, large numbers of our students each year are awarded for their participation in annual events such as the North Florida Scholastic Art Awards, Art Works, FAEA Virtual Exhibit and others. Student artists also compete for awards in the Congressional Art Competition, the 7th Judicial District’s Crime Stoppers Poster contest, the Martin Luther King Jr. Essay and Poster Contest, and the Betty Griffin House “Day Without Violence” art contest.