Department Philosophy

The Arts makes the ordinary extraordinary. The CIC Fine Arts Department will provide an opportunity for all students to develop an understanding of the value of the arts – not only as an entity in itself but as an intellectual and academic connection to their local and international neighbors in all areas of the curriculum and personal life. We will endeavor to instill a life-long love and appreciation of the arts in everyday life; today, tomorrow and for the future.

Our Faculty

Ibsen Rosales- Department Head, Elementary Music, MS Choir
Glenn Tomassi – MS and HS Band
Tendai Wilkinson – MYP and DP Visual Art & Yearbook Designer
Elena Gil – Elementary Visual Art

Visual Arts Course Descriptions

Pre-Nursery, Nursery and Pre-Kinder, Elena Gil
We aim our students to develop fine motor skills, we introduce them to Art Elements (line shape, color, texture etc.) and to different techniques and media. The proper use and care of art materials is also a very important objective.

Kinder, 1st Grade and 2nd Grade, Elena Gil
We aim our students to further develop fine motor skills, self-confidence, and artistic perception of Art Elements, as well as to be able to identify those elements of art in objects, nature and art works.
In order to fulfill these objectives, the students will be exposed to different concepts such as line, color, shape, form, space, texture etc. and to different art techniques (pencil, watercolors, clay, printmaking etc.). At the same time, we will insist on the proper use of tools and materials involved in this learning process.
We also will study the work of famous artists in order to enrich their art knowledge.

3rd Grade, 4th Grade and 5th Grade, Elena Gil
We aim our students to develop self-confidence, creativity and artistic perception of Art Elements. We expect students learn that anything can be created when we use our imagination and to see elements of art as tools to express ideas.
The students will be exposed to concepts such as point, line, color, shape, form, space, texture, patterns, landscape, perspective etc. After each concept is developed separately, they will be combined while experimenting with different techniques and media (pencil, watercolors, clay, printmaking etc.) At the same time, we will insist on the proper use and care of art tools and materials.
We also will study the work of famous artists in order to enrich their art knowledge.

7th Grade Art, Tendai Wilkinson
This course is designed to teach students knowledge and skills in the subject of visual arts in order that they may better understand the human condition, our society and our world. The Middle Years Program has developed a linear visual arts curriculum to guide students toward that goal. Projects in this course are centered around the Elements and Principles of Design—the traits that make up all visual arts and the rules that guide their use. By learning about the Elements and Principles of Design, students are able to talk about and discuss the visual aspects of a work of art in an objective manner. In addition to the Elements and Principles, students learn valuable techniques in various media including pencil, paint, clay, and print-making.

Art Media, Tendai Wilkinson
The Art media class will be a class where students will be exposed to the fundamental aspects of art and art theory. They will learn a variety of techniques and learn how to express themselves through visual media. They will keep a portfolio of work, which will be periodically assessed. This class is an opportunity to discover and experiment using the knowledge and skills taught in this class.

Art Foundations, Tendai Wilkinson
The purpose of this course is to give the students a good academic base in Art and Art History building higher level skills in technique and research, making correlations with other areas. The use of a developmental workbook is mandatory in the MYP program for Visual Arts. Here the students will be recording their reflections and evaluation of their work, their experiments and practice as well as planning and brainstorming for their projects. Students will be preparing their portfolios for final year assessment and will be including two major projects with research, final artwork and process, as well as, ongoing reflections and final evaluations.

IB Art I, Tendai Wilkinson
The IB Art Program is an intensive course, which requires the students to apply themselves diligently and consistently with guidance from the teacher. They will learn to relate their individual studio work and research in their workbooks focusing mainly on Aesthetics, art appreciation and an ability to competently analyze their own work, which will be examined externally by an IB examiner. During the course of the year they should develop an awareness of cultural influence and background of art and its importance and in society. They will also will be given the opportunity to learn to express themselves in varying media such as painting, mixed media, textiles, photography, ceramics, installations and any other media that may be accessible. They will be given the opportunity to sharpen their skills and express themselves through art.

IB Art II, Tendai Wilkinson
The IB Art Program is an intensive course, which requires the students to apply themselves diligently and consistently with guidance from the teacher. They will learn to relate their individual studio work and research in their workbooks focusing mainly on Aesthetics, art appreciation and an ability to competently analyze their own work,which will be examined externally by an IB examiner. During the course of the year they should develop an awareness of cultural influence and background of art and its importance and in society. They will also will be given the opportunity to learn to express themselves in varying media such as painting, mixed media, textiles, photography, ceramics, installations and any other media that may be accessible. They will be given the opportunity to sharpen their skills and express themselves through art.

Music Course Descriptions

Pre-Nursery to Kindergarten, Ibsen Rosales
Music classes in Pre-Nursery, Nursery, Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten are designed to expose our youngest students to music in fun and age-appropriate ways. Selected class activities build aural, kinesthetic and social awareness, laying the foundation for future experiences in steady beat, louder/softer, higher/softer and faster/slower. Grades 1 to 3 Early Elementary Music classes are a hands-on experience. In these classes, students learn about music from around the world through a dynamic combination of reading, listening, singing, and playing instruments. Students experiment liberally with pitches and rhythms, and begin to learn basic music vocabulary to describe the sounds they hear and the sounds they want to make. Grades 4 and 5 Students in the Upper Elementary Music classes move from musical exploration into musical skill building. To the Early Elementary arsenal of voice, xylophones and unpitched percussion, the 4th and 5th graders add recorders, allowing these young artists greater expressive ability and access to a broader range of repertoire. Upper Elementary students also learn to arrange musical elements such as pitch, rhythm, timbre, and form with purpose and creativity.

6th Grade Choir, Ibsen Rosales
The Middle School Choir begins with basic vocal preparation skills: Posture, Head Voice, Breath Control, Tone Quality, Intonation, Diction, and Expression.
The CIC Choir one semester course splits into various ensembles whereby the student explores large vocal ensemble, small ensemble and solo repertoire. Learning about music from other cultures, hearing and defining the Melody, Vocal Harmony (2, 3, and 4 parts), Rhythm and Genre of music will be introduced. Throughout the process, the CIC Choir program inculcates in its young performing artists important life skills such as organization, responsibility, respect, teamwork, leadership, critical thinking, research, and more. Although in Grade 6 and Grade 8, the goals and class activities are similar; there are different levels of expectations for each age.

6th Grade Band, Glenn Tomassi
Students in the 6th grade make the big leap from instruments designed for children to instruments designed for adults. This class is designed to reinforce the fundamentals of music reading while building new concepts of tone quality, posture, responsibility and care for the instruments. Beginning Band performance opportunities are designed to build confidence and motivation in a secure environment.

7th-8th Grade Band, Glenn Tomassi
Intermediate Band Members build on the concepts of posture, air stream, and tone quality developed in the Beginning Band, while adding expressive techniques such as articulation and dynamics. Intermediate Band emphasizes high-quality performance of exciting music from a variety of times and places, and includes a balance of Classical and pop music repertoire.

8th Grade Choir, Ibsen Rosales
The 8th Grade Choir begins with basic music perception skills, then acquires music appreciation skills, and then grows through music analysis and performance skills. The CIC Choir program splits into various ensembles whereby the student explores large vocal ensemble, small ensemble and solo repertoire. Learning about music from other cultures, hearing and defining the Melody, Vocal Harmony (2, 3, and 4 parts), Rhythm, Breath Control, Pitch matching, Tone Quality and Genre of music will be developed. Throughout the process, the CIC Choir program inculcates in its young performing artists important life skills such as organization, responsibility, respect, teamwork, leadership, critical thinking, research, and more. Although in Grade 6 and Grade 8, the goals and class activities are similar; there are different levels of expectations for each age.

9th-10th Grade Band, Glenn Tomassi
The Band split into various ensembles whereby the student explores large ensemble, small ensemble and solo repertoire. Students are expected to maintain a developmental workbook that reflects their artistic development over their years of study. Learning about music from other cultures, hearing and defining the Melody, Harmony, Form, Texture, Rhythm, Timbre and Genre of music will be introduced.

11th-12th Grade IB Music, Glenn Tomassi
This class will follow the IB music curriculum and is the highest level of music offered. Students will realize their vocal or instrumental talents, practice, perform, create and analyze music at an IB level. Students will perform solos and in ensembles. IB Music course culminates in the Musical Investigation Media Paper.