The St. James-Assiniboia School Division provides quality Arts Programming for all students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 because the Arts are “important for preserving and nurturing human culture and heritage and necessary for human health and social well-being" (page 2, Manitoba Curriculum Framework).
Band, Choral, Dance, Drama, Graphic Arts, Musical Theatre, Photography and Visual Arts programming are offered throughout the division's 26 schools to support student learning through the Arts. The Arts provide “resources for rich, comprehensive, and diverse meaning making and ways of communicating through the unique literacies of dance, dramatic arts, music and visual arts. Because the individual represents distinct ways of knowing, each of the arts makes a significant contribution to learners' learning and development (page 2, Manitoba Curriculum Framework).
In addition to school-based Arts Programming, the St. James-Assiniboia School Division supports three divisional concert choirs for students in Grades 4–12. The choirs provide musical enrichment to like-minded talented young singers from across the division, choral entertainment to the St. James-Assiniboina community, and an opportunity to perform and compete in competitions and festivals. The divisional concert choir season runs from September until May each school year. All division students are welcome to audition each spring!
The SJASD Divisional Musical Theatre Program consists of Grades 4–8 students from across division elementary and middle schools. The program offers enrichment for musical-minded young performers and runs from September to February, culminating in a week-long production at Westwood Collegiate in February each school year. Community members are encouraged to attend both afternoon and evening productions. These musicals are always worth the price of admission!
The division hosts a full day Music Celebration at the Lyric Stage in the Assiniboine Park each May for families, friends and community members to enjoy the spring weather and watch our young Early Years performers take the stage with a variety of musical and movement performances. Grab a lawn chair, snack and bottle of water and join us in the great outdoors!
Every June, dance students from Early, Middle and Senior Years collaborate to bring SJASD Dancescapes to the stage at the Manitoba Theatre for Young People. Each school invited brings a unique performance to the stage ranging from Bollywood to tap. It's an event worth attending!
For more information on these events and more please see the Upcoming Events calendar on the St. James-Assiniboia School Division website.
For more information about curriculum frameworks, please visit the Manitoba, Education and Training website.
For more information about SJASD Arts Programming, please contact:
Catharine Rivard-Iacozza
Coordinator of the Arts and the Integrated Arts
catharine.rivardiacozza@sjasd.ca
204-837-5886 ext 2109
(From top: Artist: Analisa Gamayao, Westwood Collegiate; Senior Concert Choir receiving the Saults and Pollard Limited Shield for most outstanding performance by a Youth Community Choir, 19 years and under).
