CHULA VISTA, CA, July 15, 2014 – Springs Charter Schools has launched Otay Ranch Academy for the Arts, a program which incorporates art throughout its core curriculum, for grades TK-8th grade on the campus of Mater Dei Catholic High School, 1615 Mater Dei Drive, Chula Vista. Although not an art school, music, the visual arts and performances will be used as a resource for teaching in all core subject areas.
“By using art as the resource, students will begin to notice their world more deeply and make connections between subject areas and content. Students will spend time discussing art, making art and applying what they learn across the curriculum,” explained Academy Director Philip Parks. “By fostering the use of imagination through the arts early in a child’s education, we can encourage the innovators of the future.”
The curriculum has been in the development stages over the past five years. Examples might be painting a postcard to illustrate a vocabulary word, doing a math-poem with a syllabic breakdown or creating a tableau of a historic scene (e.g. Washington Crossing the Delaware).
The program begins with the 2014-15 school year. Parks hopes the Academy will begin with an inaugural class of 200, and anticipates steady growth in the following years. Summer Academy open houses have drawn many visitors. Parks said, “Parents and students alike love the idea of learning through and with the arts.”
As a charter school, the Academy is a public school and tuition-free to parents. The Academy will offer a Transitional Kindergarten (TK), the first year of a two-year Kindergarten program specifically designed for children who have their 5th birthday between September 2nd and December 2nd.
For additional information about the program, including enrollment information, visit: http://springscharterschools.org/programs/chula-vista-area/otay-ranch-academy-arts-k-8/. Parents can also inquire about touring the school and speaking with a member of the staff.
Springs Charter Schools are tuition-free, public schools of choice serving more than 5,000 California school children and their parents. Many Springs’ parents choose to homeschool full-time, while others choose two to five days per week of a blended model that includes classroom instruction with home study. Springs serves students with 15 student centers in the Counties of Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Orange and Los Angeles. Springs Charter Schools’ administrative offices are located at 43466 Business Park Drive, Temecula, CA 92590. Phone: (951) 252-8800. Website: www.springscharterschools.org.
