St. Anthony of Padua is an accredited school through the Ohio Catholic School Accrediting Association, OCSAA. As a participating member of OCSAA, we are required to create a strategic plan that incorporates annual progress reports assessing the effectiveness of our instruction and student progress. Annual adjustments are made within the plan to continually strengthen areas of deficit aligning with our target goals and objectives in our strategic plan.
We believe the fine arts serve an invaluable role in the growth and development of our students. Too often, schools or districts facing budget cuts reduce or eliminate fine arts programs, thereby impacting their student populations and underestimating the benefits of providing such programs. At St. Anthony of Padua, we believe fine arts enrich the educational experience and contribute to the academic success of students. Students in kindergarten through eighth grade participate in weekly art and music classes with additional opportunities to join extracurricular clubs that refine their skills. Our fine arts programs are sure to excite the inner creativity of each St. Anthony of Padua student.
Visual Arts
Student art work decorates the hallways of St. Anthony of Padua and showcases the ability of our talented students. Each year, students’ work is submitted to local high school art shows and has resulted in many of our artists receiving awards and accolades for outstanding work.
Our visual arts program begins in kindergarten and progresses through eighth grade. As students progress through the program, they study various artists and art forms, resulting in creative interpretations of different art styles. Students will have the opportunity to create drawings, sculptures, 3D designs, paintings, and digital art. We believe the exposure of students working with different materials and mediums has contributed to the success of our students in visual art contests.
In addition to the visual art classroom experiences, we provide extracurricular activities that enhance and refine student capabilities in art. Our art club, which is open to all students in grade-level sessions, offers students the ability to deepen their interest with a particular art form or style. In addition, our visual art department provides an artistic component to the spring musical by having students help design the set. We also offer a program called Young Rembrandts, which enlists a local company to provide drawing instruction to a small group. Young Rembrandts is available for primary and intermediate students with a focus on developing drawing skills through interpretation of famous artists and art works.
Music
In the music classroom, students learn by engaging in music activities that include both creating and performing. Students build upon basic skills starting in kindergarten which allow them to better understand and appreciate music. Students are taught through a combination of Orff-Schulwerk and Kodaly pedagogies. Orff-Schulwerk uses spoken word to connect to musical rhythm, which then expands into note reading. It also uses meaningful movement to foster creativity and musicality. Both Orff-Schulwerk and Kodaly use meaningful musical experiences through the use of games and activities. Students learn sight singing using solfege and hand signs to foster music literacy. The goal is to instill in our students musical independence and creativity.
Instrumental Music
Our instrumental music program is a partnership with Padua Franciscan High School and consists of symphonic band and orchestra. Unlike the music and art classes offered to all students beginning in kindergarten, instrumental music is available for students in specific grade levels and is structured with students receiving individual lessons within the school day. Students participating in the instrumental music program will participate in bi-annual concerts and have the opportunity to attend Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) Solo and Ensemble Contests. It is possible for students within this program to receive high school scholarships based on their abilities and performances at OMEA.