RIO GRANDE, An independent school serving students pre-K through sixth grade in Santa Fe, NM

The Integrated Arts at RGS

Rio Grande School is one of the only schools in Santa Fe to offer fine arts, physical education, drama, and Spanish, taught by subject specialists, on a daily basis. Our specialists collaborate with classroom teachers to integrate their curriculum, helping students to learn that the world is naturally interconnected instead of organized into discrete areas of knowledge and skill.

Fine Arts
Our fine arts program gives students the skills, knowledge, confidence and experience to express themselves artistically and to appreciate and interpret the world of art. The processes of learning about, exploring, and creating art expand the student's worldview through the unique language of symbols, forms and images found in visual representation.

Drama
Drama is both an art form and a medium for learning. It contributes to the development of the whole person by giving meaning to experience through acting. Students develop greater self-confidence, respect for self and others, an enhanced sense of responsibility, and improved communication and critical thinking skills.

Library & Computer Skills
The multimedia center is an inviting, child-centered environment in which children explore and discover. Students encounter various forms and genres of literature and learn specific library and computer skills. Our multimedia program helps students learn to choose high quality resources for both information and enjoyment.

Music
The RGS Music Program is focused upon exposing and exciting each and every student about all kinds of music from classical, to pop, to jazz, to folk, to rap.  We do this through singing, moving, playing instruments, composing, improvising, and listening.  The RGS music program is a combination of the Orff-Schulwerk approach and a musical theatre performance based experience.  Every student at RGS will play pitched xylophones, drums and a wide variety of hand percussion instruments.  In the lower grades there is a significant emphasis on the elements of music. In the upper grades, our students eventually learn how to use computers to compose original music and underscore video.  Rio Grande also has a choir for highly motivated singers.  Using an integrated arts approach to learning, our overall goal is to bring the core curriculum into the music room and the music curriculum into the general classroom.  Music makes all kinds of learning fun!

Physical Education & Health
Our physical education program is highly interactive and fun. Every child that enters the physical education setting deserves a safe and nurturing environment with opportunities to develop to their potential at their own pace.  The program provides many opportunities for both challenges and success.

Spanish
The Spanish program focuses on the joy of learning another language. Students learn the basics of grammar and vocabulary by singing songs, playing games, and celebrating special holidays. In the lower grades, speaking and movement guide instruction. In the upper grades, students learn to write in Spanish, but they never leave the fun of speaking and movement far behind.