Visual Arts at Norfolk Collegiate School
	Each child and our broader society benefits from a high quality arts program. At Norfolk Collegiate School we focus on teaching to the individual child, responding to the needs of all learners. The arts can enhance a child’s ability to discover how to learn. It develops skills in critical thinking as well as imagination. The arts can sustain a student’s interest and enthusiasm for school. Most artistic children are right brained. This is the more sensitive side of our being. The creative arts help nurture empathy and foster that sensitive imagination through experiences that the arts uniquely provide. As an art teacher at NCS, I provide many opportunities for students to not only express their individuality as an artist, but to gain recognition in the community through art contests and exhibitions. Some of last year’s successes were: • First place in the Lion’s Peace Poster contest. • Second place in the Eli Wessel Holocaust Visual Arts Competition. • Students also were jury-selected to exhibit in the Festival Garden Art show. • Students were chosen to exhibit in the Chrysler Museum.   The visual art classes at NCS provide learning skills for the 21st century. We are focusing on inventions this year.  The art classes will use innovative skills, critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaboration to produce art work that they have invented. Innovation is essential to prepare students for the Global Future. An in depth school wide study of inventions is our next step in this endeavor.   The world is a visual montage. Whether your medium is television, movies, computers, books, I-pods, billboards, textiles or the arts, the visual aspect is present. The arts are geared to inspire students to use their artistic talents to enhance their own lives and in turn, the lives of others.   Nance Corriveau is the visual arts department chair and upper and middle school faculty.