Fine Arts Education

PVSchools offers comprehensive fine arts programming for all students in kindergarten through grade 12. All fine arts courses are taught by highly qualified, properly certified instructors who are passionate about student learning in the arts.

Elementary students receive visual art and general music instruction on a regular schedule. In fourth grade, students may elect to add band, chorus or string orchestra to their schedule.

Our middle and high schools offer a broad spectrum of visual and performing arts classes.

View the Fine Arts (Google) Calendar

Visual Arts Courses Include:

• Painting
• Drawing
• Ceramics

Performing Arts Classes Include:

Instruction is augmented by district-level enrichment opportunities, such as art shows, concerts, exhibitions, recitals, district honor bands, honor orchestras and honor choirs, as well as an all-district arts festival. We are also a Kennedy Center Partner and have relationships with many nonprofit arts organizations, including the Phoenix Boys Choir, Musical Instrument Museum and Phoenix Art Museum.

Our students receive national, state and local recognition for their artwork and performances. Our fine arts faculty represents the best of the profession and remains focused on providing all students the opportunities and support they need for success in the arts, and in life.

Explore Further

Learn more about PVSchools' fine arts offerings by clicking on one or more of the following disciplines:

Instrumental Music

Band

Band instruction begins in fourth grade, and continues through high school. In high school, band students have additional opportunities in the form of marching band, symphonic band, and jazz band.

String Orchestra

Orchestra instruction begins in fourth grade, and continues through high school. Grades six through 12 have opportunities to participate in District Honor Orchestra.

Choral Music

Vocal music is available for students in grades 4 through 12.

Elementary School

Choirs rehearse either before or after school hours, depending on school site.

Middle and High School

Choral opportunities are available in a wider variety than in elementary school, such as:

• Men's Chorus
• Women's Chorus
• Mixed Choir
• Jazz Choir
• Show Choir

Theater

Theater instruction, also known as drama, is available at several of our middle schools, while all five of our high schools have full-time theater instructors.

Students have opportunities for both on-stage experiences, as well as technical theater, which includes light and sound design, costumes and make-up in addition to set design and construction.

Dance

Dance instruction is offered at two of our middle schools:

• Desert Shadows Middle School
• Shea Middle School
• Sunrise Middle School

It is also offered at three of our high schools:

• Horizon High School
• North Canyon High School
• Paradise Valley High School
• Shadow Mountain High School

The course of study includes a wide variety of dance styles, including ballet, hip hop, jazz, and modern.

Visual Arts

Kindergarten - 6th

Art instruction is required for every elementary school student in grades kindergarten through sixth.

Middle and High School

Art is an elective at both middle and high school levels. In high school, students may choose to specialize in:

• Painting
• Drawing
• Ceramics
• Advanced Placement Art

Each spring, artwork from each grade is chosen for display at the "Sights and Sounds of PVSchools" festival held at Paradise Valley Mall.

View 'Sights and Sounds' Event Details

Elementary Music

Music instruction is required for every student attending elementary school, grades kindergarten through sixth. General music classes are staffed by highly qualified, appropriately certified music education professionals.

Students in fourth through sixth grades have the additional opportunity to participate in chorus, band or strings to supplement their regular music instruction.

Explore our general music curriculum with one of our online providers, Quaver: Visit the Quaver Music website.

State Seal of Arts Proficient Students

PVSchools high school students who excel in the arts have the opportunity to earn a state seal of proficiency on their diploma upon graduation.

We are proud to announce that we had the largest number of Arizona Department of Education State Seal of Arts Proficiency recipients of any district in the state in 2020-21! Our district featured 93 of the 665 high school graduates in the state who were awarded the arts seal. This follows the 2019-20 school year in which we had the second-largest number of arts seal recipients. These numbers are a testament to the PVSchools arts teachers working with, guiding, and encouraging our students.

See the full 2021 State Seal of Arts Proficiency year-end report (PDF).