What does The Arts look like at Ponsonby?

The Arts is a creative process that stimulates imagination, thinking and understanding while developing practical skills in a range of media and technologies. Through movement, sound, and image the Arts transform people’s creative ideas into expressive works that communicate layered meanings. The Arts recognise, value and contribute to the unique culture of Ponsonby within the bicultural and multicultural diversity of Aotearoa.

Why do we teach it?

Arts education explores, challenges, affirms and celebrates unique artistic expressions of self, community and culture. By participating in the Arts, student’s personal wellbeing is enhanced and their confidence to take risks is increased. In the Arts students learn to work both independently and collaboratively to construct meanings, produce works and respond to and value other’s contributions. Students will develop a life-long appreciation of the Arts.

How do we teach it?

The Arts at Ponsonby is taught through four disciplines: dance, drama, music and visual arts. Each discipline is structured around four strands: Understanding the Arts in Context, Developing Practical Knowledge, Developing Ideas and Communicating and Interpreting.  The Arts is three separate modules (Dance/Drama, Music, Visual Arts) where each discipline is taught 1 term each year.  Year 8 builds on and revisits learning from Year 7 providing progressions of learning in all four stands.

From the Ponsonby Curriculum. Published 2022.