Students in grades kindergarten through fourth grade receive 50 minutes of art instruction once every five days. The program provides students breadth in art making experiences, cross-curricular projects, and exploration of artist biographies.

Students in grades fifth through eighth grade receive 10 weeks of art instruction per year. The program focuses on developing drawing skills, hand-building clay techniques, art history, and depth in a variety of studio experiences. 

Students may enter into a 3 or 5 unit sequence of art courses. For more information regarding the specific course options, please visit the high school page.

The Lansing High School Visual Arts Program is rooted in its students’ interests and motivations. So much of the school day can feel extrinsic and un-motivating, yes, at times even in art. However, every unit of study in the art courses gives students choice. Choice in the theme they want to explore in their work, choice in what message they want to communicate to the audience, choice in subject matter, choice in the materials and techniques they employ, choice in the courses they select to take. Students can take their individual passions and use art as a vehicle to express them.
 
There is more to the Lansing High School Visual Arts Program beyond the making and the end product. Art students look at, discuss, and analyze the works of others. Art students plan intensively, create, practice, experiment, critique, reflect, revise, persist, and publish their works and process. The Lansing High School Art Program teaches students to be metacognitive, constantly documenting their processes and thinking about their own thinking.
 
Because we allow our students to bring their ideas to the table and explore them, Art students will go the extra mile, put in extra hours, work on their assignments at home, stay after school to get ahead, ask questions outside of class, because they can’t stop thinking about their work. Art students are creators, innovators, explorers of visual media, who can envision an idea and bring it to life.

Instrumental Music

R.C. Buckley Elementary

• Band and Orchestra study begins in 4th grade with small group lessons and ensemble rehearsals, both occurring once per week.

• Students can participate in the NYSSMA Solo & Small Ensemble Festival

Lansing Middle School

• Students can participate in the 5th/6th grade band or orchestra or the 7th /8th grade band or orchestra. Students also attend small group lessons once per week.

 Extra Curricular Opportunities:

• Elementary and Junior High All-County Honors Band or Orchestra

• Area All-State Honors Band or Orchestra

• Jazz Band

• NYSSMA Solo & Small Ensemble Festival

Lansing High School

• Instrumental ensembles at Lansing High school include the Concert Band, "Bopcats" Jazz Ensemble, String Orchestra, and Symphony Orchestra. All ensembles are open to students in grades 9-12.

• Students also attend small group lessons once per week.

Extra Curricular Opportunities:

• HS Musical (Pit, Cast, Crew)

• HS All County Band and Jazz Band

• Sr. High Area All-State Band

• Sr. High Area All-State Orchestra

• Conference All-State Band

• Conference All-State Orchestra

• All-Eastern Band

• All-Eastern Orchestra

• NYSSMA Solo & Small Ensemble Festivals

General/Vocal Music

R.C. Buckley Elementary

All students in music class will be encouraged to sing, dance, play, create, perform, and improvise, according to the state and national standards. This may look a little different from PK to 4th grade, but my goal is for all students to find something about music that they love, and to grow in independence both as a musician and a student! My curriculum aligns with the National Arts Standards and New York State Learning Standards for the Arts: students can Create, Perform, Respond, and Connect. My lessons are influenced by Feierabend, Dalcroze, and Orff pedagogies.

PreK and K:

• These classes will look very similar for a while. Lots of singing, moving, and playing (Perform)! Students will be invited to try and sing short songs by themselves and given opportunities to improvise (Create). Students will begin to learn about the differences in music- high/low, fast/slow, loud/quiet (Respond). We will also explore the sounds we hear in our daily lives (Connect).  After the winter holidays, K will begin to focus on music literacy, and by the end of the year they should be able to read simple rhythm patterns! 

First and Second grade:

• Students in these grades will continue to focus on music literacy and building on the skills mentioned above, while also participating in fun activities to sustain their love of music! They will begin to focus on following music on a staff,  playing classroom instruments appropriately (rhythm instruments, ukuleles, xylophones, etc), and beginner compositional activities (Create). 

 Third grade:

• Recorder Karate will begin right before the winter holidays! There will be more information sent home about this as this gets closer. This unit serves as a way for students to use their music literacy skills in a more formal setting (Perform). Third graders will also continue to sing, play, and move! 

Fourth grade:

• Students will continue to develop music literacy skills and enjoy music games and activities. They will also explore different genres of music and practice leadership and research skills through project-based activities.  (Respond, Connect)

Extra Curricular Opportunities:

• 3rd and 4th Grade Chorus, and Music Club during Monday clubs (new this year)

Lansing Middle School

• All students have one grading period of general music in grades 5-8.

• Students can choose to participate in the 5th/6th grade chorus or the 7th/8th grade chorus which rehearse every other day.

Extra Curricular Opportunities:

• Middle School Musical

• Middle School All-County Honors Chorus

• Jr. High Area All-State Honors Chorus

• NYSSMA Solo & Small Ensemble Festivals

Lansing High School

• Vocal ensembles include the Mixed Chorus, which is available to students in grades 9 -12, and the Varsity Chorale which is available by audition to students in grades 10-12 . Choir students also attend small group lessons once per week.

• General Music electives include "Music In Our Lives" which surveys various styles of music and the role they play in modern society, Music Theory 1 which explores written and aural aspects of music composition, and AP Music Theory which builds on the concept in Music Theory 1 while preparing students to take the AP Music Theory exam.

Extra Curricular Opportunities:

• High School Musical (Cast, Crew)

• High School All-County Chorus

• High School Show Choir

• Sr. High Area All-State Chorus

• Conference All-State Chorus

• All-Eastern Chorus

• NYSSMA Solo & Small Ensemble Festival