Mission Statement

Prince Avenue Christian School exists to infuse our school community with a Biblical worldview by effectively sharing the gospel and developing fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ through scripturally based discipleship, academics, fine arts, and athletics.

Departmental Philosophy

“God created man in his own image,” Gen. 1:27. Since God created us in His image, each student is innately creative. Fine Arts release the creativity within each student and allow each student to glorify God through products of their creativity. The arts foster critical thinking and stimulate imagination while addressing all the different learning styles—visual, auditory and kinesthetic. The arts enrich the educational, spiritual, and cultural lives of our students as well as increase the sense of community and teamwork.

Fine Arts Policy Disclaimer:

All written policies and areas of concern either specific or non-specific covered in the Fine Arts Handbook are subject to clarification and/or change by the school administration.

Fine Arts Affiliation:

PRINCE is currently competing in the Georgia High School Association competitions which  include One-Act Play and Literary Meet. PRINCE is a member of Georgia Independent Schools Association, Association of Christian Schools, and Southern Association of Independent Schools. Fine Arts events sponsored by ASCI in our region are Band Festival and Choral Festival. The PRINCE music faculty holds memberships in the Georgia Music Educators Association and National Association of Music Educators; therefore, our students are eligible to participate in state and district events provided PRINCE students meet the requirements for Georgia Music Educators and National Association of Music Educators events.

The Performing Arts Department at Prince Avenue Christian School includes both vocal and instrumental music, and drama. Elementary students attend weekly music classes from K4 and continuing through fifth grade.  An afterschool drama club, Little Prince Players, is offered for fourth and fifth-grade students, and a beginning band class is offered for fifth-grade students. Middle school students may choose to take classes in drama, band, or performing arts. Upper school students may select classes in band, performing arts, or technical theatre. Co-curricular options include pep band, jazz band, school musicals and plays, concerts, performance opportunities at the district, state, and national level, service projects, and travel.

• Beginning Band
  Fifth grade students are shown the woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments, and are assisted in choosing which instrument they should play. Students learn the fundamentals of playing an instrument and reading music. Students beginning band in the fifth grade will be placed in the intermediate middle school band in the following year.
• Middle School Intermediate Band
  Students that began in the fifth grade will be placed in the Middle School Intermediate Band. Students will continue to develop fundamental skills of musicianship and playing an instrument. Students may participate in the Pep Band and/or Jazz Band.
• Middle School Advanced Band
  Students in middle school with two years or more experience will be placed in the Middle School Advanced Band. Students will continue to build their individual performance technique while learning ensemble skills. Students may participate in the Pep Band and/or Jazz Band.
• Accelerated Band
  Students who did not have the opportunity to enter the band program in fifth grade, may enter the band program through this accelerated, fast-paced class. As a student progresses to the appropriate level, the student will be placed in Middle School Intermediate Band, Middle School Advanced Band, or the High School Advanced Band. Students may participate in the Pep Band and/or Jazz Band.
• Advanced Band
  High School students are placed in the High School Advanced Band. Students will continue to develop individual musicianship while developing advance ensemble skills. Students may participate in the Pep Band and/or Jazz Band, in addition to district and state competitions.

Academic Courses

• Lower School Music
  Preschool through fifth-grade students attend weekly music classes which focus on spiritual principles, scripture memorization, and Biblical stories through the fundamentals of music. Students participate in all aspects of music-making both in class and through performances such as Fine Arts Night, the lower school musical, and co-curricular activities.
  Contact For more information about Lower School Music, please contact Will Marlow at wmarlow@princeave.org.
• Middle School Performing Arts
  Middle School Performing Arts is a combination class of music, drama, and choreography to introduce and prepare students for musical theatre. Students perform in school concerts and present a musical in the spring. Students may participate in school productions and district or state choral events.
• High School Performing Arts
  The High School Performing Arts Class is a combination of choral music and drama. Students study vocal technique, music history, theory, and culture through the singing of a variety of choral literature in solo, small, and large ensemble settings. Students continue to build on the fundamental skills of acting through interpretation, scene development, improvisation, and characterization. Students perform in school concerts, and may participate in school productions, local, district and state choral and drama events, and trips to locations such as Disney World, Nashville and New York City.
• High School Honors Performing Arts
  Honors Performing Arts is offered within the Performing Arts class. Students participating in the honors level class must excel in the pre-requisites of drama and music and obtain teacher recommendations. Honors level students must participate in school productions by serving as a cast member or part of the production crew.
• High School Technical Theatre
  The overall goal of this course is to allow students to develop an understanding of technical aspects of theatre production. Students will work with elements of stage design, scenic design, sound engineering, video production, lighting design, choreography, and costume design. Students will also explore the development of theatrical design and technique throughout history.

The Visual Arts department offers art classes to every elementary and middle school student. High school students may elect to take art classes. Elementary students attend weekly art classes from K4 and continuing through fifth-grade. Middle school students take art for one quarter in their sixth grade. Seventh-grade and eighth-grade students may select art as an elective. High school students may select classes in drawing, ceramics, or printmaking. Co-curricular options include service projects, travel, and the National Art Honor Society.

Academic Courses

• Lower School Art: Elementary students create original works of art in a variety of media, participate in art critiques, and are introduced to artists and their works. Student artwork is displayed in the school as well as at the Oconee County School District Art Exhibition.For more information about Lower School Art, please contact Heather Lambert at hlambert@princeave.org.

• Middle School Art:
  Middle School students study art for one quarter during their sixth-grade year. Students may continue to study art in the seventh and eighth-grade years.
• Seventh/Eighth Grade Art:
  • Middle School Drawing: Middle School Drawing focuses on the elements of art through a variety of drawing media and techniques such as graphite, oil pastel, and color pencil.
  • Middle School Printmaking: Middle School Printmaking focuses on the elements of art through the printmaking processes of relief and reduction linoleum printing.
  • Middle School Painting: Middle School Painting focuses on the elements and principles of art through a variety of painting media and techniques such as watercolor and acrylic.
• Contact: 
  For more information about Middle School Art, please contact Leah Laturell at llaturell@princeave.org.

• High School Art:
  High School Drawing:
  Students will learn and build on a variety of drawing media and processes such as graphite, oil pastel, color pencil while implementing the elements and principles of art, resulting in finished works of art
  High School Introduction to Art:
  9th-grade students will learn the foundations of drawing, painting, ceramics, and printmaking while implementing the elements and principles of art, resulting in finished works of art that are cross-curricular with the 9th-grade history curriculum
  High School Painting:
  Students will learn and build on a variety of painting media and processes such as acrylic and watercolor while implementing the elements and principles of art, resulting in finished works of art.
  High School Pottery:
  Students will learn the foundational construction and surface design skills of pottery and ceramics such as pinch pot, coil, slab, and wheel-thrown construction while implementing the elements and principles of art, resulting in finished works of art.
  High School Printmaking:
  Students will learn and build on a variety of printmaking media and processes such as monocuts and reduction printing while implementing the elements and principles of art, resulting in finished works of art.
  High School Sculpture:
  Students will build upon the foundational construction and surface design skills of pottery and ceramics and continue to implement 3-D form concepts into various sculpture techniques such as plaster, paper mache, wire, and wood while implementing the elements and principles of art, resulting in finished works of art.
  High School Honors Art:
  Students will demonstrate a thorough understanding of implementing art elements and principles through a variety of art media and processes, gradually advancing skills and techniques to a level of mastery. Students’ artwork will reflect a relationship of technical, conceptual, and spiritual depth, resulting in finished works of art that complete a comprehensive body of work.
• Contact: For more information about High School Art, please contact Meghan Hudson at mhudson@princeave.org or Mary Prickett at mprickett@princeave.org.

• Jazz Band
  Membership in Jazz Band is open to all band students by audition. Jazz Band rehearsals begin after football season and end in late April. High achieving jazz students may audition for membership in the All-State Jazz Band and may qualify to participate in the Georgia Association of Jazz Educators State Jazz Clinic.
• Pep Band
  All students in High School Advanced Band are required to participate in the Pep Band which plays at all PRINCE home football games and selected away games. Middle school students may audition for Pep Band.
• District and All-State Band
  The Georgia Music Educators Association sponsors District and All-State Bands. Membership into these bands is through band director nomination and a rigorous auditions process. When selected, students learn music in advance of the district or all-state event, attend rehearsals during a specific weekend, and present a concert with students throughout the district or state.
• Additional Opportunities
  
  First Year Honor Band
  District Jazz Honor Band
  Region Honor Band
  ACSI Band Festival
  GMEA Large Group Performance Evaluation
  Various college and university honor bands
• Contact:
  For information about the band program and co-curricular opportunities, please contact Director of Bands, Gerald Dailey at gdailey@princeave.org.

• Majorettes
  The Prince Majorette program is an auxiliary performing group offered to kindergarten through high school students. Students learn the basics of twirling and may participate in performances, parades, workshops, and seminars. For more information, please contact twirling coach, Candy Miller at candy@twirldancecheer.com.

Little Prince Players
Little Prince Players is the elementary drama club which is offered on Thursdays after school for 4th and 5th-grade students. During the fall, students are introduced to the fundamentals of drama while preparing for the drama portion of the elementary musical. In the spring session, participants continue to develop their music and drama skills through rehearsals for the Little Prince Players spring production

For information about Little Prince Players, please contact Lauren Dawn Smock at lhumphrey@princeave.org or Kristin Seagraves at kseagraves@princeave.org.

Fall and Spring Productions
Each year the fine arts department presents two high school-only productions. The fall production is entered in the Georgia High School Association One-Act Play Competition. The spring production, a musical, is adjudicated by a panel of judges for the Shuler Awards. The middle school presents their production in the fall.

Georgia Music Educators Honors Chorus
Students who receive teacher nomination may participate in district and/or state GMEA choral events. Students prepare music in advance, rehearse with students throughout the district or state, and present a concert the weekend of the event.

Literary Meet
Students may participate in the Georgia High School Association’s Literary Meet which occurs in the late winter. Available opportunities are Girls’ Trio, Boys’ Quartet, Girls’ Solo, Boys’ Solo, and Dramatic Interpretation. Students prepare music in advance and perform for a panel of adjudicators. Winners at the region level attend the state meet.

Workshops and Seminars
Workshops and seminars are offered throughout the school year and the summer for music, drama, and performing arts students. Please consult the fine arts calendar or the FUNdamentals Summer Camp link for more information.

Additional Opportunities

Improvables (PRINCE Improv team)
ThesCon (state Thespian conference)
Middle or High School Audio-Visual Team

More information about choral or drama classes or activities, please contact LaMurl Morris at lmorris@princeave.org or Hannah Hunt at hhunt@princeave.org.

Private Lessons
Private instruction is offered to students. For more information, please contact the following instructors:

Hannah Hunt, Voice, Drama Coaching, hhunt@princeave.org

Will Marlow, Trombone & Euphonium, wmarlow@princeave.org

Laura Marlow, Piano, violinlaura@hotmail.com

• Art Festivals and Exhibits
  Each year the elementary, middle, and high school art teachers in Oconee county public and private schools select artwork for display in the Oconee County Youth Art Show. Artwork is displayed at the Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation building in Watkinsville. The exhibit opens with a reception for all participating student artists and their families.
• Workshops and Private Lessons
  Throughout the school year and during the summer, PACS art teachers offer workshops and private lessons.For more information, please contact the art teachers.
  Lower School Art, Heather Lambert, hlambert@princeave.orgMiddle School Art, Leah Laturell, llaturell@princeave.org, High School Art, Meghan Hudson, mhudson@princeave.org or Mary Prickett, mprickett@princeave.org.

• National Art Honor Society
  Students may participate in the National Art Honor Society when they have completed one year of high school art with an A average, continue to create art in and outside of class, participate in service opportunities, and maintain an academic standard in all classes with an 85 or above cumulative average.
• Tri-M
  Tri-M is the National Association of Music Educators’ international honor society. Juniors or seniors with an 85 or above average and enrolled in band or performing arts are eligible for membership. This program recognizes students for their academic and musical achievements, rewards them for their accomplishments and service activities, and inspires other students to excel at music and leadership. http://www.nafme.org/programs/tri-m-music-honor-society
• International Thespian SocietyThe International Thespian Society celebrates the achievements of high school students who have excelled in the theater arts. The PACS Thespian Troupe provides leadership and service opportunities in the dramatic arts and in the community. https://www.schooltheatre.org/internationalthespiansociety

Fine Arts students will be assessed in three major areas: classroom participation (30%), rehearsals, practices, quizzes (30%), and concert/major project/portfolio (40%). The following are standard expectations that will be a part of the criteria regardless of the specific class or discipline:

• Effort and attitude will be part of the grade.
• A student’s dependability in maintaining equipment, materials, and music will be reflected in his/her grade.
• Practice time is a legitimate requirement for evaluation.
• Written assignments should meet the standard of educational excellence, and teacher feedback should be provided in a timely manner.
• Should a student miss a concert, performance, or exhibit, the student shall receive a grade of “0”. Students are offered the opportunity to complete a make-up assignment which must be completed by the end of the quarter. Teacher discretion will dictate the nature of the make-up assignment.

Prince Avenue Christian School believes that participation in co-curricular activities is part of the student’s educational experience; however, when involvement in a co-curricular activity interferes with his/her academic performance, in the best interest of the student, he/she must set aside the co-curricular activity to concentrate on academic studies.

In order to participate in extracurricular activities, students must meet or surpass academic standards. Each semester’s grade report determines eligibility for the following semester. If a student has a failing grade in more than one class, he/she is ineligible to participate for the duration of the following semester.

A fine art student who is struggling academically may be placed on academic probation at the end of a quarter or semester and may be suspended from fine arts participation for a period of time to encourage greater academic success. Any decision involving a suspension will be made jointly by the fine arts department and upper school administration.

Probationary Eligibility

Fine Arts students who fail two or less classes with respective grades of 66 or higher will be allowed to remain eligible if they meet and maintain the following requirements:

• All required homework/assignments are completed, and progress is reviewed by the Fine Arts Director.
• The fine arts student has a passing average for the failed class at the end of the first two weeks of the new grading period.
• If the fine arts student has not met the above requirements during the first two weeks, they will be given two additional weeks to qualify for eligibility. They will be ineligible during the two-week period.

If the fine arts student does not meet the above requirements in the first four weeks, they will be considered ineligible for the remainder of the semester.

Students are encouraged to participate in as many activities as they can manage while remaining academically successful. Fine Arts students are expected to be loyal and committed to their cast or music ensemble for the entire duration of the season or production. In case of fine arts student who plays athletics, the ongoing or first joined activity must have the student’s first loyalty. When a student is involved in both fine arts and athletics at our school, PRINCE fine arts teachers/directors and PRINCE coaches will meet to discuss the student’s respective schedules. Conflicts will be resolved as follows:

1. Games or performances have priority over practices or rehearsals.
2. In the event of two conflicting practices, the student may split each conflicting time half and half between practices or alternate evenly between activities so that neither activity loses more than 50% or its scheduled practice time.
3. In the event of conflicting major events, the fine arts faculty member and athletic coach will meet to determine which activity is most beneficial to the student.
4. The only exceptions to the above guidelines would be when one activity is involved in a crucial point of its season (playoff games, all-state music rehearsal).
5. It is very important that students and parents communicate conflicts of co-curricular activities early to fine arts faculty and coaches.

Fine Arts students participating at the high school level may not participate in outside or non-school fine arts events that coincide with the existing school fine arts calendar without permission of the Fine Arts Director.

Because of the demanding schedules of our fine arts productions and ensemble, and the responsibility of each student to maintain a high academic integrity, students are encouraged not to work during the fine arts production or ensemble commitments. Fine Arts students will not be excused from practice due to outside work responsibilities.

Fine Arts students who quit or are dismissed from a cast or ensemble by the teacher, director or Fine Arts Director due to poor attitudes or discipline problems are ineligible to participate in a fine arts production or ensemble the following semester. A student who is dismissed or quits a fine arts ensemble is not eligible to join an athletic team in that current semester.

Fine arts students are expected to attend all rehearsals, unless absent from school. A Fine Arts student with an unexcused absence from a rehearsal is subject to dismissal from that cast or ensemble.

Daily Attendance Requirements for Participation in Co-curricular Activities

For a student to participate in co-curricular activities, the student must be in school by 9:30AM. The school administration may grant exceptions to this policy in certain instances. If a student oversleeps and arrives after 9:30 AM, he will generally be ineligible to participate in any co-curricular activities that day. If a student is too ill to be in school by 9:30AM then a student is too ill to participate in any co-curricular activity that day unless a doctor authorizes in writing that the student is able to participate. A student must arrive at school on the day after any co-curricular activity by 9:30AM, unless an excused notice, signed by a parent, is given to the office. The excuse “I was too tired” DOES NOT constitute an excused absence. If a student receives an unexcused absence for the above reason, the student will generally be ineligible for the next similar activity.

6th Detention–Parental Notification and conference with parents, Principal and Head of School and forfeiture of all co-curricular activities.

If a student is suspended for one day, the following consequences will occur: The student shall not participate in any Fine Arts events on the day suspended and may not attend an activity without administrative permission. The final decision on when and how long the suspension from Fine Arts activities will last will be determined by the school administration and Fine Arts staff.

A suspension of two or more days or a second one-day suspension results in automatic suspension from participation in a Fine Arts event for a probationary period to be determined by the administration.

The Fine Arts Director oversees the entire Fine Arts program. The Fine Arts Director works with the Head of School and all principals to provide a quality program. Each fine arts teacher reports directly to the Fine Arts Director.

Questions or concerns about a specific fine arts ensemble/cast will be first addressed to your son/daughter’s teacher/director. If your questions are not sufficiently addressed, feel free to make an appointment with the Fine Arts Director. Parents are strongly encouraged to support the decisions of the teacher/director. While you may not agree with every decision of a teacher/director, how and when you express your feelings may have a negative effect on your child and on the ensemble/cast.

Parents and directors must have an understanding of the expectations and philosophies of one another. Clear communication is important.

Communication you can expect from the director:

1. Philosophy of the director
2. Expectations the director has for the cast/ensemble members.
3. Locations and times of all performances and rehearsals.
4. Approximate end time of rehearsals.

Communication directors expect from parents:

1. Notification of any schedule conflicts well in advance.
2. Specific concern with a director’s philosophy and/or expectations.

Appropriate issues to discuss with a director:

1. Ways to help your child improve.
2. Concerns about your child’s behavior.

Issues not appropriate to discuss with a director:

1. Selection of cast/ensemble members or selection of soloists
2. Other fine arts students

Some Fine Arts activities, both curricular and co-curricular, require student auditions.

• Audition opportunities are open to any student with the understanding that the teacher/director has the final word on selection and placement of student.
• A parent may request a meeting with the teacher/director to discuss their child’s audition.  A teacher/director will not discuss the audition of another student with any parent.
• The teacher/director in charge of the auditions will decide if the auditions are open or closed to the public.  The teacher/director may request the room be cleared of an audience at any time if the auditions are public.
• Students and parents may not remain in the audition room when the fine arts faculty is discussing auditions.
• Audition results will be published as soon as possible in most cases.

Fine Arts awards are given each year on Honors Day by the Fine Arts Department.  Two Exodus 35 Awards and two Levite Awards are presented to senior art students and performing arts students respectively who have displayed Christian character, leadership, academic excellence, creativity, and gifting in the areas of art and performing arts.  A plaque and a monetary gift are awarded to these recipients.

The Miles Adams Award is presented to a student that shows outstanding musicianship, and Christian character and who has expressed the intention to continue in music after leaving high school.

The Candy Todd Award is presented to the Best Actor and Best Actress in the high school productions.  Each recipient is given a trophy.

The John Philip Sousa Award is presented to the band student who has exhibited academic excellence, leadership, and outstanding skills and abilities in band.  This recipient is given a plaque and his or her name appears on a plaque that is displayed in the band room.

The Patrick Gilmore Band Award is a national award presented to an outstanding underclassman in the band program.  The student’s name will be displayed on a plaque in the band room.

Louis Armstrong is an award given to a graduating senior who is the most outstanding member of the jazz band (and preferably has participated in the jazz band throughout his or her career at Prince).  The actual award is a certificate, desk plaque, and lapel pin – all on standing order from The Instrumentalist.  The award winner’s name is also engraved on a plaque that is displayed in the band room.

The Woody Herman Jazz Award is a national award given to an outstanding underclassman jazz student.

The Reg Gattie Sing Strong Award is presented by the Development Office.

Fine Arts students are to travel on school-provided transportation to and from all fine arts events. They are under the authority of Prince Avenue Christian School and should conduct themselves accordingly. A student who needs to take alternate transportation home from an event must have written permission from a parent prior to the event.

Fine Arts students should remember that the use of school vehicles includes the responsibility of keeping them clean. Food and drink in the vehicles are at the discretion of the driver.

Travel Dress Code

Travel dress code for fine arts trips is at the discretion of the fine arts teacher in charge of the event or the Fine Arts Director.

High School Performing Arts:
High School Performing Arts students are responsible for cleaning and care of all formal attire once issued.  Boys should wash their tuxedo shirts after each performance.  Tuxedos will be dry cleaned by the Fine Arts Department at the end of each school year.  Girls should wash their formal attire in cold water and hang to dry. Formal attire that is lost, stolen, damaged, or has unusual wear will be charged to the student’s school account. Students accounts will be assessed a $25 formal attire fee to cover cleaning and replacement costs.

Drama/Music Production Rehearsal Attire
At all rehearsals for drama/music/and performing arts productions girls should have hair pulled away from the face. Girls should wear long pants or shorts with leggings or tights. Girls may not wear shorts without leggings or tights. Failure to abide by this policy will result in dismissal from rehearsal. Boys should wear pants and shirts that allow freedom of movement.

All fine arts students should wear footwear that protects the feet during choreography. Sandals, flip flops, etc. are not permitted in rehearsals. Students are encouraged to purchase solid black dance shoes.

Cast will be charged a costume fee that covers the expense of costumes and makeup.

Closed toe shoes are required during set construction workdays.

Pep Band/Jazz Band
Attire for Pep Band and Jazz Band will be communicated by band director. Cost of Jazz Band or Pep Band shirts will be billed to the student’s school account.

Students will not be allowed in fine arts facilities and equipment storage areas without the approval and supervision of a teacher, director or Fine Arts Director.

All facilities/equipment should be limited to the use for which it was intended, handled with proper respect, and returned to the proper storage area after each use.

Any damage to facilities/equipment should be reported to the Fine Arts Director as soon as possible.

Professionalism is a major part of any concert grade. Expectations include:

• Performers are to be prompt to their assigned meeting place and time before a performance.
• Performers are to wear appropriate attire.
• Performers are to remain focused on the task of performing.
• While others are performing, the performer is to be courteous and attentive.
• No texting or other types of electronic communication are allowed during a performance.
• Talking on stage and chewing gum are always prohibited.

Guidelines for audience members are as follows:

• Please turn off all cell phones and electronic devices.
• No flash photography or videotaping is allowed during performances.
• If you must move during a performance, please leave between musical numbers.
• Do not bring food or drinks into the performance facility.
• Please do not talk during the performance.
• Please plan to attend the entire performance.
• Applause is encouraged. A standing ovation is appropriate when warranted.  Whistles and yelling are considered rude and disruptive.

The Fine Arts Calendar is located on the school’s website. Students will also receive a calendar for their activity from the teacher/director of that class or activity.