Fine Arts Department

Our Programs

Visual Arts

Visual arts are offered to students in Kindergarten through 12th grade. All students receive sequentially based instruction in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for art through four basic strands:

• Perception
• Creative expression & performance
• Historical & cultural heritage
• Evaluation by high performing, focused visual arts instructors

Curriculum Emphasis

• Critical & creative thinking
• Problem solving
• Personal expression of ideas & feelings
• Studio experience
• Study of design, cultural & historical concepts
• Critical evaluation of art forms

Elementary Music

A strong foundation sets the musical stage for RISD elementary students with a focus on music literacy through lessons emphasizing singing, playing instruments, creating, moving and listening to music. These activities develop functional familiarities with beat, intervals, musical notation, rhythmic movement and performance. District programs are sequential and parallel students’ physical and emotional development.

Students have the opportunity to perform within grade-level school choirs in their junior high attendance area choir festival. Outstanding 6th grade singers are chosen by audition to perform throughout the school year with the All-District Elementary Choir (ADEC), which is comprised of approximately 100 students from across the district.

Cultural Opportunities

• Attend RISD high school performances
• Attend Richardson Symphony Orchestra performances
• Attend the Dallas Opera student matinees

Secondary Choir

RISD’s outstanding secondary choir program is a continuation of choral experiences that are built at the elementary level. Emphasis is placed on the development and refinement of choral techniques including sight-reading, tone production, diction and ensemble skills.

Students also participate in a variety of choral activities, such as:

• RISD Vocal Music Festival
• Junior High Spring & Fall Choir Festivals
• High School Choir Festival & Clinics
• Pop Vocal Ensembles
• Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Region, Area & All-State Choral Groups
• UIL Concert & Sight-reading Contests

Band & Orchestra

RISD’s band and orchestra programs are recognized as outstanding at the state and national level. Beginning in 6th grade all students have the opportunity to further their music study through the challenging curricular study of a musical instrument.

Additional District Offerings

• RISD Chamber Music Festival
• All-Star Junior High Band Festival
• High School Band & Orchestra Clinics
• Marching Band
• Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Region, Area & All-State Groups
• UIL Concert & Sight-reading Contests
• Mariachi offered at BHS

Theatre Arts

Theatre programs begin in 7th grade at RISD junior high schools and are followed with a full range of courses and activities offered in high school. RISD’s goal is to educate students to explore, develop and synthesize all elements involved in theatre performance, including interpreting and performing, as well as knowledge in the technical aspects of productions.

Dance

The dance program is most active at the high school level and a full range of courses and activities are offered. Some of the offerings include but are not limited to; Dance 1-3, Drill Team, Country Western Dance Team, Drill Team Prep, Folklorico at RHS, LHHS and PHS, Country Western Prep, Folklorico (LHHS), and Pom Squad (PHS).

Our goals are to educate students through experiences in exploring, developing and synthesizing in dance technique and performance. These elements include choreographing, interpreting, and performing as well as increasing knowledge in the technical aspects of dance education.