Dr. Jo Ann Koehler
Director of Fine Arts

PCSSD offers a wide variety of Performing and Visual Arts courses for our students. The district is annually represented in All-Region Bands, Choirs, and Orchestras as well as participation in the All-State Music Conference, which includes Bands, Orchestras, and Choirs. Our Performing Arts ensembles also compete in Region Concert Performance Assessments and State Concert Performance Assessments, Region and State Marching Band Assessments, receiving Ratings of Superior (I) and Excellent (II). We also have Theatrical Arts and Technical Theatre in our high schools, where students produce and perform in plays, reader's theater, and musical productions. Our Visual Arts students are represented in Young Artist Competitions and service projects in the surrounding communities.

All students receive instruction in Elementary Art and Music weekly.

Students in the Mills feeder elementary schools receive violin instruction twice a week in the 5th grade.

All students receive a 9-week term of General Music and General Art in the 6th grade. Students also have the opportunity to take Beginning Band, Choir, and Art. In the Beginning Band and Orchestra program, students work with directors to choose an instrument. In 7th and 8th grade, students may continue their instrumental or vocal studies as the ensembles become more advanced. Students also have the choice to continue the study of art.

• Sixth Grade

  • Beginning Band

  • Beginning Choir

  • Beginning Orchestra (Mills feeder pattern)

  • General Art and General Music

• Seventh Grade

  • Intermediate Band

  • Intermediate Orchestra (Mills Middle)

  • 7th Grade Choirs

    • Mixed Choirs

    • Girls Choirs

    • Boys Choirs

  • Beginning Art (a full year course of study and application)

  • Watercolor (semester course)

  • Pen and Ink (semester course)

• Eighth Grade

  • Advanced Band

  • Advanced Orchestra (Mills Middle)

  • 8th Grade Choirs

    • Mixed Choirs

    • Girls Choirs

    • Boys Choirs

  • Beginning Art

  • Watercolor (semester course)

  • Pen and Ink (semester course)

  • Intermediate Art (a full year course of study and application; must have completed Beginning Art)

PCSSD high schools offer many Performing Arts and Visual Arts courses. Many of these courses require time beyond the school day and students receive academic credit and quality points that count toward the Grade Point Average. Each of course fulfills the graduation requirement for Fine Arts and continues to count as a career focus elective credit. Offerings may vary at the different high schools.

• Performing Arts: Grades 9 – 12

  • Band I – IV

  • Orchestra I – IV (Mills University Studies HS)

  • Jazz Band I – IV

  • Choir I – IV

  • Theatrical Dance I – III (Maumelle HS, Mills University Studies, Sylvan Hills HS)

  • Theatre I - IV

  • Technical Theatre I - IV

  • Piano Lab – (beginning to intermediate level piano, Sylvan Hills HS)

  • Music Theory – (Sylvan Hills HS)

  • AP Music Theory

• Visual Arts: Grades 9 - 12

  • Art Foundations

  • Drawing I – III

  • Crafts and Pottery I – III

  • Painting I – III

  • Commercial Art (Sylvan Hills HS)

  • Art and Process (Sylvan Hills HS)

  • Printmaking – (Robinson HS)

  • AP Drawing

  • AP 2-D Art, photography

  • AP 3-D Art, sculpture and other media

  • AP Art History (Robinson HS, Mills University Studies HS)