The West Seneca Central School District is very proud of our students and their work in many areas, including the arts. We believe academic achievement is enhanced through participation in the arts, whether musical, visual, or performing. West Seneca's programs offer a wide variety of experiences to prepare students for enjoying the arts, relating to the arts, and for some, a foundation for careers in related fields. The arts program helps to provide students with a love for and an appreciation of the beauty that surrounds them in every day life.
The Arts provide new challenges for those students already considered successful.
Boredom and complacency are barriers to success. For those young people who outgrow their established learning environments, the arts can offer a chance for unlimited challenge. Older students may teach and mentor younger students, while young people gain from the experience of working with professional artists, musicians, and performers.
The Arts connect learning experiences to the world of real work.
The world of adult work has changed, and the arts learning experiences described in the research show remarkable consistency with the evolving workplace. The ability to generate ideas, bring them to life, and communicate them, are important factors in current workplace success.
The Arts connect students to themselves and each other.
Creating an artwork or composing a musical piece is a personal experience. The student draws upon his or her personal resources to generate the result. By engaging his or her whole person, the student feels invested in ways that are deeper than 'knowing the answer'.
The Arts reach students who are otherwise not being reached.
Young people who are disengaged from schools and other community institutions are at the greatest risk of failure and harm. Research has found that the arts provide a reason for student engagement with school or other organizations. These young people would otherwise be left without access to any community of learners.
