Fine Arts

"We can’t say enough about HFA.  When searching for a school for our daughter there were several non-negotiable items: A deep commitment to the Catholic Faith, excellent academics, and a strong music program.  HFA has exceeded expectations at every level.  Our daughter is thriving and loves school.  HFA is truly a special place."

Helen and Bill Haertzen,
Parents of a lower school student

The arts are given a special emphasis at Holy Family Academy. Through the curriculum and extra - curricular activities, students have the opportunity to explore great works of art. Such opportunities help students develop their own artistic talents, and to recognize Truth, Goodness and Beauty...

"Art, in all its forms, at the point where it encounters the great questions of our existence, the fundamental themes that give life its meaning, can take on a religious quality, thereby turning into a path of profound inner reflection and spirituality."
Address of His Holiness Benedict XVI
Sistine Chapel
Saturday, 21 November 2009
 

Students in Kindergarten through eighth grade participate in music classes taught by music teachers. All content is grade appropriate. Grades five and under incorporate a larger percentage of games and fun learning activities.

• Solfège – Solfège is the sung language of music: Do, re mi, fa sol, la, ti & te. Developed in the 11th century and used worldwide for the past 500 years, it is the lingua franca of not only Gregorian chant but of the majority of music of the last 1000 years. Every HFA music class uses Solfège.
• The Ward Method – Developed by Justine Ward from 1910-20, the Ward Method is a system of teaching music to Catholic school children, from grades one through twelve. Elements of the Ward Method are used in each HFA music class.
• Vocal Pedagogy – Each child spends quite a bit of time learning how to sing. Elements of these lessons include posture, breathing, forming vowels, vocal production, legato singing, listening and tuning.
• Liturgical Music – Focus on the sung music of the Mass is chief, including parts of the Roman Catholic liturgical music which pertain to priest, people and choir. Alongside preparation for leading the life of an educated Catholic, students are able to fully participate when they attend daily Mass.
• Gregorian Chant – As this is the official music of the Roman Rite, children are exposed to and participate in singing exploratory selections of the Gregorian chant repertory, a body of works containing tens of thousands of works. Emphasizing those chants which both children and adults should know, the classes include chant hymns, responses and parts of the Ordinary of the Mass.
• Latin – As a complement to the Latin language program at HFA, children study the ecclesiastical pronunciation and meaning of Latin words, appropriate to the child's age. These may range from the simple - "Et cum spiritu tuo" - to the complex - "Adoro te devote ...".
• Standard Modern Music Notation – Any music curriculum would be incomplete without a basic study of standard music notation, including learning to read and understand note values (quarter notes, half notes, etc.), key signatures, time signatures, Italian music terminology, and rhythm.
• Part-singing – In the upper grades, part-singing is introduced, with the class learning to sing in two or three parts.
• Classical Music History – Whenever possible, a discussion about the origin of the music at hand takes place in the class, e.g., the composer, time period, innovation found in the work, style and quality. Additionally, a more systematic approach to learning about the great Western composers and their works is undertaken.
• Grades 7 & 8 music classes are separated by gender

Violin Lessons

Singing is an expression of joy, and perhaps no other medium better exemplifies this than a children’s choir. At Holy Family, the Youth Choir supports the Liturgy at weekend Masses and Solemnities through the singing of Gregorian Chant, hymnody, Mass settings, and sacred anthems. Students learn the essential elements of proper vocal technique and projection, as well as the fundamentals of sight singing and music theory. They expand their own voices while learning the importance of blend and cohesiveness within a choir. With your child’s involvement, we will enhance the knowledge and skills of our young musicians, while building a youth choir program to continue enriching the Holy Family parish at large.

Grades: 2 – 8 
Rehearsals days:  
Tuesdays and Thursdays at Holy Family Church  

• 3:30 - 4:30 Tuesdays, grades 2 - 6 
• 3:30 - 4:45 Thursdays, grades 2 - 8

Students in Kindergarten through eighth grade are instructed in traditional art method.

We believe that children have a desire to represent the world around them. They do this with time spent in diligent practice, drawing in pencil and charcoal. We introduce watercolor painting and acrylic painting by copying examples of master artists' work.  Students learn the elements of design and color theory. With these concepts, they are able to look at and appreciate great of art.

Students in grades 6 - 8 have the opportunity to participate in the annual Spring Play. Plays are written and directed by Dale and Laura Ahlquist.

"Theater is a microcosm of the Christian life, and the lessons learned on stage and backstage are very similar to those we should learn as believers. ..In essence, they must  "die" to themselves and be born again into the characters that the author has written for them." Laura Ahlquist