BACKGROUND OF THE SCHOOL Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School (PALCS) is a free public charter school for children in grades K through 12 who reside anywhere within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. PALCS was founded in 2004 as a cyber charter school. Students are provided with a computer in their home, where coursework is completed online under the guidance of more than 100 teachers who work with students in real time, including interactive demonstrations, whiteboard sessions, online chats, and multimedia sessions. Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School combines a classical education with the latest computer and Internet technology. This model creates unique learning opportunities for each child. PALCS encourages students to be creative, intuitive, and analytical leaders with a firm understanding of the forces that have shaped world cultures. The overarching goal of the school is to prepare students to become informed, responsible citizens with a global mentality. OVERVIEW OF THE CENTER FOR PERFORMING AND FINE ARTS The performing and fine arts program is an adjunct, audition-only program component to the cyber charter school that allows students to explore a well rounded arts education. The Center for Performing and Fine Arts opened in the fall of 2005; today, the Center has an enrollment of nearly 150 middle and high school students. Classes are offered two days a week. Students complete their cyber coursework on the alternate three days. The Center is divided into a Lower School, covering grades 5 through 8; and an Upper School, covering grades 9 through 12. Lower School students spend Mondays and Wednesdays studying the arts. Upper School students spend Tuesdays and Thursdays engaged in pre-professional arts training. Students who participate in the program from remote locations follow a similar schedule to those who are attending in person. Classes are generally offered from 8:30 am to 2:40 pm, with occasional evening or weekend hours for performances, multimedia presentations, and interactive sessions. Individual classes generally range 60 to 90 minutes, allowing students to take as many as four classes a day (the same schedule is offered on both days each week). All courses are graded and typically last for a full school year. This is a unique and specialized program made available exclusively to PALCS students. Students who are not enrolled in the cyber school are not eligible to participate in the Center for Performing and Fine Arts. The performing and fine arts program is an advanced, knowledge-based, experiential, pre-professional course of study for the serious student. There are four main disciplines: Theatre, Music, Dance, and Studio/Fine Arts. Auditions are required for acceptance to all courses of study at the Center for Performing and Fine Arts. Acceptance to the program is not guaranteed and is granted solely at the discretion of the faculty and Center Director. Some of our students will go on to pursue careers in the arts; others will simply benefit from their exposure to the arts and heightened development in the areas of communication and self-expression. The Center for Performing and Fine Arts prepares students to become fully involved citizens who are well versed in all aspects of the arts and their historical impact on human culture. The Center also develops individuals with a deep respect and appreciation for human potential, creativity, and expression of the human spirit. The Performing and Fine Arts program enhances communication and team-building skills among students. The curriculum is uniquely designed by the professional staff of the Center; all curriculum components meet or exceed standards for the arts set by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, as well as national standards for Arts Education. Performances and art showcases for and within the general community are an integral part of the Performing and Fine Arts program of Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School and are strongly encouraged. This includes an outreach community service component for special populations. Students are encouraged to take advantage of cross-discipline opportunities in music, art, theatre, and dance. This is especially important in today’s competitive marketplace and in industries that incorporate many diverse skills. However, participation in all four disciplines is not a requirement. Upon acceptance to the Center for Performing and Fine Arts, faculty will work with the student to design an individual program based on the student’s key areas of interest and future goals. All students develop a portfolio under the guidance of Performing and Fine Arts instructors. Additionally, instructors provide intensive support and assistance in exploring options for post-secondary schooling and professional opportunities. The faculty and staff of the Center for Performing and Fine Arts are committed to providing a dynamic, challenging, exciting, fun, earnest, creative learning environment for students. This is a serious program for committed individuals who would like to explore their own potential. |