Observation at Arts High

Prior to visiting the Arts high school in Newark, I was really unsure as to what to expect. Aside from my personal interest as to whether or not I would even find the school, considering the fact that every single time I drive into Newark, I end up getting lost; I was really interested in discovering how the Arts school would be compared to other urban school systems that I have observed. I was most interested to see how the influence of the arts would affect the school. I know from my own personal experience that music and art have always been a positive influence in my life. There is something about expressing yourself through music, or art, or dance that inspires the heart and the mind and helps you to focus. The school was beautifully decorated with pieces of art, and when we first arrived and were seated in the auditorium, an advanced choir class was singing on stage as part of their class. They all seemed very focused and their emotions came through in their voices and facial expressions. This was a common attribute throughout the rest of the school.

After leaving the auditorium, some of the students gave us tours around their school. We went into a few classrooms, and in one particular ceramics class, the students all seemed pretty focused and passionate about the art work they were doing. I was very impressed with the school and their standards. They set high standards and enforce strict policies for their students. For example, the school is very competitive and therefore students must continue to achieve good grades and good attendance in order to stay in the school. From what I could observe in the three hours I was there, the students really appear to take their education at the Arts high school seriously.