Creativity That Builds Confidence
Through music, visual arts, enrichment, and creative exploration, students at HCS are encouraged to develop their gifts, express ideas, and grow in confidence.
Creativity Is Part of a Well-Rounded Education
At Huntington Christian School, the arts are not treated as extras.
Creative experiences help students develop confidence, discipline, curiosity, expression, and the ability to see the world differently. From the earliest grades through middle school, students are encouraged to explore and develop their unique abilities through music, visual arts, and enrichment opportunities.
What Students Explore Through the Arts
Music Education
Students engage in music instruction that includes the basics of music theory, rhythm, singing, performance, and instrument learning as they grow through each grade level.
Visual Arts
Students study iconic and contemporary artists, learn artistic styles, and creatively use mediums of paint, pastel, clay, and more.
Performance and Expression
HCS students have real opportunities to perform and lead. Students participate in a competitive Spelling Bee that draws schools from across the area, a Speech Meet where students memorize and perform poetry and Scripture, and a middle school leadership program that develops confident, servant-hearted young leaders.
Maker Studio/STEM
Students learn through making, building, experimenting, and creative problem-solving in our Maker Studio STEM Lab.
Music That Grows With Students
Music instruction at HCS is not a single class that repeats itself year after year. It is a structured program that builds deliberately from Kindergarten through Grade 8, giving every student a genuine musical foundation, and giving students who love music a path to go as far as they want.
In the early grades, students develop their musical ear through singing, movement, rhythm, and foundational music concepts using the Orff method. By third grade, students pick up the recorder and begin reading music for the first time. Fourth grade moves to the ukulele — learning chords, strumming patterns, and even singing while playing. Fifth grade builds on that foundation with more advanced ukulele technique.
Middle school is where the program opens up. Sixth graders experience music production in a digital audio workstation, learning to work with loops, samples, and MIDI instruments. From there, students can pursue Guitar, Music Production, or Worship Band as electives. Worship Band in particular is built around leading peers in Friday chapel worship, and students audition based on both skill and character.
Visual Arts That Build Real Skills Year After Year
Students at HCS engage in a structured, progressive visual arts program that develops genuine artistic skills from Kindergarten through middle school.
Beginning with the fundamentals: line, shape, colour, and texture, students build toward more advanced techniques including shading, perspective, printmaking, and three-dimensional sculpture. Each grade level works with a range of mediums including watercolour, oil pastels, collage, and mixed media, and studies the work of influential artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Georgia O'Keeffe, Frida Kahlo, Kehinde Wiley, and Faith Ringgold — giving students exposure to a wide range of styles, cultures, and approaches to creative work.
By the time students reach middle school, they are working with greater independence, experimenting with materials, making their own creative choices, and developing a personal artistic voice through sculpture, hand-building, and multi-layered mixed media projects.
Spaces Designed for Creativity
Creative learning at HCS extends beyond traditional classrooms.
Students have access to:
Art Studio
Music Room
Maker’s Studio
Technology and creative enrichment spaces
These environments encourage exploration, collaboration, and active learning.
What Students Gain Through the Arts
Arts education helps students develop:
Confidence
Creativity
Communication skills
Patience and focus
Collaboration
Willingness to try new things
These experiences often shape students far beyond the classroom itself.
Creativity Through Every Stage
Kindergarten
Students begin exploring music, art, movement, rhythm, and creative play in age-appropriate ways.
Elementary School
Students expand their artistic skills, explore different creative mediums, and build confidence through performance and creative projects.
Middle School
Older students take greater ownership of creative work, deepen musical and artistic skills, and participate in electives and enrichment opportunities.
Questions Families Ask About the Arts Program
Do students participate in art and music classes at HCS?
Yes. Students participate in both visual arts and music instruction throughout the school year.
What kinds of music instruction do students receive?
Students learn rhythm, singing, music fundamentals, and instrument skills including recorder and ukulele as they grow through the program.
Does HCS offer band opportunities?
Yes. Band is available as an elective opportunity for interested students in Grades 4-8.
Are the arts considered an important part of the educational experience at HCS?
Yes. HCS views creative development as an important part of helping students grow in confidence, expression, and curiosity.
Come Experience Student Life at HCS
The best way to understand the arts program is to see students learning, creating, and participating firsthand.