 Hand Middle School,
Columbia, S.C.
Hand Middle School, located in Colombia, SC., serves a diverse group of sixth-to-eighth graders. The school has received a host of awards for its academic programs, most notably, Time magazine’s Middle School of the Year. The school attributes much of its academic success to its commitment to the arts throughout its curriculum. The fine arts mission statement at Hand Middle School reads, “At Hand Middle School, all students should be enriched by exposure to the fine arts through high quality, comprehensive fine arts courses and the integration of fine arts into every subject.” Arts Integration at Hand Middle School exists on three levels: - Teachers design integrated lesson plans on their own.
- Grade level team teachers share a common planning period, and plan integrated units together throughout the year.
- A team of teachers, dubbed the “the Renaissance Team,” guides the planning of a school-wide culminating arts festival.
Through these three levels of arts integration the school ensures not only that 85% of its students are enrolled in fine arts classes, but also that art reaches every child at Hand. School information compiled from the Hand School Web site:
http://hornet.richlandone.org/
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