Visual Arts Philosophy

Our vision is to provide excellence in arts education, while encouraging students to explore and live their possibilities. The mission of the Visual Arts Department promotes the development of intellectual, aesthetic and emotional growth in a structured environment, through study of the visual arts, while fostering critical thinking, stimulating creativity, imagination, and innovation. We challenge our students to achieve their full potential through individual and collaborative methods to cultivate an engagement with the world.

Performing Arts Mission

West Side School believes in and is committed to providing a rich diversity of educational opportunities to each child. Aligned with the district's belief, our philosophy is that a performing arts education in the Newark Public Schools can transcend boundaries academically, socially and artistically. As a part of the district's vision to offer students a more well rounded educational experience, performing arts as a whole have proven to be a valuable complement to students' academic studies through the creative application of critical thinking skills, motor and coordination skills and personal discipline.

The Performing Arts department is committed to ensuring equal access to the arts for all students. We are dedicated to advocating for the arts and promoting excellence in arts education throughout the Newark Public Schools. We do so to prepare our students for the naturally integral and pervasive influence of the arts in our existence—past, present and future—as well as for lifelong enjoyment and fulfillment through the arts.