Arts Blocks

It’s noon on a Monday at Tower and a delicious smell wafts through the downstairs hall. In the kitchen a teacher opens the oven to remove her students’ latest culinary creation: a tray of gooey croque-monsieurs, France’s version of a ham and cheese sandwich. In the computer lab a motorized car made of Legos zooms past the technology teacher’s foot. In the music studio, a quintet of female singers snap to the rhythm as they belt out the jazz favorite, “Blackbird.” For more than twenty years Tower’s innovative Arts Block Program has provided seventh and eighth grade students the opportunity to learn about a diverse range of subjects. Classes meet for an hour twice a week, offering ample time for in-depth study of often advanced topics. Since class size is small — usually fewer than ten students — teachers are able to focus on skills and in-depth study. Here’s a sampling of recent Arts Block offerings:

Acrylic Painting, African Drumming, Calligraphy, Cardmaking, Cooking, Digital Photography, Digital Recording, Drama, Set Design, Drawing, Printmaking, Dulcimer, Fly Tying, Folk Dancing, Handbells, Conga Drums, Jazz Band, Jazz Voice, Jug Band, Lego Robotics, Mobiles, Mosaics, Movie Makeup, Papier-Mâché, Saxophone, Stained-Glass Mosaics, Watercolors, Woodworking