choir, a Senior orchestra, numerous instrumental
ensembles, and in-school instrument instruction
and music theory classes among its offerings. It
also boasts the innovative audio-visual suite and
recording room installed over the past year--with
plans for further expansion of rehearsal space in the
near future. Drama is also going strong, with the
addition of Theatre Studies teacher Sara Kelly,
and enhancements through the Stempel Foundation
to the Barber Centre for the Performing Arts in
the Gosling Centre. The space fuelled a celebrated
performance in the Bermuda Schools Shakespeare
Festival this fall and will drive a full School pro-
duction in March. The visual arts also continue to
thrive, with fresh incentives and opportunities such
as Art Clubs, special student prizes and community
contests for Cavendish to the Graduate Years.
performing and visual arts, top educators world-
wide are attaching a new level of importance to
subjects which in the past might have been considered
peripheral curriculum-fillers. Mr. Staunton, for one,
is uncompromising about the growing importance
of arts education and believes subjects like music,
theatre and fine art not only have intrinsic value,
but are vital to all students' personal development
and academic achievement--as well as the health
of a School community as a whole.
literacy students must have to communicate and
work successfully in our ever-changing media,
technology and information age," says the Head-
master. "Regular participation in the arts develops
self-confidence, self-discipline and persistence--
attributes essential to success in life.
school. The better the arts programme is in a
school, the more vibrant the environment."
and visual arts instruction enhance the actual
process of learning--thereby improving academic
excellence across the curriculum and bettering
exam scores in everything from literacy to math-
ematics, according to the VH1 Save the Music
Foundation, a public affairs initiative of the TV
network which has campaigned for greater funding
for the arts in schools across America.
that consistently rank at the top in mathematics
and science test scores, such as Japan, Hungary
and the Netherlands," Mr. Staunton says. "A strong
arts programme promotes the skills children need
to be successful. After reviewing students' SAT
scores and academic results, university and college
admissions officers examine their extra-curricular
involvement. Art, music, drama and dance courses
increase a student's chance of acceptance because
of the discipline attached to these courses."
becomes, giving young people significant social
assets such as poise, pride, self-confidence and
art, music
and drama
classes
are their
motivation
for coming
to school'