Band - 1196    (.5 year)

Prerequisite:  None                                             

Grade:  9-12

Elective                                                                  Credit:  0.25

Band students practice and perform instrumental music throughout the semester. Emphasis is placed on developing individual and group performance skills and techniques. This course meets three days per week during the school day. Students may earn an additional 0.25 credit for participating in marching band in the summer and during the first semester. This course may be repeated any and all semester in a student’s four years at Saint Francis DeSales High School.

1111 - Marching Band (Participates in the class as well as in after school practices and all contests) - 0.50

1246 - Marching Only (Does not participate in the class but must attend all after school practices as well as contests) - .25

1247 - Band (S2) (Geared toward preparation for Spring Concert) - .25

Choir - 1197 (Sem 1); 1062 (Sem 2)

Prerequisite:  None                                            

Grade:  9-12

Elective                                                                  Credit:  0.25

Students in choir sing and perform sacred and secular choral music throughout the semester. An emphasis is placed on individual vocal technique, music literacy, and building community through music. This course meets three days per week during the school day. This course may be repeated any and all semester in a student’s four years at Saint Francis DeSales High School.

Beginning Piano 1  - 1198  (0.5 year)             

Prerequisite:  None           

Grade:  9-12

tudents will learn the basics of playing the piano, including reading music and performing melodies, chords, and accompaniments. Through a comprehensive study of piano technique, music history and theory, students will develop foundational skills for lifetime musical enjoyment. This course is for students without piano experience.

Art of Oral Expression - 1171 (.5 year)

Prerequisite:  None                                             

Grade: 9-12

Elective                                                                  Credit:  0.50

Oral Expression introduces the student to the basic skills of public speaking and the four major kinds of speeches.  The student learns how to effectively outline and prepare a speech, eliminate problems in speaking, and deliver an effective speech.  The student is introduced to the various types and forms of group discussion, and is able to explain the differences between discussion and debate by practicing effective delivery of each. The student actively works on listening skills.  Some time is spent in the other associated fields, such as radio and TV broadcasting

Recommended for all 11th and 12th grade students

Drama - 1181      (0.5 year)

Prerequisite:  None                                             

Grade:  9-12

Elective                                                                  Credit:  0.50

Drama exposes the student to the theater skills of acting, directing, and writing.  The student is introduced to stage speaking and movement (i.e., projection, articulation, blocking).  The students learn stage terminology plus rehearse and perform various presentations (i.e., improvisations, pantomimes, monolog, cutting from full-length scripts, Readers Theater, Vignettes, one-act plays).  The student also studies various scripts from different periods of history, connecting drama to reality.

Advanced Drama – 1191 (0.5 year)              

Prerequisite:  80% in Drama; or signature of teacher with prior stage experience.

Grade:  9-12

Elective                                                                  Credit:  0.50

Drama exposes the student to the theater skills of acting, directing, and writing.  The student is introduced to stage speaking and movement (i.e., projection, articulation, blocking).  The students learn stage terminology plus rehearse and perform various presentations (i.e., improvisations, pantomimes, monolog, cutting from full-length scripts, Readers Theater, Vignettes, one-act plays).  The student also studies various scripts from different periods of history, connecting drama to reality.

Drama III  - 1192               (0.5 year)             

Prerequisite:  80% in Advanced Drama; Recommendation of Instructor            

Grade:  10-12

Drama III takes practices of advanced drama to a heightened level of responsibility and utilization of theater knowledge in hands-on experience and will assume director roles in areas of performance, production, costuming, set design and building.  The student will work with advanced drama class to put on a full length play for a paying audience and will follow the course of putting on a production from selecting a script and casting the show to designing the set and promoting the show.