CALVARY CHAPEL schools
FIne arts
Cultivating Wonder through the Arts
Participation in the Fine Arts is an essential part of developing the whole person. Our comprehensive programs engage students from elementary through high school, encouraging them to reflect God’s image as creators. Through the arts, we learn to experience His world through the eyes of an artist.Art enriches our community by fostering empathy, awareness, conversation, and meaningful connections. Our programs offer high-quality training, off campus experiences, and hands-on application that prepares our students to enter the world as contributing artists.
meet our fine arts team
Theater Program
Storytelling is at the heart of the Calvary Theater Program, engaging students throughout their school journey. High School and Middle School students audition for two full-length musicals a year, taught by experienced teachers. Students train in acting, music, choreography, technical design and production, and front-of-house skills that build confidence and develop community. Directors and students explore the meaning in each story, uncovering deep truths and connecting to students’ faith.
The Performing Arts strand kicks off at the youngest ages, with imaginative play and role-playing lessons in Preschool. In the Elementary grades, students step further into the spotlight through class skits and short plays woven into Bible, social studies and language arts.
Elementary students also enjoy participating in seasonal afterschool workshops throughout the year. These intensives introduce young ones to choreography, choral music numbers, and emergent acting skills. And in fifth grade, students dive into characterization, memorization, and acting through the spring Historical Persons Wax Museum.
In Middle School, the Theater elective offers hands-on instruction in foundations of theater. Middle school students can participate in audition workshops and can audition for the Middle and High school musicals each semester, gaining an intensity of theater experience.
High School students are trained at a high level, honing skills that build confidence and prepare students for college and life.
In May, the entire school comes together for the annual Musical Theater Showcase in the main sanctuary, featuring theater performances from students from 3rd grade through middle school and high school.
Check out some of our recent shows:
- The Little Mermaid
- You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown
- Newsies
- Suessical the Musical
Music with Purpose
Excellence in musical development is cultivated throughout Calvary’s music program, with glorifying God through musical expression as the ultimate goal.
Preschool and Elementary students participate in weekly music classes where they learn to worship God with their voices. At the annual Christmas Extravaganza and Family Legacy Day, students sing with enthusiasm to a packed house in the Calvary Chapel sanctuary.
Instrumental skills are taught in Concert Bands from Beginning Band in 4th grade through Jazz and Concert Band in high school, preparing students for music participation in college. Elementary students learn folk and worship songs and are introduced to the recorder and the ukulele.
High School courses give students opportunities to develop musical skills at multiple levels. Guitar class meets students where they are in guitar skills, including beginners, exploring musical styles from classical and pop to jazz and rock. Concert Band is open to students who play a wind or percussion instrument, and tours annually to San Diego and other areas. And students have opportunities to audition for “Elevate a Cappella”, Jazz Band, Rock Band, and Worship Teams. We call the Rock Band “Pep Band,” a high-level group that performs rock covers that add energy and spirit to Varsity athletic events.
At the annual Jazz Café, students perform alongside professional and college guest artists in a relaxed café setting that also features a student art gallery.
Middle and High School students may audition for Chapel Worship Team, leading their peers in worship at weekly chapel services and other spiritual formation activities.
Digital arts
At Calvary Chapel Schools, students learn to turn ideas into visual experiences. Guided by arts professionals, they receive hands-on training with current technology while developing the creative skills, technical knowledge, and confidence to bring their ideas to life.
Students are introduced to the foundations of graphic design and visual communication. Through hands-on projects, they begin exploring design principles, digital tools, and the creative process while discovering how art can communicate ideas and tell stories.
High School students build on these foundations through a variety of courses designed to develop both creative expression and practical, real-world skills. Graphic Design, Photography I & II, Yearbook, and Film give students opportunities to explore different forms of visual storytelling while building portfolios of meaningful work.
Students apply their skills beyond the classroom by creating programs, promotional materials, photography, publications, and digital media for campus activities and events. These authentic experiences allow students to see their creativity in action while learning how design and digital arts can serve a broader community.
From the first principles of design to advanced creative projects, students are equipped to create with purpose, communicate through art, and develop skills that extend well beyond the classroom.
Visual arts
Through Drawing, Painting, and immersion in masterworks, students develop their creativity, build confidence, and explore their own thoughts and feelings while learning high level art skills.
Preschoolers discover artistic expression through hands-on, tactile exploration of paint, clay, and mixed media, building the confidence to create while they explore the wonder of their Creator. In Elementary, students dive deeper into art history and technique through the Meet the Masters program, studying renowned artists and recreating their signature styles in guided projects of their own.
From Drawing to Painting and AP Studio Art, high school students immerse themselves in the works of the Masters while building their own portfolios through advanced coursework. At every level, our learners grow through a continuum of skill development.
Each spring, the community gathers to celebrate student work at our Art Exhibit during Open House. The Fine Arts program collaborates, with student artists painting theater sets, displaying paintings at the Jazz Café, and featuring pieces in WingSpan, the school magazine.
The Art program reaches beyond the limits of the campus. Art students travel each semester to world-class galleries, and Calvary student artists are nominated annually in the Orange County Register’s OC Artist of the Year program.