Gifted Dance Education Program for Students Entering Grades 3-8 at Old Donation School

Applications are available during the first week of the school year. Applications are due the first weekday in February by 5:00 p.m. Late applications will not be accepted. The Gifted Dance Education Program is a pull-out model for identified students in grades three through eight at Old Donation School (ODS). Students and parents should be advised that the Gifted Dance Education Program is not a recreational program and that there will be some requirements involving in-depth physical, oral, and written work inside and outside of the classroom beyond their traditional home school schedule.

Education in the art of dance teaches kinesthetic learners how to access knowledge through movement. Creative thinking, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills are taught using our collaborative and innovative process which can transfer to other areas of academic curricula. Students participate in in-depth performance units taking on Roles of the Discipline as choreographer, producer, designer, and collaborator. Students learn, rehearse, and perform works choreographed for them by professional guest artists, by the dance instructors, as well as by themselves. Physical skill development is nurtured as well as knowledge of dance theory, history, performance, presentation, and critical thinking using creative and collaborative tools.

Identified students attend ODS in lieu of their home school one-day-per-week for instruction and activities designed to develop their potential in dance. Transportation to and from the one-day-per-week program to ODS is provided using assigned bus stops in the student’s neighborhood. Elementary students will not attend their home school once a week, and instead, will come to ODS. Middle school students come to ODS in the morning and are bussed to their home school at 2:00 p.m. to retrieve missed assignments and join dismissal. Students are expected to continue to make progress at their home school while missing a day of instruction each week.

Like all courses in Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS), gifted dancers receive a grade for dance. The middle school gifted dancer’s grade is included in the student’s overall grade point average (GPA).

Applications Process

Applications are available during the first week of the school year. Admission into the Gifted Dance Education program is determined through an application process. Criteria considered by the Identification Committee are based on strong potential in dance as demonstrated during a one-day audition to include strong developmental skills, use of space, and creative solutions. There are no solo auditions. Students, in small groups, are given directions and demonstrations and are taught combinations with rehearsal time and music provided for the audition. Formal dance training is not required to be considered for this program. The application does not require referrals or recommendations. A selection committee, comprised of citywide VBCPS staff, selects students for identification.

Gifted Visual Arts Program for Students Entering Grades 3-5 at Old Donation School

Applications are available during the first week of the school year.
Applications are due the first weekday in February by 5:00 p.m. Late applications will not be accepted.

The Gifted Visual Arts Program is a pull-out model for identified students in grades three through five at Old Donation School (ODS).

The Gifted Visual Arts Program curriculum integrates aesthetic perception, creativity, and skill development through visual arts objectives. Each nine-week unit takes a conceptual look at art related to two-Dimensional art, three-Dimensional art, color, and innovation in the arts. Students create art with meaning that involves the understanding of the theories of art, including design concepts, as well as art history, appreciation, and criticism.

Identified students attend ODS in lieu of their home school one-day-per-week for instruction and activities designed to develop their potential in visual arts. Transportation to and from the one-day-per-week program to ODS is provided using assigned bus stops in the student’s neighborhood. Students are expected to continue to make progress at their home school while missing a day of instruction each week.

Like all courses in Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS), gifted visual artists receive a grade for gifted visual arts. Once identified in gifted visual arts, a student is eligible to continue in the middle school program housed at Virginia Beach Middle School.

Application Process

Applications are available during the first week of the school year. Admission into the Gifted Visual Arts Program is determined through an application process. An application and a portfolio are required for consideration into the program. Students request the portfolio packet from the Gifted Resource Teacher at their home school. The portfolio, completed by the student, is designed to evaluate a student’s potential in the areas of originality, complexity of detail, composition/design quality, perception, and expressiveness. A Screening Committee then determines the need for further assessment during a one-day audition. The one-day audition involves the creation of a three-dimensional piece, an observational drawing of a still life, and a creative drawing activity. The application does not require referrals or recommendations. A selection committee, comprised of citywide VBCPS staff, selects students for identification.

Gifted Visual Arts Program for Students Entering Grades 6-8 at Virginia Beach Middle School

Applications are available during the first week of the school year. Applications are due the first weekday in February by 5:00 p.m. Late applications will not be accepted.

Identified students in grades six through eight attend Virginia Beach Middle School (VBMS) as a full-time student. The Gifted Visual Arts Program is incorporated within the middle school daily schedule. Transportation is provided to and from VBMS using assigned bus stops in the student’s neighborhood.

The Gifted Visual Arts Program curriculum integrates aesthetic perception, creativity, and skill development through visual arts objectives. Each nine-week unit takes a conceptual look at art related to two-Dimensional art, three-Dimensional art, color, and innovation in the arts. Students create art with meaning that involves the understanding of the theories of art, including design concepts, as well as art history, appreciation, and criticism.

The Gifted Visual Arts Program at Virginia Beach Middle school prepares students for Advanced Art placement at their home high school and for those students seeking admittance to either: The Visual and Performing Arts Academy at Salem High School Governor’s School for the Arts in Norfolk

Like all courses in Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS), gifted artists receive a grade in art. The middle school gifted artist’s grade is included in the student’s overall grade point average (GPA). Students who participate in the program as an 8th grader receive one high school credit.

Application Process

Applications are available during the first week of the school year. Admission into the Gifted Visual Arts Program is determined through an application process. An application and a portfolio are required for consideration into the program. Students request the portfolio packet from the Gifted Resource Teacher at their home school. The portfolio, completed by the student, is designed to evaluate a student’s potential in the areas of originality, complexity of detail, composition/design quality, perception, and expressiveness. A Screening Committee then determines the need for further assessment during a one-day audition. The one-day audition involves the creation of a three-dimensional piece, an observational drawing of a still life, and a creative drawing activity. The application does not require referrals or recommendations. A selection committee, comprised of citywide VBCPS staff, selects students for identification.