Education through the Arts at Confederation Park Elementary
Confederation Park Elementary offers Education through the Arts, a unique educational program that integrates the Fine Arts strands of music, dance, visual arts, and drama with core academic subjects.
Elementary School Bands
Burnaby School District provides the opportunity for all interested students to take grade seven band. Students get to hone their musical skills in new ways plus become part of a close-knit community and form friendships which can last a life-time. This is the first year of a six-year instrumental program offered in all Burnaby elementary and secondary schools. For more information about the program, please contact your school’s music or band.
At the end of the school year, over 1000 grade 7 band students perform as part of the Beginning Band Festival, allowing band students to share their music with peers from other schools. The highlight of the festival is the massed number where students get the opportunity to experience playing with a large ensemble for the first time.
District Elementary Honour Ensembles (Extra-curricular)
The District provides a number of District Honour Ensembles that guide and inform Burnaby’s music program. Each ensemble helps create a positive school district presence in the community through active involvement in community events as well as through their own series of public concerts. Each ensemble is directed by teachers who volunteer exceptional amounts of time to all aspects of preparation and performance. Membership in each of the ensembles is determined by nomination by a music teacher and then an audition. As a result, the groups provide opportunities for dedicated, skilled and talented students to participate in ensembles that are comprised of equally committed and involved youth.
Ensemble opportunities at the elementary school level include:
- District Children’s Choir
- District Youth Choir
- Elementary Handbell Choirs (2)
- Elementary Strings Choir (level 1 & 2)
To learn more about these ensembles please contact your child’s elementary music teacher.
Festivals & Showcases
Primary Days of Music: Every other year, grade 2 & 3 students from neighbouring schools get together at a school gym and share their choir and dance repertoire with peers.
Intermediate Choir Festival: This festival provides elementary choirs with a wonderful end of year performance opportunity to hone their choral skills in a collaborative and encouraging setting. Choirs perform before a commentator who provides feedback.
Burnaby Festival of Dance: Since 1981, the District’s annual dance festival was created to provide a non-competitive forum for K-12 students to share their dances with peers, parents and friends. The festival has grown to showcase approximately 45 dances over 3 nights of performances. It is held at Burnaby Mountain Secondary where approximately 1000 students participate each year. There are now several teachers teaching in the district who remember participating in the Festival of Dance when they were students!!
Arts Alive: Arts Alive is a long-standing collaboration with the Burnaby Art Gallery that provides District students the opportunity to be part of the featured Gallery exhibit each spring. Note: Elementary school artwork is showcased in odd years, and secondary school artwork is showcased in even years.
