This program is designed to inspire the creativity within our children. Every child at Alamo, from kindergarten through fifth grade, participates in the Visual Arts Program. The program builds on the student's previous years experiences and focuses on nurturing creativity. It challenges students to use art as a means of communicating ideas and feelings.

In kindergarten, students learn basic color theory and work on projects that help develop their fine motor skills.

First and second grade students are introduced to the basic art concepts such as composition, foreground, mid-ground, background, perspective, and color theory. They continue to develop fine motor skills and eye-hand coordination. They are exposed to a broader range of art media.

In the third, fourth and fifth grades, students are exposed to a diversity of art media and artistic styles. They look at art from a historical and cultural context. They continue to build on the basic art concepts and art themes, which include portraiture, facial and body proportions, abstract art, still life and landscapes.

Each one-hour art lesson in grades one through five consists of showing students reproductions of different artworks, discussing the artwork, then having the students work on a project related to the discussion.

Jennifer Tong, art teacher, has been a great addition to Alamo. She not only teaches Visual Arts at Alamo, but is also an art instructor at the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco. In addition to her classroom teaching at Alamo, Jennifer advises and/or assists classroom teachers and volunteer parents on special art projects. She was key in the creation of the holiday ornaments that adorned the Alamo School Christmas tree at Davis Symphony Hall this past December.

All one has to do is look in the classrooms and around the school to see the wonderful array of art projects that are the many and varied expressions of Alamo students' creativity.