Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy

Jefferson 9th Grade Academy

***Nationally Ranked!***

The Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy is committed to inspiring all students to achieve academic and creative excellence. Students complete a rigorous college preparatory curriculum as well as in-depth study in the visual, performing, and media arts. Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) courses are offered beginning in ninth grade and students use a school-issued laptop for daily instruction.

Jefferson Arts Academy is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and has been designated as a Model School in the Arts by     the NJ Arts Education Partnership. The school has further been recognized by the Washington Post’s Challenge Index, Music in the Parks, Montclair State University’s Theatre Night Awards, Paper Mill Playhouse’s Rising Star Awards, The   College   of   New   Jersey’s   K-12   Student Art   Exhibition, and SkillsUSA.

Each Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy student has the opportunity to participate in one of the following five strands of study:

• Audio and Visual Media prepares students for audio and video editing, programming, and production techniques. Students may study in both a graphic print shop, as well as in the Jefferson Arts Television Studio.
• Creative Writing provides young authors with a rich curriculum to support their creative talents. Students study various writing genres and have opportunities to publish through in-school and out-of-school publications.
• Performing Arts prepares students for instrumental music, vocal music, and dance. Performers participate in chorus, concert band, orchestra, and string and jazz ensembles, while also receiving instruction in music theory, composition, and improvisation. Live performances are an important focus of this program.
• Theater prepares students for live performance, technical theater, stage movement, principles of scenic design, children’s theater, costume structure and design, and make-up. Live performances are an important focus of this program.
• Visual Arts prepares young artists for advanced study in drawing, painting, computer graphics, commercial art, and sculpture. Students have multiple opportunities over the course of each school year to exhibit their work in school and throughout the community

To support students’ readiness for college, Jefferson Arts Academy offers the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program, which features specialized academic support and preparation for college entrance and university study. Students   are encouraged to participate in challenging academic courses to develop the knowledge and skills needed for college-level study.