The St. Johns County School District and the St. Johns County School Board support arts instruction in all schools and at all levels, K-12. The St. Johns County Centers for the Arts (SJCCA) are located at R. J. Murray Middle School and St. Augustine High School.
Middle School (Grades 6-8)
In SJCSD we believe the middle school years should build on the arts education gained in elementary school and are significant to the success of our students when they matriculate to high school. Although programs vary from school to school, dance, music (both instrumental and vocal), theatre and visual art are available at the middle school level. All middle schools have band programs and offer 2-D and 3-D visual arts. Strings and guitar are available at Sebastian Middle School. Dance is available at Murray Middle School. Theatre is available at all six middle schools and all academies as either a course or as an extracurricular activity/club. Students at the St. Johns County Center for the Arts (SJCCA) at Murray Middle School can choose sequential arts electives in the disciplines of band, chorus, dance, theatre and visual art which includes digital design. Students can gain high school elective credit for one visual arts course at Murray Middle School, allowing them to enroll in a higher-level course upon entering high school.
Students in the performing and visual arts programs participate in many community events, including local and regional festivals, parades, competitions, and showcase performances. Students can audition for middle school Honor Band and All-State band and chorus. Each year the St. Augustine Art Association hosts an All County Middle School Art Show in April. Additionally, students participate annually in the following contests: Middle School Art in the Capitol, the 7th Judicial District’s Crime Stoppers Poster contest, Martin Luther King Jr. Essay and Poster contest and the Betty Griffin House “Day Without Violence” art and poetry contest, among others.
Information and applications for SJCCA at Murray Middle School will be available in early February for the upcoming school year. For more information, call 904-547-8470 or see www-mms.stjohns.k12.fl.us. Students who are not zoned for Murray Middle School must apply for an Out of Zone waiver to attend SJCCA.
Joanne Crowder
Fine Arts Program Specialist
40 Orange Street
St. Augustine, FL 32084
904-547-7565, fax 904-547-7544