ARMES
Greenville County school district artistically gifted & talented elementary and middle school program
armes NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR ARE NOW OPEN!
Rising 3rd through 8th grade students may be nominated by a teacher, parent, self or others.
New AND returning students must submit a nomination form by the April 4, 2024 deadline.
Auditions will be held April 22-May 3, 2024 and are required for new AND returning students.
Audition requirements can be found on the ARMES website.
Students may apply to audition at only one ARMES site and to only two programs at the site.
Students may not participate in more than one program if accepted into multiple.
If applying to multiple programs a separate nomination form must be completed for each.
Visit the Audition Information tab on this website for more details.
2024-2025 ARMES PROGRAM OPTIONS LISTED BY SITE
central site - League academy
Elementary Music: 3rd-5th Grade
Visual Art: 3rd-8th Grade
Theatre: 3rd-8th Grade
Strings: 3rd-8th Grade
Dance: 3rd-8th Grade
Creative Writing: 3rd-8th Grade
southern site - hillcrest middle
Elementary Music: 3rd-5th Grade
Visual Art: 3rd-8th Grade
Theatre: 3rd-8th Grade
nothern site - greer middle
Elementary Music: 3rd-5th Grade
Visual Art: 3rd-8th Grade
Theatre: 3rd-8th Grade
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The ARMES Program (Arts Reaching Middle and Elementary Schools) is a tuition-free artistically gifted and talented program designed to meet the needs of identified 3rd - 8th grade Greenville County students in the areas of music, dance, drama, visual art and writing. The purpose of the program is to allow students to explore their chosen art form in depth while promoting individual creativity.
Classes are taught at a pace and level of complexity appropriate for artistically gifted children with similar abilities and interests. This kind of rigorous study contributes to the development of the ARMES students in significant ways and requires both regular attendance and a willingness to work hard. The ARMES program may, on occasion, include activities outside of regular ARMES class hours such as field trips and limited homework. Participation in the ARMES program does not excuse students from their regular school assignments and grade maintenance.
All ARMES classes are held after regular school hours. Transportation to ARMES site locations is not provided. It is the family's responsibility to get the student to and from class. We do encourage carpooling if possible.
Students who are in the 2nd - 7th grade who wish to audition for the following school year must have a completed nomination form which will be posted on this website from mid February to mid April. The nomination form may be completed by a teacher, parent, or the student. A separate nomination form must be filled out for each area in which the student is applying. The students will then be scheduled for an audition in May.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
Allow young students to develop as artists
Create a stimulating learning environment in which students experience both intellectual and social growth
Develop behaviors useful in self-directed learning
Heighten enthusiasm for learning
Increase knowledge and use of creative problem-solving and critical-thinking skills
Foster appreciation for personal abilities
Encourage the development of aesthetic values
PROGRAM EXPANSION
Greenville County Schools is excited to announce the ARMES program will be expanding over the next five years by establishing sites in the northern and southern areas of the district and by adding an additional music pathway to the central site. Over the next five years the program is slated to grow from our current enrollment of 350 artistically gifted and talented 3rd-8th graders to over 1,900!
As part of the program’s growth, we will also be expanding music opportunities for students at all three locations. In the current program, strings is the only option for incoming students who wish to study music. The new music pathway will provide students in grades 3-5 with an in-depth study of developing aural skills, sight singing, ear training, music theory, and other music topics that extend well beyond what is provided in an elementary music class. When these students transition into middle school, they will elect to focus on either orchestra, band, or chorus and will be provided master class-type instruction through the ARMES program. The middle school curriculum for orchestra, band, and chorus will be built around the audition criteria for entry into the Fine Arts Center. The district recognizes the current ARMES strings program has a long history of excellence, and as such, it will remain in place at the Central site alongside the new music pathway. The new sites will offer the new music pathway for students beginning in 3rd grade and will transition these students to orchestra, band and chorus as they age up into middle school during the 2025-2026 school year.
At the new Greer and Hillcrest Middle sites, we will be layering in the different arts subject areas over a five-year period. The Greer and Hillcrest Middle sites will kick off the 2022-2023 school year by serving third-grade music students. The planned implementation schedule is:
2022-2023: Music (Grade 3)
2023-2024: Visual Art (Grades 3-8); Music (add Grade 4)
2024-2025: Drama (Grades 3-8); Music (add Grade 5)
2025-2026: Dance (Grades 3-8); Instrumental Music (Grades 6-8); Voice (Grades 6-8)
2026-2027: Creative Writing (Grades 3-8)
All arts areas and grade levels currently served in the ARMES program will continue at the Central site at League Academy each year. The planned implementation schedule of new programming for the Central Site is:
2022-2023: Music (Grade 3)
2023-2024: Music (add Grade 4)
2024-2025: Music (add Grade 5)
2025-2026: Instrumental Music (Grades 6-8); Voice (Grades 6-8)