Academy for Performing Arts
Encyclopedia
The Union County Academy for Performing Arts is a full time four-year public high school located in Scotch Plains
, New Jersey
, on the Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus
. Its first year was the 2008-09 school year. It is currently a part of the info-sessions being held at the Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus
. Their newly built building was finished during the summer of 2010 and will begin enrolling more students.
The school will be a part of the Union County Vocational Technical Schools
(UCVTS), which serves students in all of Union County
. The students have a choice in majoring in theatre
or dance
with a comprehensive program designed to prepare the actors, dancers, stage managers, and technicians of tomorrow. Although the school logo features a music staff, notes, and film, APA does not offer a music or film track.
Students have the same academic curriculum as its sister schools, Union County Magnet High School
, Union County Academy for Allied Health Sciences
, Union County Vocational Technical Schools
, and Academy for Information Technology
. The only difference is on their focus, which is Performing Arts
.
The students will be on the Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus
for the first three years of high school, while their senior year will be spent at Kean University
taking a full freshman course load which includes a concentration in their Performing Arts major.
The following criteria will be considered for admission:
Academically qualified candidates will then come back to audition for their career path which can be either Dance
or Theatre Arts. They will be judged by a panel with a background in that career.
Scotch Plains, New Jersey
Scotch Plains is a township in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the township population increased to a record high of 23,510.-History:...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, on the Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus
Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus
The Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus is a hub for education located in Scotch Plains, New Jersey.This campus contains:*Union County Vocational Technical Schools**Union County Academy for Performing Arts...
. Its first year was the 2008-09 school year. It is currently a part of the info-sessions being held at the Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus
Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus
The Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus is a hub for education located in Scotch Plains, New Jersey.This campus contains:*Union County Vocational Technical Schools**Union County Academy for Performing Arts...
. Their newly built building was finished during the summer of 2010 and will begin enrolling more students.
The school will be a part of the Union County Vocational Technical Schools
Union County Vocational Technical Schools
The Union County Vocational Technical Schools are a grouping of schools on the Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, United States. This organization offers six potential programs to the student, five at the High School level and one at the adult education...
(UCVTS), which serves students in all of Union County
Union County, New Jersey
Union County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 536,499. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Elizabeth. Union County ranks 93rd among the highest-income counties in the United States. It also ranks 74th in...
. The students have a choice in majoring in theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
or dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
with a comprehensive program designed to prepare the actors, dancers, stage managers, and technicians of tomorrow. Although the school logo features a music staff, notes, and film, APA does not offer a music or film track.
Students have the same academic curriculum as its sister schools, Union County Magnet High School
Union County Magnet High School
The Union County Magnet High School is a magnet public high school located in Scotch Plains on the Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus, serving the vocational and technical educational needs of students throughout Union County, New Jersey. The Magnet School serves approximately 280...
, Union County Academy for Allied Health Sciences
Union County Academy for Allied Health Sciences
The Union County Academy for Allied Health Sciences is a full-time Vocational Public High School, located in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, United States...
, Union County Vocational Technical Schools
Union County Vocational Technical Schools
The Union County Vocational Technical Schools are a grouping of schools on the Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, United States. This organization offers six potential programs to the student, five at the High School level and one at the adult education...
, and Academy for Information Technology
Academy for Information Technology
The Union County Academy for Information Technology is a full time four-year public high school located in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, on the Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus. The school is part of the Union County Vocational Technical Schools , which serves students in all of Union...
. The only difference is on their focus, which is Performing Arts
Performing arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
.
The students will be on the Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus
Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus
The Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus is a hub for education located in Scotch Plains, New Jersey.This campus contains:*Union County Vocational Technical Schools**Union County Academy for Performing Arts...
for the first three years of high school, while their senior year will be spent at Kean University
Kean University
Kean University is a coeducational, public research university located in Union and Hillside, New Jersey, United States. Kean University serves its students in the liberal arts, the sciences, and the professions with a dedication to intellectual and cultural growth and is best known for its...
taking a full freshman course load which includes a concentration in their Performing Arts major.
Admissions
Applicants to the high school will proceed through the admission process as follows:- Attendance at an information session
- Submission of an application to the Principal's office
- Admissions examination
- Notification of acceptance
The following criteria will be considered for admission:
- Grade Point Average (7th and 8th grade)
- Standardized Test Scores (7th grade)
- Admission Assessments
Academically qualified candidates will then come back to audition for their career path which can be either Dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
or Theatre Arts. They will be judged by a panel with a background in that career.
Graduation requirements
In order to graduate from the Academy for Performing Arts, a student is required to have taken:- Four years of Performing Arts
- Freshmen: Dance I or Theatre I
- Sophomore: Dance II or Theatre II
- Junior: Dance III or Theatre III
- Senior: Intro to Theatre and Acting I or Intro to Choreography Course and Technique Course at Kean UniversityKean UniversityKean University is a coeducational, public research university located in Union and Hillside, New Jersey, United States. Kean University serves its students in the liberal arts, the sciences, and the professions with a dedication to intellectual and cultural growth and is best known for its...
- Four years of English
- Freshmen: English I - World Literature
- Sophomore: English II - Early American Literature
- Junior: English III - Modern American Literature
- Senior: College Composition ENG and Research in Technology at Kean UniversityKean UniversityKean University is a coeducational, public research university located in Union and Hillside, New Jersey, United States. Kean University serves its students in the liberal arts, the sciences, and the professions with a dedication to intellectual and cultural growth and is best known for its...
- Four years of Mathematics. Mathematics courses depend on an individual's skill level, which is determined based on an initial assessment in the 8th grade year. Students are placed into one of the following classes each year:
- Algebra 1
- Combined Algebra (Algebra 1 & 2)
- Geometry/Trigonometry
- Math Analysis (Pre-Calculus)
- Algebra 2/Trigonometry
- AP Calculus AB
- AP Calculus BC
- Higher Level mathematics courses are offered at the Union County Magnet High SchoolUnion County Magnet High SchoolThe Union County Magnet High School is a magnet public high school located in Scotch Plains on the Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus, serving the vocational and technical educational needs of students throughout Union County, New Jersey. The Magnet School serves approximately 280...
. - Senior year will have a Math course at Kean UniversityKean UniversityKean University is a coeducational, public research university located in Union and Hillside, New Jersey, United States. Kean University serves its students in the liberal arts, the sciences, and the professions with a dedication to intellectual and cultural growth and is best known for its...
- Four years of Science
- Freshmen: Biology I, Foundations of Science (1 Semester), Scientific Data Analysis (1 Semester)
- Sophomore: Chemistry I
- Junior: Physics I
- Senior: ASTR, ES, GEOL, or METR at Kean University
- Four Years of Fitness/Health
- Dance majors will fulfill Physical Education requirements through the Dance Program, allowing more instructional time in the major
- Three Years of Social Studies
- Freshmen: World History
- Sophomore: US History I
- Junior: US History II
- Three Years of a World Language.
- Spanish I - Spanish IV
- Hispanic Culture & Literature
- Linguistics
- One half year of Career Education
- This requirement is integrated into other courses and does not impact scheduling.