TMS - E IB Newsletters
TMSE IB Newsletter
March/April/May 2026
Fine Arts Spotlight
As we enter March, Youth Art Month & Music in Our Schools Month, TMS - E is reflecting on and grateful for an incredibly successful Fine Arts Night. This community event is organized and held each school year in the evening for all stakeholders by our TMS - E music teacher, Karla Hodges, and this year our new TMS - E art teacher, Lindsey Hathaway.
The event was a great success with a fantastic music performance put on and art to view. Our fourth and fifth grade students brought the circus to life during Fine Arts Night with an exciting mix of music, movement, and creativity! From rhythm and ribbon routines to recorder performances, students showcased their growing musical skills and understanding of musical form. A unique “circus rings” performance, even in the dark, and a synchronized parachute routine highlighted teamwork, focus, and collaboration. The night ended with a fun and silly clown finale that had everyone laughing!
Additionally, on display was a collaborative project that included art from each student. The visual art project created by the students of TMSE was a representation of the city of Tuscaloosa. The collaborative mural created was inspired by the contemporary folk
artist Heather Galler.
Arts in the PYP
In the PYP, arts are identified as dance, drama, music and visual arts. Each of these arts is a significant discipline in its own right, but their transdisciplinary nature gives them relevance throughout the curriculum.
• Exploration in music enables learners to communicate in unique ways, beyond their oral language abilities. As a part of everyday life, music plays a significant role in society, bringing people and communities together.
• Visual arts are an integral part of everyday life, supporting exploration of ways to make and create meaning in response to the diverse messages in the world around us.
Arts provide a unique vehicle to support transdisciplinary learning, providing both students and educators a range of mediums to access and enhance units of inquiry. Arts support the acquisition of essential knowledge and skills, the development of conceptual understanding, the demonstration of the IB learner profile, and the taking of action.
"Primary Years Programme PYP subjects" by the International Baccalaureate Organization, Copyright 2025 by IBO. Updated February 2026. Reprinted with permission.