Supervisor of Visual & Performing Arts
Dr. Phillip Crisostomo 
pcrisostomo@wboe.net
(609) 835-8600 x1036

Willingboro Public Schools uses a digital platform called OnCourse to house all of our curriculum guides by content area and grade level. This setup allows for instructional transparency, instantaneous curricular revisions, and vertical and horizontal mapping in all content areas. All parents and students have access to view our curricula through a Public Portal. Please use the information below to access these guides:

OnCourse Curriculum Portal

• The New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Visual and Performing Arts

The Willingboro Public School District recognizes that Arts Education is an integral part of a comprehensive curriculum and is essential for learning in the 21st century. An arts education enables students to develop an appreciation of the arts as well as enhance their critical and creative thinking skills. It is also recognized that the arts build bridges and helps students broaden their perspectives and understand their world and the diverse cultural influences that surround them To this end, it is the policy of Willingboro Public Schools to ensure that all students have regular, sequential arts instruction throughout their K-12 education.

In Grades K-4, all students learn aspects of the visual and performing arts as part of their Related Arts rotation. Students at the novice level are beginning to develop the basic artistic and musical understanding of the techniques and expressive skills that are necessary to advance their skill level. Novice level students also participate in performance opportunities suitable to their skill level. Their curiosity in music and art begins their journey toward personal realization and well-being.

In middle school, each student’s development continues in artistic understanding and technical and expressive skills, enabling the student to begin to independently and collaboratively create, perform, and respond at their given skill level. Through continued study of music, they continue their journey toward personal realization and well-being.

At the high school level, all students are required to complete five credits in Visual and Performing Arts as part of the course requirements to receive a high school diploma (N.J.A.C. 6A:8-5.1). During high school, students can build on their K–8 foundation by pursuing deeper engagement in one arts discipline, while others may explore a wider range of artistic pursuits and experiences.

All of our elementary and secondary visual and performing arts courses integrate a variety of materials such as media, technology, role-playing, and meaningful literature, as well as a range of teaching methods. All of these comprehensive curriculum guides meet the requirements of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards for the Visual and Performing Arts, along with the NJDOE Career Ready Practice standards for 21st Century Life and Careers.