Dear Laker Community,

The 2025-2026 school year has been an extraordinary one for all four Fine Arts disciplines. I’m incredibly proud to celebrate just a few of the many remarkable achievements that showcase the passion, talent, and commitment of our students and faculty.

To begin, our theatre program had a standout year. Both of our high school musical productions, Six: The Musical and Anything Goes, were awarded Best Musical by the Applause Awards, a prestigious program run through the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Our high school’s competitive one-act play, The Trojan Women, represented the State of Florida at the Southeastern Theatre Conference, an incredible achievement reflecting the dedication and talent of our theatre students and faculty. Across middle and high school, theatre students earned a record number of Superior ratings at the district and state levels. Middle school students lit up the stage with their performances in Beetlejuice Jr. and their one-act play, Late Night with Snow White, while our lower school students delighted audiences with Seussical Jr. Our IB Theatre seniors showcased their learning through collaborative performances and IB Solos based on theatre theorists. We are especially proud to see several students continuing their theatre studies at the collegiate level in areas such as Musical Theatre, Technical Theatre, and Costume Design. 

It has also been another successful year for our Senior and Junior Dance Repertoire Companies. These talented dancers earned Superior ratings during their first assessment, demonstrating incredible skill and growth. Next week, we’re excited to showcase our middle and high school dancers in the Spring Dance Show, Mindscape. In January, our dancers traveled to New York City, where they participated in private classes at Broadway Dance Center, Steps on Broadway, Martha Graham Studios, and The Juilliard School. They also saw two Broadway shows and a new dance production during the trip. Our lower school dancers explored the world of dance and will perform in celebrations such as the 2nd Grade Greek Festival. Additionally, our 3rd graders will express who they are through the power of dance in a new performance opportunity. For the second year in a row, our IB dancers were featured on stage with Flamenco del Sol and their professional company.

In the visual arts, we celebrated the 25th anniversary of WPS by commissioning student artwork to honor the school’s legacy—marking the first installation in our newly renovated Cypress Center atrium, now called Studio U. Our high school artists created themed works featured in our Halloween and Day of the Dead exhibitions in Studio U. Several students received awards, including Yaqi Han, who was selected for the 2026 National Art Honor Society (NAHS) Juried Exhibition. Our IB seniors displayed their artwork and defended their artistic intentions and will continue their artistic journeys at top institutions. Middle school artists created clay bowls for the Empty Bowls for Hunger project, connecting their work to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and will showcase their pieces on April 30 in Studio U. They also explored set design, branding inspired by the Artemis II Launch, and 3D sculpture using printers. Lower school students expressed their creativity through self-portraits, 3D pop art, and drawings from our Sketch and Cartooning class.

Our music program continues to excel as well. Our high school Wind Ensemble and Laker Jazz Band both received Superior ratings at assessment, and students participated in masterclasses led by renowned musicians. Our Jazz Dinner transformed Studio U into an intimate performance space, and we look forward to the Spring Music Concert on May 13, featuring ensembles across all levels. Many of our musicians also earned Superior ratings at the State Solo Assessment. We are especially proud of 5th grader Isabella Ramirez, who was selected to perform in the All-State Lower School Choir. Our Little Laker Voices continued to shine with performances of the national anthem for Veterans Day and the Junior Global Games.

It has truly been a remarkable year for the Fine Arts Department at WPS. Our dedicated teachers continue to lead with passion and purpose, guiding students through performance, visual storytelling, movement, and music while designing and delivering rich, interdisciplinary experiences across the IB PYP, MYP, and DP. Our collaboration with the Juilliard Creative Classroom continues to enhance student learning in every lesson.

The dedication shown this year highlights the powerful role that the Fine Arts have in shaping well-rounded, empathetic, and globally minded students. The creativity, passion, and commitment of our students continue to shine across every stage, canvas, and performance space. 

Next year, we will continue to elevate our programs with the support of our Families of the Arts. Our annual Bravo event will take place this Saturday, May 2, and we invite you to join us as we celebrate a year of extraordinary talent and achievement. During the event, we will also unveil our Theatrical Season Reveal, offering an exciting preview of what’s to come on stage. If you would like to further support and enhance our Fine Arts program, please click here for more information.

Thank you for your continued support—we look forward to even more to come.

Mrs. Rosemarie Redman

Director of Fine Arts