The Fine Arts Program at Open Roads Public School allows Grade 6-8 students to explore their creativity.

The program, which consists of roughly 65 students from Dryden and the surrounding area, teaches drama, dance, music, and the visual arts.

Teacher Lindsay Rettie discusses the benefits of the program.

“All the research that you hear about the arts, it's supposed to help use your brain in other ways and improve you academically as well,” Rettie says. “A lot of kids are very creative and don't have that outlet.”

Students must meet certain academic standards and go through an application process before being accepted into the program.

For the first time, Grade 8 students will be travelling to Toronto for a trip entirely geared towards the arts. They're also preparing to film their annual dance video at the beginning of February.

The hope is for the video to be ready for the Fine Arts Program orientation taking place at Open Roads on Feb. 16.

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