Unified Arts

Music is intrinsic to the complete human being and therefore must be cultivated in all students.

Through creating, performing, and responding to music, we will generate an autonomous, musical lifestyle evidenced through beautiful, tuneful, and artful expression.  These Artistic Experiences and meaningful opportunities will enrich students’ lives as well as the lives of others.

All elements of music require experience above explanation to glean from them the highest artistic experiences.  The repertoire of the Canterbury Music Programs must be of the highest quality to encourage these deep musical experiences and open the doors of life’s later pursuits that we never knew were closed.

The Dr Helen Baldwin Middle School library doors are open to all students. 

It is the expectation that students will take care of library books while they have them checked out. However, we understand that life and accidents happen! To avoid placing any hardship or strain on any Canterbury family, the Canterbury Public Schools no longer charge students for lost or damaged library books.

Students are encouraged to read what interests them in the format that is best for them. Students, families, and staff may place holds and get books through the BMS, CES, and Canterbury Public Libraries.

Thank you for supporting the BMS library!

Health and Physical Education are requirements for all students grades 5-8. In Dr. Helen Baldwin Middle School Physical Education classes, all students learn, practice and enjoy demonstrating competencies in a variety of skills relating to team activities, games and sports. Students are assessed through skill development, cognitive knowledge and effective behavior relating to how maturely they work together within team settings. 

Safety is my #1 priority, and all students are required to wear closed toe sneakers and come prepared with a change of Physical Education clothes for class. To be exempt from P.E. class, and given an alternate assignment for any period of time, students must submit a written request from a physician to the school nurse. A note from a parent/guardian requesting a student be excused from class for one day must state the reason and needs to be successfully approved by the school nurse before the student reports to P.E. class.

Student artists from 5th to 8th grade are introduced to a variety of mediums, techniques, and art history.  As they work their way through their four years at DHBMS, they increase the rigor and expectations of their creativity and artistic ability.  An introduction and trial of a variety of materials through the practice of artwork creates a lasting curiosity and understanding of their own personal aesthetic.  Every student is asked to bring only their imagination, curiosity, and individuality to their work.  Students are introduced to the elements and principles of art and design, through which they meet the National Visual Arts standards that are: Create, Present, Respond, and Connect.  These standards are the foundation of their learning in the art room, and students use these techniques on a daily basis.  Visual arts have the ability to teach children involved in them skills such as problem solving, spatial awareness and reasoning, creativity, curiosity, focus, and communication. 

The emphasis of our technology program is to provide students problem solving skills that allow them the ability to thrive in a constantly evolving technological landscape through an inquiry based model. We feel it is paramount that students not only learn a specific library of programs and application software but to independently learn to operate any software they are presented with. Dr. Helen Baldwin Middle School embraces a student-centered approach that empowers our learners to solve authentic problems with the latest technology available.