Programs

The Band and Orchestra program at Bishop McNamara High School has a reputation for excellence throughout the metropolitan Washington, DC area. The study of instrumental music is an important component of providing students with a comprehensive music education. The students in the BMHS band and orchestra program are consistently challenged to cultivate their individual talents and abilities, all while building relationships through group performance.

It is the goal of our Band and Orchestra Program to foster a sense of belonging, artistic expression, aesthetic awareness, and an overall appreciation for music.

We currently have programs in Concert Band, Symphonic Band, String Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, and Pep Band.

This program is designed for the study and practice of the basic elements of broadcast journalism and video production. Our coursework will emphasize news-gathering, writing, video recording, editing, and the study of mass media. Students will learn the basic elements of news value and vocabulary specific to broadcast writing. They will also identify various news sources and use interview skills to create stories using video and editing software. This course also explores the world of digital video and television production. Students learn on professional equipment in a modern digital TV studio. Students work in collaborative teams to produce projects using cameras while learning the basics of studio and field production, lighting, and sound. 

The Bishop McNamara High School Classical Dance Program offers excellent training and comprehensive dance education in the classical styles of dance. Students are given the opportunity to engross themselves in the education of ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical and contemporary technique, Improvisation, and composition. With four levels of training, the BMHS Dance classes are designed in a way that students are able to learn proper terminology, dance etiquette, and body alignment for their personal level of technique.

Our dance program incorporates critical and creative thinking skills as well as encourages self-awareness. Classical Dance contains two tracks: Dance Track and Tap Track. Honors courses are available to Dance IV and Tap IV level students. BMHS Dance program also offers students multiple performance experiences including the Annual Spring Festival.

We currently offer the following types of dance: Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, and Improvisation.

Our Theatre Education Program provides creative expression, knowledge, and growth in Musical & Dramatic Theatre and Tech including Sets, Lights, Costumes, & Sound.

Theatre education at Bishop McNamara enables students to develop intellectually by expanding their capacities for creative thought and expression and by encouraging critical thinking skills. Furthermore, theatre education fosters personal growth, self-confidence, knowledge, and a variety of skills and attitudes that are transferable to a wide range of careers.

The Theatre Program produces a fall musical and a spring play annually to showcase the many gifts and talents of the Bishop McNamara students. Participation both on and off stage teaches students to be a part of something bigger than themselves.

Traditional African Dance is an essential element of Africa's cultural heritage because it is the living expression of its philosophy and the living memory of its evolution and cultural wealth over the centuries. Students will learn the fundamentals by studying dances from countries of Ghana, Senegal, Gambia, Mali, Guinea, and Ivory Coast; these skills are then collaborated into dance theatre. Specific and required skill sets and techniques in African dance are introduced, nurtured, instilled, and developed for general/specific knowledge in ancient traditions of music and dance forms with particular attention to its societal contexts and relevance.

Honors courses are available to Level IV students.  The Traditional African Music & Dance Program performs many times throughout the year for outside performances, as well as the annual show, Sankofa, which is held in the Spring.

Our Visual Arts Program exposes students to many areas of visual arts including painting, sculpture, ceramics, graphic arts,  photography, computer graphics, art history & web design.

The Bishop McNamara Visual Arts Program provides opportunities for our students to develop their understanding and appreciation of the visual by exposing students to sculpture and ceramics, computer graphics, painting, photography, graphic arts, mechanical drawing, art history and internet web page design.

We offer a wide selection of visual art courses designed with college-bound students in mind. Whether taught in the studio or computer labs, these courses focus on skills like composition building/layout, elements and principles of design, mastery of materials, and with an emphasis on observational drawing skills. We provide students with an opportunity to experiment with a variety of media and materials using hands-on strategies and emerging technologies. In addition, we offer Advanced Placement courses and other portfolio development opportunities.

Our visual arts program is built on the understanding that exploration through visual art not only enriches a child's scope and view of the world, but also engages high order thinking skills which are crucial for problem solving and achievement.

Our students' art is posted at Artsonia.com - an online museum of art for students.