Our Weekly Info | This week, we will begin celebrating our newest "Composer of the Month," Ludwig van Beethoven! We'll be listening to Mr. Beethoven's music and and learning facts about his life all month! You can see the facts that the students learned about Mr. Beethoven's life on display on the home page of this website :) You can see their work on the bulletin board outside the music room, or HERE on Mr. Beethoven's page! Who will join our Music Detective Wall of Fame for December 2023?? I can't wait to see who will join the ranks of Music Detective and what knowledge they will bring us about Mr. Beethoven! Check your child's go home folder for this month's composer fact sheet as well as the directions for how to become a "music detective" and have their work featured on the bulletin board outside the music classroom and on the Music Website! |
General Music:
**Kindergarten is right back to exploring the world of music, learning our hello routines and songs, experimenting with the different classroom instruments. Right now, we're learning all about the note of C and it's corresponding solfege sound, do! We're also branching out to include the other letters of the music alphabet: D, E, F, G, A, and B! We'll be working our way through the entire music alphabet singing, signing, playing the melody bells and boomwhackers, and even reading colored treble clef notation on the Smart Board! Mr. Rob and the prodigies program are also teaching up about rhythm as we incorporate his, "Sweet Beets" songs and activities into our classes as well!...making music a VERY Exciting place to be!
**First Graders continue exploring the very many ways that music can be....loud / soft...fast / slow, We're going to learn about Tempo... the SPEED of music!! We'll be singing, dancing, and moving our bodies to slow (Legato), medium (Moderato or Andante) fast (Allegro), and even CrRAZY FAST (Presto) tempos all week!! We're even going to bring a little literature in as we listen to a special story from our friend, Freddie the Frog! We're expanding our knowledge this week ...and playing some super fun games as we learn to understand these musical terms. We will also continue our work with the Prodigies program and out melody bells and boomwhackers which we began last year. I'm soo excited to see how we can grow as musicians this year!
**Second Graders continue to dive into the second level of Recorder Karate We've earned our White, Yellow, AND Orange Belts and, this week, we will begin to work with "It's Raining, It's Pouring," to work towards earning our GREEN!! belts!! I can't believe how far the students have come since September!!! In order to learn our new song, we'll also be learning a NEW NOTE: E...AND using TWO HANDS on the recorder! WOW! December's going to be. a busy month!! So...make sure you're practicing and ready :) Parents, you can find more information about the recorder program HERE along with some helpful links for at home practice :)
**Third Graders are right back to singing, dancing, and playing their way through their first few music classes! Watch as we continue "putting it all together" as we incorporate everything we've learned over the past few years into larger ensemble playing through Pre-School Prodigies!! We've been assigned our first moth's instrument for instrument rotation and were able to play through sooo many songs! Students are excited to take monthly turns on: Percussion, Recorder, Orff Xylophones, and Desk Bells! We're beginning to masker reading the treble staff and sooo much more!!!
Performance Music
Band Classes:
PLEASE MARK YOUR FAMILY CALENDAR: OUR HOLIDAY CONCERT
WILL BE ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14th BEGINNING AT 5:30PM.....more information to follow...this is a MANDATORY PERFORMANCE...ALL STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO ATTEND!
If you're interested in learning more about our school's Instrumental Music Program, follow these links to the band's individual websites:
CONCERT BAND (FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADES)
Just a reminder:
FOURTH GRADERS NEED THEIR BAND INSTRUMENTS FOR BAND CLASS AND INSTRUMENTAL LESSONS EACH THURSDAY.
FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADERS NEED THEIR BAND INSTRUMENTS FOR BAND CLASS AND INSTRUMENTAL LESSONS EACH TUESDAY.
PRACTICE TRACKERS:
Chorus Classes:
WILL BE ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14th BEGINNING AT 5:30PM.....more information to follow...this is a MANDATORY PERFORMANCE...ALL STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO ATTEND!
We're up and running and starting to prepare the songs we will perform in our big December Holiday Concert.
I also thought it might be fun to explore the singing and it's importance to people around the world as part of this year's Choral Program in grades 3 - 6. Each week, the children will be watching a SHORT youtube video of a different singer or singing group from somewhere in the world or somewhere in time. We'll be watching, listening, and then pairing and sharing with a partner to discuss our thoughts about the performance. Older students will also be keeping a "listening journal" to express a few short sentences about their throughs on the performance.
Interested in seeing where this exploration will lead us?? Check out the "action" as HERE as I'll be adding the video of the week each week :)
We can't wait!! If you want to learn more about what we're up to in Chorus class or you want to help your child practice the chorus music at home, you can do so by following the link below:
String Classes:
Parents and parent involvement is an essential part of a students success in music, particularly in the Suzuki style of teaching. Although we can't have parents attend each and every one of our class meetings, it will be very important for your child's success that they begin practicing at home and that they see you excited and enthusiastic about all of their violin playing.
Be sure to check your child's string class page often. I will be posting videos, handouts, songs, and other helpful materials there for each of our classes to help build this bridge from violin at school to violin at home!
As we begin our journey through learning to play the violin, I thought it might be fun to explore the violin (and other string instruments) "in action." Each week, the children will be watching a SHORT youtube video of a different string performer from somewhere in the world or somewhere in time. We'll be watching, listening, and then pairing and sharing with a partner to discuss our thoughts about the performance. Older students will also be keeping a "listening journal" to express a few short sentences about their throughs on the performance.
Interested in seeing where this exploration will lead us?? Check out the "action" as HERE as I'll be adding the video of the week each week :)
** Pre-K 4 Violin is right back on track learning how to hold our bows, balance our violins, and control our bodies so nothing falls down! We're also making "box violins" so we can use them int he classroom and have them at home to practice with. Be sure to ask your child about some of the song activities we've learned including: Up Like a Rocket, The Grand Old Duke o f York, and The Wheels on the Bus. We're also learning all of the parts of our violin......you can quiz us at home if you check the class violin page HERE.
** Kindergarten Violin is right back to learning how to hold our bows, balance our violins, and control our bodies so nothing falls down! Be sure to ask your child about some of the song activities we've learned including: Up Like a Rocket, The Grand Old Duke o f York, and The Wheels on the Bus. We're also learning all of the parts of our violin......you can quiz us at home if you check the class violin page HERE. We're also beginning to use the Colorstrings method in conjunction with our Suzuki method studies this week. Be sure to ask your child what the new "violin colors" are and what they mean...they are excited to share their new knowledge with you! We're becoming masters of "The Monkey Song," "The Ant Song," and "G-D-G STOMP!"
** First Grade Violin is moving QUICKLY through their violin repertoire! Be sure to ask your child about some of the song activities we've learned including: Up Like a Rocket, The Grand Old Duke o f York, and The Wheels on the Bus. We're also learning all of the parts of our violin......you can quiz us at home if you check the class violin page HERE. We've mastered "The Monkey Song," "The Ant Song," and "G-D-G STOMP!" And now we're working HARD at adding our fingers to the E string to create new pitches and learn, "The Elephant Song" and "The Kangaroo Song." We've added stickers to our fingerboards to help us know which note we're playing AND where our fingers should go! Hard work can be soooo much fun and is soooooooo rewarding as we can really begin to see our progress!
** Second Grade Violin is ready to move forward and expand our musical learning and violin playin! We're adding our fingers to the strings to expand our repertoire of notes, starting combining note reading on the treble staff with playing the violin, continuing to work through the String Street method book, and also starting our journey through the fun of Violin Karate, and so much more! You can learn more about what we're doing in violin class if you check the class violin page HERE.
** Third Grade Violin PLEASE NOTE THIS IMPORTANT CHANGE TO OUR MUSIC CLASS SCHEDULE...DUE TO CONFLICTS WITH OTHER PROGRAMMING, THIRD GRADERS WILL NOW NEED TO BRING THEIR VIOLIN TO SCHOOL WITH THEM EVERY MONDAY THIS YEAR. Third Grade is right back to moving forward and expanding our musical learning and violin playin! We're adding our fingers to the strings to expand our repertoire of notes, starting combining note reading on the treble staff with playing the violin, continuing to work through the String Street method book, and also starting our journey through the fun of Violin Karate, and so much more! You can learn more about what we're doing in violin class if you check the class violin page HERE.
** Fourth Grade Violin will will need to BRING THEIR VIOLIN TO SCHOOL WITH THEM EVERY MONDAY THIS YEAR. Fourth Grade is right back to moving forward and expanding our musical learning and violin playin!We're adding our fingers to the strings to expand our repertoire of notes, starting combining note reading on the treble staff with playing the violin, continuing to work through the String Street method book, and also starting our journey through the fun of Violin Karate, and so much more! You can learn more about what we're doing in violin class if you check the class violin page HERE.
I appreciate your flexibility with this change :) Please help your young musician remember the change and be prepared with their BAND instrument and music on the extra day for the next few weeks.
Stay tuned for more information right here each week :)
Mrs. Kamp :)