Our Weekly Info: | This week, we will introduce our next Composer of the Month, Ms. December, Irene Britton Smith as we listen to her music and learn facts about her life each class. You will see the facts that students learned about Ms. Smith on display on the home page of this website :) You might notice that you've possibly never heard of Ms. Smith...that's what I'm hoping for :) In an effort to diversify our "Maestro of the Month" studies, you'll be seeing lots of new names and faces intermixed with composers we have learned about in the past. I'm starting this year to create 7 different lists of "Maestro's of the Month" so that you'll be exploring the lives of new people every year...starting in Kindergarten!! I hope you're as excited as I am about this change to our programming!! Who else will be joining them this week?????? 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 Music Website! We'll also be celebrating the Holidays of Christmas and Hanukkah in our music classes this month! Students in many grades will be working on songs to share on the school website...so make sure you check often...you never know who or what you might see!! |
General Music:
**Pre-K 3 and 4 continued using our "Hello Routine" songs and many of us can already sing along! We're working on rhythmic and melodic passages and echoing them when Mrs. Kamp goes first. So far, we've explored "do," "mi," "sol," and "la" and are continuing to experiment with "re" and "fa" in our singing echoes and ta (quarter note), ti-ti (eighth note), shh (quarter rest), and alligator (sixteenth note) in our rhythms but we're adding more all the time! We're experimenting with different classroom instruments including: Rhythm Sticks, Shaker Eggs, Jingle Bells, Tambourines, and Drums and using them to echo short rhythmic patterns as well as to accompany ourselves while singing a variety of songs. We're also using our bodies to show different things we notice in songs...like the speed, volume level, or way the music is moving. We're incorporating learning skills like "listening" and "following directions" as we participate in action songs during class. We are continuing our work with Pre-School Prodigies and are working our way through the bell songs and "Sweet Beats" activities of chapters 1 and 2. We're also trying out some of the workbook pages and activities included in the curriculum! We're also beginning to work on Hanukkah and Christmas themed songs to coordinate with themes from our General Education classroom and to explore rhythm, beat, and melody through them. And....(hopefully) preparing to share some very special holiday carols with you all towards the end of the month!
**Kindergarten continues to use our "Hello Routine" songs and many of us can already sing along! We're working on rhythmic and melodic passages and echoing them when Mrs. Kamp goes first. So far, we've explored "do," "mi," "sol," and "la" and are continuing to experiment with "re" and "fa" in our singing echoes and ta (quarter note), ti-ti (eighth note), shh (quarter rest), and alligator (sixteenth note) in our rhythms but we're adding more all the time! We're experimenting with different classroom instruments including: Rhythm Sticks, Shaker Eggs, Jingle Bells, Tambourines, and Drums and using them to echo short rhythmic patterns as well as to accompany ourselves while singing a variety of songs. We're also using our bodies to show different things we notice in songs...like the speed, volume level, or way the music is moving. We are continuing our work with Pre-School Prodigies and are working our way through the bell songs and "Sweet Beats" activities of chapters 3 and 4 which focus extensively on songs using do, re, and mi. We're also trying out some of the workbook pages and activities included in the curriculum! We're also beginning Hanukkah and Christmas themed songs to coordinate with themes from our General Education classroom and to explore rhythm, beat, and melody through them!
**First Graders First Graders are diving into note reading and playing in two parts as we return to our studies with Pre-School Prodigies this week! We'll be exploring chapters 5 and 6 this month....working with all different pitches, melodies and rhythms, AND learning to play in two parts...having some students work on the melody while others add a percussion line to the song!!! We're having fun with songs, games, instruments, dancing, and some pretty cool surprises as we build our music vocabularies and learn to speak the language of music. We're beginning to work on Hanukkah and Christmas themed songs to coordinate with themes from our General Education classroom and to explore rhythm, beat, and melody through them!
**Second Graders will be continuing their work on our Orange Belt song, "Merrily We Roll Along" Students have been working with the same three notes: B, A, and G...reorganized into different patterns and adding in some new rhythmic concepts to play a completely different song! Parents, you can find more information about the recorder program HERE along with some helpful links for at home practice :) Does anyone remember the new rhythmic pattern we discovered in this song last week?? Who else might remember what familiar folk song this song sounds ALMOST exactly like? We're beginning to work with Hanukkah and Christmas themed songs to coordinate with themes from our General Education classroom and to explore rhythm, beat, and melody through them!
**Third Graders 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're continuing to masker reading the treble staff and sooo much more!!! This week, we'll be continuing to learn how music can move including step, leap or skip, and stay the same motion. We'll also be working with reading notes on the treble staff and beginning to try reading the staff without the color coding system we have used in the past. We're finishing up our first "music workbooks" and have gone through many of the activities there including note copying, note writing, note searches, and composing activities as we work to grow our music reading fluency. We're also reviewing how to play in multiple parts by dividing into groups: some students playing bells and the melody line, some students playing drums and adding the percussion line, and, for the first time EVER...some students playing chords and adding a harmony line to the piece! I can't wait!!! We'll be putting it all together to learn some special Hanukkah and Christmas themed songs and hope to have a small virtual Prodigies Concert to share with all of you towards the end of the month!
Performance Music
Band Classes:
OUR "VERY VIRTUAL HOLIDAY CELEBRATION" WILL PREMIERE ON THE AMAGANSETT SCHOOL WEBSITE ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17TH!!! WHICH MEANS THAT THESE NEXT TWO WEEKS WILL BE FILLED WITH FILMING AND CONCERT PREPARATIONS IN BOTH BAND CLASS AND INSTRUMENTAL LESSONS!!!!
PLEASE KEEP UP TO DATE WITH NOTES IN YOUR CHILD'S RED FOLDER AND ON GOOGLE CLASSROOM PERTAINING TO CONCERT PREPAREDNESS, CONCERT DRESS, AND OTHER IMPORTANT CONCERT INFORMATION :)
** Fourth Graders CONCERT FILMING WILL BE ON THURSDAY!!! MAKE SURE YOU'RE TOTALLY READY TO PLAY BY BRINING YOUR INSTRUMENT, MUSIC MATERIALS, AND CONCERT CLOTHES AND HOLIDAY ACCESSORIES TO SCHOOL WITH YOU THURSDAY MORNING!!!! ALSO KEEP THAT PRACTICE CHALLENGE GOING!! JUST A FEW MORE DAYS :)
** Fifth and Sixth Graders CONCERT FILMING WILL BE ON THURSDAY!!! MAKE SURE YOU'RE TOTALLY READY TO PLAY BY BRINING YOUR INSTRUMENT, MUSIC MATERIALS, AND CONCERT CLOTHES AND HOLIDAY ACCESSORIES TO SCHOOL WITH YOU THURSDAY MORNING!!!! ALSO KEEP THAT PRACTICE CHALLENGE GOING!! JUST A FEW MORE DAYS :)
BEGINNING BAND (FOURTH GRADE)
CONCERT BAND (FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADES)
Chorus Classes:
OUR "VERY VIRTUAL HOLIDAY CELEBRATION" WILL PREMIERE ON THE AMAGANSETT SCHOOL WEBSITE ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17TH!!! WHICH MEANS THAT THESE NEXT TWO WEEKS WILL BE FILLED WITH FILMING AND CONCERT PREPARATIONS IN BOTH BAND CLASS AND INSTRUMENTAL LESSONS!!!!
PLEASE KEEP UP TO DATE WITH NOTES IN YOUR CHILD'S RED FOLDER AND ON GOOGLE CLASSROOM PERTAINING TO CONCERT PREPAREDNESS, CONCERT DRESS, AND OTHER IMPORTANT CONCERT INFORMATION :)
We're building our teamwork skills as we work together to become STAR Singers and fill Mrs.Kamp's class pom-pom jars! How long will it take your class to earn another "STAR Singers Day??" Remember.....the challenge gets harder each time now that I know what AMAZING work you can do!
I thought it might be fun to explore the singing and its 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 :)
String Classes:
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 :)
** Kindergarten Violin are 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. Kindergarteners are VERY excited to continue using the REAL violins this week!!! We're going to practice the same songs we did with our "Box Violins" and work on holding position and posture. We've also been working on playing pizzicato (plucking the strings) on our open strings and learning "The Monkey Song" and "The Ant Song." This week, we'll continue playing these songs pizzicato, but we'll also be adding the bow to try our hands at playing "arco!!"
** First Grade Violin will continue learning their new warm up song this week! We'll also be working towards moving our violin hand off of the shoulder of the instrument and back to the scroll so we can add our fingers to the strings and learn even more songs! We've started working on "Elephants and Frogs" on the E string using the open string and finger number 1 and are learning that the pitch of the string changes as we add each finger. You can play along on your box violin at home if you check the class violin page HERE
** Second Grade Violin will be busy working on adding your fingers to the E string to play The Kangaroo Song and Elephants and Frogs. We will be beginning to work out of the Strictly Strings Violin Method Book this week as we start looking at the written notation to accompany our earlier Suzuki style training!! Be sure to get out those practice pets and work with them to build your violin skills and fill in those practice journals! You can practice at home if you check the class violin page HERE
** Third Grade Violin This week we'll continue working inside our Strictly Strings Method Book. We'll review open string notes and our CRAZY string jumping this week! We will also start looking at notes on the Treble Staff and working with adding our fingers to play some new songs. We're continuing with the Four String Warm Up, but have also added a new warm up working with different rhythms and patters on the open strings! You can help us with some at home practice HERE
** Fourth Grade Violin This week we'll continue working inside our Strictly Strings Method Book. We'll review open string notes and our CRAZY string jumping this week! We will also start looking at notes on the Treble Staff and working with adding our fingers to play some new songs. We're continuing with the Four String Warm Up, but have also added a new warm up working with different rhythms and patters on the open strings! You can help us with some at home practice HERE
** Fifth Grade Violin This week we're continuing on inside the Strictly Strings Method Book. We'll review open string notes and our CRAZY string jumping this week! We will also start looking at notes on the Treble Staff and working with adding our fingers to play some new songs. We're continuing with the Four String Warm Up, but have also added a new warm up working with different rhythms and patters on the open strings!You can help us with some at home practice HERE
Stay tuned for more information right here each week :)
Mrs. Kamp :)