Anne Gray is our music teacher.
Welcome to Music!! Sept. 2020
"We've been away a long time, but now we know: SCHOOL is the place that we want to go!"
This line is from our new school rap: "Welcome back, Covid Style!" With all the changes to how school runs this year, music is no exception. Students in all grades will experience music classes in their classrooms, with their class cohorts. Ms. Gray will be traveling around the school with her "Good Vibes Only" cart. With the restrictions around singing, all classes will be learning from a modified music curriculum, including an abundance of lessons on rhythm.
Kinders will begin the year with focussing on how much we use our ears, and will be taking "sound walks" in and around the school. From there, we will be learning a host of new rhymes and movement games, as well as watching interactive music videos to discover beat and rhythm.
Students in grade one, two and three continue will focus on new rhythmic patterns (quarter note, eighth note, sixteenth note, quarter rest) and simple rhymes/spoken songs for reinforcement. Sol feggio syllables (do, re, mi, etc.) will be introduced along with corresponding hand signs. Students will continue to learn new music and movement games to reinforce concepts taught in class and build performance confidence. The program "Musicplay" will be used regularly to teach and reinforce rhythmic and melodic concepts. Homemade percussion instruments will be part of the music experience.
Grade 4 and 5 students will begin with a review of known rhythmic patterns and will progress to learning new rhythmic patterns. Students will have the opportunity to compose and share rhythmic compositions and raps. A variety of new music games will be taught to reinforce curricular concepts. The program "Musicplay" will be used regularly to teach and reinforce rhythmic and melodic concepts through screen games and listening exercises.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, there will be no musicals, choir nor hand bells this year.
Discussion Questions...
What new songs/rhymes have you learned? Will you sing the new songs? Which rhythms can you clap? How do you show the beat while you are singing a song? Can you share any new music games?
