Week of December 15

I hope you have a fantastic holiday season with your family.  When we return to school in January, if I have not had my baby yet, I will be back in the music room with the students.  If my daughter has arrived, then Mrs. Nancy Berg will be the music substitute during my leave.  She has many years of experience teaching music and will do a great job to continue your child's education.  (See last week's blog entry for more details about Mrs. Berg.)  She may or may not choose to update this blog each week.  If there is an update, subscribers will continue to receive email updates.  If you have any questions or concerns for Mrs. Berg, you can reach her by email at nberg@nssd112.org.  Have a wonderful winter break!

Kindergarteners played a singing game this week that helped them focus on using their light singing voices.  They enjoyed this activity.

First graders learned a little bit about rock and roll music this week and played unpitched percussion instruments using rhythms commonly found in rock music.  They also sang a winter song and used instruments to improvise sounds of their favorite winter activities.

Second graders self-assessed their "Rocky Mountain" recordings this week.  Each student graded his own recording and then conferenced with me.  During the conference, we compared the child's self-assessment to the assessment I completed of the recording, and we set a singing goal for the student to work toward for the next term.

Third graders did a movement activity with Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker March" this week.  They really enjoyed this activity, and it helped them learn about the form of this famous piece of music.  They were video recorded performing the song and then self-assessed their individual performances.

Fourth graders are working hard on their recorder music.  Most students have earned their yellow belts for their playing tests.  Many students have earned their orange belts, and a few have earned their green belts.  The green belt song, "It's Raining," is much more difficult than the first three, so it will take more effort at home to play this song correctly.  If students want to access their recorder music over break, it is all available on the "Recorder Music" section of this blog.

Fifth graders watched a movie called "Stomp Out Loud" this week.  They really enjoyed this!  They were able to see musicians using items other than instruments to create music.  The performers used brooms, basketballs, keys, bins, garbage cans, cookware, and much more to perform their songs.

Have a wonderful holiday break with your family!