February 1
As you all know by now, we are having a Family Literacy Night next Thursday, February 7th! The choir and handbells have been scheduled to perform at 6:30 and 7:15pm in the Hawksnest.
January 25
After an insightful conversation with some of the Grade Four students today, it has come to my attention that the fingering charts provided with the recorders are confusing to read. I will make a new treble clef note/fingering chart for students and it will go home with them next week! There will also be a notice with username and password information to log onto www.musicplayonline.com to use as a practice tool.
Please encourage your child to practice. Our short classes do not allow sufficient time for practicing of new skills that are taught. As little as five minutes a day can have a very positive impact on student progress! As we continue to work on recorder, students who are practicing are coming prepared to learn new skills and students who don't are becoming frustrated when they aren't able to keep up. The only way to remember note names, notes on the staff, and fingering positions, is through repeated exposure during practice.
Please encourage your child to practice. Our short classes do not allow sufficient time for practicing of new skills that are taught. As little as five minutes a day can have a very positive impact on student progress! As we continue to work on recorder, students who are practicing are coming prepared to learn new skills and students who don't are becoming frustrated when they aren't able to keep up. The only way to remember note names, notes on the staff, and fingering positions, is through repeated exposure during practice.
January 18
Kindergarten, Grade One, and Grade Two students have been working on melodic direction through singing and movement, with continued reinforcement of concepts such as fast/slow, high/low, same/different, and speaking/singing voices.
Grade Three students have begun to receive their recorders if they purchased one. They are encouraged to leave their recorder in their backpack so that it is always where they need it, when they need it! Students who do not purchase a recorder are given a sanitized recorder to play at school, however, the recorder does not go home with them so they will not be able to practice.
Grade Four, Five, and Six students are currently reviewing their recorder skills and are preparing to participate in the Recorder Karate program. This is a belt system where students earn belts for successfully learning and performing (for me) a certain song. Students can access these songs on this blog under the Recorder Karate drop down tab at my name. In an effort to save paper students are encouraged to download the songs at home. The songs are password protected for copyright reasons. Students can ask me for the password if they can't remember it!
Grade Three students have begun to receive their recorders if they purchased one. They are encouraged to leave their recorder in their backpack so that it is always where they need it, when they need it! Students who do not purchase a recorder are given a sanitized recorder to play at school, however, the recorder does not go home with them so they will not be able to practice.
Grade Four, Five, and Six students are currently reviewing their recorder skills and are preparing to participate in the Recorder Karate program. This is a belt system where students earn belts for successfully learning and performing (for me) a certain song. Students can access these songs on this blog under the Recorder Karate drop down tab at my name. In an effort to save paper students are encouraged to download the songs at home. The songs are password protected for copyright reasons. Students can ask me for the password if they can't remember it!
January 11
Happy New Year!
We are right back at it and prepping for Grade 3-6 to begin recorders next week!
A yellow form will come home with any student who is wishing to purchase a 3-piece Aulos recorder. The cost is $15.00 and includes a bag, cleaning rod, and fingering chart.
We are right back at it and prepping for Grade 3-6 to begin recorders next week!
A yellow form will come home with any student who is wishing to purchase a 3-piece Aulos recorder. The cost is $15.00 and includes a bag, cleaning rod, and fingering chart.
O'Canada in sign language, thanks to the lovely Ms. P!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1F22iQZDwiBGFiK4JIaRQJnoSWGsnjKjY/view?
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1F22iQZDwiBGFiK4JIaRQJnoSWGsnjKjY/view?
November 30
Kindergarten students listened and then moved to the form of Mozart's Balletmusik.
Grade One and Two students learned a dance to Jingle Bells.
Grade Three to Six students practiced reading and singing solfege to Curwin hand signs, then learned a traditional circle dance to Oh Suzanna.
Grade One and Two students learned a dance to Jingle Bells.
Grade Three to Six students practiced reading and singing solfege to Curwin hand signs, then learned a traditional circle dance to Oh Suzanna.
November 23
Grade One students made connections to patterning and counting backwards by one's from ten with the song Ten in the Bed.
Grades Two to Six identified different musical concepts involving tempo and dynamics, instrument families, mood, and personal reflection, using a listening log.
Grades Two to Six identified different musical concepts involving tempo and dynamics, instrument families, mood, and personal reflection, using a listening log.
November 16
Students in Kindergarten learned the song 'Jingly' in preparation for their December 13th evening performance!
Grade One practiced steady beat while building and pointing to hearts.
Grade Two practiced building rhythms using quarter notes and eighth notes.
Grade Three students analyzed solfege and rhythms for Long Legged Sailor and then learned a partner clapping game to go with the song.
Grades Four, Five and Six learned the poem 'Magine by Shel Silverstein and learned corresponding Orff accompaniment, using written notation of complimentary rhythms!
Grade One practiced steady beat while building and pointing to hearts.
Grade Two practiced building rhythms using quarter notes and eighth notes.
Grade Three students analyzed solfege and rhythms for Long Legged Sailor and then learned a partner clapping game to go with the song.
Grades Four, Five and Six learned the poem 'Magine by Shel Silverstein and learned corresponding Orff accompaniment, using written notation of complimentary rhythms!
November 9
Students in all grades learned about a variety of music symbols.
Congratulations to the Div. 2 Choir for their performance at the Remembrance Day assembly.
Congratulations to the Div. 2 Choir for their performance at the Remembrance Day assembly.
November 2
In Kindergarten students learned a group dance to Pumpkin Round and Fat.
Grade One students enjoyed Halloween songs and practiced identifying one and two sound words.
Grade Two students practiced singing on pitch, and identified how music made them feel after listening.
Students in Grade Three enjoyed singing and moving to Halloween songs, and used lights to follow the lyrics of a spider song!
Grade Four students created a soundscape inspired by their forgotten objects.
Grade Five students continued with sixteenth note practice.
Grade Six students performed their small group pizza rhythm compositions for their classes.
The handbell group started this week!
Grade One students enjoyed Halloween songs and practiced identifying one and two sound words.
Grade Two students practiced singing on pitch, and identified how music made them feel after listening.
Students in Grade Three enjoyed singing and moving to Halloween songs, and used lights to follow the lyrics of a spider song!
Grade Four students created a soundscape inspired by their forgotten objects.
Grade Five students continued with sixteenth note practice.
Grade Six students performed their small group pizza rhythm compositions for their classes.
The handbell group started this week!
October 26
This week students in Grade One, Two, and Three worked on reading candy corn rhythms, and translating to stick notation!
Students in Grade Four reviewed a movement rubric, reworked their Falling Leaves dance and performed for each other.
Students in Grade Five practiced sixteenth note rhythm dictation.
Students in Grade Four reviewed a movement rubric, reworked their Falling Leaves dance and performed for each other.
Students in Grade Five practiced sixteenth note rhythm dictation.
October 19
This week students in Kindergarten, Grade One and Grade Two have been practicing singing in their light, high voices, through several games and songs. They have also practiced keeping a steady beat, identifying high/lo sounds, and echoing 'Going on a Bear Hunt'!
Grade Three and Four students worked on moving to a piece of music about fall, incorporating scarves into their movement and floating like falling leaves! Grade Four's also analyzed the form of the piece, using the musical language, but also discovering the connections between that and the language used in math for patterning.
Grade Five and Six students have been working on a rhythmic composition in small groups. They have decided on a form for their piece, and the next step will be to take each group's work, and together, come up with a class piece that incorporates each group's rhythm patterns!
Grade Five and Six students have been working on a rhythmic composition in small groups. They have decided on a form for their piece, and the next step will be to take each group's work, and together, come up with a class piece that incorporates each group's rhythm patterns!
October 12
Div. 2 Choir
With the addition of Complementary Courses for Div. 2 students, some of our choir members have opted to partake in other activities during our rehearsal time. This is an excellent opportunity for students to work in an area of interest!
We still have a healthy number of students participating in choir and so we will move forward with the following schedule:
Wednesdays, students eat in their classrooms, and then join us in the Hawksnest to rehearse from 12:50pm - 1:15pm.
Fridays, students will rehearse in the Hawksnest during the Div. 2 Complementary Course time from 11:15am -12:00pm.
We still have a healthy number of students participating in choir and so we will move forward with the following schedule:
Wednesdays, students eat in their classrooms, and then join us in the Hawksnest to rehearse from 12:50pm - 1:15pm.
Fridays, students will rehearse in the Hawksnest during the Div. 2 Complementary Course time from 11:15am -12:00pm.
October 5
Thank you to ALL of the Hawkwood students who sang so beautifully today at our Thanksgiving assembly!
I am so grateful to be able to make music with you!
I would like to thank the MC's and grade 1-6 speakers for doing a wonderful job speaking in front of the whole school!
Ms. Swinton's class led us beautifully through the song Thanks A Lot, by Raffi. I'm very proud you!
Have a wonderful long weekend, and see you on October 9th!
P.S. Choir students, there is a password on the lyric sheets in the resource section. I will give you the password at our next rehearsal on October 10th!
I am so grateful to be able to make music with you!
I would like to thank the MC's and grade 1-6 speakers for doing a wonderful job speaking in front of the whole school!
Ms. Swinton's class led us beautifully through the song Thanks A Lot, by Raffi. I'm very proud you!
Have a wonderful long weekend, and see you on October 9th!
P.S. Choir students, there is a password on the lyric sheets in the resource section. I will give you the password at our next rehearsal on October 10th!
September 25
Division 2 (Gr. 4-6) Choir
It is very exciting to see how many students in Grades 4-6 are interested in taking part in choir!
Students received forms yesterday, to be returned at our first rehearsal tomorrow, Wednesday, September 26, at lunch time. We will eat together in the Hawksnest, followed by a brief rehearsal.
If you have questions, feel free to email Mrs. Smith.
[email protected]
Students received forms yesterday, to be returned at our first rehearsal tomorrow, Wednesday, September 26, at lunch time. We will eat together in the Hawksnest, followed by a brief rehearsal.
If you have questions, feel free to email Mrs. Smith.
[email protected]
September 10-14
Students in Kindergarten learned about the different types of voices that we use!
Grade 1 & 2 students practiced playing various non-pitched percussion instruments along with Pete the Cat!
Grades 3-6 learned a Jamaican Folk Song called Mama Tawga that had been adapted, and used as a passing game. Students had fun passing to a steady beat, changing directions, and trying to keep many tennis balls in play at the same time!
On Friday Mrs. Smith held a brief meeting for students in grades 4-6 who are interested in participating in a Div.2 Choir. We had an excellent turn-out of close to 100 students! More information about this program will be shared in the coming weeks!
On Friday Mrs. Smith held a brief meeting for students in grades 4-6 who are interested in participating in a Div.2 Choir. We had an excellent turn-out of close to 100 students! More information about this program will be shared in the coming weeks!
September 4-7
Welcome to Music for the 2018-2019 school year!
We have spent our first week getting reacquainted and welcoming new friends to the music room at Hawkwood School!
We have an exciting year ahead with lots of opportunity for exploration, and creating great music together!
Students in grades 3-6 started off with a focus circle where we played as a body percussion ensemble and experienced the fun and satisfaction of playing complementary rhythms together!
Students in grades K-2 had the opportunity to use their singing voices to greet Chloe the Owl, one of our music room residents!