February Newsletter

3rd, 4th and 5th Grade students at the MLK March to Borough Hall on January 23rd.

It's cold and snowy outside and the multiple days of indoor recess just makes the students absolutely stir crazy! So I'm trying to make music class as fun and exciting as possible in the short month of February. I'm happy to announce that I have a new student teacher from Brooklyn College. Her name is Suzie and she will be at our school for approximately the next six weeks. She will start out as co-teaching with me and eventually planning and teaching all of my classes so that she can get the full on experience of what it is like to be a full time music teacher. I look forward to working with her!

Here is what else is happening this month in music:

Pre-K: We are learning how to make and create music as a community, mostly through circle games and our rhythm sticks. I've also added a new song to the mix: "What Are You Wearing?" The song is sung multiple times and children are required to participate in the song if they are wearing a particular color or article of clothing that is announced.

Kindergarten: We have been using popsicle sticks to write out rhythms to a known song. To help build upon our music rhythm skills, students will be asked to write out rhythms that is dictated to them by the teacher or a single student in the class. It's a multi-step process that requires many levels of thinking but the kids really enjoy the process. We are also continuing to make and create music as a community through circle games.

First Grade: We are continuing to work on the solfege sounds MI, SOL, and LA and their placement on the music staff. In addition, we are going to be looking at audiation or "inner hearing". Can the students sing all or part of a known song inside their head? This is a higher level skill that we will be working on for the rest of the year.

Second Grade: We are combining our rhythm and solfege skills with my music flash cards. Students are performing them as a whole group but eventually students will be asked to read and perform the card by themselves. In addition, we are also working on our listening skills through the "Poison Game" and performing a simple accompaniment on the xylophones along with known songs. We are also exploring rounds and trying to sing them in two parts.

Chorus: Chorus is starting to work on pieces for the Spring Concert, which will be in May.

Stay warm!

Mr. O