Oct. 5th-9th

 Another exciting week of music-making filled our classrooms as students continued developing their singing, listening, movement, and instrument skills. Across all grade levels, musicians built confidence through games, ensemble activities, rhythm practice, and opportunities to connect with music from different styles and cultures.

Kindergarten

Kindergarten students continued building their skills as ensemble musicians by practicing how to play a steady beat together and developing confidence in using their singing voices. This week, we added a new animal and instrument to our listening song: the cow and cowbells! The cow also joined our growing cast of animals in Old MacDonald Had a Farm, giving students another opportunity to sing, move, and participate actively in the music.

With October underway, students were introduced to a new seasonal game called Pass the Bat. In this activity, children passed a paper bat around the circle to a rhythm that alternates between quick, steady patterns and longer sounds. We combined this with listening activities using Halloween-themed instrumental music, encouraging students to listen carefully for and move to the beat.

 

Grade 1

Grade 1 students began playing a new musical listening and singing game called Monkey Hear, Monkey Do. This activity provides individual opportunities for students to echo melodic patterns using the solfege notes they have been learning in class.

Students also listened to two contrasting versions of In the Hall of the Mountain King: an orchestral performance and a creative a cappella version featuring character voices. We discussed how the different voices and instruments changed the mood and character of the music while practicing matching the changing tempo by marching to the beat.

To strengthen listening skills, students continued exploring the difference between speaking and singing voices. We compared songs such as Frère Jacques and Western Wind, When Will Thou Blow? with spoken selections, including a Halloween poem about costume characters and several Halloween-themed spoken sentences.

Grade 2

Grade 2 musicians also began playing Monkey Hear, Monkey Do, using the solfege patterns they have been learning to strengthen their melodic listening and singing skills.

Students learned the song Charlie Over the Ocean and began transferring their steady-beat knowledge to the barred instruments by singing while maintaining a consistent beat. We also continued building rhythmic literacy through Rhythm Detective. This week, students took an important next step by moving from collaborative rhythm identification toward more independent listening and rhythm recognition, demonstrating their growing confidence as musical learners.

Grade 3

Grade 3 students continued reinforcing their solfege knowledge through increasingly challenging melodic patterns during class warm-ups. They also began playing Monkey Hear, Monkey Do, providing opportunities to practice careful listening and accurate melodic echoing.

Students were introduced to Hora Agadati as part of our ongoing work in listening and music appreciation. Through this piece, students began identifying different instruments by sound and exploring music from another cultural tradition. This learning will continue next week as we build on these listening experiences.

Grade 3 classes also continued strengthening their rhythm-reading and listening skills through Rhythm Detective, using musical clues to identify and decode rhythmic patterns.

Grade 4

Grade 4 students began preparing for their upcoming Remembrance Day assembly by starting the learning process for a song inspired by the poem In Flanders Fields. Over the coming weeks, students will continue developing both musical understanding and expressive performance skills through this important project.

Students also continued their work with Listen, focusing on performing different musical roles simultaneously. Classes practiced dividing responsibilities between barred-instrument players and singers, helping students develop independence while contributing to a larger ensemble performance.

Whether your family is celebrating Thanksgiving or simply enjoying the long weekend, we wish you a happy, relaxing, and meaningful break!

Sept.28th - Oct.2nd

Another exciting week of music-making! In addition to an incredible assembly led by our Grade 3 classes, students across all grade levels continued developing their singing, listening, movement, and instrument skills while building confidence as musical learners.

Kindergarten

Kindergarten students have continued practicing how to follow musical directions and participate as part of an ensemble. They have shown great improvement in knowing when to play and when to listen while using classroom instruments. This week, we added a new instrument (the maraca) and a new animal (the lamb) to our listening song. Students also enjoyed using all of the animals they have learned so far in Old MacDonald Had a Farm with matching actions. In addition, we practiced speeding up and slowing down during The Chicken Dance and challenged our musical memories with a game of Name That Tune!

Grade 1

Grade 1 students worked with the song I Think Music's Neat to strengthen their ability to identify and maintain a steady beat as a group. We also practiced listening and movement skills by responding to high and low notes played by the teacher, using tiptoes for high sounds and crouching or crawling for low sounds. Students had a great time with a singing game where they echoed melodies and then took turns trying to make their classmates smile or laugh while singing.

Grade 2

Grade 2 musicians added la to their growing solfege vocabulary and continued practicing melodic patterns using hand signs. Students reinforced these new skills through a song called Traffic Lights, making connections between the notes they saw, sang, and heard. We also introduced Rhythm Detective, a listening game where students identify a rhythm from written choices after hearing it played. This week, students practiced reading quarter notes, eighth notes, and quarter rests. When time allowed, classes also enjoyed taking turns playing a "mystery instrument" while classmates guessed what they heard, helping to develop listening and instrument-recognition skills.

Grade 3

Grade 3 students expanded their solfege knowledge by learning do-re-mi patterns and corresponding hand signs while continuing to reinforce la-sol-mi through a new song called The Golden Rule. We used this song to practice reading notes on the treble clef staff as well as rhythm reading and chanting. Students were also introduced to new musical vocabulary, including ostinato, tempo, and binary form. Like Grade 2, Grade 3 classes began playing Rhythm Detective to strengthen rhythmic listening and reading skills using quarter notes, eighth notes, quarter rests, and half notes.

Grade 4

Grade 4 students began a new warm-up routine using singing and hand signs to review la-sol-mi and do-re-mi patterns. We continued exploring rondo form through the song Listen, defining rondo as a musical form with a repeating main section and different sections in between. Students also began developing movement responses to musical form by listening to Chimes of Dunkirk and alternating between walking to the beat and performing a four-beat rhythm pattern. In addition, Grade 4 classes started Rhythm Detective, reviewing rhythm notation and note values including quarter notes, eighth notes, quarter rests, half notes, and sixteenth notes.

Thank you for your continued support of music education. It has been wonderful to see students growing as singers, listeners, performers, and creative thinkers each week!

Catching Up From the Start of the Year

We've had a busy and exciting start to the year in music! Across all grades, students have been building classroom routines, practicing how to work together as an ensemble, and developing their skills as singers, players, movers, and listeners. Here's a quick look at what's been happening in each grade level.

Kindergarten

Our Kindergarten students have been discovering what it means to be musicians! We've been practicing how to follow the teacher, listen carefully, and make music together. Students have learned songs about ducks and hens, clapped simple rhythms, and transferred those rhythms onto instruments such as rhythm sticks and tambourines. We've also been exploring movement in music by taking giant steps for loud sounds, tiny steps for quiet sounds, moving like different animals, and dancing to familiar favorites such as the Chicken Dance.

Grade 1

Grade 1 students have been strengthening their singing voices while learning how to keep a steady beat using different actions and movements. We have started building instrument skills with rhythm sticks and have been practicing proper mallet technique to prepare for future instrument work. Students have also been learning important performance habits, such as watching the conductor, playing together, and knowing when to listen. A class favorite has been Two Little Apples, which challenges students to chant lyrics, move, and perform actions all at the same time!

Grade 2

Grade 2 musicians have been continuing to build their confidence on barred instruments while practicing rhythms connected to songs and spoken lyrics. Students have been learning about musical form through a fun binary (two part) song called Go, Go, Go! and have started exploring solfege using the notes sol and mi along with hand signs. We have also begun learning how to move efficiently between instruments and are taking our first steps into reading rhythm notation.

Grade 3

Grade 3 students have been combining singing, rhythm work, and instrument playing as they transfer rhythms from songs onto rhythm sticks and barred instruments. We have started developing our solfege skills using la, sol, and mi hand signs. Students are also beginning preparations for their Orange Shirt Day assembly performance of Sherryl Sewepagaham's The Children's Blessing Song, and we are looking forward to sharing that music with our school community next Tuesday.

Grade 4

Grade 4 musicians have been reviewing rhythms and building their skills on barred instruments. They are exploring how different sections of music fit together through a rondo piece called Listen, where they perform different parts and learn how their role contributes to the whole ensemble. They have also been tackling a three-note ostinato pattern that involves crossing their hands while playing, which has been a fun challenge! Near the end of the week we will begin reviewing rhythm notation and continue developing music-reading skills throughout the year.

Thank you for supporting your child's musical growth. It's been wonderful to see students singing, playing, moving, and learning together, and we're looking forward to all of the musical experiences still to come this year!