Hello to All the Children of the World!

In preparation for the International Festival, the ECC through Second Grade students have been practicing this song:

Hello to All the Children of the World

When you have a few minutes at home, play this video, have your child sing it for you, and discuss similarities and differences between American children and children from other cultures around the world.

This is a catchy tune that the students love to sing - I bet you will, too!  :-)

Week of August 25 - 29

Kindergarten Creative Movement

This week, I made shapes on the board and the students had to make them with their bodies.  It is fascinating to see how many different variations of shapes are shown within just one class.

This is a perfect reminder of how differently our brains work and how differently we all think about things - at all ages!

After we made individual shapes, the classes had to make group shapes using all of their bodies together, with as little talking as possible (that was the hard part!)  They accepted the challenge well.

At the beginning of this year, I am profoundly reminded that children are born with innate musical ability.  It is our job as adults (and my job as their music educator!) to keep the music alive. They feel the beat.  They hear the melody.  They know the difference between a "sad" song and a "happy" song; a "cowboy" song and an "island" song.  They know that slow, quiet music makes them move like turtles and upbeat, fast music makes them shake and wiggle!  My job is not to "teach" them to know, feel, understand, and love music.  My job is to keep them from forgetting.

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Haskamp

Week of August 18-22

This week in Creative Movement, we did warm-ups focusing on different parts of our bodies. We worked hard on listening to what the music told us to do while moving freely through the space. Both Kindergarten and first grade students LOVE the "Freeze Dance", so we incorporated interesting shapes as we froze. 


Toddler and Preschool classes are still getting used to the music room (and ME)! We sang familiar songs like "ABC's", "Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star" and "Mr. Sun" just to get our voices going. We explored some non-pitched percussion instruments like wrist bells and rhythm sticks, and danced and played along to recorded music.

 Kindergarten students are ALREADY WORKING ON THEIR FALL PROGRAM...can you believe it?! I won't spoil the theme, but it's sure to entertain.

 First and second graders are enjoying reading the book "What Does the Fox Say?" and using the silly words as vocal exploration. Some first graders actually came up with their own "What Does the Fox Say?" sounds like "Cold Tea, Cold Tea, Cold Tea, O!" and "Minion, Minion, Minion, RUN!" They are so amazingly creative.

Second graders worked as individual classes to come up with body parts to "Aiken Drum". Aiken Drum is a man who lives in the moon has a body made entirely of FOOD. The students were so excited to contribute to the group Aiken Drum, so I know they'll be thrilled to create and label their own next week.


HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

 "Sing"cerely,
 Mrs. Haskamp

End of the Year!

HAVE A GREAT SUMMER, EVERYONE!

When Should My Child Start Lessons?

During conference time, this is the most asked question. When considering starting your child in private lessons, I ask you as parents to use your best judgement. Can your child focus on a single task for more than a few minutes? Are they showing innate interest in learning a new instrument? Do they have obvious musical talent that needs honing at this time?

Small children, kindergarten age or younger, usually cannot sit for long periods of time and focus on a task without becoming easily distracted. Sitting at a piano for twenty minutes and listening to instruction may not be developmentally appropriate for them.

However, if your child is showing interest and enthusiasm, I leave it up to you to decide when he or she is ready to begin formal lessons. As I told one parent during our recent conferences, the worst that could happen is that you realize he or she is not ready, and you put private lessons on hold for another year or two.

In this instance, I encourage you to seek out less demanding musical experiences for your child where they can participate comfortably without individualized pressure. Taking them to Theater in the Park, The Coterie, church choir, symphony and opera performances, and even live performances on DVD are great ways to keep your child's musical interests alive.

If you are interested in the excellent private musical lessons that St. Paul's has to offer, please contact Christina Lenon at clenon@speds.org and she will be happy to assist you!

Mrs. Haskamp

WOW!

Congratulations to the first grade classes on such a successful program! All of the students gave their best effort, and the audience laughed and cheered them on!

There's no rest for the weary, as the first graders are now preparing for their Christmas program with second grade, which will take place on Thursday, December 15th at 9:00.

Attention First Grade Parents!!!

Attention First Grade Parents!

Our fall music program will be Thursday, October 20th at 9:00 in the North Wing MPR. We would love for you to come and celebrate the sounds of autumn with us, and while you’re at it, have some spooky fun!

Here is what your child needs to wear on the 20th:

BOYS: Solid-colored shirt in red, orange, yellow, brown, or purple khaki pants
GIRLS: Solid-colored shirt in red, orange, yellow, brown, or purple khaki pants or skirt and tights

Please make sure that your child’s shirt is plain and has no writing, graphics, or print on it. Uniformity will contribute to our fall aesthetic!


Please also note that there will be no professional recording of this program. You are welcome to bring a recording device of your own should you choose to capture these precious moments on tape!

If you have any questions, please email me at my school address.

See you in a few weeks!

Mrs. Haskamp