December News

Music
December and Christmas and music are all made for each other! If you pass by the music room these days, you are likely to hear “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” over… and over… and over!
The kindergarteners are ready to sing “The Friendly Beasts” and “Jolly Old St. Nicholas” for their Christmas program. There has been some debate about whether the cows in the first song have to be black and white or whether cows come in other colors!
The 1 ^st and 2 ^nd grades have transformed rhythm reading into phrases of Christmas words. “Christmas” and “tree” take the places of eighth notes and quarter notes very neatly. These small students love to switch partners in the Jingle Bell Dance.
The 3 ^rd graders have discovered the joys of Boomwhackers. These tuned plastic tubes can be used with lots of play-along videos found on YouTube and produced by Musication.
Our 4 ^th graders have learned notes on the treble staff and are waiting excitedly for their recorders to be delivered. During the wait these good readers are learning new Christmas carols and some of their history. During the wait these good readers are learning new Christmas carols and some of their history. Ask them to sing “Winter Fantasy” for you, which they do so well.
The 5 ^th graders have reviewed their note names and other music symbols and are ready to take up their recorders again. In the meantime they are experimenting with chords using tone bells and Boomwhackers. They have been practicing reading real sheet music and understanding the many symbols.
Finally, our 6 ^th, 7 ^th, and 8 ^th graders have worked very hard on the Christmas program, “A Dickens of a Christmas.” It will be completed by the time you read this newsletter – we hope you were able to be there to hear the singing and see the acting of our upper grades!
 
Faith Corner
Have you seen the video online of children being interviewed and asked what they really want for Christmas? After some discussion, every child asked for more time with parents and family. They started out asking for things but after reflection what they wanted most was quality time and love. God our Father is like that, too. What God wants most is time with us, time to share love. Advent isn’t given to us for Christmas shopping or frenzied decorating. It is for quiet waiting and being in the presence of the God who loves us.
What do YOU most want for Christmas this year? Take some quiet time with God and let God know the desires in your heart.