December Newsletter

Music
Our kindergartners have worked hard on the songs for their Christmas program. Expect great things as they and the preschoolers entertain their families! And – if you want to see true joy, share a box of jingle bells with a group of 5-year-olds. Jingle all the way!
First and second grades have been talking about the concepts of “fast” and “slow” as they apply to music. As they work ahead on songs for the spring program, they are also reviewing different types of seeds and nuts and what conditions they need to grow. They are looking forward to meeting some “Big, Bad Squirrels”!
In third and fourth grades students have learned all about the treble clef. They are practicing naming the notes on the staff and are having fun making up new sentences for EGBDF – ask them their favorites!
Fourth and fifth grades will begin to play recorders right after Christmas break. The fourth graders will start with three notes – BAG – and simple songs. Fifth graders will be diving into Recorder Karate and there will be no limit to the pieces they can learn.
Sixth and seventh graders have been doing a number of small creative projects. They have created “beats” to some Mother Goose rhymes and also some well-known sayings. These students have reviewed various aspects of music by playing tunes on our class xylophones and metallophones. They will be challenged in January to put everything together in a composing project.
Our eighth graders are completing a creative project titled “Create Your Own Music Group.” They have invented a band and its members, developed performance schedules, created websites for their groups, designed tickets and posters, and more. At the beginning of second semester these students will dive into World Music Drumming, using our amazing set of new drums and other percussion instruments.
The music room is the best place to be in December or any time!
 
Faith Corner
In most Christian churches, the weeks before Christmas are known as Advent. Advent is a time of quiet waiting, of expectation for the Lord’s coming. Most years it seems impossible! We’re busy about shopping, wrapping, and celebrating. But make a date with yourself and with God! Schedule in 15 minutes or whatever you can spare. Read the story of Jesus’ birth. Or sit and look at a Christmas picture that you like. Or read a story to your children – even if they’re “too old” for that! Sit still for 15 minutes and listen to Christmas music. You might even spend 15 minutes in a quiet church, telling God all about your family. A few minutes of quiet time, however you choose to spend it, is not a luxury – it’s a necessity and something you need and deserve. Merry Christmas!