Abraham Lincoln Elementary School Music Website

Monday, September 29, 2025

by Mr. Booz

Picture this:

First graders, learning to sing in tune, and moving expressively to classical and jazz music...

Second graders, finding the steady beat as they sing, and playing fun singing games...

Third graders, reading and writing rhythms, and performing on classroom instruments…

Fourth graders, reading and writing pitches, and performing on classroom instruments without teacher assistance...

Band students, reading and playing several pitches on their clarinets, trumpets, flutes, saxophones, trombones, and baritone horns, with good posture and hand position.

String students, reading and playing several pitches on their violins, violas, and cellos, in pizzicato style.

We’re just 6 weeks in the new school year, and the above is just a small sampling of the skills that Lincoln students have been building in their music classes.

Our students learn all of the "music appreciation" concepts that you may remember learning when you were elementary students - the instruments of the orchestra, composers, and musical time periods, etc. However, in Bethel Park, we place a high priority on students as musicians. Lincoln children also learn to sing, play, read, improvise, and write music with independence, and as a part of a musical team. It’s still early in the school year, but our young musicians are off to a good start!

“How are students graded in elementary music classes?” I evaluate students both informally and formally:

• Informal evaluation: As the students sing, play instruments, and move to music, I listen and watch carefully. Based on what I hear and see, I plan further instruction to build the musical skills of the whole group, and of specific individuals.

• Formal evaluation: Eight to ten times each marking period, students in music class are formally assessed on their musical skills and knowledge. This includes grading on the following:

  • Finding and tapping a steady beat to a piece of music.

  • Singing, alone or in a small group.

  • Correctly echoing, decoding, reading, or writing pitch or rhythm patterns on musical syllables, such as “do, re, mi”.

  • Performing on instruments (such as xylophones, hand drums, recorders, etc) with musical accuracy, and with correct posture and hand position.

  • Short quizzes of musical knowledge, such as instruments of the orchestra, identifying different styles of music, or identifying the similarities or differences in recorded music.

For report cards, Bethel Park School District has just this year updated its grading levels to the following:

• 3 - Exceeds Expectations

• 2 - Meets Expectations

• 1 - Approaching Expectations

• 0 - Does Not Meet Expectations

Please note that a grade level of “0” or “1” in Achievement doesn’t mean that your student is doing a poor job in Music; it just means they are still working on one or more areas of musical skill. I can tell you from experience that all of our 4th graders leave their elementary years with excellent musical fundamentals that will serve them for the rest of their lives; we just all develop skill at different rates, and as long as their Effort and Behavior grade levels are good, they are on the right track!

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for our next blog post update next month.

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Wednesday, August 20, 2025

by Mr. Booz

Welcome to the 2025-2026 school year! Each month, I will make a blog post on this page about what is new and exciting in your child’s Lincoln Elementary School music classes, grades 1-4. Here are a few updates to get us started in this new year of music-making:

• Around the second week of each month, all year long, I will be sending home with each student an “Ask Me…” page. This will provide you the opportunity to ask your child to tell you (or demonstrate for you) something they’ve learned in music class, whether that is a song, some musical knowledge, or a little bit of music for them to perform for you. The first of these will be coming home around the second week of September.

• Over the next month, Mrs. Sheffer will be starting the first lessons with her Fourth Grade Strings students, and I’ll be starting with the Fourth Grade Band. Those families can check their email to find details from us, and I have Band information also at this link. We’re excited to get our fourth graders started on instruments!

• The Pittsburgh Youth Chorus is an excellent local program that many of our Lincoln and Bethel Park students have enjoyed in the past. There are opportunities for students in grades 1 through 4, and they are having open rehearsals now, so students can attend and see if they’d like to join. No audition is necessary, and I would encourage any of our students in those grades to try it. Visit www.pittsburghyouthchorus.org, and check their fliers about their Neighborhood Training Choir, Youth Choruses, and special needs programs for more information.

• In elementary general music classes, students are assessed on a variety of musical activities, and students will receive grades on the "Achievement" section of their quarterly report cards. Bethel Park School District has just this year updated its grading levels to the following:

  • 3 - Exceeds Expectations

  • 2 - Meets Expectations

  • 1 - Approaching Expectations

  • 0 - Does Not Meet Expectations

At our Lincoln Open House evening on Thursday, September 4, all families are welcome to stop by the music room and say hello, and to ask any questions you have about music at Lincoln!