Embedded Files
Students in grades K-4 receive twice weekly music classes for 40 minutes each.
Mrs. Sanders will be teaching Maynard-Jacob and Stevens First Grades and all of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade classes (including 4th Grade Chorus) for the 2025-26 school year.
Students in First Grade follow the method "First Steps in Music" by John Feierabend. This method uses folk tunes (primarily from America, but also from various countries/cultures.) Students learn to sing, keep a beat, and express and feel emotional through music. These goals are called "Tuneful, Beatful, and Artful."
Our hope is that children can become comfortable with experiencing music and this can translate to being a musical adult, able to participate in various musical experiences in our human culture: dancing at their wedding, clapping/singing along at sporting events, singing songs in religious settings, participating fully in a vigil, or rocking their babies to sleep. We call this "the thirty year plan."
2nd Grade music students follow a modified First Steps in Music program, but we begin to add in more barred percussion, music literacy, and lots of music games to reinforce the concepts we learn!
3rd & 4th grade students start the year with following a modified "First Steps" program that is geared towards older students. They focus on rhythm and note reading, exploring jazz improvisation, wind instruments (fluteophone or recorder), ensemble playing using barred percussion instruments (xylophones & metallophones), and more!
4th Graders also have the option of joining our Chorus! Click the Chorus link in the menu to learn more!
Dancing!
Dancing!
Students across all grades learn some folk dancing through the year. These dances are mostly traditional to New England - circle dances, longways dancing, contradancing. Through dancing, we learn about form in music, respect for others, and listening skills, as well as moving with music.
Wind Instruments
Wind Instruments
Wind Instruments
Wind Instruments
In 3rd and 4th grade, students learn fluteophone or recorder! Playing outside was actually super fun during the 20-21 school year because we all discovered we could hear more easily. We will continue playing wind instruments outdoors in the fall and spring both for safety and pleasure!
Playground Games
Playground Games
We learn hand clapping, ball bouncing, and jump rope games. These activities are multigenerational, meaning they may be activities grandparents remember doing at school recess. They are also a great way to learn beat, rhyme, and teamwork!
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