On Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025 at 5:30 PM (students report to their classrooms at 5:10 PM) in the MES Gym, our 2nd-grade students will present The Nutcracker. This holiday performance is an opportunity for students to showcase their developing musical skills, connect music to cultural celebrations, and experience the joy of sharing music with an audience. Preparing for this concert also reinforces the ability to perform appropriately for the occasion while developing stage presence and musical expression.

2nd grade music class presents a student’s first major departure from their prior music classes. Beginning in 2nd grade, lessons are structured to be more collaborative. In practice, this means students often work together to create music symbols using dominoes or popsicle sticks. While a lesson like this may feel like play, students are actually immersing themselves in their first experiences of reading music and identifying what those symbols mean—recalling what to do when they see a quarter note, eighth note, or rest.

As students progress through the grade levels, their level of responsibility rises. In 2nd grade, this includes the opportunity to play a wider range of instruments, from classroom percussion to barred instruments. High expectations are set for proper instrument use, and mishandling is not tolerated. Instruments belong to all current and future MES students, making it essential to learn how to care for and respect them.

Through these collaborative activities, instrument experiences, and public performances, students build the foundational skills needed for future musical learning while beginning to see themselves as both musicians and stewards of their musical community.