WEEKLY UPDATES

Week 17: January 6-10, 2020

Happy New Year!

This week we are focusing on review and trying to bridge any gaps with concepts taught so far.

Grade 1s: Reviewing rhythms and playing them in a single tempo. Also looking at melodic contour maps (the shape of the music). Students in Mme Carlier and Mme Meffre are going to be playing percussion instruments, and adding their own percussive accompaniment to a familiar song (ie. Twinkle Twinkle).

Grade 2, 2/3s: We are reviewing note naming with the treble clef, through a variety of games and activities. We are continuing to work on reading music by singing pitch with solfege and Kodaly hand signs. We are hopeful to begin reading music with Boomwhackers soon!

Grade 3-6: We are finishing up the playing assessments from before the break (only a handful of students left to assess) and reviewing note naming in the Treble clef. Projects will begin the week of January 20, and will last anywhere from 4-6 weeks. These will involve the use of Scratch Coding, Makey Makey and/or Sphero robotics. Details to follow!

**The London Knights game is approaching fast! Students will rehearse next week for the game.

Week 16: December 16-20

This week, all classes from grades 2-8 will be doing their playing test based off their concert pieces.

Grades 3-8 will be doing guitar hero battles once they have completed their test.

Week 15: December 9-13

Just a reminder to all that grades 2-8 will be having playing tests on their concert pieces the week following the break.

All classes are working hard to prepare for the concert. I hope all will be in attendance Friday December 13th, at 11am!

Week 14: December 2-6, 2019

We'd like to thank all the staff and students for their flexibility as we juggle their music times over the next two weeks! We are grouping classes together and rehearsing lots!

We are beginning to talk about "dress" for the concert. Please look below to see what your child's concert dress will be. **Remember that you do not need to purchase any new clothing for your child!**

GR 1 (Bute et McCrae): Nice holiday attire (eg. Polo's, Dress)

GR 1 (Calier et Meffre): pajamas (slippers) and a stuffy

GR 2 and 2/3 (Bergevin and Morris): dark bottoms, white coloured tops

GR 2 and 2/3 (Arnold and Moss): dark bottoms, blue top

GR 3 and 3/4 (Gicala and Di Pietro): dark bottoms; red, green, white or black top

Gr 4 and 4/5 (Sylvain and Tooker): "elf like", or dark bottoms with red, green or white tops

Gr 5/6 and 6 (Buxton and Aston): ugly festive sweater (or green/red/black/white colours), dark bottoms

Gr 7/8 (Cardy): Red and green tops, black bottoms

Gr 7/8 (Hepburn): pajamas

Gr 7/8 (Krysinska): ugly sweater

Gr 7-8 band: plaid top, black bottoms

Ukulele Club and Choir: scarf and winter hat

PLAYING ASSESSMENTS:

The week of December 16, Grades 3-8 will be having instrument assessments on their concert repertoire. A reminder to students that there is a band instrument practice session on Mondays during 2nd break, and for recorders on Tuesdays at 2nd break! This began the first week of October!

Week 13: November 25-29

We are in full concert preparation mode! Classes are eagerly learning their songs and repertoire!

CONCERT: Friday, December 13, 2019 @ 11:00 am.

DOORS WILL OPEN AT 10:35.

Week 12: November 18-22 2019

All classes have begun learning their repertoire for the Winter Concert. It will take place on December 13! Mark your calendars :)

Booster Juice orders are also due by Thursday! New orders begin December 3!

Week 9: October 27-November 1st, 2019

This is an exciting week, one filled with field trips, dances, and costumes.

Grade 1's; These students will be finishing their pumpkin or bat rhythms and they will hopefully go home soon!
Grade 2's and 2/3's; We will be working on adding rhythms and using our math skills to count our beats. They will also be working on creating rounds using the songs; "Sally go round the sun" and "Frère Jacque". Lets see home many students can stay on their own musical line.
Grade 3-6's; This was a karate week for all of Mme Sturby's students and next week will be a recording week for Mme Gallant's 6's. 6's also completed their 1st listening log and had to really think about components of songs. Next week Mme Sturby will be comparing two similar songs with her classes.
Grade 7/8's; This week was a busy one and there were some occasions that the 8's weren't in class so the 7's were given some extra time to practice their test piece for next week. Grade 8's will do their test Monday and Tuesday, and grade 7's will do their tests Wednesday and Thursday. This was a piece of their choosing and they were told to try choosing a song that was not too difficult but still required practice.

Week 8: October 21-24, 2019

This week is a short week!

Grade 1's; Students have started to work on creating pumpkin and bat rhythms. They are working on Halloween themed songs such as "les skelettes" and "A l’intérieur d’une citrouille". Next week we will create our bat and pumpkin rhythms.
Grade 2's and 2/3's: We finished up our centers and are looking forward to next week when we start doing some mathémusique activities, as well and learning about singing in a rounds.
Grade 3-6: Students are continuing to play recorder and have been completing karate belts throughout the last couple weeks. They are looking into sight reading simple pieces and simple rhythms. 3 HJ will be having a music quiz and all needed information is in the google classroom.
Grade 7/8's: Students are working on adding additional notes to their playing repertoire and having started their monthly listening log. Students enjoyed listening to Harry Potter and applying their knowledge learnt in music to dissect a well know musical score. They will be having a playing test during the first week of November by playing a song of their choice.

Week 7: October 14-18, 2019

Welcome back after a lovely long weekend! Here's what's happening this week!

Grade 1s: Students are finishing up their bedazzled rhythms, and we are going over some of the common errors that we saw (ie. the stems for the sixteenth notes; note heads on the wrong side or on the bottom of the stems). We are beginning some pumpkin/skeleton thematic songs in anticipation of October 31st. Students will complete the SECOND rhythmic dictation of the year towards the end of the week, and beginning of next.
Grade 2 ad 2/3s: DrumFit rubrics will be going home this week. Students have been shared their group video on the Music Google Classroom (students only have access to the video for their OWN groups). You can ask your child to show you their routine if they remember how to log in! Centres are continuing, and then we will be "catching up" and finishing incomplete tasks over the following days.
Grade 3-6: DrumFit rubrics should be going home this week. Students have been shared their group video on the Music Google Classroom (students only have access to the video for their OWN groups). Feel free to ask your child to see their group's routine! Kids in Grade 3HJ will be preparing for a short recorder assessment (next week). Information and files is in the Google Classroom for their class.
Grade 7-8: Students have continued to work on increasing the number of notes that they can play on their instrument. We are up to 5 notes, and will begin reading some songs and other repertoire!
ENSEMBLES: Band continues to practice on Tuesday and Thursday mornings (recess). Grade 5-8 CHOIR will be rehearsing Wednesdays and Fridays at 2nd recess. Grade 5-8 UKULELE CLUB will begin on Wednesday, and practice on Monday and Wednesday mornings during recess.

Week 6: October 7-11, 2019

Grade 1: We have continued looking for "les dindons" leading up to the long weekend! Students also completed some "bedazzled" 4-beat rhythms, based on our activities building rhythms in class (large group, small group, and partner tasks).
Grade 2 & 2/3 classes: We are continuing our Music Centres focusing on 2 subjects: reading rhythms accurately and the notes on the lines and spaces of the Treble Clef staff.
Grade 3-6: Recorders purchased on School Cash have arrived and will be distributed to the students. We are continuing to work on basic rhythms and reviewing pieces of music with the older students. Grade 3s are focusing on proper posture (left hand on top, bottom hand supports with the thumb behind the 4th hole)
Grade 7-8: We are continuing to work on increasing our range and learning new notes on our instruments. Band also started this week, for students in Grades 7 and 8 who are interested.

Week 5: September 30-October 4, 2019

Grade 1: We have been greatly focusing on rhythms this week. We have started our fall music song (5 petit dindon) in which they love to find the turkeys hidden around the classroom.
Grade 2 and 2/3: We finished up our drum fit presentations are started centers. In our centers we are focusing on the ability to read and create rhythms in a variety of ways. We are also exploring the notes names on the staff.
Grades 3-6: We finished up our drum fit presentations this week. We started reviewing standard notation on the Treble Clef. Next week we will start to do recorders with our older grades. All recorders that were purchased in School Cash have been ordered as of Friday, Sept. 26.
Grades 7-8: Students have had their first instrument quiz (assembling their instrument). All three classes have been able to play hot cross buns on their instruments. We hope to have a quiz on this towards the end of next week.

Week 4: September 23-27, 2019

Grade 1: We are continuing to work on identifying the rhythms that we hear using quarter notes (ta), eighth notes (ti-ti), and quarter rests (*shh*). We had our first "What do you hear" evaluation last week, and will continue to do these regularly.
Grade 2 and 2/3: We are finishing up our choreographies and presentations this week and on Monday/Tuesday of next week. We will then be diving into Music Centres to review rhythms and begin looking at the notes on the Treble clef staff.
Grades 3-6: We finished and presented many routines this week. We will finish up the presentations on Monday/Tuesday next week, and review standard notation on the Treble Clef staff to finish next week. All recorders that were purchased in School Cash have been ordered as of Friday, Sept. 26.
Grades 7-8: Next week we have our first music test. Students will demonstrate how to put their instrument together and how to properly store their cases.

Week 3: September 16-20, 2019

Grade 1: We have been working on simple 4-beat rhythms (playing them in one tempo and also naming/identifying note names and values).
Grade 2 -6: We have been digging deeper into Musical Form and most grades have started identifying the various parts of a song (ie. chorus, verse, bridge). Through a "shared writing" activity, we choreographed a song together as a class. Students have been separated into groups and will be completing various choreographies to present next week.
Grade 7-8: They are received their instruments and are starting to bring them home. Please be patient with the "music" coming from their instrument as it will take time to become recognizable.

REMINDER: School Cash Online *optional* orders for recorders will close on next Thursday. I will place all orders once it is closed, as we will begin recorders in grade 3-6 (NB: 2/3 classes will not begin recorders at this time!) after we are done our DrumFit.

Week 2: September 9-13, 2019

A lot has been happening at school this week!

Gr 1: introducing and naming notes (whole note, half note, quarter note, two eighths and 4 sixteenth notes).

Gr. 2-6 with Mme Sturby: Our primary focus has been to use the "Drum Fit" materials to demonstrate an ability to move to the beat of the music. This is difficult for some students, and they are encouraged to try and tap/clap along to the beat to their favourite music while at home (sorry parents!). We are also reviewing the students' knowledge of rhythms (ranging in complexity), while also playing these IN ONE tempo. This week has been a lead up to reviewing and identifying musical form in songs that we listen to. Next week, we will create a choreography as a class to a French pop song, and then students will be grouped randomly (I love the Team Shake app!) to create choreographies to a pop song over the next few weeks. More details will be in the Google Classrooms for your child!

Gr. 7-8 have tried different instruments and are picking out which ones we would like for the year. Please do not forget to return the parent permission form!

"Drum Fit!"

Sept 9, 2019

You may have heard from your child in grades 2-8 that we started a short DrumFit unit in music today! Lots of sweaty fun!

From Mme Gallant:

It has been a great first week back. We've done bucket drumming, cup tapping and rhythm reading. The students have also shown me how much they remember by competing in a game of Jeopardy.

As a reminder from the music department that Booster Juice orders will be starting and are to be paid by Sep 19th.

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