2010 - 2011 MUSIC PROGRAMS
SCHOOL CHRISTMAS PAGEANT
-
"Carriers of the Light"
Thursday,
December 9, 2010
6:30 p. m., school gym
Grades 2 – 5 and selected Middle School and
Kindergarten Students
GRANDPARENTS’ DAY CELEBRATION
Friday,
March 11, 2011
All day, school gym
Kindergarten – Grade 8
Several weeks before each event, detailed information will
be advertised in the school Blarney issues, this website, and
on the school website homepage.
MUSIC INSTRUCTION AT OUR SCHOOL
The focus of elementary music at St. Patrick School is:
1. To foster an enjoyment of all kinds of music
2. To develop basic note-reading and singing skills
3. To identify musical instruments by sight and sound
4. To learn to work in a group to produce a quality musical
performance
5. To experience a variety of musical and rhythmic
activities
6. To awaken and encourage the “musical self” in
each student
Students at St. Patrick School have a variety of opportunities
to perform. Some of them include:
1. Participation in school liturgical services
2. Participation in a school Christmas Pageant
3. Participation in an Annual Grandparents’ Day
Celebration, presented
on or near St. Patrick’s Day
4. Band instruction (Beginning in Grade 4, Advanced in
Grades 5 – 8)
5. Vocal Ensemble/Drama elective for Grades 7 and 8
6. Eighth Grade Choir for school Masses
Students in Montessori Pre-School classes,
attending school 3 or more days a week, receive music instruction
once a week for 20 minutes; and Kindergarten
classes receive music instruction once a week for 25 minutes, and
every other week receive an additional 25-minute session of
music. Montessori and Kindergarten classes
learn songs, participate in rhythmic activities, learn simple folk
and circle dances, begin learning to ready standard musical
notation, and are introduced to percussion instruments. The
students in Kindergarten participate in the Grandparents’ Day
celebration and a special Christmas music program in December.
Students in Grade 1 through Grade 5 receive
music instruction 60 minutes each week, in two 30-minute class
periods. A spiral curriculum is followed, where skills
introduced in Grade 1 are built upon and developed as the students
progress through Grade 5.
Grades 1 – 3
Students learn
songs, use percussion instruments, read standard musical notation
(saying “ta”, “ti-ti”, and
“rest”), learn music symbols and directions, study
instruments of the orchestra, participate in folk dances, and learn
about the autoharp. The singing of rounds is introduced in
Grade 2, and partner songs are introduced in Grade 3.
Grades 4 – 5
Students read standard
musical notation by saying “1 and 2 and, etc.”.
They begin singing in simple 2-part harmony. Grade 4 students
have the opportunity to learn to play a band instrument and
participate in Beginning Band. Another teacher gives band
instruction. Students can continue in Advanced Band in
Grades 5 – 8.
Students in Grades 1 through 5 are graded on
their level of participation and enthusiasm in the music classroom
activities. Students receive one grade for each
trimester. There are five levels of grades possible –
O, S+, S, S-, N. Click on the Documents link to the
left for a complete description of each level.
Students in Grade 6
Students receive music
instruction for two 30-minute periods each week. I teach the
music class on Wednesday, and the primary focus is on rhythm.
Another teacher teaches the class on Thursday, and the primary
focus is vocal technique. For the Wednesday class ("Music,
Rhythm/Chimes"), the first trimester is devoted to
reading standard musical notation and participating in rhythmic
games and activities. The second trimester
is devoted to learning to play Choir Chimes. It is an
extension of what was learned in the first trimester. The
students perform with chimes at Grandparents’ Day and at a
school Mass. The third trimester is devoted
to extending rhythm to the entire body through folk dances.
Grades in Grade 6
Students
receive two grades from me each trimester. One is
to reflect “effort/behavior/participation”, and the
other is to reflect “technique/skill”. The final
grade for each trimester, recorded on the report
card, is created by taking an average of the two
grades. There are five levels of grades possible – O,
S+, S, S-, N. Click on the Documents link to the
left for a complete description of each level.
| 