Pete the Cat!

"I love my white shoes... I love my white shoes!" 

Grade 2/3 students have been doing an EXCELLENT job playing instruments to the book, Pete the Cat - I Love My White Shoes. They are playing in different groups, to show different parts of the text.

-One group plays xylophones when we sing, "I love my white shoes, I love my white shoes". They play the same notes that we sing!
-One group plays a glissando on the xylophones when we say, "Goodness, no!"
-One student plays a non-pitched percussion instrument to show the colour red. There is a student with a different instrument for each of the colours in the book.
-Every student answers all the questions that are asked in the story.


Do you want to hear an audio version of the story, Pete the Cat?? Click the link below!
http://harpercollinschildrens.com/feature/petethecat/audio/pete-the-cat.mp3

And remember, the moral of the story.... don't sweat the small stuff... because it's ALL GOOD!

~Mrs. Caya

Can YOU keep the beat?

Students have been focusing on keeping the beat, feeling the beat, and playing to the beat! They have been doing an excellent job showing the beat by moving, playing instruments and tapping their toes. We listened to different sounds in our world that keep the beat.... things like
-Windshield wipers!
-Water dripping from the tap!
-Someone paddling a boat!
-A clock going, "tick-tock"! 

And students brainstormed more things that keep a beat. Ideas like, a monster walking up the stairs,  Native Dancing, drumming, and brushing your teeth!

Some of the songs students are learning to help them keep the beat are: Engine Engine #9, Cookie Jar, and Stella Ella Olla. Kindergarten and grade 1 students have been keeping the beat using rhythm sticks as we listen to and sing songs. Students in upper grades have been playing the xylophones and are learning how difficult it is for one group to keep a steady beat (not speeding up!) while other students play a different rhythm at the same time.

Next week CHOIR starts - Thursdays at Noon! 
PERFORMING ARTS club also begins - Wednesdays 2:30 - 3:15pm!

And we have TWO assemblies! 

~Mrs. Caya

A great September!

Wow! It's hard to believe it's already September 17.

Students have been singing the song of the month, WITS. This song is a reminder of our school-wide program, "WITS", which stands for
Walk away
Ignore
Talk it out
Seek Help

WITS aims to help students find practical solutions to bullying behaviour.

Primary students are also learning all about the beat in music, what it is, and how to move to it, play to it, and tap their toes to the beat! Since it is in all music, being able to feel the beat and play on the beat is  crucial. They are also learning fun circle songs and games to get to know each other, and begin working together cooperatively. Some of the songs we have learned are...
Cookie Jar
Hey There Neighbour
Bluebird, Bluebird
Apple Tree
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear

Intermediate students have jumped right into learning songs on the xylophones. We are using the songs as a tool to review rhythms, and to review our note names and where they sit on the keyboard. We are learning the song "Balafon", which has three different parts plus extra instruments (drums, shakers, etc!) The students have been doing an amazing job listening to each other, playing on a steady beat, and reading and playing rhythms properly!

~Mrs. Caya

Apple Tree - This game is played in a circle. Before we play the game, we keep a steady beat and sing the words. To play the game, two students are the "Apple Tree", and the rest of the students are the "apples". The apples walk around in the circle while singing, going underneath the arms of the apple tree. On the last word, "out", the arms of the tree go down, catching one of the apples! The game is played until all students have become trees.

This is a great learning tool to teach and review quarter notes and pairs of eighth notes. We also use a tool with apple pictures cut out, on high and low lines, in the same rhythmic pattern as the song. After learning the song, I can point to the "apple notes" and we learn and discuss how the notes are high and low, later adding the solfege terms so - mi - la.