Whitehall Elementary Music
Welcome to Whitehall General Music Class! I am looking forward to an exciting year ahead filled with music making! Throughout this letter, I would like to share with you some facts about music in room 109 as well as the music curriculum. Music class is filled with opportunities for children to sing, dance, create, perform, and enjoy music all while learning the fundamentals of music. In the music room, music is learned for the most part by doing. For example, we learn about composers by actually composing. Much of our time is spent playing instruments, dancing, and singing; however, we also play music games to help maintain interest and enthusiasm. We also take time to assess student knowledge and skill through in-class worksheets, short quizzes and in-class performances. If you are the parent of a third grader, you have certainly already heard about the recorder! Learning to play the recorder is an exciting time in third grade music, so we hope you are ready for some live performances at home!
Continuing this year, our fourth and fifth graders will also continue their recorder study. Recorders for fourth and fifth grade students will run a little differently than in the third grade year. Rather than recorder being the sole focus of our lessons, it will serve to enrich our current curriculum as well as broaden the musical knowledge and understanding for our fourth and fifth grade students. It is our belief that in continuing recorders in fourth and fifth grades our students will benefit from the performance aspect of music making, putting what they are learning into action! So, if you haven’t found it already, please look for your recorder. You are certainly still able to borrow one or should you choose, purchase a new one (please just ask Mrs. Kraus for an order form).
While musical knowledge is important and stressed within the music room, we also feel that it is essential to instill a love of and an appreciation for music. We do take time to “sing for the sake of singing.” Music is an inherent part of our history and culture. That being said, we feel it is important that we take time to enjoy music for the art that it is. Our curriculum is based upon the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards, and in striving to teach to these standards, children have the opportunity to express their individual creativity, learn about music as a “science,” and share in the beauty of music as an art.
Continuing this year, our fourth and fifth graders will also continue their recorder study. Recorders for fourth and fifth grade students will run a little differently than in the third grade year. Rather than recorder being the sole focus of our lessons, it will serve to enrich our current curriculum as well as broaden the musical knowledge and understanding for our fourth and fifth grade students. It is our belief that in continuing recorders in fourth and fifth grades our students will benefit from the performance aspect of music making, putting what they are learning into action! So, if you haven’t found it already, please look for your recorder. You are certainly still able to borrow one or should you choose, purchase a new one (please just ask Mrs. Kraus for an order form).
While musical knowledge is important and stressed within the music room, we also feel that it is essential to instill a love of and an appreciation for music. We do take time to “sing for the sake of singing.” Music is an inherent part of our history and culture. That being said, we feel it is important that we take time to enjoy music for the art that it is. Our curriculum is based upon the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards, and in striving to teach to these standards, children have the opportunity to express their individual creativity, learn about music as a “science,” and share in the beauty of music as an art.
