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Shepard Hill Elementary

Music News

May/June

Welcome to our music site!  The Arts have been recognized as a core subject by President Bush.  The "No Child Left Behind" plan that he has drafted has stated that music is as important to our students as Math, Science and Social Studies.  

    Music at Shepard Hill includes general music..  All students grades 1-3 receive general music instruction.   This general music includes singing, instrument playing, dancing, listening, games as well as instruction on music reading.  

Music Links!!  I have found some music web sites that you and your child might find interesting click here to see my suggestions!  

First Grade News   ±

Our May concert was wonderful!  I am so proud of the work that the first graders did in their performance and I am sure that my other friends will do just as well on June 13.  If you missed the May concert in person or on channel 21 and would like a video please send in a blank VHS tape with your child's name and classroom number to Mrs. DeLuca.  The first grade students are finishing our study of the instruments of the orchestra.  We looked inside of the piano to see how it "hits" the strings. 

First grades students are able to read simple rhythm patterns from the board using the notes Quarter note and Quarter rest. We will be adding half note before the end of the year.  That means that we can identify many parts of written music and we will be using scores more often in second grade. 

Students in the first grade are able to play correctly and identify by sound many classroom instruments including the hand drum, tambourine, triangle, finger cymbals, maraca, tone block and even sticks.  We have worked hard this year to be able to keep a steady beat on these instruments and on body percussion.  We will continue with this skill in second grade and add patterns to it.

The first grade students have become very accurate singers.  Most students can accurately match a given pitch with a range of Do- La in D major.  This is a great accomplishment given that many of us came in not using our singing voice.

If you would like to help your student become more proficient in music you can do many things around your own home.  Play music on the radio, CD and sing along.  It is most helpful if you find music that is "Child friendly" sung by children in appropriate keys for their voices.  I will put a list of CD's on the links page.  Have your child clap, tap, march, skip, dance along to music, it's great fun and helps with the feeling of the beat and rhythms. Make or buy simple instruments, a pot and a spoon can become a drum with no expense!  Join in, show your love of music, dance and sing along.  Not only will you be helping with their music skills but you will reinforce language skills when you sing songs.

Second Grade News  °

I am also very proud of our second graders concert performance, we accomplished some very difficult music.  Our patterns that we played on "Bate Bate"  was some of the hardest rhythm combinations that we have done. I fully expect the June groups to just as well!

The second grade students have been playing percussion music. As part of our review of the percussion family we have been playing percussion ensemble music.  This uses our reading skills and beat keeping skills as well as our ability to correctly play the instrument. 

We have spent this past year learning even more music theory.  Second grade students can read rhythm patterns with quarter note, quarter rest, half note, and connected eighth notes. We will write our own rhythm pattern before the end of the year.

This summer is a good time for second grade going into third grade children to start on a piano or violin.  If you can afford music lessons the children now have the attention span and reading abilities that make music lessons a bit easier. If you are looking for a local teacher check the area music stores, they often have a bulletin board with teachers names and cards. You can also e-mail me and I will give you some names to try. Please sit in on the first lessons, it will help your child to feel comfortable and you will get to hear the directions so that you can help with practice at home. Good music teachers have no problem with a parent sitting in on the lesson and often encourage it.

Third Grade News  °·

The third grade portion of the concert was excellent!  What great young musicians we have here at Shepard Hill.  The song "Rain is Falling  Down" was a challenging piece for us not only because of how we arranged it but, because we read the music to learn it. Wait until you hear the June group they are just as good! 

The third grade is finishing their work on recorder.  We learned 5 notes this year and about 10 songs.  We started to put the notes on the staff which is what they will read next year in fourth grade music class.  We will write a recorder song as a finish to this lesson.

The third grade students can sing two part music now which is a big jump is skill level.  They have to be able to hold their own tune while others are singing something different. In fourth grade students are expected to sing two parts independently as partner songs, rounds and ostinatos. This will be the beginning of being able to sing choral music which is in four parts by the end of eighth grade.

If your child has shown interest in recorder it is about time to start a wind instrument.  Some schools start band in fourth grade we unfortunately are only able to offer it to our fifth graders due to staffing shortage. You could arrange for instrument lessons through a private teacher.

Students may click below to review the instrument families!

To E-mail Mrs. DeLuca for more information click below.

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Last update June, 2007