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Band | Orchestra | Physical Education | Reading | Science | Vocal Music Paul Schapker, Band Director This has been a very exciting few weeks since break. All students have done a tremendous job of getting back in shape while expand-ing their technical facility and learning new (and more difficult) notes!! We are fully into "concert-preparation" mode and I think we're all happy to finally play REAL music! After school practice sessions continue to be an excellent way for your child to receive extra attention, earn practice minutes and receive extra cred-it!!! If your child is struggling, this is the best way to get him/her back on track!!! I know that grades have been looking a little scary lately. Please under-stand that with only a minimal amount of grades this early in the semester, one missed practice log is going to appear to have a tremendous effect on your child's grade. I promise once our playing tests are entered, grades will bounce back dramatically. Our next concert, originally scheduled for February, has been moved to March 13th (to alleviate scheduling conflicts at Goddard High School). Details about the dress rehearsal and concert night procedures will be coming home shortly. Finally, I am ecstatic to be working in the Goddard School District for my first year as a band director. Despite years of training and a couple degrees, I recognize that this is a complicated position with hundreds of students with unique needs. In attempt to self-assess (everyone's favorite activity!), I will be giving students an opportunity to critique class in the form of an in-class sur-vey. I will also email a similar form to parents. While I am not asking you to pull any punches… it would be nice to hear some positive feedback as well!!! Please be honest and while a name is not required, it would be appreciated to help give context to the concerns and allow me to address them (immediately if possible!!!). As always, I invite you to email, call and/or stop by! I've had a few parents drop-in and observe and everyone had a great time! Thank you for your continued support of your child's music education!!!
The 6th grade orchestra is now working out of the Essential Elements for Strings Book 2. The opening page of this book is a basic review of the D and G major scales with arpeggios, ¾ time, and key signatures. Shortly, the students will begin to learn about additional key signatures and complex rhythms. There-fore, it is very important that all students have this book. Please contact me if obtaining this book is not possible at this time. The 5th grade orchestra has been introduced to a new note value, the eighth note. While the students understand that this new note value is faster than a quarter note, they are often tempted to practice their music way to fast. As your child practices at home, please encourage them to slow the tempo down and really listen to every note that is being played. It is not uncommon to hear a young student say "I can play it fast, but not slow", but the truth of the matter is they are playing a song fast that is riddled with many errors. A metronome will help assist with your child's practice session, and these are available at any mu-sic dealer and are quite inexpensive. I have also placed an order for 5 metro-nomes that can be checked out weekly. There will be a sign in sheet for students who wish to stay for after school practice. Discovery students are to sign up no later than Monday and Challenger no later than Tuesday. Our next concerts are scheduled for March 8, 2012 and May 14, 2012. I will send out additional information about these performances in the near future.
EXERCISE - Health Care Every BODY can afford! HEALTHY CHALLENGE: As a family, try for one week while watching TV in the evening to do one exercise or stretch for an entire commercial. Every time there is a commercial, everyone join in and do some movement such jumping jacks or push-ups. This is a good way to get started on those New Year's reso-lutions. Coming Attractions: February may be a short month, but it will be full of fun and physical activity. When the floor hockey unit is finished, we will begin our basketball unit. February is also "HEART" month and we will host our annual "Hoops for Heart" event during our physical education class time. Students will be invited to participate in our service project for the year by collecting money for the American Heart Association while learning the basic skills of the game of basketball such as dribbling and shooting. We have had good luck with the on-line collection process and collected over $1,500 last year online. Add that to our collection envelopes and we raised over $4,400. We were one of the top schools in the state of Kansas last year. Our goal this year it to surpass last year's total. Collection envelopes will be handed out the week of Jan. 30th and all monies collected should be turned in by Friday, Feb-ruary 17th. Collect & Save: Thank you for the support of the "Collect and Save" program. Please continue to send General Mill's BOX TOPS, Tyson Project A+ labels, and Campbell's Soup labels. All BOX TOPS need to be mailed in by February 28, 2012. So keep collecting and saving. A special "Thank You" goes to Joyce Ur-ban for keeping track of all the numbers. PLAY IT SAFE: Thank you for helping your child be prepared for physical education class. Tennis shoes provide for a SAFE and FUN time while moving in the gym. We are half way through the school year and your child is growing. Checking your child's shoes to see if they are in good condition and fit properly may prevent injuries in the future. Your child's physical education schedule remains the same for second semester. Furthermore, please send a note to excuse your child from participation due to injury or illness. Thank you! I enjoy working with your child and teaching them the skills they need now and for a lifetime. HAVE A HAPPY HEALTHY NEW YEAR!
Fifth graders continue their study of Earth and its forces. They are now learning about earthquakes and volcanoes. Sixth graders continue their study of "Matter" and are now taking a closer look at the "Chart of Elements" (Periodic Table) and learning about atoms and how they make up the things around us. A quick reminder that Parent/Teacher Conferences are coming up later this month, February 21-23. Please call the office during regular school hours to schedule appointments with your child's teachers. As always, if you want to know what's going on in Science, please go to our web site at www.goddardscience.weebly.com. As always, please contact us at jlester@goddardusd.com, and dmann@goddardusd.com if you have any questions.
CJanuary marked another busy month in Challenger music classes. Sixth grade students have worked throughout the month to compose their own lyr-ics. They have also created PowerPoint presentations to serve as a visual for their class performance. I am pleased with the creativity and am looking for-ward to their performances. Fifth grade students have started previewing songs for our upcoming choral concert. Please mark your calendars now for April 17. The evening's schedule is as follows:
The students are expected to wear dress clothing for the performance. Suggestions for girls include dresses or skirts or slacks with a nice blouse. Sug-gestions for boys include slacks or khakis with a collared shirt. Students do not have to wear black and white as in band or orchestra, but that is certainly acceptable. I enjoy making music with your student. Thanks for sending your best! |
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