Specials Remote Learning Session 2 (April 27-May 8

Here are the new BINGO boards to complete for April 27-May 8. 

I hope you've been having fun! We miss you so much. When you've completed this board, take a picture of the back page and send to one of your specials teachers. We will all share with one another. :) I can't wait until I get to see you all again!

Here is the specials remote learning activity for April 14-24. Please take a picture of the back of this (2nd page) and send it to you one of your special teachers, when completed. You can email it to shanson@mhs.org. Have fun!

E-Learning Week 2: March 23-27

Hello Students,

I miss seeing you so much! I hope you are all able to enjoy some time with your family at home and find lots of time to play. I would love to hear from you all! Please feel free to send me an email (shanson@mhs.org) or send a message in the comment section of this post or the contact form on this blog.

I'm going to give you a few more activities you may do from home. In addition, you may continue exploring Quaver (your class code is 59K8P) and MusicPlay (info on my last post).

1. As a follow-up to last week, take this short quiz to check and see how well you know your treble staff lines and spaces and note names.
You can take the quiz here.

2. This Musication video will be a ton of fun for families to do together! Each person can grab an item to make some found sound music. The activity is created for 4 people, but if you have more or less, just add on an extra similar sound to one of the parts. If you have less, take away a sound. Or, for a challenge, have a very talented family member play 2 instruments at once! The way this works...each player selects an item (that is safe) to play as listed in the picture. For cutlery, I would suggest a metal spoon. Any lid will work fine, but a large coffee can works great. Be sure to check with your parents before using their household items. Have fun and be creative! This is very similar to Guitar Hero. When you start the video, play your "instrument" as your shape goes across the screen. Enjoy! Here is the video link (click the words): Alla Turka Musication

Player/Instrument Instructions

3. This last activity has a ton of short activities you can do by spelling your first name. For a bigger challenge, spell your last name or do the ENTIRE alphabet! Let me know how it goes.

I can't wait to hear from you all! I hope you're doing well!

Mrs. Hanson

E-Learning Week 1 (March 16-20): Staff Lesson

3rd, 4th, and 5th Grades
Special thanks to Denise Gagne for providing access to these materials for our students.

Go to:www.musicplayonline.com
Login with the following student login: 

• Username: snow 
• Password: 2020 
• *This login will be good the remainder of the school year.*

1. Go to: UNITS (bottom left corner) 
2. Select the Theory Unit (top center)
3. When you get to the staff lesson page, scroll down and click on "1. Staff Lesson."
4. Flip through each slide, reading the instructions and completing each activity.
5. Have fun reinforcing your music staff, treble clef, lines and spaces, and note-naming skills! There are additional fun resources following the staff lesson. Just keep scrolling down. You can follow along and sing along with exciting songs about the music staff and naming notes in music. 

If you have any questions or problems, please use the contact form on this blog to get ahold of me. Once you have finished the lesson, send me a message to let me know you completed it! You can also print out worksheets and return them to me for extra practice.

In addition to this music staff lesson, students may always:

• Login to www.quavermusic.com and explore activities there. The student login is the same as their school one, except for the period. There was a change in recent years, so students who had me at GJAL have no period AND no initials in their login. 
• Explore some of the fun resources I have provided on my blog (along the sidebar).

Mrs. Hanson

P.S. I miss you all!

4th grade students wanting to practice for the musical may use this link for music.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1imx_DV7SETomWdOKaO3H8H342BpeP8gi?usp=sharing

Also, here are the lyrics, if students need them to practice.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iFCKJ2Vzr0I22Oyvu0iM8_z2HFFS3QxAQeKjbWmSmD8/edit?usp=sharing

Welcome to a New School Year in the Music Room!

Welcome Back!!!

Hello parents and students! My name is Stephanie Hanson, and I am the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade general music teacher at Carruthers. We are already deep into activities in the music room for the year. This blog will help keep you up-to-date on what is going on in the classroom. Here is a breakdown of what we have been working on and what you may need to know, by grade.

Grades in the Music Room

• Students will receive a daily effort and participation grade in music. This will be the main portion of their grade. The grade breakdown for music is as follows:
• 3 points-Student participated and showed effort all the time
• 2 points-Student participated and showed effort some of the time
• 1 point-Student participated and showed effort a little of the time
• 0 points-Student did not participate or show any effort
• Occasionally, you will see other grades for music activities completed in class. These will not be very often. Some of these will simply be a completed/did not complete grade, just for sharing with you.

3rd Grade

• Students have begun to order their recorders for the year. 
• Recorders are $3.25 each, and they are available in red, gold, green, blue, and purple.
• It takes quite a while to collect money, order recorders, and get the recorders labeled correctly.
• We will begin playing the recorders full-time just after our holiday concert.
• In the future, look for info regarding the recorder karate music program, which will greatly encourage your child to progress on their instrument.
• 3rd grade students will have a holiday music program on Monday, December 10, 2018 at 6:30 p.m. in the school gymnasium.
• We will begin to work on music for this program in late September/early October.
• Please be looking for information for solo/speaking auditions in October.
• Quaver Music is the curriculum we use in the music room.
• I have been showing students how to log in to their Quaver Music online accounts this week. The website for this is www.quavermusic.com. Once there, click on "login" at the top right corner of the web page.
• There is a class code needed to access all materials. It is 59K8P.
• Students who I formerly taught at GJAL (in kindergarten music): They will use their school username and password, WITHOUT the period on the username or initials on the password. Just ask your child, because they should know this information.
• Students who are new to me this year: They do not have an account setup by me yet, but they will get one soon. Meanwhile, they can login using google. They will click on "login with google" and use their school username (firstname.lastname28@students.mhs.org) and password (1234567fl). They should have this memorized.
• If your child is a former student, you may also login with google. Once logged in, link your google account to your current quaver account. The quaver system will guide you through this. Once this is used, it is so easy to login using your google account.
• When prompted, click on the option to use with Flash, for full animations.
• Enjoy the program! There are tons of fun and educational music activities for students to use.

4th Grade

• The 4th grade musical will be Monday, October 22 at 6:30 p.m. in the school gymnasium.
• The costume for the musical is the "On the Shoulders of Giants" t-shirt. All students will wear this t-shirt and nice pants. 
• Students may get extra copies of the order form in the school office or from me.
• We have already learned 3 of our songs for the musical, and the students seem to be really enjoying the music. I know a musical is not always for everyone, but I have found in the past 2 years of doing them, the students really bond as a group and they ALL enjoy it in the end. There have been students who have never seemed to have the slightest interest in music, who are begging to do another musical when we are finished.
• Auditions for singing or speaking solos will be next week, the week of September 3. Anyone who receives a part will get the part to take home to practice and memorize.
• 4th graders will be playing the recorder again this year. 
• Most students left their recorder at school, so it is already ready to go.
• Any students who need or want a new recorder, may purchase one for $3.25. I am putting an order in mid-late September. The colors available are red, gold, green, blue, and purple. I will send home an order envelope soon for any student who does not have a recorder at school.
• If your child needs a new bag for their recorder, you can put it in a gallon size Ziploc bag, with the zipper top. Be sure to write the student's name on it.

5th Grade

• 5th grade students will get the option to sign up for beginning band this year. Information will be going home soon.
• We are looking at instruments in music class this week, so students are more familiar with what is available.
• Students may select from the following instruments:
• Woodwinds: flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
• Brass: trumpet, trombone, french horn, baritone, tuba
• Percussion
• Band sign-up will be in the evening, the week after the Apple Festival.
• 5th grade students will be performing in a Veterans Day concert on Thursday, November 8 at 6:30 in the school gymnasium.
• Auditions for this program will be in the upcoming weeks.
• Students will audition on The Star Spangled Banner and a short reading excerpt.
• This audition will be used for a variety of parts.
• Singing solos during the program
• The Star Spangled Banner solo to open the program
• Speaking parts for the program
• Selection of students for the Illinois Music Education Association District 6 and All-State Elementary Choruses
• Students will need to demonstrate that they have practiced the parts, as well as technique and artistry.
• We have begun to talk about the military veterans of our nation. 
• This week we are beginning with reading "America's White Table," which is in honor of our nation's MIA and POW. 
• There will be information about an optional essay contest going home soon.
• We will be exploring a variety of styles of performance of The Star Spangled Banner.
• I have been talking to the students about and encouraging them to tell a military veteran "Thank You" for serving our country. This is a small, but very meaningful, way they can show their gratitude.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns as the school year progresses. My email is shanson@mhs.org, school phone is 618.687.3231, and Class Dojo is always a great way to contact me. I'm looking forward to a great year!

What's Going on in the Music Room?

We've had an excellent start to the school year in the music room! Here are some of the things we have worked on so far.


3rd Grade

• Rhythm: We have learned about meter signs and ostinatos.
• Singing: We have learned about different singing voices, rounds and canons, and the musical alphabet.
• Melody: We have learned about the lines and spaces of the treble clef music staff and the direction of melodic movement.
• Recorders are in, and students will be getting their recorder(s) in the next two weeks. Lessons will begin full-time in January, for the recorder. Also, lots of information will come home for your child to use as a learning resource.
• Students will soon be preparing for their annual music concert. This year, they will be performing a holiday concert on December 7 at 6:30 p.m. We will be doing a movie Christmas, and it should be a really fun program for parents and students!

4th Grade

• Rhythm: We have learned all about performing and reading triplets and sixteenth notes.
• Singing: We have spent a lot of time learning about octaves, descants, singing triads, and part singing.
• Melody: Students have learned about ascending and descending scales, as well as, major and minor melodies.
• If your child ordered a new recorder, it is now in the music room. Some will be bringing their extra recorder home for practice. Recorder lessons will begin next week for 4th grade. All students should have their recorder ready for practice at that time. 
• The 4th graders will be performing a mini-musical, titled "Goal," this spring. It is all about soccer and tons of fun! The performance for this musical will be on May 3 at 6:30 p.m. Please mark it on your calendars.

5th Grade

• Rhythm:We began the year learning about meter of 6/8, which is our first compound meter.
• Students have already began auditions for parts for the Veterans Day concert. The concert is scheduled for Tuesday, November 7 at 6:30 p.m. It is always a very nice time, honoring those who have served our country in the armed forces. Be on the lookout for a lyrics sheet in your child's take-home folder. It is SO helpful if you can encourage your child to practice at home. Most of the songs we sing are able to be found on YouTube, performed by other schools. I only see the students every 3 days, and sometimes even less if there are other daily interruptions to the schedule. Any help you can give from home is wonderful!
• Students have now had the option to sign up for beginning band. If you missed this opportunity, please contact mmoreland@mhs.org (Mr. Michael Moreland) for more information about joining. He is still in need of low brass and saxophone in the beginning band right now. If you have signed up for band, Mr. Moreland will usually stay in contact with you via email, regarding schedules and such.
• This week, 2 or 3 students will be selected for the first-ever elementary all-district choir for the Illinois Music Education Association District VI chorus. This is considered a great honor, and I look forward to nominating our first two or three students from our school.

I'm looking forward to the remainder of this year with your child! Please feel free to contact me at any time with any questions or concerns about your child in the music room or the music program, in general.