Goodbye, Piano

This week marked the end of our piano unit. Last to share is the Grade 3-4 class.

Don't forget to get a copy of Annie, Jr. If you would like a copy of the file, please send a USB flash drive with at least 5 GB of space to school with your student. Make sure it has your or your student's name on it somehow (you can put the drive in an envelope if that's easier). You or your student can put the drive on the table in the library, even if I'm not there, and I hope to be able to make most transfers same-day. For those who ordered DVDs, they went home Wednesday. Students have enjoyed watching the Annie production in class this week, seeing it for the first time as they were all backstage during the show.

Students have also begun preparations for the end-of-year variety show, "The PRIS Factor".

This week, we celebrated our PreK, Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2 students in their presentation at the Evening of the Arts on Wednesday. Here are some pictures of rehearsal. They even got some dance time after finishing! Concert pictures to come next week.

In library, Pre-K students continued enjoying the Elephant and Piggie Series, by Mo Willems. This week, we read, Are You Ready to Play Outside? and finished up with one of my favorite books, Go Dog, Go, by P.D. Eastman. You can find these and more on our Book Read-Aloud playlist on the YouTube page.

Pre-K students also learned to use the library scanner before settling down to do some free-reading.

Students in Grades 3-4 had a read-aloud about honesty and the consequences of fibbing, called, Sam, Bangs and Moonshine by Evaline Ness, before browsing and checking-out on their own.

Please save-the-date for our end-of-year Variety Show: THE PRIS FACTOR, which will involve all students and take place on Wednesday, June 10 at 6:30 p.m. We are hoping for 100% attendance as the students are planning and executing this concert themselves.

Stay tuned for more from our PRIS Students and don't forget to check out the library and music YouTube page (and subscribe)!

PRIS Music & Library YouTube Page

Note: Comments are moderated and for privacy reasons, cannot include students' names. Please direct specific inquiries via email.

A Camera-less Week

There are not many pictures to report this week, but two great videos! We have another piano video to share, this time from volunteers in the Grade 1-2 class.

And finally, we have the video of Annie, Jr. up on the web to share with friends and family! If you would like a copy of the file, please send a USB flash drive with at least 5 GB of space to school with your student. Make sure it has your or your student's name on it somehow (you can put the drive in an envelope if that's easier). You or your student can put the drive on the table in the library, even if I'm not there, and I hope to be able to make most transfers same-day.

We hope to receive the DVDs shortly.

We hope you are planning to join us for our Evening of the Arts on Wednesday. Students in Pre-K through Grade 2 should meet outside the art room at 6:00 p.m., wearing a solid-colored shirt and any pants/shorts. Parents may then proceed to the auction. The concert will start around 6:30 and be over by 7:00.

In library, Pre-K students read another Elephant & Piggie classic: Listen to My Trumpet by Moe Willems. This book teaches that sometimes we have to be honest with our friends, even when it is hard. Students in K-2 had an iPad week, searching for books on the iPad and challenging themselves to find them in the library. Grades 1-2 read a book called The Empty Pot by Demi, a book about the rewards of being honest and truthful, even when you are ashamed or embarrassed. Students in Grades 3-4 learned to write short book reviews for DestinyQuest so that others can see what they do or don't recommend. We hope this will become common practice for our students.

Please save-the-date for our end-of-year Variety Show: THE PRIS FACTOR, which will involve all students and take place on Wednesday, June 10 at 6:30 p.m. We are hoping for 100% attendance as the students are planning and executing this concert themselves.

Stay tuned for more from our PRIS Students and don't forget to check out the library and music YouTube page (and subscribe)!

PRIS Music & Library YouTube Page

Note: Comments are moderated and for privacy reasons, cannot include students' names. Please direct specific inquiries via email.

Piano Skills, Part 1

Over the next three blog entries, I will be sharing videos of the students playing piano. Some of the students will be utilizing the electric keyboard while others may share their progress on the iPad application, Piano Maestro. Several of the students have had piano lessons outside of school while others are showing progress just from beginning their studies in music class this year.

This week, we view three Pre-K students who have mastered the first two measures of Mary Had a Little Lamb. You will see that the students are using color-coded notation that corresponds to colored stickers on the piano. They began by using the color-coded xylophone and then transferred their knowledge to the electric keyboard. As they master each set of two measures, additional measures will be added to their music. This is the first step in teaching piano, note-reading, and rhythm.

We also have the Kindergarten & Grade 1 class sharing their progress. Several students volunteered to share songs they learned from the music book, pieces from the iPad, and one student even composed a song himself.

Next week, look for the video from Grades 1 and 2!

In addition to xylophone, piano and iPad, students in grades PreK-2 have been working hard to get ready for their concert on April 29.

Students in Pre-K, Kindergarten, Grade 1 & Grade 2 should meet outside the art room by 6:00 p.m. Parents may then proceed to the auction. Dress is a solid-colored shirt (any color) and pants/shorts/jeans.

Middle School students are still working hard on their GarageBand commercial projects as they create radio spots advertising their favorite books. This week, they finished recording their jingles.

In library, we are continuing to focus on honesty and friendship. In Pre-K, we read Butterfingers by Dennis Reader to talk about trust, and Swimmy by Leo Lionni to address strength in numbers and trust in one another. We are also reading one Elephant and Piggie book each week. This series, by Mo Willems, is one of the most beautiful and hilarious friendship stories in existence. Last week, we read Elephant and Piggie: Let's Go For a Drive! and this week, Elephant and Piggie: Happy Pig Day!. In Grades 3-4, we took a break from Destiny Quest and read a fairy tale adaptation about honesty and narcissism called The Principal's New Clothes by Stephanie Calmenson. You might recognize it as a retelling of the famous fairy tale, The Emperor's New Clothes.

Students would enjoy rereading many of these books and most are available on the Book Read-Aloud YouTube Playlist.

Please save-the-date for our end-of-year Variety Show: THE PRIS FACTOR, which will involve all students and take place on Wednesday, June 10 at 6:30 p.m. We are hoping for 100% attendance as the students are planning and executing this concert themselves.

Stay tuned for more from our PRIS Students and don't forget to check out the library and music YouTube page (and subscribe)!

PRIS Music & Library YouTube Page

Note: Comments are moderated and for privacy reasons, cannot include students' names. Please direct specific inquiries via email.

Back At It

First, a little fun!

Students this week enjoyed one of this year's hottest dance songs at the end of each class. During this time, students are encouraged to free move and dance with the music, coming up with the most interesting and creative dance moves. Here are some clips!

Save the Date!

A Night of the Arts

All School Art Show, Silent Auction, Art Sale in conjunction with a short concert by the Pre-K, Kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2 classes.

Wednesday, April 29

6:00 p.m.

All families are invited to attend.

Performers should meet outside the art room at 6:00 p.m. dressed in shorts, jeans, skirts or pants and a solid-colored shirt. Parents can then proceed to the silent auction.

In music, Pre-K to Grade 2 has been preparing for their short concert on April 29, still spending at least one day working on the piano. Pre-K classes transitioned to the keyboards this week, learning Mary Had a Little Lamb using colored notation that matches both the stickers on the keyboard and their bell sets. Many students were successful in learning the first two measures of the song.

Grades Kindergarten to 4 are working partly on the piano and partly with the iPad app called Piano Maestro. This app teaches note reading, rhythm, and correct fingering, all using real background music. The students progress through a "Journey" and their progress is reported back to me. If you would like to use this app at home, it is free with their school account. Please email me for login information.

Grades 5-8 are starting a Garage Band project as well as planning our June concert. The Garage Band project is from the perspective of an advertising agencies creating short radio spots in GarageBand as advertisements for books. The students choose a book they love and create a short commercial within several guidelines. We hope to progress to a television commercial after the audio commercials are created.

Dates to remember:

April 29 at 6:00 p.m.- A Night of the Arts
June 10 at 6:30 p.m.- The PRIS Factor: an end-of-year variety show

In library class, Pre-K students started learning about honesty by focusing on trust. Students read Butterfingers to understand what carelessness can do to trust. Kindergarten and up had a technology week, with the younger students using the iPads to find books and the older students using Destiny Quest to make book recommendations to each other.

Stay tuned for more from our PRIS Students and don't forget to check out the library and music YouTube page (and subscribe)!

PRIS Music & Library YouTube Page

Note: Comments are moderated and for privacy reasons, cannot include students' names. Please direct specific inquiries via email.