Celebrating the Trees with Music!

News from Lori Turner, Music Specialist

Shalom, my friends, shalom! January was filled with music, movement, singing, dancing and a whole bunch of celebration. Through the songs Shalom My Friend, Happy Dancing Trees, Celebrate the Trees and Circle Round Together your kinderlach have been accomplishing many goals within the music and movement objectives I have set forth for them.

PLAYSCHOOL has been working on active participation through singing together and solo, clapping their hands, patting their laps, stomping their feet, jumping, hopping, swinging and rocking from side to side. PlaySchool 1 and 2 have practiced and displayed balance and coordination while holding hands to form small circles, medium circles and large circles for circle dancing activities.

PlaySchool 3 has practiced and displayed balance and coordination while holding hands to form small circles, medium circles and large circles for circle dancing activities. We placed gathering drums in the middle of our circles, learned what a half note is (ta-a) and played the half not on the gathering drums at the very end of the song.

PRESCHOOL has been practicing personal space of their bodies, spatial awareness of the room and others, gross motor movements and physical range of high, medium and low. They are fantastic singers who love to sing enthusiastically loud and dancers who love to stomp, pat, clap, swing, rock, roll, hop, jump and laugh. PreSchool also practiced and displayed balance and coordination while holding hands to form small circles, medium circles and large circles for circle dancing activities and played half notes on the gathering drums.

When given freedom to work with friends for movement exploration, I was truly excited to see the preschoolers discover the fun of mirror movements and group choreography.

PRE-K has been practicing personal space of their bodies, spatial awareness and gross/fine motor movements through mirroring activities and instrument play of metallophones (metal bars) and xylophones (wood bars). During the month of January, we worked on keeping the beat, playing together in unison, bouncing the mallets in the middle of the instrument’s bars and lots of hand/eye coordination.

For movement and dance, we observed, practiced and discussed what keeping the beat feels and looks like in our feet, while continuing our use of high, medium and low levels in space.

WHOLE SCHOOL: As we head into February, our focus will be on singing melodies together, reading rhythms, playing drums and the celebration of Purim. The songs House on the Hill, 1 Little Wiggly Friend, Rhythm of the Day, Gather Round, Drum Drum Drum, Echo Me, Spin Go the Groggers, Chag Purim and Let’s March will be the hits of the month.