Congratulations to everyone who helped make the Christmas Show a big success!

Second Grade worked so hard to sing in Spanish!  Their pronunciation was near perfect and they used their “angel voices” the whole time!
Click here to see picture gallery

Coming Up:

Third, Fourth, and Fifth Grade Cultural Fair
February 10, 2010
SPC Parish Life Center Gymnasium, 7 pm

Pre-K
In January, Pre-K students will continue developing their rhythmic skills through echo clapping.  They will also continue developing good singing habits through the singing of many children’s songs.

Kindergarten
Throughout the month of January, kindergarten students will learn about different instruments.  Using the book The Story of the Orchestra, the students will explore the sounds of the following instrument families: strings, winds, brass and percussion.  In addition to learning about the sounds and sights of modern Western instruments, the students will continue learning about their voices, and how to use them properly when singing.

First Grade
First grade is continuing their study of basic rhythms.  After mastering the “TA” and “TA rest,” the students have moved on to “Titi.”  This past week the students clapped and dictated rhythms using “TA” and “Titi.” Then they applied their rhythmic knowledge to their listening of Beethoven’s Symphony No. VII. They identified the repeated rhythm in the piece, clapped it, and then clapped it while they walked to the beat of the music.  During the second week of January, the first graders will create a composition using “TA,” “TA rest” and “Titi,” so that Ms. Marcotte can assess their understanding of the concepts before the students move on to more complex rhythms.  In addition to studying rhythms, first graders will also learn about western orchestral instruments this month.

Second Grade
 Throughout the months of January, second graders will develop their rhythmic skills.  During the first week they began learning about “TA” and “TA rest” by chanting one syllable words.  They learned how to write the notes, clap and say the rhythms and play them on hand drums.  By the third week of January, second grade will move onto “Titi” and more complex rhythmic patterns.  In addition to learning about rhythms, the students will continue their study of Latin American music through hands-on experiences, listening, watching videos and journaling in their “passports.”

Third, Fourth and Fifth Grades
Third, fourth and fifth grades are currently preparing for the Cultural Fair, which will take place on February 10th at 7pm in the SPC gymnasium.  Third graders will present a variety of musical games, dances and songs from Poland, France and Colombia/Ecuador.  Fourth graders will sing the South African song, “Mbube,” which you may know as “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” Fifth graders are working hard on their class drumming compositions.  To create these compositions the students created patterns in groups of two, using the principle of Call and Response.  Then the classes voted on their three favorite patterns, and are now putting them all together.  The students are learning that drumming not only requires rhythmic skill and concentration, it also requires a lot of teamwork and nonverbal communication.  They will be required to spend 10 minutes, three times a week listening to and practicing along to streaming audio.

Sixth Grade
Sixth graders are working hard on their class drumming compositions.  To create these compositions the students created patterns in groups of two, using the principle of Call and Response.  Then the classes voted on their three favorite patterns, and are now putting them all together.  The students are learning that drumming not only requires rhythmic skill and concentration, it also requires a lot of teamwork and nonverbal communication.  They will be required to spend 10 minutes, three times a week listening to and practicing along to the following streaming audio.  Eventually the students will record the composition, and it will be posted online.

Seventh Grade
In January, seventh graders will continue their musical journey through American popular.  In the first week of January, the students learned about Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holliday.  In the second week of school, seventh graders will have a whirlwind tour of the music George Gershwin, Miles Davis and Charlie Parker.  During the third and fourth weeks of class, the students will work on a project in which they analyze a piece of pre-rock and roll music using the facets model.  The list of artists includes:

Whatever work they do not complete in class, students will have to finish at home.  Presentations will begin in February.

Eighth Grade
In January eighth grade students will continue presenting their favorite piece of rock or pop music.  This will lead to a discussion of what makes a good piece of popular music.  The remainder of January and early February will be spent listening to and learning about popular music from the 1950s to the 1990s.

Choir
The first choir rehearsal of the year will take place on Tuesday, January 12 from 7:25 to 7:55.  This winter the choir will begin preparing for SPC’s first ever choir concert, which will take place on April 28th.  In addition to singing sacred works, choir members will also learn the very famous American hymn tune “How Can I Keep from Singing,” and works representing other nationalities and languages. 

Teacher: Ms. Caroline Marcotte
Room: 100B
Phone Number: (847) 939-3643
Email: cmarcotte@spc-school.net

Pre-K (Mondays/PFA A Day)
            In Pre-Kindergarten, the students will be introduced to music through singing of songs.  They will learn to sing songs that are fundamental to the American classroom song repertoire, as well as songs from around the world.  In addition to singing, the students will explore how music may be related to children’s books.  The teacher will read the students Peter and the Wolf, as they listen to the work by Sergei Prokofiev.  After learning about the story and its musical depiction, the students will act out the work.  Ms. Marcotte will collaborate with the Pre-K teachers to find other picture books that have the potential for rewarding musical activities.

Kindergarten (PFA A Day)
            In Kindergarten, the students will be introduced to music through singing of songs.  They will learn to sing songs that are fundamental to the American classroom song repertoire, as well as songs from around the world.  In addition to singing, the students will explore how music may be related to children’s books.  They will create compositions using classroom instruments based on various children’s books, such as Los Pollitos, Peter and the Wolf, and The Drums of Noto Hanto.

First Grade (PFA B Day)
            In first grade, the students will be introduced to music through singing of songs.  They will learn to sing songs that are fundamental to the American classroom song repertoire, as well as songs from around the world. In addition to singing, the students will explore how music may be related to children’s books.  The teacher will read the students Peter and the Wolf, as they listen to the work by Sergei Prokofiev.  After learning about the story and its musical depiction, the students will act out the work, then create compositions based on the different animals in the story.  Musical notation will be introduced in the first grade.  The students will do dictations and create basic compositions to demonstrate their understanding of rhythmic and melodic notation.  The students will also focus on learning how to keep a steady beat, a concept that develops quite strongly around the first grade.

Second Grade (PFA E Day)
            In second grade, the students will focus on music from Latin America.  They will learn to sing songs, using proper singing and breathing techniques as well as proper pronunciation of Spanish.  They will also learn about Latin American dances and children’s games songs.  In addition to exploring Latin American music, students will learn basic musical concepts, such as keeping a steady beat, learning rhythmic patterns using percussion instruments and body percussion, and learning basic musical notation.  Throughout this important year, the students will also prepare musically for the sacraments of Reconciliation and First Communion.  We will learn songs that are appropriate to these occasions and discuss the importance of music during the sacraments.

Third Grade (PFA D Day)
            Third graders will explore making music through different types of instruments and singing.  The primary focus of fourth grade music will be learning how to play the recorder.  The recorder is an excellent classroom instrument for learning how to read music, developing the coordination needed to play a band instrument, and learning how to breathe properly.  The third graders will learn concepts needed to play as an ensemble: keeping a steady beat, teamwork and cooperation through various rhythm games, using body percussion and classroom instruments. They will first do this through the opening year project, which will involve the study of American composer, Steve Reich’s Clapping Music.  The students will listen to the short work, learn how to perform different body percussion patterns and then compose their very own versions of Clapping Music.

Fourth Grade (PFA C Day)
            Fourth graders will explore making music through different types of instruments and singing.  The primary focus of fourth grade music will be learning how to play the recorder.  The recorder is an excellent classroom instrument for learning how to read music, developing the coordination needed to play a band instrument, and learning how to breathe properly.  The fourth graders will learn concepts needed to play as an ensemble: keeping a steady beat, teamwork and cooperation through various rhythm games, using body percussion and classroom instruments.  They will first do this through the opening year project, which will involve the study of American composer, Steve Reich’s Clapping Music.  The students will listen to the short work, learn how to perform different body percussion patterns and then compose their very own versions of Clapping Music.

Fifth Grade (PFA D Day)
            In fifth grade music the students will learn about instruments throughout the world.  They will begin with learning about the instruments we have in the classroom, such as drums, tambourines, xylophones and glockenspiels.  From there, the students will make connections to instruments from the Western Classical Tradition, popular music and multicultural musics.  They will learn about the sound, timbre, and range of many instruments from the flute, to the djembe, and the Andean panpipe.  In addition to studying instruments throughout the world, the students will participate in Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Opera in the Classroom program.  They will learn about Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti’s opera, The Elixer of Love, as well as participate in a shortened staging of the work.

Sixth Grade (PFA C Day)
            This year in sixth grade music the students will learn about several multicultural musics.  We will start off the year exploring music basics.  The students will learn how to have an intelligent conversation about music, using correct music terminology.  They will also learn basic music theory, from basic rhythm and note identification to fluent literacy.  Sixth grade music students will learn about drumming traditions throughout the world by listening to different musics, playing various types of drums, and composing their own drum compositions.  They will learn about teamwork, listening and cooperation by playing in large and small ensembles.

Seventh Grade (PFA B Day)
            In seventh grade music, the students will explore themes in American popular music.  We will start off the year exploring music basics.  The students will learn how to have an intelligent conversation about music, using correct music terminology.  They will also learn basic music theory, from basic rhythm and note identification to fluent literacy.  From there the seventh graders will learn about American popular music, beginning in the pre-Civil War Era and ending with today’s music.  They will explore various genres such as the African American slave holler, spirituals, gospel, Rhythm & Blues, and jazz as well as Rock & Roll, the British Invasion, folk music, and how music has become what it is today.  In addition to studying popular musics, the students will also have units on multicultural musics and music of the Western Classical Tradition, and how they relate to music in America today.

Eighth Grade (PFA E Day)
            As this is the students’ last year of music at Saint Paul of the Cross School, the music curriculum will be a broad survey to prepare the students for lifelong participation in and interaction with music.  We will start off the year exploring music basics: how to have a conversation about music, using correct music terminology; as well as basic music theory.  From there the eighth graders will explore various genres of music, starting with American popular music (beginning in the pre-Civil War Era and ending today), then moving onto music of the Western Classical Tradition and musics of the world.  Activities will include a trip to The Elixir of Love at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, learning various Latin American dances, and a project comparing and contrasting two popular music genres.