September absolutely flew by! We are now in full swing with our 6-day cycle. There have been several events but we have also covered a lot of ground in music already. The First Week The first week of September was all about introductions to people in the building and the environment around us. This year, we have FOUR kindergarten classes; three English and one French. These students have only had three music classes so far. The first few weeks we have something called a “staggered entrance” where half of the class attends school to experience the schedule for the day. The next day of the schedule the other half of the class attends. So halfway through September is when the K classes have their first actual class of music. Kindergarten K classes only get one music class every four days. K’s have school every other day and specials alternate every time. We are very focused on routines, protocols, schedules, behaviours, expectations, etc in the music room. It is something worth spending the time and effort because these students will return to the music room each year. The structure is super important for my sanity in those later years. Especially when it comes to grade one and the students transition from K to grade 1. The 2nd and 3rd Week The next chunk of September is about prior knowledge. I do some informal assessments to figure out how much content and understanding the students have retained over the summer. Let me tell you, I am often surprised because most of the time, they remember way more than I expect them to. We play lots of familiar games and sing familiar songs to reestablish our community and expectations of the music room. The Last Week The last week of September is where I review and reteach if need be. I usually introduce something brand new, maybe a rhythm or note through a game. This year, the music room got a smart board so we were able to learn about melodies with the games that come on the Lumio application. Special Events In the midst of these bench markers, the school community has several events as well. The first school-wide activity of the year lands on Terry Fox Day. The students learn about the great Canadian who ran across the country for cancer awareness leading up to this day. Then they go on a tribute walk around the town to continue the awareness. After a hotdog lunch, we have our version of an elementary field day, known as “Skittle Day”. On our school grounds, we have thirty or so stations set up ranging from bubbles and hop scotch to balance beams and mini sticks, each having their own set of challenges. The students travel around the stations as they please with a slip of paper with their name and list of the stations. When they complete the challenge, the supervising adult signs the paper at the number. For every ten stations the students complete, they can exchange their stations for Skittles at the Skittle Bank. The whole day is very memorable for everyone involved. Orange Shirt Day The next event honoured is Orange Shirt Day (see this post for more about that). This year, we had mini-assemblies each morning to learn about a new aspect of Indigenous cultures. The topics of each assembly discuss pow wow dancing, drumming, Phyllis Webstad, respect, and Truth and Reconciliation. We have several interactions with the culture, which includes several of our students educating their peers through Jingle Dancing, Grass Dancing, and teaching them the Friendship Dance. From a music perspective, these experiences are optimal for music journaling! We talk about something they learned or that was their favourite, after which we complete our music journals. Find these journals in my TPT Store! All in all, it has been a great start to the year. September was busy and as Christmas approaches, it will only get crazier. I’m so excited!
