Gr. 3/4/5 Recorders

If you are in Gr. 3/4/5 and have not been to school this week, please pick up your package of music, recorder and login code in the music room.

This note is going home for our Grade 3/4/5 music students this week.  I am expecting they are dong a little bit of music at home these next 3 weeks.  They are able to work on their belts for Recorder Karate and record it on the app or website: SeeSaw Class  

Meet the Music Teacher

Time to meet the students for the new school year!  Looking forward to seeing you during these next 2 days set aside for these meetings.

Please note: The music room is open only today (Wednesday) from 1:30-3:30 and Thursday from 10:00-11:30 and then again 1:00-3:30.  Stop in and say hi!

Grade 3s and new students in Grade 4/5 will need a Yahama recorder for music this year.  No Dollarama recorders allowed.  From the school, the cost is $6.25.  Those can be ordered online at the SchoolCashOnline and if it's not showing up on your account, please let the Mrs. Fraser in the office or Ms. Rempel know.  https://sjsd.schoolcashonline.com/

First Official day of classes is...

Friday, September 6th!

Recorder Orders

Any new Grade 4/5 students to Stevenson and Grade 3 students will need a Yahama soprano recorder for the upcoming school year. Stevenson parents can purchase one from the school for only $6.25.

Please DO NOT purchase Dollarstore recorders for classroom use. If your child has a Yamaha recorder from another school, please send it labeled to the music room.

All school payments are to go through https://sjsd.schoolcashonline.com. If you haven’t signed up for an account, please do so ASAP in order to pay for your child’s recorder.

Once I have received notification of payment, I will issue a recorder. We keep our recorders in the music room throughout the year. Some students want to practice at home and I do suggest getting a second recorder (buy a cheaper one) to have at home. By parent note, I do allow some students to take them back and forth between home and school, but the general routine has been to keep them at school as many do not return them when needed for rehearsals. At the end of Grade 5, students take their recorders home for keeps.

If you have any questions, please contact me at the school (204) 832-1359 or via email: jrempel@sjsd.net

Thank-you,



Ms. Rempel
Stevenson-Britannia Music

Another Year...

Grade 5 girls singing and dancing.  I am sure gonna miss you!

This is my 9th year end at Stevenson.  It's been a really low key year and I've needed a break from all the business and events.  We've had some lovely moments this year and also learning to adjust to our split classes has been both joyful and challenging.  Split classes are always difficult in music as we often build on previous years, with certain music skills and concepts that are age appropriate.  This year there was a large gap in the span and a variety of abilities.  We want all students making music but also knowing and understanding concepts, communicating effectively and appropriately, and gaining proficiency in skills and confidence in individual and group tasks such as reading, writing, playing, performing, music listening/appreciation, and improvising.  This is an unending huge task and my students didn't disappoint as I saw many grow through failure and triumphs.

To my Grade 5s - thank you for the years of making music together.  I hope and pray that you continue to find nuggets of life and joy through music making experiences and will look back on your years of plays, choir, Orff, games, dances, solos, and drumming with fondness.  I look forward to seeing you in the future bands, choirs, and ever appreciating the vast colorful wonders of music throughout the rest of your lives.

See you at our final assembly at 10:00 a.m. in the Stevenson gym.

Have a wonderful summer and see you all in September!

Kinders exploring sounds

Making a band

Grade 5s who have passed and surpassed their Level 1 Recorder Karate tests.  Congrats!

Performing for our peers

Outdoor Music - Drumming station

Room 5 Tapping our Potential Music Monday performance

Orff Club performing pieces from our story plays

Outdoor Challenge

Recorder time!

For the past 2 weeks, various classes have been having music outside.  Next week we are going to be doing some music exploration stations.  It's been a lot of fun!

Practicing together

Duet time!

Really focused on practicing.  Great job!

Singing songs with the guitar and making up rhymes 

Creating a dance to an original song.  We will be sharing it on June 22.

Exploring materials for their sounds

Creating drum jams with our friends

Learning some skipping rhymes and showing off our moves

Hanging out in the audience. Watching the action as we keep cool.

Gold Medal Winner!

First Olympic Gold Belt Recipient!

Today made history in the music room.  Congratulations to this Grade 5 student for receiving the first gold medal in the Level Recorder Karate Program!  Well deserved!

Rockin' Recorders

Bass Recorder

Practicing for Recorder Karate

The Grade 2-5 classes have been working on recorders for the past few weeks.

This week Room 17, 18, 11 and 12 got to see and hear the difference between 5 recorders (soprino, soprano, alto, tenor and bass).  We now have learned the basics of recorders like "I LEFT the window up and it fell RIGHT down."  We blow gently and often squeaks mean leaks.  We are learning to read the staff and play music using BAG notes.

The Grade 4/5 classes continue to work on their leveled belts in the Recorder Karate program.  Ms. Rempel is hearing much improvement from everyone.

Black Belt... Hiya!

Our first Grade 5 student chopped it up today with his black belt in Recorder Karate.  A HUGE win for this Room 4 student!  #celebrate  #karatechop #recorderrocks

Learning Notes

Note Name Game Link

Grade 2/3 classrooms are learning to read music this week and we ended off our classes with some music games and center time to practice our skills.

Check out this funky song!

We were also playing the app "Staffwars" on Ms. Rempel's ipad.

Staff Wars is a free game for the computer, but it does need to be downloaded by an adult before you can play it. Click HERE for the link. You can also buy the app for the Ipad for $0.99. There are many other cool games that you can download from this page. Some do cost money, but there are others that are FREE!

Recorder Karate

Grade 4/5 students are well on their way into our recorder karate levels.  We spent a couple of classes talking about what we need to do during recorder practices.  This is important so we can get our work done and advance in our skills.  Please see "Recorder" tab for songs if you want to practice at home.

September's Season of Song

WELCOME TO OUR MUSIC ROOM

Music is important for a healthy culture and essential to human life.  Music impacts our lives and helps define and express identity.


At Stevenson-Britannia, music is an important part of our daily lives.  In our classroom, we strive to grow as music makers, both in listening, critical thinking, creativity and active participation.  At anytime during the year, you will hear speech, singing, rhythm, music listening, discussions and instruments.  You will see students using movement, art, writing, music technology and instrument play to show learning and develop skills.


Many research studies show that music helps improve learning and brain functioning (music brain research).

EXTRA- CURRICULAR: In addition to our regular music and choir classes, there are several extra-curricular music opportunities for students at Stevenson including:


- recorder club
- orff ensembles
- drumming club
- auditions for solos/drama/dance
- song-writing projects
- music assembly leadership

If you have questions about the program, please feel free to contact me at the school or email me. Year plans are available upon request.

RECORDERS:  All Grade 2 and new students will need to purchase a Yamaha recorder for music.  All returning student's recorders are in the music room already.   Dollarama recorders ARE NOT recommended.  They break easily and do not have good sound.  Forms are available in the office or music room.  The cost is $6.50.  Exact cash only.



CHOIR:  As part of the music program at Stevenson, we are continuing to have Gr. 2/3 and Gr. 4/5 choir once a cycle.  Each student is fitted with a choir shirt.  Every student needs dark pants and clean shoes for performances.  The purpose of choir is multi-fold: to have fun singing, to develop singing and personal skills, and experience choir performances.

Some of the important dates for all Grade 2-5 students are:

• Nov. 7 - Remembrance Day Assembly @ Stevenson
• Dec. 17 & 18 - Winter Concerts @ Stevenson
• Feb. - Music Celebration @ Sturgeon Creek United Church
• Mar. - Winnipeg Music Festival @ Westminster United Church
• May 20 - Celebration of the Arts @ Stevenson

Please check the school calendar as well as the music "Important Dates" tab for updates and additional performances. 

Making music... OUTSIDE!

Today was a lovely day so we decided to do music outside.  The Grade 4/5s rehearsed a new song we're doing for the last day of school.  

Some Grade 5s are going to audition tomorrow for a solo.

After we rehearsed our song, we practiced our recorders.  Students are working on the Recorder Karate levels.

The Grade 2/3 classes also went out in the afternoon and we learned the African song from Ghana called "Obwisana."

Obwisana sa nana, Obwisana sa x2

ENGLISH:
The rock has crushed my hand, grandma
The rock has crushed my hand

We decided it was easier to keep the beat using a cup instead of a rock, which the game is usually played with.  We practiced passing the cups to the right (home / pass) and realized that we have do it in the beat and using team work.

We also spent some time practicing our recorders outside.

It was much cooler in the shade!

Rockin' Recorders

The Grade 2s and 3s have been learning about reading music and learning to play recorders with proper technique.  Here is a short video/tutorial on the how to read music and play B-A-G on the recorder.  Stay tuned to the end to hear one of the classes play Hot Cross Buns.