Reach for the Stars

In 2013, I wrote this song with Ryan Miller for our school and we have been enjoying singing it for the last several years.  Even though we can't sing it right now in the classroom, we are learning the movements.  The message is still the same as we care for ourselves and each other, coming here to learn new things.

 

O Canada ASL

We are so excited to be learning a new way to do O Canada this year.  Because we have some singing restrictions because of Covid-19, we decided we needed to figure out how to do O Canada every morning without singing.  We are learning American Sign Language.  Thank you to the Manitoba School for the Deaf for providing us with this video of your signs.  Thank you to Mrs. Bowering for teaching us.  We have been enjoying learning it together and look forward to the day when our whole school can gather again in an assembly to sing and sign our national anthem together. 

Talent Show Postponed

Please continue to rehearse over this break as we may still may have the show at later date.

Thanks!

Hymn to Freedom

We will be learning this historic song, by Canadian composer, Oscar Peterson.  Here is Hymn to Freedom.

Here's a more recent version performed with Oliver Jones in 2004.

Here is some more information on the song, Hymn to Freedom by Oscar Peterson.  Click here for more on Hymn to Freedom

Here is a recording of the song with the lyrics:

Music Room Rap

Busy Start

All our classes have been super busy in music as we prepared for our Sharing Assembly of our school theme song, "Reach for the Stars."

Ask your child to sing it for you and show you the actions.

KINDERS:
We've been working on music room routines.  All students can now find and remember their spot.  We like singing and dancing.  We have been exploring a number of instruments and learning how to hold and play them to make beautiful music.

GRADE 1/2:
Grade 1 and 2 classes have been practicing their singing and listening skills as well.  We can identify the families of percussion instruments: woods, skins, metals and shakers

GRADE 3/4/5:
We have been practicing, reading, writing and playing rhythms and patterns as we bucket drum.

Where We ALL Belong

Welcome back to the 2017-2018 music room season!

This summer I got to play music with my 5 beautifully talented nieces at my family farm's 100th year anniversary.  It was a special moment and so grateful for our time together with family and friends, growing, learning, and connecting.  How did you get your music on this summer?

We are well into the month of September and everyone is super excited to be back and getting in our groove.  This summer I found a really great song written by Canadian children's musician, Raffi.  We are adopting it as our theme song for the year and a great reminder that in the circle of life, we all belong!  Celebrating our uniqueness, strengths, and passions.

RAPPING THE RULES

Reach for the Stars

Year End Performances

Down By the Bay...

One of my favorite children's muscians is Raffi!  Raffi is an Egyptian-born Canadian singer-songwriter and author best known for his children's music.

One of the fun songs we like singing at Stevenson is "Down by the Bay."  It's fun to rhyme!  Can you finish these lines?  Can you make your own silly rhyme?

Have you ever seen a snake, baking a _________?
Have you ever seen a bear, eating a _________?
Have you ever seen a whale, swimming in a ________?
Have you ever seen a bee, living in a ________?
Have you ever seen a dog, sitting on a ________?

Celebration!

Congrats to all our students and staff on an excellent production of Annie Kids for our 2016 Celebration of the Arts.  Thank-you to all who came out to support us.

The Sun'll Come Out... Tomorrow!

Song Dedication

Loving this song right now and I'm dedicating it to my students today!   Great discussions today on preparing for the final game with our musical next week.  MUST practice.  We are a team and everyone gets to play.  It's hard.  It's exhausting and at time frustrating, but if we don't quit, we win!  Give it your all.  Go for gold, Stevenson!

Music Lives Here

Music Monday 2016 - How Music Lives Here

We Are One - Official Music Monday song

Music Monday 2015

Music Monday 2014

More Burgers and Books!

It's I Love to Read month and there are many exciting things planned for us in the music room.  We kicked off the week with Burgers and Books and some fun stories.  Stay tuned for more books and music.

When I say "Lettuce," You say "Read!"  "Lettuce!" "Read!"

Kinders Performance "Dinosaur Roar"

Can you say - Catalina Magdalena Hoppensteiner Wallendiner Hogan Logan Bogan Was Her Name?

Grade 4/5 Orff Club 2016 1st performance

Storytelling using shadow puppets is an ancient method

Our Kinder helpers telling the story!  Rehearsals :)

Singing in the Rain

Wow!  Amazing job today as our school put on our final concert for Calvary Place Carehome.  Thank you to Ms. Kappy and the residents for joining us on this raining Monday morning.  May you have left singing in the rain!

Carehome Concert Coming Soon

As we finish up the year, we are celebrating with some very special people in our community.  Calvary Place Carehome is coming to Stevenson on Monday, June 22 and we are going to sing songs, play our instruments and perform dances for them.  Families are welcome to join us.  10:30-11:30.

Music is powerful.  It speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it rest.  It heals the heart and makes it whole.

Take on the World

For the next few weeks our school is preparing for our final concerts.  We have the Calvary Place Carehome coming to our school on Monday, June 22 for a concert.  We will be performing from 10:30-11:30.  Families are welcome.  Our final celebration is a good-bye to staff and students on Monday, June 29.  This assembly takes place from 10:00-11:00.   We are preparing this beautiful song called "Take on the World" by Sabrina Carpenter.  Check it out!