Holiday Concert Dates/Rehearsals:

Please mark your calendars for the upcoming holiday concert season. All concert attire should be school dress code or nicer.

December 2nd: Kindergarten concert: 6 PM, NSHS. The doors will be open at 5:30 PM. The auditorium will be cleared by 6:25 PM to allow for first
grade audience members to arrive.
First grade concert: 7 PM, NSHS. The doors will be open at 6:30 PM.

December 3rd: Second grade concert: 6 PM, NSHS. The doors will be open at 5:30 PM. The auditorium will be cleared by 6:25 PM to allow for third
grade audience members to arrive.
Third grade concert: 7 PM, NSHS. The doors will be open at 6:30 PM.

December 8th: NSE Band rehearsal, NSHS (9-1:45) This includes Red and Blue bands. Students will be permitted to wear gym clothing and pack a
lunch. If you choose not to pack, please get a lunch slip for a school hoagie. It will come out of your account.

December 9th: NSE Band concert, 7 PM, NSHS

December 14th: 4th grade rehearsal day, (9-1:45) NSHS. Students will be permitted to wear gym clothing and pack a lunch. If you choose not to
pack, please get a lunch slip for a school hoagie. It will come out of your account.

December 15th: 5th grade rehearsal day, (9-1:45) NSHS. Students will be permitted to wear gym clothing and pack a lunch. If you choose not to
pack, please get a lunch slip for a school hoagie. It will come out of your account.

December 16th: 6th grade rehearsal day, (9-1:45) NSHS. Students will be permitted to wear gym clothing and pack a lunch. If you choose not to
pack, please get a lunch slip for a school hoagie. It will come out of your account. 6th graders should bring a small flashlight
to rehearsal and the concert.

December 16th: 4th grade chorus concert: 6 PM, NSHS. The auditorium will be cleared immediately following the 4th grade portion of the concert.
Please meet your student in the HS cafeteria so we can admit 5th and 6th grade parents to enter the auditorium for their portion
of the concert (6:30 PM is the anticipated admittance time).

December 16th: 5th & 6th grade chorus concert: 7 PM, NSHS. Entrance to the auditorium will be immediately following the 4th grade portion of the
concert.

December 18th: 4th grade field trip to see the Pottsville Symphony

Stay Tuned....

Please check back soon. Concert information will be posted within the next week for all grade levels.

Oct. 28-Nov. 4

K-3 will begin learning their songs for the holiday concerts. Grades 2 and 3 will be bringing packets home.

Fourth grade: we will perform our staff songs on the boomsticks and tone chimes.

Fifth grade: we will discuss sound words and how to creatively make the sound. Students will choose 5 sound words with created sounds. They will write a short story using the sound words.

Sixth grade: we will complete a staff sheet using 4 beats/measure. Students will have to clap and chant their composition for me as an individual assessment grade.

October 21-27

Kindergarten: students will sing Halloween Song and The Witch Rides. We will discuss long and short sounds and perform the songs with tone chime/ostinato patterns. (Hughes, Green, and Frushon will attend the book fair during part of music class)

First grade: students will sing Halloween and discuss loud, soft, and short sounds. All students will perform a brief piano solo as special sound effects to our song!(Cooper will attend the book fair during part of music class)

Second grade: students will sing Halloween is a Very Unusual Night and perform tone chime/ostinato patterns. We will also choose percussion instruments to enhance the creature sounds in the song.

Third grade: Review My Old Black Cat Hates Halloween and perform the melodic ostinato on the bells. We will create other melodic ostinatos to create additional harmonies within the song.

Fourth grade: students will identify instruments and special sound effects in the song Halloween. We will also sing with dynamics, staccato, and legato voices. We will also create our own spooky sounds to perform with a poem.

Fifth grade: students will watch a computer graphics version of Danse Macabre. They will then brainstorm and write their own short Halloween story to match the song. I will also be looking for capital letters, punctuation, and grammatically correct sentences!!!

Sixth grade: students will listen to Thriller and perform the song in 2 part harmony. We will also feature a student performing the voice over!

Chorus: I will be going over solo audition information during chorus. Emails/hard copies of information will be coming home shortly.

10/14-10/20

Kindergarten: Halloween on Parade- marching to steady beat, sing, and act out characters in the song. Halloween rhythm chants using classroom percussion.

First grade: Jack-o-lantern- sing and perform motions, discuss rhyming words in song, discuss tempo changes, and perform accompaniment patterns using tone chimes, Orff, and piano. Halloween rhythm chants using classroom percussion.

Second grade: There Once Was a Witch- Sing and perform motions, perform accompaniment ostinato using tone chimes, Orff, and piano. Listen to The Banshee. Discuss the piano performance and show students the inside of the piano body. Halloween rhythm chants using classroom percussion.

Third grade: Review It's a Small World. Students will sing and perform cymbal and drum accompaniments. Students will also discuss meter in 2 and perform motions to East/West. Halloween rhythm chants using classroom percussion.

Fourth grade: Label staff notes to song # 72, 73, and 74. Students will perform in small groups on the bells. The new note today is C.

Fifth grade: vocab quizzes will be given this week. They will be graded and returned during class. Begin Danse Macabre to prepare for the listening/writing activity next class.

Sixth grade: Students will work in small groups to compose and perform a rhythmic ostinato pattern for 5 different percussion instruments.

Chorus: memorize lyrics. At this time, 4th graders have been asked to bring $1 for a surprise prop! They have been asked to keep it a secret!!

Oct. 6-13

Kindergarten: Vocab- slow, medium, and fast. Students will perform ostinato patterns using hand drums and maracas.

First grade: beat/no beat assessment. Begin loud vs. soft.

Second grade: students will label staff notes for Hot Cross Buns and perform in small groups with rhythmic accuracy.

Third grade: vocab quiz- chorus, verse, rap, tempo, and repeat sign. Quizzes will be graded and returned.

Fourth grade: students will label the staff notes on song # 41 and 42 and perform in small groups with rhythmic accuracy.

Fifth grade: students will complete an in-class assessment on meter in 2, 3, and 4. We will review for a vocab test. Students will bring home a study guide with a practice quiz on it.

Sixth grade: students will perform a rhythm complex accompaniment pattern to the song Give a Little Love.

Chorus: continue listening to your practice CD and memorizing the lyrics!

September 29-October 5

Kindergarten: continue reading, writing, and playing ta, ti-ti, and rest. Vocabulary will be fast, medium, and slow.

First grade: continue reading, writing, and playing ta, ti-ti, and rest. Students will distinguish between beat and no-beat.

Second grade: students will label staff notes on music and then perform the song on the bells for Mrs. Schwartz.

Third grade: students will define tempo and perform the wood block to a 'tempo-changing' song. There will be a short quiz on vocab words during the next class. Vocab will include chorus, verse, tempo, rap, and repeat sign.

Fourth grade: students will label the staff notes on a worksheet. They will be given time to choose a song from the worksheet, practice it, and then perform it for Mrs. Schwartz.

Fifth grade: students will discuss spiritual style music. Grades will be given based on singing and tambourine playing on beats 2 & 4.

Sixth grade: students will discuss reggae style music. We will perform chords on tone chimes, bass lines on the piano, and other percussion parts to accompany the song One Love.

Chorus: please spend time listening to your CD and following your part in the music packet. Our rehearsal time is very limited and I would like to add choreography as soon as possible!!!

Week of 9/22-9/28

Kindergarten and 1st grade will continue reading, writing, and playing ta, ti-ti, and rest.

Second grade will try solving staff note worksheets in small groups for practice.

Third grade will define what it means to rap and perform their own short rap composition to a background track!

Fourth grade will complete staff worksheets individually. At the end of class, we will perform a song from the worksheet on the boomsticks.

Fifth grade will learn meter in 4, conduct, and sing. We will discuss what a chord is and perform the chords on boomsticks with our song.

Sixth grade will perform their rhythm compositions on percussion instruments. We will be focusing on sixteenth notes.

It's Not too Late to Join Chorus!

Mrs. Schwartz will continue to collect permission slips to join chorus. All students will be receiving their CDs and lyrics this week during rehearsal.

General music classes:

Kindergarten classes will be learning the National Anthem with motions! They will also be reading, performing and writing quarter notes and eighth notes.

First grade will spend time writing and performing rhythm compositions on the hand drums.

Second grade is learning to read staff notes and will be competing for prizes!

Third grade will sing and play instruments to the tune, Rockin' Robin. Vocab words will be chorus and verse.

Fourth grade is competing to draw staff notes in the form of words. Winners will receive prizes!

Fifth grade is learning to conduct meter in 3. Vocab discussed will be melody, harmony, and descant. Students will sing 2 part harmony with the teacher.

Sixth grade is learning to factor music math. Sixteenth notes will be emphasized. Students will create short rhythmic compositions that will be performed in the next music class.

Welcome Back!

All 4, 5 , & 6 music classes will be receiving chorus permission slips during the first general music class this week. Mrs. Schwartz will be accepting permission slips until Friday, September 11th. Chorus will begin the week of September 13th. Please see below for the information on the permission slip:

NSE Choral Program

Dear Students, Parents, and Guardians,
As a 4th, 5th, or 6th grader, you are eligible to join the North Schuylkill Elementary Choral Program. As a member of this program, you are expected to regularly attend rehearsals and extra rehearsals near concert time (during school time only). You are also expected to attend the concerts. They are set for December 16th and May 11th in the HS auditorium. Times and ticket information will be more detailed closer to the concert.

Chorus members will rehearse in the morning upon arriving to school. In general, chorus meeting times will be from 8:20-8:55 AM. Students arriving on a later bus will have alternate opportunities to rehearse after 3:00 PM on designated days. Miss Shughart, the band director, and Mrs. Schwartz will share these times as alternate rehearsals. Sixth grade will meet on Monday mornings, fourth grade on Wednesday mornings, and fifth grade on Friday mornings.

During chorus time, students will be expected to sing 2-part harmony, learn choreography, memorize lyrics, work as a team, audition for solos, and have fun. As always, appropriate behavior is a must! Please provide an email address so Mrs. Schwartz can keep you up-to-date on rehearsals, progress, and concert information.

Sincerely,
Michelle Schwartz, Elementary Choral Director, mschwartz@northschuylkill.net

Fill out the sign-up sheet and return to Mrs. Schwartz by Friday, September 11th. Detach here.
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Student Name: __________________________________ Grade/Teacher: _________________
Email Address: _________________________________________________________________

I understand that I am expected to attend as many rehearsals as possible, the winter and spring concert, follow the directions I am given, and sing and perform to the best of my ability. If I do not behave appropriately, I understand that I could be removed from the program.

_____________________________________ ____________________________________
Parent/Guardian Signature Student Signature

Chorus Announcements

3-23-15

Dear chorus parents, students, and guardians,

Please note the following dates regarding the upcoming spring choral rehearsals and concerts:

May 6th: Morning rehearsal for 5 & 6 chorus members (for combined piece), NSE gymnasium
May 7th: All-day rehearsal for 5th chorus, NSE gymnasium
May 12th: All-day rehearsal for 4th chorus, NSE gymnasium
May 13th: All-day rehearsal for 6th rehearsal, NSE gymnasium
May 14th: CONCERT DAY!!!! Concert dress will be ‘rock & roll.’ NO inappropriate graphics or shorts.

4TH grade will perform at 6:30 PM (call time will be 6:00 PM and report to the high school gymnasium) 4th grade will be permitted to leave following their performance!

The 5th and 6th grade portion will begin at 7:30 PM (call time will be 7:10 PM and report to the high school gymnasium)

Rotation of February 5th-12th

Kindergarten will be learning a song about the 100 Days of School Song.

First grade will sing and perform motions to the song Going Over the Sea. We will also discuss the rhyming words and numbers used in the song.

Second grade will finish the song I'm Letting It Go by singing 2-part harmony and performing ostinato patterns on the boomsticks.

Third grade is assigned to play song # 1 on the recorder for a performance grade. The next homework assignment is song #2.

Fourth grade will begin a Bon Jovi Unit.

Fifth grade will begin a unit named The Evolution of Music Technology.

Sixth grade will finish their Jingle Writing unit and perform their advertising items for me. Performances may take more than one class.

CHORUS MEMBERS: PLEASE USE YOUR CDS TO PRACTICE AT HOME. MOTHER NATURE SEEMS TO HAVE IT IN FOR US GETTING PRACTICE TIME AT SCHOOL. I AM COUNTING ON YOU TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY TO LEARN YOUR LYRICS ASAP!!!!!

Happy New Year!!!

Kindergarten will be learning a song about frogs and creating motions to 'hop' on the beat to the music.

First grade is singing Shortnin' Bread and performing body percussion on beats 2 and 4. We will then add instruments.

Second Grade is learning a song called Winter Fun. They will work in small groups to create and perform their own choreography.

Third grade will be bringing home recorder papers. Please read carefully and return to Mrs. Schwartz.
We will review the music staff and go over recorder basics.

Fourth grade will sing and play ostinato patterns on the bells to a song called Snowy Winter Days. Students will be able to sing and play independently. They will also be given time to complete a survey for Mrs. Schwartz to create future general music lesson plans based on their current interests.

Fifth and Sixth grade will have a brief review followed by a staff note quiz. They will also be given time to complete a survey for Mrs. Schwartz to create future general music lesson plans based on their current interests.