CONGRATULATIONS!

I am so incredibly proud of all the students in grades 4 through 8 who performed in the TCS Winter Concert last night. It was a spectacular evening full of festive music from the band and chorus groups, and it certainly got me into the holiday spirit! Thank you to all who helped make last night a success, and now we look onward to our final week before winter break and gear up for the Holiday Program, when all TCS students will spread joy through song during this wonderful time of year.

Check out the TCS Facebook page for some great photos of the performance. 

MUSICAL AUDITIONS!

Auditions for the annual TCS musical are underway! 

This year's show, Aladdin Jr., will be performed on January 23rd and 24th. Students in grades 7 and 8 have been auditioning this week. Next week we will host callbacks, finalize our cast list, and begin rehearsals. It's going to be a truly spectacular show, complete with some fun events for the entire TCS community along the way. Stay tuned as we dive into "A Whole New World" together!

International Dot Day!

Happy International Dot Day, everyone! This past week, students have been celebrating creativity in their art classes by making individual and group dot paintings based on the famous book "The Dot" by Peter H. Reynolds. Teachers and students from all across the globe are joining in on the fun and "making their mark" in different ways. Click here to see some fun examples of how people are choosing to celebrate this special day.
In addition to creating artwork, students have been rocking out with me to "The Dot Song" by Emily Dale & Peter H. Reynolds. This song was inspired by the words of the story, and it's really catchy! Enjoy the video below, and feel free to join us on Friday morning in the gym when we will celebrate Dot Day as a school and sing the song together!

Chamber Chorus Auditions!

Announcing Chamber Chorus auditions for all interested 6th, 7th, and 8th graders! 

Auditions will be held during advisor seminar today (Wednesday).

Questions? Please see me. 

GOOD LUCK, everyone!

A Song for Reflection...

With so many things happening at the beginning of the school year, it's always important to pause on this day and take a moment in silence to remember...

As Billy Joel sings, "I'm in a New York State of Mind" today.

Welcome Back!

As we dive back into school, I've been asking my students about songs that "speak" to them. Their answers have been fascinating, and they've sparked some really great conversations about why we listen to some songs only once, while others get heard repeatedly as we sing/hum/dance along over and over again. Ask yourself this same question, or strike up a conversation about this with your family!

I'll be posting student answers on this board over the next few weeks, so stay tuned...

Summer pondering before the year begins...

While I try to take a solid "break" from teaching over the summer as a way to rejuvenate and prepare to dive back in when fall returns, teaching and learning are never far from my mind. That's why when I read articles about education, written by people I admire, I feel extremely proud to be a teacher and a learner in a world where everyone has something to teach and learn from someone else. Reading how violinist Hilary Hahn's teachers influenced her life through their teaching styles is inspiring to me as both a violinist and an educator.

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2015/07/violinist_hilary_hahn_on_her_two_greatest_teachers_and_on_the_mozart_and.html

As we prepare ourselves to head back to school in just a few days, I look forward to reconnecting with my students, meeting new faces, and starting the school year off by thinking about the symbiotic relationship that teachers and students have. We teach and learn from each other every day, and initiating that give-and-take process is something I strive for constantly, both in and beyond the classroom.

Celebration of the Arts Concert: A Salute to the 50s & 60s!

CONGRATULATIONS to all the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, & 8th graders who participated in the Celebration of the Arts Spring Concert last Thursday!

Having a Salute to the 50s and 60s performance in honor of TCS' 60th anniversary gave us all a chance to hear some classic tunes, and those songs still resonate in so many ways today.

The students and I had many discussions about historical references in connection with certain songs, and we were able to make links between their academic learning in History and English and our chosen song lyrics. 

Overall, the concert was a blast, and I am in awe of our students...they make my job so fun!

Elementary Honors Orchestra

Last week, string players in grades 4, 5, & 6 from all over Connecticut came together to make beautiful music at the CT Music Educators Association annual conference. 

I am so proud of two TCS 4th graders who practiced and performed with the EHO. Congrats!

IDEA Day: TCS CARES

For this year's I.D.E.A. (Interpreting Diversity Education through Action) Day, our school-wide theme was about how we at TCS care for ourselves, our peers, our families, our community, our country, and our world. Every teacher in the school participated through the teaching of different workshops that covered topics from mindfulness to global beauty. Visitors came to help broaden the perspective of this day and contribute to the workshops, through sharing their personal stories and journeys with us. 

I am so proud of the hard work that all our faculty, admin, and staff put in to make IDEA Day such a special, important, and impactful experience for our students. We closed the day by singing Matisyahu's "One Day" with the entire school community, which further solidified our collective desire to care for ourselves, each other, and the world around us!

4th Grade Music: Jazz Exploration

It's finally spring here at TCS, so in addition to working on choral music for the spring concert, 4th graders embarked on a jazz trail, traveling throughout the United States to visit places where famous Jazz musicians began learning, playing, and performing. Our first stop, New Orleans, LA, introduced the students to Louis Armstrong, an artist known for his stellar cornet, trumpet, and unique vocal abilities. After hearing "Heebie Jeebies" last week, this week they got to hear and see Satchmo himself sing and play an energetic rendition of "When the Saints Go Marching In."

Every time the students hear a song, they complete a listening log that asks two basic questions:
1) What do you hear?
2) What does the music make you think about?

Both of these open-ended questions are designed to encourage students to listen and respond to the music, offer ideas about what they hear, start to recognize musical instruments by their distinct tones and timbres, and think critically to make connections between the music and their own personal lives.

The video is shared below, so check it out!

First Grade Music: Carnival of the Animals

One of my favorite units in the spring involves first graders listening to and analyzing Camille Saint-Saens' The Carnival of the Animals. It's a great way to make connections between what you hear and how music makes you feel, all while imagining different animals! From the cuckoo to the swan, every movement provides a new entry point for a musical discussion, and it's fascinating to get inside first grade brains to hear about how they interpret what they hear. 

3rd Grade: Musical Connections to the Moon

3rd graders are making lots of musical connections as they continue their study of the moon. Along with learning "Au Claire de la Lune" on recorder and composing recorder melodies for their moon haiku poems, students are also learning a song and rap about the phases of the moon. Check out the lyrics below!

Moon Song & Rap

CHORUS:

The Earth’s Moon orbits all around us

It reflects the light from the sun

These are the phases of the Moon, -oon, -oon…

Moon, -oon, -oon

VERSE 1 (spoken):

When the Moon is in between

The Earth and the Sun

It’s a New Moon phase

And it looks like it’s gone

When the Earth is in between

The Sun and the Moon

It’s a Full Moon phase

And it looks like a balloon

CHORUS:

The Earth’s Moon orbits all around us

It reflects the light from the sun

These are the phases of the Moon, -oon, -oon…

Moon, -oon, -oon

VERSE 2 (spoken):

The Moon goes through eight different phases

The Moon looks different, but it never really changes

It depends on the position of the Earth, Moon and Sun

Come on everybody make the lunar cycle fun

CHORUS:

The Earth’s Moon orbits all around us

It reflects the light from the sun

These are the phases of the Moon, -oon, -oon…

Moon, -oon, -oon

VERSE 3 (spoken):

New Moon, Waxing Crescent,

First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous

Full Moon, Waning Gibbous,

Third Quarter, Waning Crescent (repeat)

(havefunteaching.com)

CONGRATS!!!

A huge, heartfelt congratulations to the cast and crew of Guys & Dolls! The performances this past weekend were nothing short of amazing, and I know I speak for all the directors when I say how proud we are of the performances and, more importantly, the tremendous growth & powerful learning that took place during the rehearsal process. Bravo to all!

Special thanks to all the TCS faculty, staff, administration, and parents who helped out in countless ways...we couldn't have done it without you!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Some sweet treats for all the "lifesavers" here at TCS. Happy hearts to all!

Cultural Arts: American Roots Music with Boogie Chillun

This morning the entire TCS community was treated to an energizing journey through the history of American Roots Music, performed by a very talented 5-member band called Boogie Chillun.

These musicians began singing a slow, moving a cappella version of Amazing Grace. Then they introduced the audience to spirituals, folk, gospel, jazz, country, blues, rock and roll, motown, disco, funk, rhythm & blues, rap, hip hop, and pop music, before ending with a crowd pleasing rendition of Pharrell's "Happy" that had everyone from students to faculty dancing in the gym. The songs were well-chosen, the musicians gave some interesting historical references as they performed, and everyone came away with tunes to hum and new ideas about the history of music in America. A huge THANK YOU to the members of Boogie Chillun for inspiring us all to listen to different kinds of music and appreciate where it all comes from and how it continues to influence our world.

In honor of MLK Day...

The new song "Glory" performed by Common and John Legend is a powerful anthem. One that was written specifically for the soundtrack to the movie "Selma" but one that also has significance today as we continue to think about and celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Over the next few classes, my middle school students will be listening to, analyzing, and discussing different songs that connect to MLK. So many of the songs written decades ago still resonate with such power today, and now "Glory" can be included as yet another moving tribute to the desperate need for equality in our country and in our world.

Guys & Dolls Rehearsal Schedule is POSTED!

Attention Guys & Dolls Cast & Crew: The official rehearsal schedule from now until the performances is published! You can find it by clicking on the "Pages" section of my blog titled, "Guys & Dolls Rehearsals (Jan & Feb 2015)" which is located to the right of this post. CHECK IT OUT! Please let the directors know if you have any conflicts with the schedule as soon as possible, and mark your calendars for the dates when you need to attend rehearsals. Also...get psyched! It's going to be a wild ride from now until February 21st & 22nd, so...here we go!!!!!!

HAPPY 2015!

Greetings, everyone! I hope the entire TCS community has enjoyed our winter break. I had a wonderful time celebrating the holidays with family and friends. Here's a picture of Fiona trying out one of her Christmas gifts:

Having 2 weeks off really gives me a chance to recharge and get excited for all the fun that's coming as the school year continues! Below are some important updates as we begin 2015:

*Rehearsals for Guys & Dolls Jr. will begin later this week. I will send home an official schedule for the entire month of January as soon as possible, and I will also post the most up-to-date version of the schedule on the blog. I hope that lots of students have been hard at work on their lines and songs over the break!

*Starting this Wednesday, the WTCS morning show will be hosted by the 4th grade! I know the students are excited to take on this new leadership role, and we will be having some 5th graders help out as mentors to the new 4th grade hosts and tech crew for the first few weeks. Yay!

*There are so many amazing musical projects and experiences that will be happening in different grades over the next few months: 

• 4th graders will be starting a composition project in connection with the poetry of Langston Hughes
• 3rd graders will be learning the recorder
• 2nd graders will be continuing their Solfege study, then as they travel to Africa in their classroom we will begin our drumming unit
• 1st graders will be exploring music from the different places they visit on their journey around the world
• Kindergarteners will be making musical connections to some fantastic stories they are reading in their classroom
• PreSchool & PreK will be rocking out to lots of winter songs

Keep checking back for more updates as the year continues...Happy 2015!