Dear Parents and Families,
As we wrap up yet another month in Pre 2, we would like to briefly remind you of our outdoor policy for winter weather. We are required to go outdoors if the wind chill is above 15 degrees for a maximum of twenty minutes. If the temperature is too cold for outside play, we will have indoor large motor room play. Families are encouraged to bring snowpants, waterproof gloves, and boots. Please let us know if you need any of these items!
This past month, we started the music study. So far, we have had two visitors come to play their instruments. Kendra, a teacher in Pre 4, brought her ukulele and played a few songs. She discussed how the sound can change as she glides her fingers against the strings. She discussed and modeled what the vocabulary word strum means and invited the children to participate in singing and playing “Aiken Drum.” “Aiken Drum” is a song about a boy named Aiken who plays upon a ladle, which symbolically resembles a guitar. Each friend took a turn playing a ladle as Kendra sang and strummed her ukulele.
SiSi, a student worker and NIU Marching Band performer, demonstrated how to play a clarinet. She showed us how the clarinet has a unique mouthpiece called a reed, which is made from wood. She played us a few notes ranging in sound from high to low. As she pressed down on the keys of the clarinet, the notes became lower. In the future weeks, we hope SiSi’s marching bandmates will join us for more instrumental tutorials and play along with SiSi to hear what instruments sound like all together, like an orchestra.
During morning meeting, we discussed and modeled the name and how to play our classroom instruments. We discussed the appropriate ways to play, shake, or move each instrument reminding the children how to take care of our instruments so they don’t break. Each child was presented with a classroom instrument. As a group, we played our instruments fast and slow, loud and soft, and tried to encourage rhythm, repetition, and patterning.
As we sail on through the next few weeks, we want to invite families to join their child for a pancake and pajama party. This party will be a celebration of your child’s hard work and success in the classroom. They have been earning coins and dollar bills to place in our classroom piggy bank for following directions, cleaning up, problem solving, and being a kind friend. The pancake and pajama party will take place on our last Monday of the school year, December 18th from 8:30-9:30. Please join us for a cozy morning in our pajamas, while we play and snack on pancakes!
Please let us know if you have any questions!
We look forward to spending 2024 with you and your child.
Thanks,
Hillary and Bri
