Over the last two weeks, students have been celebrating the
spirit of the season by singing some familiar Christmas carols. Frosty the
Snowman, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, The Twelve Days of Christmas and Jingle
Bells have been echoing through the halls!
But we have also spent some time exploring the lyrics of these classic
songs. Students have been asking:
What is a corn cob pipe?
What is a bob tail?
Why are
the other reindeer laughing at Rudolph, and is that ok?
What do you mean that there are twelve days
of Christmas?
Meanwhile, Kindergarten students have begun to learn a
traditional dance called Seven Jumps
and to accompany their winter songs with a variety of percussion instruments. Grade
One and Three students have continued to work on melodic notation, identifying
the Secret Melody played by their peers and then singing it with some winter
words. As well, Grade Two students have learned
a folk dance based on the old song Sur la
pont d’Avignon. It’s a complicated undertaking – trading partners, keeping
the beat and clapping rhythmic phrases, all while singing in French!
And finally, I’d like to acknowledge the hard work of our
Grade Three Winter Choir. Seventy five students dedicated many lunch hours to
practicing Christmas songs old and new before taking their show on the road to
perform at the Shane Homes YMCA in Rocky Ridge.
I was so proud of both their beautiful singing and their generous good
cheer as they sang for their community!
Thanks also to Ms. Nielsen who volunteered to accompany us on the piano,
and to the many parent volunteers who came along on this field trip. We are also grateful for the Royal Oak School
Fundraising Society for paying for our bus ride there and back. We are so very
lucky to have such a supportive community here at Royal Oak School!
Happy Holidays!
Ms. Mann
