Translate

Saturday 21 December 2019

Celebrating the season at school and on the road!

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