MUSIC
Goals of the Music Program from Mrs. Elizabeth Stephan:
To meet the social and emotional needs of our students, the music program will consist of two overarching standards- Making Music and Music Appreciation. The children will be given opportunities to learn songs that have meaningful messages of kindness, inspiration, joy, compassion, civic responsibility, and social justice. They are meant to calm, nurture, and bring joy. I want my students to keep the songs that I teach them in their hearts forever. I believe the more we teach children songs about kindness and empathy the more empathetic they will be as adults. In the upper grades, the songs remind the children to stay positive and care for the world around them. In the lower grades, the children will learn songs with movement and gestures to build their confidence as singers and dancers. We will incorporate percussion instruments in our lessons and encourage students to play and/or sing solos during special share days.
The second element of a typical music lesson will include a reading and listening component. The music will reflect a wide variety of genres including Classical, Jazz, Country, Folk, Latin, and International Music. I like to incorporate a variety of read alouds including non-fiction texts about great musicians on Epic books. We will also examine the Instruments of the Orchestra and the composers of the Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Modern Eras. Typically, I will introduce a famous musician of the week and highlight their accomplishments.
As provided by The National Association for Music Education, highlighted below is a list of goals for the music program which reflect the Achievement Standards for Music in Grades K-5:
Students will sing independently, on pitch, in rhythm, with appropriate timbre, diction, and posture, and maintain a steady tempo
- Students will sing expressively with appropriate phrasing and interpretation a varied repertoire of music
- Students will sing from memory a varied repertoire of songs representing genres and styles from diverse cultures
- Students will perform on a variety of percussion instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
- Students will be able to echo short rhythmic and melodic patterns
- Students will identify the sounds of a variety of instruments, including many orchestra and band instruments, and instruments from various cultures
- Students will respond through purposeful movement to selected pieces of music
- Students will explain using appropriate terminology their personal preferences for specific musical works and styles
- Students will have an understanding of music in relation to history and culture
- Students will identify and describe roles of musicians in various music settings and cultures
Here are some songs that you can ask your child to sing and describe in the coming months:
September:
Clap Your Hands Together (K/1st)
We’re Gonna Shine (K/1st)
Biddy Biddy (K/1st)
I’ve Got Music In My Hands (K/1st)
Puff The Magic Dragon (K/1st)
Takes One To Be A Friend (K/1st)
Sing A Little Song (2nd/3rd) w/Choreography
We All Sing With The Same Voice (2nd/3rd)
Step by Step (2nd/3rd)
I Like Me (2nd/3rd)
Start Your Day With A Song (4th/5th) w/Choreography
It’s Up To Us (4th/5th)
Welcome in the Autumn (4th/5th)
Evergreen, Everblue (4th/5th)October:
You’ll Sing A Song (K/1st)
This Little Light of Mine (K/1st)
Counting Pumpkins (K/1st)
October Moon (K/1st)
I Can Sing A Rainbow (2nd/3rd)
Bat Dance (2nd/3rd)
Pumpkin and Pumpkin Vines (2nd/3rd)
Crunchy Leaves (2nd/3rd) w/Choreography
Up, Up, Up In A Balloon (4th/5th)
Los Colores De La Vita (4th/5th)
Catch the Rhythm (4th/5th)
Unsung Heroes (4th/5th)November:
Peter and The Wolf (K/1st)
Walking Thru The Jungle (K/1st)
Thanks for Everything (K/1st)
Many Pretty Trees (K/1st)
Don’t Forget to be Thankful (2nd/3rd)
Ode To Thanksgiving (2nd/3rd)
Let Us All Give Thanks In November (2nd/3rd)
Los Meses Del Ano (2nd/3rd)
Do The Good You Know(4th/5th)
Gracias (4th/5th)
Thank a Nurse (4th/5th)
Let’s Make It Shine (4th/5th)December:
Rubber Duckie (K/1st)
Jingle Bells (K/1st)
I’m a Little Snowman Short and Round (K/1st)
The Nutcracker Ballet (K/1st)
Holiday, Holiday (2nd/3rd)
Holiday of Music (2nd/3rd)
Season of Bells (Schoolwide Grades 2-5) w/Choreography
Winter Wonderland (2nd/3rd)
When the Holidays Come (4th/5th)
Ringing, Ringing (4th/5th)
Sing in the Holidays (4th/5th)
Season of Bells (Schoolwide Grades 2-5) w/ChoreographyJanuary:
Peace Like A River (K/1st)
Do-Re-Mi from The Sound Of Music (K/1st)
Whole World (K/1st)
What Can One Little Person Do? (K/1st)
Circle The Earth With Peace and The Nutcracker Ballet (2nd/3rd)
Let’s Build a Gingerbread House (2nd/3rd) w/Choreography
A Candle Glowing In The Window (In honor of Martin Luther King Grades 2-5)
Positive (2nd/3rd) w/Choreography
Ada’s Violin (4th/5th)
Dreams of Harmony (4th/5th)
Mr. Frosty Winter (4th/5th) w/Choreography
A Candle Glowing In The Window (In honor of Martin Luther King Grades 2-5)
Snow (4th/5th) w/ChoreographyFebruary:
Mister Sun (K/1st)
Love Grows One By One (K/1st)
Valentine, Valentine (K/1st)
Where Are The Wood Sounds? (K/1st)
Kindness Goes Far (2nd/3rd)
We’ve Got Heart (2nd/3rd) w/Choreography
Give With Your Heart (Respect for All Grades 2-5)
Give With Your Heart (Respect for All Grades 2-5)
Cherry Blossoms (4th/5th)
Here Comes the Snow (4th/5th)March:
I Can Sing A Rainbow (K/1st)
So Many Colors, So Many Shapes (K/1st)
Love Makes A Family (K/1st)
Skinnamarink (K/1st)
You Are My Sunshine (K/1st)
Mister Sun (2nd/3rd)
It Matters (2nd/3rd)
Blue Blue Marble (2nd/3rd)
Open Up The Window (2nd/3rd)
Winter Magic (4th/5th)
We Will Care (4th/5th)
Hold On To Your Music (4th/5th)April:
Singing In The Rain (K/1st)
Lead With Love (K/1st)
The Earth Is Good To Me (K/1st) Earth Day Song
Six Little Ducks (K/1st)
Gotta Have Music (2nd/3rd)
I Choose Peace (2nd/3rd)
Green (2nd/3rd) Earth Day
Springtime, Sunshine (2nd/3rd)
Whatcha think about that? (4th/5th)
Come Home (4th/5th) I Love This Little Old Planet (4th/5th) w/Choreography Earth Day
There Must Be A Rainbow (4th/5th)May:
Edelweiss From The Sound of Music (K/1st)
All You Need Is Love (K/1st)
Great Big Star (K/1st)
She’ll Be Coming Round The Mountain (K/1st)
The Weather Song (K/1st)
Dance To Alligator Town (K/1st)
Think Good Thoughts (2nd/3rd)
Compromise (2nd/3rd)
A Bunch of Animals (2nd/3rd)
Somewhere Over The Rainbow (2nd/3rd)
I’d Rather Be Happy (4th/5th) w/Choreography
We All Need Peace (4th/5th)
Tomorrow’s Our Day (4th/5th) w/Choreography
Intentional Life (4th/5th)June:
This Land Is Your Land (K/1st)
Planting Seeds of Love In My Heart (K/1st)
My Roots Go Down (K/1st)
Let Me Be A Light For Hope (K/1st)
Friends All Around Us (2nd/3rd)
I Want To Hear A Saxophone (2nd/3rd)
Just For Fun (2nd/3rd) w/Choreography
It’s Been A Good Day (2nd/3rd)
Go With A Song In Your Heart (2nd/3rd)
Keep The Music Going (4th/5th)
Over There Is My Future (4th/5th)
Dare To Dream (4th/5th)
It’s Been A Good Day (4th/5th)
Remember Me from Coco (4th/5th)
This year the fun continued with our production of Disney’s Aladdin Kids. Four casts of Arabian Sultans, guards, and dancers joined Prince Ali and Jasmine and a hilarious genie on a magic carpet ride on the PS 174 stage. Check it out on You Tube.
Our Jungle Book Kids danced and sang all the way to the Minskoff Theater on June 11, 2013. We were one of just five NY City schools who participated in this full-stage production with the Disney Musicals in Schools grant program.
