Thursday 26 June 2014

Last Day - We Will Miss You!

 Leaving this school, make a big noise
Playing in the halls, gonna be a big star some day
Got a smile on your face, running the race
Waving goodbye all over the place!

We will, we will miss you!

This music year has been full.  Congratulations to all my students for achieving amazing things year.  We had a lot of fun making music together.  Grade 5's - you will be missed!  Have a great music filled summer and see many of you in September! - Ms. Rempel



Wednesday 25 June 2014

Carnival of the Animals














The Kinders have been learning about French composer, Camille St. Saens and his brillant works from the Carnival of the Animals.  Today we listened to several of the recordings of the animals and acted out the parts.  We listened for the jokes that Camille hid in the pieces and identified instruments.  We watched the 1985 zoo visit video, hosted by Gary Burghoff with Ogen Nash's poetry.






Here is a Youtube clip of the 1976 classic hosted by Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.



Peter and the Wolf

The Grade 1's have been studying the orchestra instruments and learning the famous story "Peter and the Wolf" by Russian composer, Sergei Prokofiev.  We read the story illustrated by Peter Malone and learned all the instruments in the story.  We matched them with their sounds.






Today we watched Disney's 1946 version narrated by Sterling Holloway.  We discussed how the name of the bird in the show was Sasha, just like our Russian dance.  We also talked about the Russian hat that was worn and then compared the differences between the book and the movie.  Most students liked the movie the best.


Here is a Youtube version of the story performed by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and narrated by conductor, Bramwell Tovey.


Monday 23 June 2014

Camp Songs

Today in choir to wrap-up our awesome year of learning, we sang a few camp songs.  Camp songs are awesome because you can sing them anywhere; in your car, in the rain, around a fire or even in an elevator!

Links to many camp songs: Scout Songs and Ultimate Camp Resource Songs

These are some of Ms. Rempel's favorites that she learned when she used to go to summer camp.

Boom Chicka!

Princess Pat

There Was a Great Big Moose

The Banana Song

Shark Attack

Wednesday 18 June 2014

Making music... OUTSIDE!




Today was a lovely day so we decided to do music outside.  The Grade 4/5s rehearsed a new song we're doing for the last day of school.  




Some Grade 5s are going to audition tomorrow for a solo.




After we rehearsed our song, we practiced our recorders.  Students are working on the Recorder Karate levels.


The Grade 2/3 classes also went out in the afternoon and we learned the African song from Ghana called "Obwisana."

Obwisana sa nana, Obwisana sa x2

ENGLISH:
The rock has crushed my hand, grandma
The rock has crushed my hand



We decided it was easier to keep the beat using a cup instead of a rock, which the game is usually played with.  We practiced passing the cups to the right (home / pass) and realized that we have do it in the beat and using team work.



We also spent some time practicing our recorders outside.

It was much cooler in the shade!

Art-astic!

Congratulations to Stevenson students and staff for a wonderful evening of art sharing at our annual Celebration of the Arts on May 21.  This event included art forms such drama, dance, music and the visual arts. 


Kinder Art!


Grade 1 Art


Swinging on a star!


Grade 2/3 Choir performing "Sweet Home Chicago"


SJSD Children's Choir performing "Friends on Broadway"


Whole school performing "I.S.S. - Is Somebody Singing?"


Calvary Place Concert Highlights

Thank you to Ms. Kappy and the Calvary Place Carehome residents for coming to our school yesterday.  We really enjoyed singing for you and glad you came!

Reaching for the stars!


Students visiting with the seniors



Grade 1 dancers


Grade 4/5 rockin' out with their songs!


Grade 2/3 choir singing their hearts out!




Kinder stars!

Lincoln Rocks

Thanks to the Lincoln Rock Band for coming to Stevenson this week.  The concert rocked!  See below for the video clip of students singing along to "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons.






TiBert le Voyageur

TiBert le Voyageur came last week and presented to us his story telling and music making Voyageur tales.

Showing us how to wrap la ceinture fléchée, a type of colorful sash, a traditional piece of French-Canadian clothing
Playing the Jew's harp, also known as the jaw harp, mouth harp, Ozark harp, trump, or juice harp

Playing the cajón (ka-hon), "crate", "drawer", or "box with a hole in it"
He brought his loop recorder and involved students in recording short clips for the loop.  Here is what it sounded and looked like.  Super cool!




Monday 9 June 2014

Carehome Concert Coming Soon!



What does a kazoo, alligator, xylophone and rainbow have in common?  
Come and find out at our upcoming year end concert with Calvary Place Carehome on Tuesday, June 17.




We look forward to sharing with them a variety of songs from the Kindergarten's version of "Down By the Bay" to the Grade 1s Russian folkdance, "Sasha." We'll hear the Grade 2/3 choir singing to "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean" and the Grade 4/5's singing "Over the Rainbow."  The whole school will have a sing-a-long with "Reach for the Stars" and many more!  Families are invited.  Show time 10:30-11:30 in the gym.  We hope to see you there!

What Do You Hear?


This term, the Grade 4/5 students did a creative project on sound and art.  We talked about the energy and movement of 3 pictures.  What do you see?  How are they the same?  How are they different?   Now think about what they'd sound like.  In groups, students chose a picture they wanted to create a piece to using recorders.  We used the Ipad app "Explain Everything" to show our learning and record our interpretations.  We also learned how to send our work to Google Drive.  Afterwards, we listened to each one and discussed how each groups piece showed the picture.

As you watch this video, how do you see the sounds depicted in the art?
What feelings are stirred by the different types of music?


"I See a Song" by Eric Carle

Wide-Mouthed Frog




Congratulations to the Grade 2/3 Orff Club for their presentation of the story "The Wide-Mouthed Frog" on Thursday.