MUSIC Dave duMonde

Music has been quite an adventure during first trimester. We've been learning all about rhythms . . . feelin' the music, hearing the music, and reading the music. Music is defined as organized sound; Rhythm is the foundation that organizes those sounds into musical patterns.

This week, we've begun diving into melody and harmony by way of learning ukulele. Fun! After exploring the origin of the uke (It comes from Portugal--ask your student about the meaning of its name in English), we learned how to hold the instrument and strum it correctly. We even learned how to play a few notes and chords on the first day. By the end of our two-month unit, your student will be a real musician, able to play some songs and will know notes, chords and scales!

The ukulele is a perfect instrument for any young person to start learning the art of being a musician. As our students have discovered, a ukulele is NOT a mini guitar, just like a violin is not a guitar. It's a whole different (little) beast. Ukes have only four strings which are uniquely tuned, and we traditionally don't use a pick to play it.

Don't be surprised if your student asks you about getting their own ukulele. And it might be a great idea--a good uke costs around $55.00 at the music store or on Amazon. But regardless, we have ukes that students get to use while they're here at school.

Congratulations on having a real live musician now living in your home! Be sure to get their autograph.

5th GRADE SCIENCE Michael Weng

In science, students traced their shadows when we came back from break. This led to conversations and our unit of study on Earth and Sun. We have learned about how the earth rotates around the sun and what causes day and night. The 5th grade team is looking forward to applying our scientific knowledge into our Colonization Project this trimester.