The Math and Science that MUSIC Brings!
4/26/2019
PNA Band performs at the SCIENCE PARTY!On April 19th the PNA Band performed at the Science Party! So what does music have to do with science? First of all, ask yourself "What is sound?" Sound is vibrations that travel through the air. Sound is produced by continuous and regular vibrations, as opposed to noise. Sound energy travels in waves and is measured in frequency and amplitude. The energy in a sound wave can be measured using Decibels. The Decibel Meter shows examples of things that make noise and measurements in decibels. Amplitude measures how forceful the wave is. Your ear can only handle so many decibels. A normal conversation is usually at 60dB. Continuous exposure to sounds at 85dB can cause permanent damage. The band played a few numbers that demonstrated harmony. Harmony is more than just a pretty sound. Harmony consists of the notes or chords played along with the melody. Harmony adds feeling to the melody. ... One of the most basic harmonies in music is called the major triad. The major triad is formed by playing the first, third and fifth notes of the major scale simultaneously. In a Major Triad the 3 notes, or pitches are at a perfect 3rd and 5th distance apart from the root note, and the sound is pleasing. In a Minor Triad, the third note is lowered a half step and the sound tends to be interpreted to be a little sad to the ear. When notes that aren't the correct distance apart, are played together, they can be displeasing to the ear. BOOMWHAKERS!!!If you've ever been in the music room you would have seen these brightly colored plastic tubes. These tubes are called Boomwhackers! They are different colors and shapes. The size or length of the boomwhacker affects the pitch. A longer boomwhacker will have a lower sound compared to a shorter one. The color of the boomwhacker simply helps tell you which one to play. Color identification is easy for Kindergarten. Kindergarten has been exploring with melodies and simple rhythms by using these fun instruments. They get their name because you get to "whack" them on the floor!
Students are not expected to be perfect. This is a time for exploration and fun with music! Sure, we miss some notes here and there, but the giggles that come from the effort to play the songs is PRICELESS!
Art and April Snowshowers 2019
4/22/2019
It has been a series of changes in the weather as we come closer to the end of our school year. I have also been able to see the remarkable accomplishments of our students in art classes. It has been a joy to work with them this year.
As I worked with the 8th Grade Art Class this morning, I thought of all the years they've been at PNA. They have learned through the years from their parents and relatives, their friends, and their school. Each child has had unique experiences, and will have more to come. When I go to the earliest age, the Beginners Art Class, I see how mature our youngest students are. They are verbal, and visual, and can do levels of critical thinking easily that relate to our art critiques. This year, the Spring Art Show will open on Tuesday, May 7, at 3:15-4pm for the reception. The Show is located on the Third Floor. Each year, a class trip overlaps, and this year, I will miss the 4th/5th Grades as they will be gone. The artwork will stay up through Thursday, May 9th, and will be returned on Friday morning, May 10th, so that the students can take their work home. The drawing journals will go home the next week, and the students may work in them this summer, as they go outdoors, or draw indoors. This year, in our new building, there are many adjustments for everyone. Our Head of School works hard to keep everything running smoothly. We have so many wonderful areas of teaching we can explore. Artist-Teacher Notes: This summer I plan to take more pedagogical courses in order to develop my teaching repertoire. Throughout the school year I take classes in order to do this. I will renew my state of Alaska and my state of Washington teaching certificate when they are due. I'm working on several group art shows, and continue to develop my current series of paintings in acrylic. Currently, I am working on my "Dream" series, my "Guitar" series, and in June will start my "Matsu Valley" series of large landscapes (6'x8', 5'x7', etc.) that I will paint outdoors. I have been improving the art/library space at home that is my tutoring art studio, where I give private lessons, and this summer will work on my education book there. Through the years at PNA, and the years before, I have been slowly compiling the information for my book. I plan to approach the next year with positive new developments for a thorough foundation in art for the children. Please see me in my third floor Art Classroom if you have any questions. Have a great month! Exploring and Performing!
4/12/2019
Kindergarten EXPLORE DAY!!!Sometimes you just have to take a day and MAKE SOME NOISE!!!! And Kindergarten would agree! What better way to get to know the instruments around you then to have an EXPLORE DAY!!! When students take tome to explore with musical instruments, they learn how to respect the instruments, discover new sounds and let their imaginations run WILD! My favorite thing to overhear is "Hey guys, let's make a band!" Even at young age, PNA students are inclusive of their friends when it comes to play time. And the more kids in your band, the better the band, right?! I had an in depth interview with PNA's Kindergarten class to really find out what they liked about EXPLORE DAYS! Ms. K: So what do you like about explore days in music class? Vanessa: I like to play different instruments! Hannah: I like to play the piano because I take piano lessons. I also got to show Flynn one of the songs. Graham: BOOMWHACKERS!!! Sophia: You get to play anything you want! Hannah: Except flutes! Lilian: Yeah, that's gross! Liam: I get to play all my favorite instruments like the ukulele! Kellen: I like to play the piano! Lilian: Playing the keyboards. Keyboards are FUN! Tesla: I like playing the ukuleles, the boomwhackers, and the drums! Rowen: I like making up songs on the keyboards. Ethan: I like playing the piano . Flynn: I like when Hannah shares a song with me on the piano and I can sing it! PNA Performs with Anchorage OperaSeveral PNA students had the opportunity to perform in Anchorage Opera's La Boheme. There are only a handful of opera's that feature a childrens chorus. La Boheme is one of those and it is by far one of the most recognizable opera's. Written by Puccini it premiered in 1896. It has been featured in movies like Moonstruck and inspired the musical RENT. I cherish these opportunities. This is my chance to "practice what I preach." And I love to perform with my students! All of a sudden THEY are fellow actors and co-workers. They even made some new friends! But don't take it from me! Here is what some of PNA's opera performers said about the experience:
It was great! I really liked it and I liked that it gave me a good sense of what being on a real stage in front of a large audience feels like. I learned that once I am on stage my stage frights goes away. I think this was an amazing opportunity. - Ella, 6th Grade I liked that they explained what we were doing and they were explaining what to do, and that I got to have fun. I didn't like how I had to put on makeup for the play. I learned a few words in Italian. This was a good opportunity, because I got to learn a new language and meet new people. - Dakota, 4th Grade I liked the acting. I liked making new friends. I learned that getting in and out of costume is hard. I learned Italian. I learned what the behind the scenes of the Performing Arts Center looks like. It was a good opportunity to learn because I learned Italian. - David. 5th Grade I like being behind the scenes! I learned to perform better and with other children. I liked learning Italian. I got to learn from the professionals and observe how they perform. - Ava, 3rd Grade I really enjoyed the dramatic music and how nice the cast and crew were. I didn't particularly love that the curtain ripped, but the audience was pretty forgiving and seemed fine with us starting the act over. One of the biggest things I learned is that opera can be pretty stressful because your brain has to be on two tracks: one on the music and the other on the scene you're portraying. If you mess up one part, you could potentially be throwing off the rest of the chorus. This was an amazing opportunity! La Boheme was a good challenge musically and I met some really cool people. I even learned some Italian! -Iris, 8th Grade Volleyball
4/5/2019
It's always surprising to see which sport will be the hit each year. It's usually soccer, hockey, or baseball. Those are fairly mainstream sports and one can pick it up with minimal amount of equipment, but this year the volleyball seemed to be a major hit! I saw kids practicing their passes and serves during morning and after school EDP and even learned of a few middle schoolers that are currently playing volleyball at the O'Malley Sports Complex. Volleyball definitely has a steep learning curve. The amount of skills that are needed to be competent in volleyball are endless. Not only do you need to know the basic volleyball skills (passing, setting, hitting, and serving), but there's special awareness, rotation, teamwork, communication and all the rules that come along with playing a sport. What a joy it is to be able to teach such an intense and interesting sport to these eager learners. They certainly rose to the challenge the past two weeks and I can't wait to see them finish the unit this week. If your child is interested in furthering their volleyball skills beyond gym class please me know and I can direct you. |
Specialist & Enrichment Teachers Archives
February 2021
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