THE ARTS GALLERY
Elementary School’s February News about our Arts Programs
Music:
Private Lessons:
Elena Belfor, piano (belforsie@countryday.net) phone: 979-0303
Patsy Rabinowitz, piano (rabinowitzp@countryday.net)
Gayna Bassin, violin (gmbassin@hotmail.com)
Stephanie Wietmarschen, vocal (wietmarss@countryday.net) ph: 979-0363
Clay Cremeans, instrumental (cremeansc@countryday.net) phone: 979-0352
Piano Students: Piano students are learning new pieces for the Spring Recital in May. This time students choose to play lots of classical pieces by various composers.
Violin Lessons: It’s not too late to sign up to take private Violin Lessons with Mrs. Bassin for the 2nd Semester: She is on campus Monday’s and Thursday’s and there are several time slots available. Please see the ES office for a registration form if your child is interested. Mrs. Bassin joined the Arts team in October and is excited to grow the strings program. Her current students are preparing for their first recital in May along with the Piano students!
3rd Graders are working hard on songs for the Third Grade play “Dear Mrs. Cleary” which will be presented in Keeler Theater on March 13th at 1:30 p.m. We visited the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra for a Young People’s concert on February 13th and have been reviewing the orchestra and instruments of the orchestra. We continue to work on reading the staff (treble and bass) and recorder pieces for the spring program in May. Kathleen Renner (rennerk@countryday.net) phone 979-0378
4th Grade Vocal: Students are working hard to learn all about time signatures. Time signatures vary depending on which “fraction” you see at the beginning of your music. This is the key to reading rhythms in our music. We are also learning such songs as “I Hear America Singing,” “Cripple Creek,” and “Wells Fargo Wagon.” We have even started to learn movement to “Cripple Creek,” which has some direct harmony. We’re working hard towards our Concert later this year.
The 5 Grade Vocal: Students in the 5th Grade Choir have resumed our regular rehearsal schedule. We are now beginning working towards our concert later this year. Our current repertoire is “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “The Wizard and I,” “The Clouds,” and “Do You Hear the People Sing.” These songs take us through different genres from Musical Theater to Rhythm and Blues. We’re hoping this concert will be over the top!
Stephanie Wietmarschen (wietmarss@countryday.net) phone 979-0363
In 4th grade instrumental music, we are becoming more confident on our C major scale. The most difficult challenge to overcome with this scale is playing through the lower notes without squeaking and many of us are mastering the technique. The songs we have been working on are the standard bugle calls of “Taps” and “Reveille”. With every class the students are performing these selections with more accuracy. They are working hard and it’s really paying off!
5th grade Band: In fifth grade band, we are starting to review some of the notes, rhythms, and different songs from the book that we’ve learned. The students are working very hard inside and outside of the classroom. We have started completing practice sheets on a weekly basis and the improvement in our collective sound is immeasurable! I am also working with small groups of students to learn patterns of notes and rhythms without the music in front of them. This “call and response” is a very important aspect of music and they are picking up on the method quickly. This group has a GREAT deal of potential and I am anxious to see how they decide to put it to use!
Clay Cremeans (creameansc@countryday.net) phone 979-0352
Visual Art:
3rd Grade: February in Third Grade
The Third Grade has been learning about “fiber arts” by weaving their own artistic combination of paper, color and magazine clippings. They are working on warp, weft and everything in between! The students will learn about set design as we begin working on the scenery for the Third Grade play. Please send in any magazines you have as we will be working on collage and decoupage soon! Thanks!
Ully Marin (marinu@countryday.net) phone 979-0350
The 4th graders
The 4th graders are just finishing their fiber art project that continues our study of line. We have learned five stitches: running, chain, satin, French knot and the cross stitch. We hope to have our stitchery work on display in the next few weeks. Our trip to the Taft Museum was very exciting because we all painted landscape in the Taft Museum’s art room. Everyone has their favorite painting there, but the types of paintings we saw were murals, genre, landscape and portraits. Most of the work was realistic because at the time Charles and Anna Taft were purchasing art for their collection, realistic art was very popular. We are all painting a Country Day Night auction project: two mirrors painted collectively by all 4th graders. Look for them at the Auction!
The 5th graders
The 5th graders have been adding their stamping projects to the collective art project of a room screen. It will be the auction item for all 5th grade parents. Every student made a stamp by cutting an eraser. Then we positioned the stamp to make several different patterns. One of each students stamping patterns will be on the folding screen. Our next project will be weaving a tapestry. Connecting with the social studies unit about medieval times, we all have joined a weaving guild.
We have made a loom and warped it making ready to weave a tapestry picture.
Linda Yokel (yokel@countryday.net) phone 979-8396