NEED TO KNOW
Red Balloons #13: It's always nice to have growups in class!
TUITION DUE: The last tuition payment of Red Balloons is due this week. Thank you for getting things in on time! The next tuition payment will be on the first day of Blue Bugs, January 13.
CALENDAR REMINDER: Next week, November 25, there is no class due to Thanksgiving. The week after, December 2, will be a regular kid-only class. December 9 will be Lesson #15, which is a parent day and the last Red Balloon class. Then there will be a break for the holiday. The first class of Blue Bugs will be Tuesday, January 13. It will be a parent day to kick off the semester.
BLUE BUGS: We start Blue Bugs in January! Hooray! The first class will be January 13, and it will be a parent day. I will have your students' Blue Bugs materials that first day of class, including the calendar taped to the inside cover. If you'd like to check out the calendar earlier than that, it's available now at this link, and you can always find it under the Calendar link on the website.
GOOD TO KNOW
LET'S PLAY MUSIC: Our ears heard layers of sound this week as we sang the MI RE DO and the SOL SOL DO endings at the same time. Singing in harmony helps us to sing in tune.
DO RE MI: We're learning to read notated music by relationships (steps, skips, leaps) rather than depending on note names alone. This is a more natural way to teach children to read music, and it produces better sight readers. Don't worry, we'll learn the staff note names! We'll introduce a few during 2nd Year, then the rest of them in 3rd Year.
FIVE FAT TURKEYS: We love our fun turkey song! If you are looking for something to do over the break, here is a link to a blogpost with 5-Fat-Turkey-based activities for all levels of LPM students. And if your student is a fan of crafts, here is a printable activity sheet that your student can cut out and act out the Five Fat Turkeys song.
FUN TO KNOW
If you're looking to add a music-based gift to the holiday mix, here is a blogpost with some ideas. In 2nd year, your student will need access to a piano or electronic keyboard for regular practice. Here is an outline of some things to look for. For LPM, the minimum size you need is 61 full-sized keys. Keep in mind, though, that a full-sized keyboard with 88 touch-sensitive keys (or an acoustic piano) will make practicing much more satisfying, especially as they continue through 3rd year and post-LPM play. Some people swear by the Black Friday deals on keyboards, so if you don't have one yet, be sure and check out the options!
