Fulton Elementary Music News
The October Edition
Elementary Music News!
MLC Days are set!
November 9th - Asa Hilliard - Music Therapist - Classroom Management (See feature below) - Roy Joyner & Natalie Generally
February 7th - Movement & Riser Choreography with Award Winning Choreographer - Allison Polaski
April 10th - World Drumming with Melissa Delman
Remember, it is an expectation that everyone attend. Plus it's super fun!
Best Practices
SPLOST
What's new with Quaver?
Let's Get Personalized!
Varied Strategies
"I try to get my students thinking like musicians, so I try to have them create regularly. In Unit 1, I had them learn how to count rhythms, create different rhythms, and then compose original lyrics that fit the rhythms they came up with (because lyrics go hand in hand with rhythm). Personalized Learning goes great with this. Having the students get into small collaborative groups, they get to bounce ideas off each other, and come up with really cool projects. I get to go around and listen to the discussions and support them where I can. It was great seeing their creativity. "
Craig used varied strategies to ensure his students were singing, moving, playing, and creating in one session. Students worked in collaborative groups to create then took turns performing for each other. Choice for demonstrating learning was built into the lesson by allowing students the opportunity "add in" personal expression as they wanted in the performance (added choreography, a skit prior to the song, art work to match the composition, etc.). A great example of "controlled choice". In upcoming lessons he will post student compositions on the net to share with parents and the community! Talk about an authentic audience!
Choice in Demonstrating Learning
The key underlying factors for Choice in Demonstrating Learning are:
- Offer a variety of demonstration options
- Provide students with opportunities to share their learning with an audience beyond the teacher
- Provide opportunities for meaningful collaboration
For more details on how this looks, check out the Fulton County Personalized Learning Website for more information. http://fultonpl.weebly.com/choice-for-demonstrating-learning.html
Vanguard Representatives
District Lead / contact - Megan Endicott
NELC - Craig Gendreau
NWLC - Ariel Robins
CLC - Annelise Evans
SLS - Casey Hall
AZ - Vanessa Bradley
Fulton County Music Therapy Department 2017-18
About our awesome therapists!
In 1991, the Fulton County School System created its music therapy program with a single music therapist. Now, Fulton County has fourteen music therapists working with thousands of students system-wide. In 1998, the county became an approved American Music Therapy Association National Roster internship site. The music therapy program is funded and supported through the music department. Each music therapist is required to hold (or be pending) board certification in the field of music therapy, and have state licensure or be in process. The music therapy department proudly supports the Fulton County School System’s mission to educate students to be responsible, productive citizens who through continuous learning will be able to adapt to an ever-changing, global society.
Music therapists work in conjunction with classroom teachers and related professionals to address the goals and objectives that are stated in the individual education plans (IEP) of each student. Specifically, music therapists use music and music based interventions to target student needs. As a member of the interdisciplinary team, each music therapist carefully reviews the IEP of each student as part of the treatment plan process. After assessing each student, a music therapist will design music therapy sessions for small groups based on client needs. Finally, a music therapist will discuss session results with the other members of the interdisciplinary.
Check out their website below!
November MLC Spotlight
Roy Joyner - Music Therapy
Roy attended Florida State University, where he received both his Bachelor’s and his Master’s degrees in music therapy. He later received his certificate in Educational Leadership from the University of West Georgia. Roy is an accomplished bassist, a keen observer of client/therapist dynamics. Roy has served as president and past president of the Music Therapy Association of GA, and has presented on music therapy at both SER-AMTA Regional and National conferences, as well as Woodruff Arts Educators Conference. Roy lives in Senoia with his wife Crystal and their three children. He has been with Fulton County schools for twenty years.
Natalie Generally
The FAST "Forward"
Kim Dahl - Northwood ES
Want to know of an amazing trick to set your kids up for success while you take a few seconds to set up your classroom? Teach and train your students to lead a class song on reviewing classroom expectations. Watch the AMAZING video below!
Lauren Goldfuss - Summit Hill ES
Toni Jove
Check out Toni's tricks for smooth transitions:
I use Aint that Love by Diane Schur for getting to assigned seats, ALlons Danser Collinda by Michael Doucet for finding standing up personal space, Scaramouche for making a sitting circle, Love you by Free Design for making a standing circle and Jump in the Line by Harry Belafonte for lining up. When the students enter my room I play the drum and sing a ditty I made up about walking feet and change the actions, e.g. marching feet, tip toe feet, sneaky feet. Whatever fits my mood. The kids suggest things, too.
I use music for transitions because 1. I don’t like to micromanage every second of the my class 2. Because spent 25 years as a secondary and college choral director and probably spoke once during class every semester 3. Because I like to use music that the students are not familiar with and if I make them sit still and listen. 6. Repetition and routine are important for classroom management.
Bowen Newman - Alpharetta ES
Liz Crane - Creek View ES
5th grade students at Creek View Elementary used the programming website Scratch and Makey Makey kits to perform their rhythm compositions.
Students wrote compositions using 4 different instrument sounds, recorded the sounds and then programmed them into Scratch. They drew pictures to connect their Makey Makey kits and the computer and then performed the songs.
Watch a demo video below!
New Teacher Feature!
Joyce Williams
Shout Outs!
Susan Ahmad - Lake Windward ES
Congratulations to Fulton County Performing Arts educator Susan Ahmad, on being selected as one of our top ten honorees for the inaugural AJC Celebrating Teachers Awards! Out of 378 nominations submitted, the 4-person judging panel selected Susan to be among the best of the best in the 22 Metro Atlanta County area, grade levels K-12, public and private, for the 2016-17 school year. The top ten will also be featured in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on October 29!
Susan Ahmad is a graduate of Shorter University. Mrs. Ahmad has been teaching general music at Lake Windward Elementary School in Fulton County for 29 years. She has served as a Fulton County Fine Arts Support Teacher where she coaches and provides support for elementary music teachers across the district for 28 years. She is a co-author of the book “Music á la Cart”, has served in numerous leadership roles across the state, county and at her home school. Susan has presented at music conferences in Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee….including TKES readiness, choral techniques, differentiated instruction, teaching music from a cart, rigor in the music classroom and PBL. She holds certificates for Expert Teacher, Master Teacher, and Teacher Support Specialist.
ES Music Milton Cluster Teachers
Erin Malone - Vickery Mill ES
Megan Gibson - Brookview ES
Check out the connection between Sally Petty, Megan Gibson, and yes... Eric Whitacre! Now it's your turn! Don't forget to #fcsmusic! Reach out if you want to learn more about the power of Twitter.
GaETC Presenters
Megan Endicott- Dolvin ES
Presenting at a conference? Send me an e-mail so I can include it in the monthly newsletter. endicott@fultonschools.org
Mike Rostin - Cogburn Woods ES
This message was sent to me last year (and again this year) about going above and beyond for your students! Way to go Mike! Keep reading.
Announcements
Claudia Tschupp Akerman - Abbotts Bridge ES
Around the Community
Brenda Campbell; Leslie Morgan (Wilson Creek) and Kelly Dickerson (Northview High School)
Michael O'Neal Singers
Mark Your Calendars
MLC / PLC Dates!
1/5 - PLC - Personalized Learning AM FCS Vanguard Music Team / Emmy Birch - Quaver Music Choral Music Curriculum PM
2/7 - MLC - Riser Choreography & Movement - Award Winning Professional Choreographer - Allison Polaski
3/12 - PLC - Movement - Orff Instructor - Darva Campbell
4/10 - MLC - World Drumming - Melissa Delman
Orff / Kodaly News
Orff!
From Jennifer Slay:
Join the Atlanta Orff Chapter Saturday, October 28th from 9am-1pm at Chattahoochee Elementary. Clinician Joshua Block will present "Let the children be their own composers: Movement as a basis for musical composition".
Workshop cost: $20. Register in person or online.
Links!
About me:
Email: endicott@fultonschools.org
Website: www.dolvinmusicendicott.blogspot.com
Phone: 0
Twitter: @EndicottSpot