What's a Boomwahcker?

OK, since my last post was so "sad" as Jon said, here is one that will make you laugh.

A boomwhacker is a brightly colored plastic tube about the size of PVC pipe cut in different lengths and each color plays a different musical pitch. The kids at school love them and I wish I had a video of them but this will have to do from Youtube


William Tell
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odU-BA3_XNI


Christmas Medley
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1W4Q4i9HBI&feature=related


Mission Impossible ... This one is for "The Man"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAl6zG8nTlE&feature=related

Make a Difference

I don't know if this link will work to get you to a special movie I want to share. It was given for teachers, but then aren't we all teachers, parents, grandparents, relatives, friends... all of us should care enough to reach out to others....

I hope this works





The Make A Difference Movie - The Teddy Stallard Story - by Mary Robinson Reynolds The MasterMinding Maven®



Here is another way to get to the link:



http://www.makeadifferencemovie.com/full/

Another Adventure

Like the title says, on to another adventure. At least I hope this summer will be an adventure. And I hope it will be a positive one! Just to be rested will be an adventure, a peaceful one.

Aahhh!

I'm done!

Just need to check out in the morning with signatures and then I leave for 2 months except when I want ot go in. I will need to make some purchasing orders with my school tax money that people have donated to the General Music and Chorus fund! ... All $1098 woohoo.....

and then an order for PA equiprmnet that works. I need to list the equipment in order of importance and the prices and I am allowed maybe even $2000 ... I heard it with my own ears.

Other than that, I will leave my school work behind, well, maybe not out of my mind though.

I have so many things I want to do. I just wish I had the money mentioned above for myself....

Chorus, My Planet, Your Planet

Here is a picture of the SSE Chorus. There are 12 kids missing at this evening program. Notice the earth colors. We usually wear white shirts and dark pants which I think actually looks sharper. The cute little 3rd grade boy on the right of the picture didn't get it that I wanted him to move closer in to the choir, he just kind of wanted to have the security of my presence. You cannot tell but I am sitting just behind a rolling card below him. Thank goodness there are no pictures of me.

Age and Teaching

There is an email list of music teachers that I write to on occation, and usually I am called a lurker, one who just reads teh submissions and hardly ever talks. Well, the subject these past two days was about age and teaching and so many of the teachers are getting a little older so to add to the thread this is what I wrote.

I'm proud... I will be 61 next month, but because of financial factors I have to work for another 5 years to get full benefits, but... I love what I do even if I am working with a bad knee and back and arthritis. I just don't teach dance or play the cup game on the floor like I used to. I've gotten very innovative with how to teach those things. Sometimes it is even better because then the children are the owners of the product or activity, so to speak. (I really like the comments one of you made about conducting with a cane ... I've used mine as a pointer for the charts on the wall, but the long red boomwhacker is much lighter!.)
In my mind I feel like I did in my 30's and 40's but this body says, "Forget it!"
The most fun thing to say to kids now is ... " I have played my violin for 50 years or sometimes I say 1/2 century!" then the smarty ones say, "and how old were you when you started to play." (hehe, mathematicians in the crowd!)

(Pictures are from a wedding at one of Rowley cousin's)

Last Program is Over!

Yup, the last program is done. WooHoo!!!

The kids did very well both during the daytime and nighttime programs. There are so many things to tell but I'll try to keep it kind of short.

"My Planet, Your Planet" was a success. I'll have to email the composer and arranger of this Musick8 Musical and thank them . The kids wore their earth colored shirts today although one girl showed up with a "Hot Pink" shirt in the morning. But I guess she called home because this afternoon she was in a light green shirt. The message was well received by all and the kids sang so good today! I left three kids off the program but I already made them their own personal copies and will give them to them tomorow. I also made chorus certificates tonight.

Now since I have been so negative about a certain someone at my school she surprised me with the comment his afternoon, she said, "When would you like a break tomorrow?" I actually had her repeat it. Bad me!

I said, "I'd have to think about when?" How about the 6th grade block! What I have planned is really a lot of fun for the next few days. It is silly but fun music stuff that doesn't take any brains to do.... so why do I need a break? She also came over and helped me pass out the certificates. I really was grateful for her helping hands at that time.

What I really need now is for someone to help me straighten up my classroom.... Too many programs with too much stuff out of place, if you know me, I can get a bit messy but I do know where everything is!

When I get the copies of the pictures taken from the program I'll post some. A sweet mom said she would take pictures for me. I really like her, she has helped in years past with backdrops that I didn't really need to bother with this year because the stage had filing lineup along the back wall. Those will be gone next year though!

Now all that is left is to teach for 4 days, but in that time frame I need to make out grades for all the students, I'll try to finish that this weekend. Help with a powerhouse tomorrow morning and talent show Tuesday afternoon. And then on half day clean up and get ready to leave for the summer.

AND

RELAX!!! Maybe swim ?? Loose weight, eat right and sleep!

GO back on July 31??? What's up with that?