Hello Grade 5 Families,

Here is an update of what we have been up to in Grade 5 Music so far this year.

We began our year with some simple fun with music, by learning two new songs, in order to sing all together with the rest of the school at our first assembly. We learned the Beatles’ “ObLaDi ObLaDa” as well as the Hebrew song “Acheinu”. We spoke about the meaning of the songs, which relate to family and people we care about. The Grade 5 class was also tasked with creating their own verse for “ObLaDi ObLaDa” that relates to something positive at OJCS. Here is an example of one verse from one of our students.

“Down in mathematics we solve everyday

Science, we have pulleys and a string

But my favorite part is gym class where we run and play

And at the end of classes we will always sing. “

We sang the songs together with the entire school at our first Rosh Chodesh assembly, which we have each month. These assemblies are a great opportunity to demonstrate our “RUACH” and togetherness.

For our newest project, students are working in small groups and choosing any song they like to use its tune for Adon Olam. We were inspired by several fun Adon Olam tunes that we heard online and now we will be recording our own. Each group submitted 3 choices of songs and I helped them to select the most appropriate one. After practicing, each group will record their song and it will be posted right here on this blog upon completion.

On top of that, we have been learning a new song from Birkat Hamazon. Students sing the first part of Birkat Hamazon daily after eating lunch. There are many more parts to Birkat Hamazon, including several other fun and catchy songs. Grade 5, along with Grade 3 & 4 have been learning to sing the final paragraph “Migdol Yeshu’ot Malkot…” as well as some fun hand motions that go along with it. When we have completed learning, we will all gather together and sing it as a school at our next Rosh Chodesh assembly.

Thanks for reading!

Moreh David Kogut

Hello Grade 4 families,

Before the break, each Grade 4 class broke up into small groups, chose a song that they liked , practiced and recorded it. I was very proud of their work, and although a proper recording is difficult to do, they rose to the challenge and worked hard to do the best they could. You can listen to your child’s recording below. Enjoy!

Moreh David Kogut

Grade 5 music has been off to a slow start this year. With the holidays coinciding with our Friday classes, as well as other interruptions to the schedule, we have only had a handful of classes so far. From now on, we will have more consistency and be able to get into a groove, where we can accomplish some great and exciting things. 

So far, we had focused on learning a few songs that are associated with the Holidays. We learned the song “Avinu Malkeinu” around the time of Rosh hashanah and Yom Kippur, a song that students would be able to participate in, if they were in the synagogue on those days. Another mission of our music class this year is to learn songs from the Holiday prayer service called Hallel. We learned the song “Betzeit yisrael”, which is a song that I taught to many other classes in the school as well, so we could all sing it together at our last Rosh Chodesh assembly. We are now learning “H’ Zecharanu Yevarech”, another song from Hallel, which we will all sing together at the next Rosh chodesh assembly. 

We have also now begun to learn to play the recorder. Students will now be bringing recorders home, to practice what we have done in class (apologies…). Each week ,they are taught to play new notes, and given challenges to master songs that use those notes. They are assessed regularly and are given “belts”, or coloured pieces of yarn to tie around the backs of their instruments, as they are able to play more challenging songs. We will continue with this unit for the next two months, and we plan on making some recordings and sharing with families when we are ready. The first few lessons are attached, which include a rubric and instructions for playing notes and new songs.

Grade 4 music has been off to a great star this year! Throughout the first two months that had many Jewish holidays, we focused our attention on learning songs relating to the holidays, so the students could feel included if they wanted to participate in synagogue prayers. We learned songs like “Avinu Malkeinu”, which is a regular song shared on Rosh hashanah and Yom Kippur services. We also learned songs such as “Ki Mitzion” and “Vekarev Pezureinu”, which are often sung on Succot and Simchat Torah. Another mission of our music class is to learn songs from the Holiday prayer service called “Hallel”, so when we meet for our all school assemblies every Rosh Chodesh, we can sing one Hallel song, along with most other classes from the school. We learned the Hallel song “Betzeit Yisrael”, which we joined in singing at the last Rosh Chodesh assembly, and we are now learning “H’ Zecharanu Yevarech”.

Our current project involves students splitting into small groups, and choosing a song that they like (and approved by the teacher) that they will learn to sing, and we will record their songs when each group is ready. I will make these recordings available on the music blog as well. 

Grade 3 music has been off to an exciting start this year. It is apparent that these students have grown and matured since last year and are able to connect with songs and their meanings, and learn longer songs, as their abilities to read song lyrics has improved as well. 

This music class is specifically a Jewish music class, where we learn Hebrew songs and prayers, but we also take time to appreciate other secular songs that deliver a positive and uplifting meaning that we can connect to as Jews and as good citizens of the world. 

We began the year by learning the song “High Hopes” by panic at the disco, which every other class learned in their music classes as well, so we could sing it all together at the first all school assembly. This went very well and students not only understood the message but also sang with enthusiasm with the rest of the school. 

We then turned our attention to songs relating to the Jewish holidays. We learned songs like “Avinu Malkeinu” for Rosh Hashanah and yom kippur, as well as “Ki Mitzion” and “Vekarev Pezureinu” for sukkot and Simchat Torah. 

Another mission of Grade 3 music is to explore the songs for the holiday prayer service of Hallel. As this service is traditionally said in the morning prayer service at Rosh Chodesh, we sing one song from Hallel each month, when we have our all school Rosh Chodesh assembly. So far, we have learned to sing “Betzeit Yisrael” and we are now working on “H’ Zecharanu yevarech”, so we can all sing it at the next assembly for the Hebrew month of Kislev. 

Moving forward, we are working on a new project where students will select a song from a few that I have provided, and learn to sing it in a small group, which we will record and share with families upon its completion.

Music in Grade 2 this year has been fun and educational. This is specifically a Jewish music class, where we learn songs in both English and Hebrew and connect them to ourselves as young Jewish students. We have been learning songs that correspond to Jewish Holidays and learning why we sing them and why they are important to us. Some songs we have learned are “Avinu Malkeinu”, “Ki Mitzion” and Vekarev Pezureinu”. We also always take some time to talk about the Holidays and learn some more facts and reinforce what they are learning with their Hebrew teachers. 

As the year progresses, we will continue learning songs for Jewish holidays, we will learn songs for Shabbat and spend some time learning more songs from birkat hamazon/grace after meals. We will be doing class recordings of many of the songs we learn and they will be shared on the blog, as we record them. We have also had the chance to learn about the guitar, which is the instrument that I use in class to lead the songs that we sing. We have learned about how it produces sound, as well as the names and functions of many of the parts of the guitar. We also had the opportunity to have an electric guitar in class and understand how it works a little differently than an acoustic guitar. 

The energy in our music classes has been very positive and it’s been an exciting time, where learning feels a little different than it does in other parts of the day! 

 

Grade 1 music has been an exciting experience so far this year. As we had some music classes in Kindergarten at the end of last year, we had learned some Hebrew songs, such as “Baruch Hagever” and “Hashem Melech” that we would use to springboard into the year this year. From there, we began learning some songs for shabbat, such as “Bim Bam (shabbat Shalom)” and “gilly good Shabbat”. We then turned our attention to the Jewish Holidays, where we learned some songs associated with them, such as “Avinu Malkeinu” and “Ki Mitzion”. 

All the while, we were learning about the guitar, the instrument I use in class with them. We learned how it makes sound, as well as the names and functions of many of the different parts of the guitar. We also had the opportunity to use an electric guitar in class and explore the differences between that and an acoustic guitar. 

Most recently, we have begun looking at some light music theory, such as learning about beat, rhythm and high vs. low sounds. 

As we continue this year, we will follow the Jewish holidays and learn about them as well as Jewish music associated with those holidays. When we are not learning about the holidays, we will be learning new and engaging Jewish songs, as well as learning more songs of Birkat Hamazon, or grace after meals.