Mrs. Conway's Tri-Weekly Trivia Question

The answer to our first question has been revealed!  Click here to find out "Who Said It?" and which class is the smartest!

Here's the second Tri-Weekly Trivia Question of the year - how well do you know your instruments?  To vote, click on the button next to your answer.  Then, click on "Place Your Vote!" and you're done!  A pop-up window will appear with a tally of all our web-based votes.

Instrumental Instruments! The harpsichord was a very popular instrument during the Baroque Period. Bach, Handel, and Vivaldi (all Baroque composers) wrote many pieces for harpsichord. A harpischord usually has two manuals and sets of strings played by: strumming with your fingers plucking with a bird quill hitting with a felt-covered hammer none of the above View Stats  Bravenet

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Tuesday, December 4

Christmas Program???  OK...It's Panic Time!

Letters about this year's Christmas program (La Fiesta de la Navidad) are going out today in your Family Packet, so please keep an eye out for them.  As always, we need some help with gathering props, putting props together, and setting up for the program.  Please consider helping out if you can - last year, two people helped me sew elastic bands onto 200+ gift bows last year the weekend before the show.  I know I did about 115 of those on my own - let me tell ya, it was NOT fun.  The props for this year are very easy to make - they would also be a great project to do with your children!  We need many pieces of posterboard cut into "petal" shapes, have glitter added to them, and then attach them to a paint stirrer (by stapling 2 petal shapes, back to back near the handles).  I promise, it's easy.  We have nearly 300 pieces of posterboard to cut (for a total of 150 petals).

Costuming information!  Costuming is very spare and basic this year - students will dress in the "ranchero" style.  This is a romanticized version of old-country Mexico.  Boys will wear black pants with white button down shirts and a red sash (think mariachi).  Girls should wear a pretty white blouse (can have embroidery or light decoration) with very colorful skirts.  The fuller the skirt, the better; you can even layer several skirts to make them poofy.  Girls can also wear their hair in braids or with flowers/ribbons.  ALL the children will need a colorful poncho that they can fold up and "hide."  I used to make these simple, no-sew ponchos when I was a child: take 1 yard of fabric (fleece, cotton or polyester are GREAT) and fold it in half ON THE DIAGONAL so it makes a big triangle.  Fold it in half again so it makes a small triangle.  To make a hole for the head: take a pair of scissors and cut a chunky slit off the inner corner of the triangle (cut AWAY from the side with the single fold, along the side with two folds).  You can fray (rip up) the edges, add fringe, ribbon (whatever!) to personalize it more.  If your child already has a poncho, they can wear it for the program.

Here are some links and photos to help you get a good sense of how your child should dress:

Another easy-to-make poncho, with pictures!

A pillowcase poncho!

Make-up and hair ideas for girls: Dress for a Fiesta

5th Grade Band Sign-up and 4th Grade Recorder Forms

WELCOME BACK!!!

We're off to a great start this school year - almost every class has met for their first music class of the year.  We have some new features in the classroom this year.  The Composer and Instrument of the Month bulletin boards have been refined, and the Recorder Karate wall features progress stars instead of colored bars. These changes have been made to make the boards easier to update.  In addition to this, there will be a tri-weekly trivia question posted in the classroom and online.  Parents and guests are invited to participate in this fun activity!  New music-learning programs have been designed for the 5th and 6th grades; they will participate in the Music Olympics and Musical Time Travels, respectively.  Bulletin boards for these programs will be added in the hallway at a later date.

Changes have also been made on the website as well!  New features are being added, and the site will be updated on a regular basis.  I hope that the information you find on these pages is informative, interesting, and entertaining!  If you ever have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at (208)765-4327, x201 or at kconway@hfcs.net.

• Redline family: a trombone and a baritone for rent at a very good rate to HFCS band students

• Kearns family: a lightly-used trumpet for sale

5th Grade: Band Presentation Schedule for Thursday, Sept 13

Mr. Keith Milligan of Northwest Academy of Music will do a short demonstration on traditional band instruments in the Music Room on Thursday, Sept 13 @ 12PM (noon).  He will also talk about the rental program available through Northwest Academy.  Students who choose to participate in band may rent or purchase instruments through Northwest Academy, Taylor Music (a California-based company that Holy Family has used with great success), or through another avenue.  Holy Family also has instruments available for loan (see above Kudos).  To hear and learn more about beginning band instruments, check out the Instruments of Praise website.  Please note that stringed instruments are not band instruments, but orchestral instruments.

The Music Money / Band Bucks Reward Program

This very popular rewards program is back again this year!  Students earn these colored dollar bills through a variety of ways, a few of which include: demonstrating charity and good behavior in class, being a leader, being extra helpful, and practicing their music.  Students in general music earn "Music Money," while band students earn "Band Bucks."  Although both are essentially the same, they are not interchangeable.  Students are responsible for keeping these bills safe until the end of the quarter, when they can redeem them for treats and prizes in the Music Store or deposit them in the "bank."  I do not replace missing, lost, or stolen money.  If YOU (the parent) are the one responsible for the loss of your child's money (it went through the wash, in the trash, etc.), then you can write me a note and I will "refund" your child the average amount collected in class.

Please note: if there is anything that you do not want your child purchasing from the store (e.g. more than one candy bar per quarter, peanut M&Ms, temporary tattoos),  please let me know via e-mail.  Otherwise, I cannot be blamed if your child comes home with a gallon bag of Hot Tamales against your wishes!  :-)  Pictures of Music Store are posted below so you can see why the children love this program.  Many children buy presents for family members from the store!