January ’20 things to do:

I’ve Got a Dream by Jon Fisher 

I’ve got a dream and I can’t get rid of it 
I believe in every bit of it 
Been stuck inside of me Ever since nineteen sixty three

It’s about the content of one’s character 
Ain’t nothing else gonna matter 
If around the welcome table 
Everybody’s got a seat
From the Lookout Mountain in Tennessee 
To the streets of New York City 
An endless line of marchers
Until everybody is free

CHORUS

Every valley raised and exalted 
Every mountain barrier vaulted 
On the sunlit path to freedom 
A beautiful symphony
In every hamlet, town and city 
No rest and no tranquility
’til free at last, free at last 
Sweet land of liberty

CHORUS

On the Washington Mall that August 
As the marchers gather before us 
We make our choice, lift every voice 
And justice is the song
It was the greatest demonstration 
In the history of the nation 
The struggle is long and the struggle is hard 
And now it’s ours to carry on

CHORUS

December ’20 Things to do:

Kindergarten and 2nd grade

Scroll down and
1. Sing our holiday song “All about Love”
2. Watch and learn the whole Story of the Nutcracker by watching the 5 minute video
3. You can also watch the next REALLY FUN scene with the Drosselmeyer’s dolls – the dancing toys
4. Watch the video that shows what instruments being played and ….
5. Go back to the classroom, answer some questions and tell me how you did!

3rd, 4th and 5th grade

Scroll down and
1. Sing our holiday song “All about Love”
2. Watch and be reminded of the whole Story of the Nutcracker by watching the 5 minute video
3. optional- You can also watch the next FUN scene with the Drosselmeyer’s dolls – the dancing toys
4. Do the next step “Practicing the beat” with the video. Get really good at making your hands into a whole drum set! We will be ready to play real drums when you come back to Symonds!
5. Go back to the classroom, answer questions and tell me how you did….

“All Above Love”

Here’s our song about ALL of the holidays. Play the recording of Mr. Siegel singing it with Symonds kids last year and sing along with the words:

THIS IS A SONG ABOUT THE COMMONALITY BETWEEN ALL HOLIDAYS IN THE “SEASON OF LIGHT”.  THE SONG FEATURE MS. MARCHI’S & MS CARR’S 3RD GRADERS AND MRS. CRANK AND MS. STARKEY’S 4TH GRADERS.

All About Love

by Mr. Siegel

Sometimes you feel so lowly as darkness creeps up slowly
This time of the year is the time of the year that You start to bundle up
But families are united and old friends reunited
This time of the year is the time of the year that you gather and fill your cup

It’s all about bringing light to the darkness
It’s all about love

Light Shines for Diwali, Kwanza and Christmas time
This time of the year is the time of the year
when we sing and dance and dine
Hannukah has it’s story, there are tales of festive old yule time
This time of the year is the time of the year where all stories intertwine
They might tell us we are different

Out of ignorance and fear
But you can’t refute what’s at the root
Of this time of the year
You might believe it’s about Jesus 
Or a lamp that burned so bright
We all know across the world we’re just celebrating light

Doesn’t matter where you come from or what stories that you tell
There’s  family and  memories of tastes and sounds and smells
Our world’s not always loving, the world can be unfair 
But This time of the year is the time of the year when we show the world we care

________________________________________________

K-5 The 4 minute NUTCRACKER! Enjoy!

Notice what instruments are being played in the Nutcracker in the following video:

3rd, 4th, and 5th grade challenge!

1. Watch the video about making your body a drum kit. Do it! It’s VERY challenging but have fun! Then reflect in the google classroom exit ticket.
2. Watch the video below and try to rap to the beat that I created– there is a music link- play it and rap!
3. Try the bonus challenge with the “greatest show”.

Try to make your body a drumset!

Mr. Siegel’s rap beat. Time for you to freestyle!

How did you do? Now try this for fun!

November ’20 Learning Links

Themes:
* Thanksgiving
* Making Rhythm and music with your body

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. EVERYONE, sing along with “Sandwiches” and “Thanksgiving Day” below.
2. After you are done, Everyone, Kindergarten- 5th Grade, go on to the “story of RAP” video and try the simple body percussion videos with Mr. Siegel.
3. 2nd grade- 5th grade participate in the freestyle rap and drumming videos
4. EVERYONE go back to the google classroom and complete the exit ticket/ reflection
5. Even though I recommend certain things for grade levels, you all are welcome to try everything and HAVE FUN!

All school songs:
“Sandwiches” and “Thanksgiving Day”

Because this is the last week before the holiday season begins, we will sing about being thankful and of course FOOD. Sing along with the video, audio and lyrics below:

Sandwiches by Fred Penner

Sandwiches are beautiful, sandwiches are fine –
I like sandwiches, I eat them all the time.
I eat them for my supper and I eat them for my lunch;
If I had a hundred sandwiches, I’d eat them all at once!

Well I’m roamin’ and a-travelling and a-wanderin’ alone,
And if you care to listen I will sing a happy song;
I will not ask a favour and I will not ask a fee
but if you have yourself a sandwich won’t you give a bite to me?

Well once I went to England – I visited the Queen!
I swear she was the grandest lady that I’d ever seen…
I told her she was beaootiful and could not ask for more;
She handed me a sandwich and she threw me out the door!

Once I met an old man who had a loaf of bread
He saw that I had tuna fish, he looked at me and said
“Your tuna fish is lonely, my slice of bread is bare
but we can have some sandwiches if you would care to share

Well a sandwich may be egg or cheese or even peanut butter,
But they all taste so good to me it really doesn’t matter.
Jam or ham or cucumber or any kind will do –
I like sandwiches – how about YOU?!

Thanksgiving Day
by John McCutcheon
Sung by 4C

Chorus
Thankful for the food
Thankful for the company
Thankful for the things
That we do and say
Thankful for the friends
Thankful for the family
Glad to be together
On Thanksgiving Day

On the edge of season here in late November
Autumn nearly over and winter in the air
We have good reason to pause and remember
The blessing that we share Chorus

Let us remember those gone before us
The ones with the brain and the strength and the might
Showed us the way, laid it before us
Turned the darkness into light 

Let us imagine those still in waiting
The ones who look so open-eyed
Those who’ll one day rise before us
Strong and proud prepared to guide Chorus

May the ways that we treat others
Be the measure of our worth
May our memory be a blessing
On the future of this earth Chorus

©1997 John McCutcheon/Appalsongs (ASCAP) and Joe Hill Music (ASCAP)

Kindergarten – 2nd grade

DIRECTIONS:
Watch and follow these short videos. Learn about “Rap” and then you can make beats that you can “rap to” and let me know how you did in the google classroom exit ticket:

The History of Rap!

CHALLENGE! NOW, can you say this while using your hands to make a beat?:

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty together again

How did you do?