"We are the music-makers, And we are the dreamers of dreams... yet we are the movers and shakers of the world forever, it seems."
Arthur William Edgar O'Shaughnessy
English poet
Welcome to music at Newtown Elementary School!
Here we explore the elements of music- rhythm, melody, tone color, and form- through singing, playing instruments, and movement. All fifth and sixth grade students have the experience of singing in the choral environment in addition to general music class.
Children learn and practice skills that serve them beyond music:
The primary purpose of the Council Rock music curriculum is to provide and maintain a program of music education that will benefit all students. Individual abilities, interests, and needs are met through the availability of classroom general music, instrumental instruction, vocal instruction, performing groups, and through special course offerings. Continuing efforts are made to discover aptitudes and encourage development of those abilities. Emphasis on the fundamentals of music is stressed through a conceptual approach which utilizes study, composition, analysis, listening, and performance of a selected music literature. Representative repertoire will include music of a wide range of periods, styles, cultures, forms, composers, and technology.
Meet your teacher
Hello, and welcome to the Music Homepage! I am the general/vocal music teacher here at Newtown. Prior to coming to NES in 2006, I taught Elementary Music in the Northern Virginia area. I attended college at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where I studied music education with a vocal concentration for four years. I have also completed Level III Certification in Orff-Schulwerk, Level II Certification in Kodaly Education, Level I Certification in World Music Drumming and have received a certificate of Critical Pedagogy for Music Education. (If you don't know what these things mean, I'd love to chat with you about it!)
I have also completed my Master's in Music Education at Westminster Choir College. Presently I am working on my Ph.D. in music education at Temple University. Go Owls!
On a more personal note, I am married, and have three children, Grace, Luke, and Josh. My husband and I are both Council Rock alumni! Some of my hobbies-- other than making music, of course-- include scrapbooking, quilting, biking, reading good novels and solving different types of puzzles!
I consider myself so fortunate to be able to work with the musicians of Newtown Elementary School each day!
