Goodbye, Butterfly

It often takes a while for any important occasion to take place.  This was true for the release of the butterflies flying from Ms. Hicks' first grade classroom into their new outside home.

While they were waiting, the kids reflected upon how they felt about saying goodbye.

"I'm happy," said Adam, "because the butterflies are going to find a whole new world out there."

"I'm happy and sad," said his friend.  "Sad because I wanted them to stay with us, but happy because this means they can go make other butterfly friends."

 

Finally it was time.

Songs were sung.

"Caterpillar, caterpillar, what do you say?

Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle all of the day!"

Dances were danced and then...

Good wishes and butterfly-decorated noisemakers sent the butterflies on their way.

In a moment, they were gone. 

Pitch, Rhythm, and Tempo

Many people remarked that the kids sang so well when they performed our school play, Evacuation Day The Musical.  Why not, we have naturally talented kids attending the Perkins School.

Actually, there's another reason as well.  This is the second year that we've had our music teacher, Ms. Lynch.  That means that the kids have had two years to learn about rhythm, tempo, and pitch as well as how to use them while singing.

Here's a sample class that Ms. Lynch might (and did) do with some first graders:

First come warm ups...

 
Stretching,

 

loosening your muscles including the jaw, 

loosening your vocal chords and clapping out some rhythms to get in the mood.

Then since the kids were clapping, they ended up incorporating those movements into a game.  Or, into a song.  Actually, into a game that includes a song.  Have you ever sang a hand-clapping game called "Mary Mack?"

 

Miss Mary Mack, Mack, Mack

All dressed in black, black, black

With silver buttons, buttons, buttons [butt'ns]

All down her back, back, back.

She asked her mother, mother, mother

for fifty cents, cents, cents

To see the elephants, elephants, elephants

Jump the fence, fence, fence.

They jumped so high, high, high

they reached the sky, sky, sky

And didn't come back, back, back

Till the the 4th of July, ly, ly!

 

 

Clapping is a natural accompaniment to singing.  Ms. Lynch has shown the kids that reading can be too.  

She had read this class a book called Ming Lo Moves the Mountain before.  She had also taught them where and when to chime in by singing choruses that go along with the story.
 

Now, it's time for the kids' part!

 "Go to the wise man.  Listen very carefully.  He will tell you what to do.  So, go Ming Lo."

"Throw the bums out..."

These kids look like they are scowling at the camera or giving the photographer the "hairy eyeball." No, they are actually American colonialists who are getting increasing angry at the British.  Very, very angry, especially about taxation without representation.

You know what these feelings lead to, don't you?  You're right, one answer is the American Revolution.  Another is the second annual production of...

 

Some of our readers may already know that the Perkins School kids (and parents and teachers) have published a book called Why Do We Celebrate Evacuation Day? It tells the story of George Washington's first victory against the British during the Revolutionary War. Even more exciting, this victory took place right behind our school. Our book was published in 2007 and is in its third edition.


Last year, we took this story and turned it into a musical play.  This year, we're doing it again.

 

The rehearsals have begun.  Ms. Lynch is using some music classes to teach or remind the kids of all the original songs written for the show.  Reverend Burns Stanfield, a local pastor and professional musician, is helping the kids learn their lines and dance moves. It doesn't quite look like an uprising yet, but it's amazing how things come together.  Just look at a scene from last year's production... 

Work hard, kids.  We don't have too long until showtime.