Fine Arts Weekly Update

Week of 3/30-4/3

Band 7- Ms. Tokos

Hello! Hope everyone had a good first week of e-learning! 7th Grade Band students should still plan to check their google classroom page each day for their Band assignment. The daily band assignment will consist of playing their instrument with specific instructions on which tunes/skills to practice. They should be practicing 30 minutes each day. Hopefully students are beginning to get familiar with SmartMusic and how it works. We will also be adding an online program called Soundtrap that students can use to record, edit, and mix tracks. Please encourage them to reach out if they have any questions or problems. I will begin to add a short online theory or listening assignments a few days a week as well. If students or parents have any questions, the best way to contact me is through email at tokos.emily@wgcloud.org.

Band 8- Mr. Stevison

This week in 8th Grade Band, students should have begun practicing their instruments again. Each day in google classroom, there will be a practice assignment including warm-ups and a “mystery” tune. Families are encouraged to help figure out the “mystery” tunes. Students also signed up for Smartmusic and Soundtrap. Smartmusic is an online practice and assessment tool for musicians. Students can record themselves through smartmusic and the program will assess their performance, providing them with real-time feedback. Soundtrap is an online recording studio. Students can use Soundtrap to record, edit, and mix tracks.

Next week, students should continue practicing their instruments daily for at least 30 minutes. We will also begin using Soundtrap to create our own music. Students should still check in on google classroom each day. They also have the option to attend the Zoom band classes. The Zoom classes will primarily be for answering questions. Unfortunately, it is not practical to have a group rehearsal through Zoom due to latency issues with internet speeds. If students or parents have any questions, the best way to contact me is through email at stevison.joe@wgcloud.org.

Choir 7/8- Mrs. Gado

Hi everyone! Thanks for being patient as we figure out the best way to keep making music together. On 4/1, I introduced a music journal, where kids can keep track of daily musical activities. My expectation is that they spend 30 minutes a day on a little bit of skills work (theory and sight reading) and then create or make music and log what they are doing.Every Friday, students must submit some evidence of what they worked on throughout the week: A video or audio recording, a composition--it’s very flexible. Next Friday, they will also be asked to complete an interval link and a sight reading link for me to keep them accountable for those skills.

I recognize that some students may be overwhelmed by the amount of choice, and will also post suggested activities, in case they can’t decide on their own.

I will be holding Zoom sessions to help explains some FAQs that I get throughout the week, and will announce what topic I’ll mainly be focusing on before the Zoom. Please keep asking questions and emailing me!

Orchestra 7/8- Mrs. Grubb

Hello everyone! We made it through our first week of online school! Hopefully you are starting to figure out the music programs we are using to help you practice your instruments and different music topics. If you are still working on it, that is okay. Keep trying and we will figure it out. You will receive daily completion points for each assignment posted on Google Classroom, so make sure you are keeping up as best as you can. Remember, if you need help with any assignments or tuning, please sign up for a Zoom conference in the link on our Google Classroom page, and reach out through email with any questions you may have. I am here to help!

Drama 1- Mr. Conners

Hello actors! Hope each of you are keeping safe and healthy. This week we had our first Zoom class meeting and it was a joy to see and talk to all of the students that joined. I went over the Fairytale scriptwriting unit that all Drama 1 students are working on. We did a check in to see where students were in terms of their scripts. As a reminder we will have our Zoom meetings on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at designated class times which are posted in the google classroom. Students will continue to write the Fairytale scripts in proper scriptwriting format.

Drama 2- Mr. Conners

Hello Drama II actors! Hope each of you are keeping safe and healthy. This week we had our first Zoom classroom and it was such a joy to see all of the students that partcipated in the session. As a reminder we will continue to Zoom on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I will start working with students in small groups of five through Zoom on the acting of their commercials. Students should have all commercials memorized by next Friday.

Art 1- Mrs. Hannel

This week Art 1 students will be choosing a portrait that they connect with as inspiration behind their first creative assignment. We will then move into art making from home! I know everyone has different materials available, so I plan to set some overarching goals and allow students to use what they have to create art from home!

Art 2- Mrs. Hannel

Last week my Art 2 students examined the 5Pointz art controversy and I asked them to develop their own opinion of what they believe the right solution would be. Monday students will post their final thoughts on the topic. The rest of the week is for making art! I know everyone has different art making materials at home, so I will give some basic guidelines, set some goals, and let students have a lot of choice in what they make.

Art 3- Mrs. Hannel

Art 3 students explored galleries virtually last week, so now we need to get back into the making of art! I want students to keep their original focus in mind and use whatever art materials they have at home to create new pieces. Plan on participating in an Art Share in our class zoom (9:30-9:55) on Friday to show what you have been working on. I do have a plan for a virtual gallery that we will use to put a show together… More new on this soon!

Contact Us

Mr. Conners- conners.eric@wgmail.org 314-918-4148

Mrs. Gado- gado.carin@wgmail.org 314-918-4565

Mrs. Grubb- grubb.stephanie@wgmail.org 314-918-4589

Mrs. Hannel- hannel.jenny@wgmail.org 314-918-4609

Mr. Stevison- stevison.joe@wgmail.org 314-918-4590

Ms. Tokos- tokos.emily@wgmail.org 314-918-4590