The Longest Months

by Rachel Grimsby, Fort Hunt ES

The months of February, March, and April tend to be a teachers hardest (and longest) months of instruction. Our days are filled with meetings that may or may not pertain to us, ECART and SOL speak seem to be the focus of the building, meanwhile we specialist fear the constant threat of snow interfering with our already abbreviated instructional days and rehearsals. It is so important during these months that we focus on our purpose; our students. Continue reading “The Longest Months”

Folk Dancing is Fun

by Cheryl Baker, Mount Eagle ES

Last year, I had the opportunity to teach a special music class to my primary classes. Each quarter, I focused on some aspect of music (dance, musical drama, intensive Orff instruments and music and puppets). This article will focus on my experience with the quarter I taught dance. For a whole quarter, we danced. Kindergarten, First and Second grades. When I first began teaching, I had no idea how to teach a bunch of wiggly little kids how to dance, but once I learned to break down the skills needed for that dance, the teaching process was much easier, and the children had a lot of fun! Continue reading “Folk Dancing is Fun”

And the Mini-Grants go to…….2013-2014 Winners Announced!

Congratulations to the winners of the 2013-2014 FGMEA Mini-Grants!

  • Alicia Wyler (Oakton ES): Portable & Personal PA Systems
  • Jacqueline Yoerges (Rose Hill ES): Noteflight for Literacy

FGMEA members can read the winning proposals from this year and last on the FGMEA Documents page. Grant Co-Chairs Bev Ogden and Josie Walker wish to thank all those who submitted an application, and acknowledge Michael Dennis and Kelly Harbison for their invaluable assistance in reading and rating all of the excellent proposals.

New Videos: Games & Dances for Music Teachers

Games and Dances for Music TeachersWe just posted 10 videos of Singing Games and Dances for music teachers demonstrated by our FCPS colleagues and led by FGMEA’s own Kate Fellin. These are great activities for all elementary grades, including classics like Chicken on a Fencepost, Lucy Locket, Sally Go Round the Sun and more!
Take a look at all the videos now on the FGMEA Videos page.

FGMEA Mini-Grant Deadline extended to November 15, 2013

It’s time to dream big! What would you like to have in your music program?  Projects to build community with parents in your school?  New instruments?  Music technology for your school? Please consider applying for an FGMEA Mini-Grant of up to $500. FGMEA. will be awarding 2 mini-grants of up to $500 each for use to support your general music curriculum. The application form is easy to fill out, so why not get started? The application deadline is November 15, 2013, and you must be a member of FGMEA to apply.
Click here for a grant form with instructions.