Speciality Highlight August 2025: Music
Our musical adventures have gotten off to a great start this year! The theme this year is folk songs from around the world, and each week we’ll learn a new song. We started close to home in the Georgia Sea Islands with “Yonder Come Day”, an arrangement of a song from the Gullah Geechee people. Next was a song called “Tingalayo” from Jamaica about a stubborn donkey. In every class, the students will listen, beat rhythm, sing, move to music, and play instruments.
The students love to ask what instruments they will play this year, and in all likelihood, parents are curious too! While the curriculum may be adjusted as the year goes on based on student needs, the plan is to teach pentatonic flute and penny whistle in First Grade, recorder in Second/Third Grade, ukulele in Fourth/Fifth Grade, and guitar in Middle School. There will also be bucket drumming in Middle School, and all grades will play a variety of percussion instruments.
As our calendar of songs is planned out for the year, it would be wonderful to make sure our students’ families and cultures are represented in the songs we sing. If you have a culture you would like included in our journey around the world, please let me know (stephaniep@thegardenmarietta.org). Song suggestions are also appreciated, and we would be thrilled if anyone would be interested in using their volunteer hours to come to our class and share their song with us!
Warmly,
Ki Stephanie
