Finding the Fine Arts in the Generalist Teaching World

The following post is taken from Denise Gagne's monthly newsletter of "Themes and Variations" Music To subscribe to Themes and Variations monthly newsletter  CLICK HERE To check out FREE DOWNLOADS from Themes and Variations music site  CLICK HERE Holiday Concert Survival Guide By Stacy Werner   As I write this post, I can already feel the panic and stress setting in! Thankfully, as I’m on maternity leave this year I don’t have to worry about this busy time of year for music teachers. I would have to say music teachers are the ultimate event planners. Who else can coordinate and organize 500 students, 50 teachers and school staff, and nearly 1000 parents for multiple shows! It’s an extremely busy time for music teachers, so I hope some of these tips that I have used in the past might be helpful! These are some ideas for before the show so you have less work to do during your concert week!   Start Planning Early: ·        I begin planning my concert over

If you are interested in checking out my personal school website please see the link below. The website includes information about our events, the Music program, the French program, grade 5/6 Language Arts and current Art projects. PS, Weebly is a great tool for making websites! Just go to weebly.com. Send me an email if you need help setting up. CLICK HERE TO GO TO JULIE'S SCHOOL WEBSITE

Learning Through the Arts is currently a pilot project with my school. We have been grouped with 3 other schools in Calgary, and meet once a month with local artists and art specialists within the system. Learning Through the Arts provides support for projects that connect to the art and to media arts. Thus far the experience has been extremely valuable. We have explored the possibilities of designing learning tasks in the classroom with fine arts as the fuel to ignite our inquiries. The concept is that through encounters with art, encounters with art making, and encounters with artists students will have a richer experience with world of art while making connections to the curriculum. Essentially, art becomes the embodiment of everyday learning in the classroom. My inquiry with my grade 5/6 team in connection with the Social Studies Pillars of Democracy and Photography: Conceptual Photography My Favorite Spot Students venture outside to find a ‘special’ spot on the s

This year's Fine Arts Conference was a huge success and a lot of fun! It was great to see so many people out there to enjoy the fresh mountain air and some amazing workshops and sessions. Prepare yourself for next year! We will be holding the fine arts conference in Kananaskis. Thank you to all presenters and attendees this year. We had a blast!! From your conference committee... (I'm the serious one :P) You can also see pictures and posts from the event through Facebook! Just search up "Fine Arts Council of the ATA" to view and join our group.

The registration site for the ATA Fine Arts Council Conference is now up and running! Please click on the following link to book the best conference you will attend this year! https://event-wizard.com/FAC2015Conference/0/welcome/

Join the ATA Fine Arts Council at their annual conference! From October 22nd to 24th 2015, enjoy a rejuvenating getaway and build your mind for creativity. This year's fine arts conference will be held at the Coast Canmore Hotel and Conference Centre in the heart of Canmore Alberta. Book your stay right at the hotel for a discounted rate and enjoy renovated rooms and indoor pool and hot tub.  We have a great line up of professional artists! Louise Chong with mixed media assemblage, Sue Harvie with Orff inspirations and Joey B. with hip hop dance will be returning, along with a great selection of new presenters with sessions from zen tangles and ukeleles to nuno felting and stage combat! Included with your choice of sessions will be a thursday welcome evening, friday night banquet with entertainment as well as snacks and lunches throughout the days with a variety of cuisine to fit your dietary needs. We are also collecting a sizable amount of excellent door prizes t

Here are some companies who offer great programs, performances and field trips for your school: Three Left Feet Dance residencies for all levels with a culminating school-wide celebration School performance: "Elephant & Coyote"  May 30 - June 24, 2016 Characters found (and not found!) on the Alberta Prairies Click here for Three Left Feet Story Theatre Co. School Performances: Fables, Fools and Fantasy - interactive drama and literacy using traditional stories Anansi's Gift of Stories - Africa and Jamaican storytelling games Classroom Workshop: Flash Literacy Workshop - how to play storytelling games Prices range from $650-$895 Click here for Story Theatre Co.   Ruploops School Performances: Ruploops: A Musical Orbit  A live looping show using vocal percussion, rhythm rhymes and electric instruments Classroom workshop: Raise Your V.O.I.C.E. Beat Boxing Prices range from $650-$895 Click here for Ruploops Decidedly J

Children love to experiment with small percussion instruments, and they can be a great way to enhance any performance. But how do we incorporate the use of them into daily classroom activities? Here is a mini unit on exploring an assortment of small percussion instruments in a variety of ways, leading up to students creating their very own instrument! Materials Required ·       Shakers ·       Rhythm Sticks ·       Sand blocks ·       Bell Bracelets ·       Wooden Spoons ·       Materials for Shaker Experiment (see below) Rules and Expectations With any introduction to instruments, students need to understand when it is ok to use the instrument and when and how to listen to instruction. However you choose to set it up, stick to a routine! 1.      Discuss the concept of instruments similar to a tool: just like a hammer, there is a specific purpose for that tool and a particular way we use it. This is the same for any instrument. 2.      Hand out small s