Owner: Kindermusik by Sarah Flack URL:http://sarahflack.blogspot.com Join Date: Thu, 16 Nov 2006 11:58:39 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: Sarah is an award-winning early childhood music educator in Laredo, Texas. She gets to sing, dance, play instruments, laugh, and learn with children and their families each week. Her blog is a hodgepodge of moments and pictures from class, ramblings about Site statistics:Click here
Kindermusik Semesters 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Kindermusik classes for infants, babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-aged children are held in three semesters: Fall, Spring, and Summer. Fall semester starts at the end of August and runs through January. Spring semester runs February through the end of May. Summer semester is June through mid-August. Kindermusik by Sarah Flack offers classes year-round with choices in the morning, afternoon, and evening nearly every day of the week.AND, each semester is different for every age group. You don't have to worry about doing the same unit twice with your child. In fact, a child can start Kindermusik as a baby, continue until age seven, and never repeat a unit. That means seven years of songs, chants, fingerplays, dances, musical fun, and memories.We welcome friends and family to join us for a FREE class at any time. We will happily pro-rate tuition for families that enroll after the start of the semester.And, don't forget, Kindermusik by Sarah Flack classes are SATISFACTION GUARAN Read more:Kindermusik
Green Beaver Alert! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 "Momma, there was a green beaver on my shoe but it fell off and I stomped it."That was Noah's announcement on our way home from the playground earlier this evening. Knowing that our South Texas playground probably isn't infested with any furry little beavers, green or otherwise, I started asking questions to find out what he was talking about; after all, he had stomped on something.After several rounds of twenty questions, I was able to figure out that it was a sandburr on Noah's shoe. Earlier today, he unpacked a carton of eggs in the refrigerator, lined them up neatly into an "egg train" on the refrigerator shelf, and threw the carton away.Life with a three year old is always interesting. Read more:Green
, Beaver
, Alert
About Music 1970-01-01 00:59:59 "Music
gives a soul to the universe,Wings to the mind,Flight to the imagination...And life to everything."--PlatoWhat a gift you give to your child when you make music a part of her life!
Can Music Make You Smarter? 1970-01-01 00:59:59 By Wendy HarrisPost-Crescent staff writerExposing their young children to music just comes naturally to Jill and Bob Williams of Appleton."Music
is a huge part of our life," said Jill Williams, who plays piano, and also bassoon for the UW Fox Valley Concert Band and a local woodwind quintet.Since Rose, 3, and her baby sister, Lillian, 9 months, were born, music has been as integral a part of their lives as learning to walk and talk. Bob, a baritone with the White Heron Chorale, is always singing at home. Jill, meanwhile, is frequently practicing for concerts, or playing the piano, while Rose dances and keeps time with her castanets and baby Lillian bounces nearby in her exer-saucer.Jill is convinced all this music exposure is paying off."Rose is 3 and she is reading," she said. "She has the gift of language and I can't help but believe it's because of rhythm and rhyming and the flow of music."A growing body of research supports her observations.Exposing a child to great music — as
A New Look 1970-01-01 00:59:59 The Kindermusik by Sarah Flack website has a brand-new look. Check it out and let me know what you think.Did you know...you can register online (with options to pay by credit card or mail/pay in person by check or cash)?manage your account?see the current schedule (handy for deciding on make-up classes)?
Milk & Cookies! Yummy in my Tummy! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Our Time classes (for toddlers to 3 years) started a new book this week: Cookies
!Measuring and pouring, stirring and mixing, patting and rolling, and baking and waiting...lots of good movements and words in this book.Children often love to be kitchen helpers. I have fond memories of helping my mom when I was Noah's age--stirring the batter, "measuring" flour, pouring in oil, and, the best part, drawing in the back of mom's green handwritten cookbook.Here's one of my favorite cookie recipes from childhood:Date Nut BallsIngredients:1 egg1 1/2 tablespoons butter1 cup brown sugar1 cup chopped dates1 teaspoon vanilla2 cups Rice Krispies1 cup coconutDirections:Mix together in a heavy pot the egg, butter, brown sugar and dates. Cook and stir over medium heat until thick and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Allow to cool slightly. Stir in Rice Krispies. Roll mixture into small balls and roll in coconut.As Noah likes to say, "They are really yummy and tasty." ("Tasty" is one of Read more:Yummy
, Tummy
It was very LOUD... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 If you didn't make it to the premier concert of the Laredo Grenadiers, Laredo's first college level indoor drumline, you missed a great event. The VDT Magnet School Steel Drum Band started the evening off with several songs--some familiar ("La Bamba"), some not. More like seasoned performers than high schoolers, these musicians play well and seemed to really enjoy themselves.The Grenadiers indoor drum line performed next. Wow! They brought back fond memories of all my years marching with the band (high school & college). It's good to have a taste of DCI in Laredo. I'm looking forward to hearing more from this group of talented young students.And, Gregg Bissonette was wonderful, of course. He performed with both the high school and college groups--lucky kids! Don't forget--the LCC music faculty will be performing tomorrow night at 7:30. This is a good opportunity to let your children experience LIVE music.
Who Needs Sleep Anyway? 1970-01-01 00:59:59 A list of resources inspired by recent sleep discussions in several of our classes:Tips on Going To Sleep
Parent-Tested TechniquesMake A Sleep BookSleep for Babies and Toddlers31 Ways to Get Your Baby to Go to Sleep (Dr. Sears)iVillage Baby Sleep PageOne of the unadvertised benefits of Kindermusik classes is the community of parents you'll join. These are parents who are going through the same trials (and joys) of raising a child. In our informal chat sessions before and after class, we've helped one another with things like feeding picky children, selecting a preschool, and finding creative ways to have mommy time. And, for our many families that are newcomers to Laredo, Kindermusik has been a great place to make friends. So, keep the conversations going! Don't forget, you are always welcome to come early or stay late--either in the classroom or outside on the adjacent playgrounds. Read more:Needs
, Anyway
Music Around The World 1970-01-01 00:59:59 More than 5,000 licensed educators use the Kindermusik curricula in more than 35 countries, reaching 1 million families.That means children around the world are getting to know Aiken Drum with our infant classes, "dust, dust, dust"ing with our toddler classes, playing in the rain with our preschoolers, and making music with their families this fall.Children are enjoying Kindermusik classes in:AustraliaBelgiumBermudaCanada (Thanks, Michelle!)Cayman IslandsChinaColombiaCosta RicaEl SalvadorFranceGermanyGibraltarHong KongIrelandIsraelJapanMaltaMexicoNetherlandsPhilippinesPortugalQatarRepublic of KoreaDominican RepublicSingaporeSouth AfricaSpainSwitzerlandTaiwanThailandTurkeyUnited KingdomUnited StatesUnited Arab Emirates Read more:World
, Music
Musical Events for your Family 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Laredo Community College has two fabulous concerts coming up:Laredo Grenadiers Premier ConcertNew indoor drumline, Laredo Grenadiers, will perform along with the VMT Steel Drum Band and famed percussionist Gregg Bissonette. Tuesday, October 3, 2006 at 8 PMMartinez Fine Arts Center Theater (LCC Main Campus)Chamber Melange: A Faculty RecitalLCC faculty members Melissa Hinojosa (flute), Bobby Compton (violin), Lyle Perkins (french horn), Gregory Cain Budds (guitar), John Reimund (tuba), and Mary Grace Carroll (piano) will present an evening of great music. This is a great chance for your child to experience live performances of a variety of instruments.Wednesday, October 4, 2006 at 7:30 PMMartinez Fine Arts Center Theater (LCC Main Campus)Both events are free admission. Hope to see you there! Read more:Musical
, Family
October is... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 National Book Month.Music and literacy are natural partners:"Music helps lift reading off the paper - the words come alive to the kids," Joan Munro, Elementary School Reading Specialist.(Read with a Beat: Developing Literacy through Music and Song.Kolb, Gayla R. Reading Teacher,v50 n1 p76-77 Sep 1996.)"The successful acquisition of reading and writing in early childhood depends on a solid background in oral language skills. What better way to gain knowledge and confidence in oral language than through music? Oral language is an interactive and social process, and music is a natural way for children to experience rich language in a pleasurable way."(Promoting Literacy Through Music, Laura Woodall and Brenda Ziembroski)For more Music and Literacy research references, visit here.Two different storybooks are included with your At Home Materials each semester. Both storybooks are specially selected to relate to the semester's theme and easily lend themselves to singing ("Wishy Washy Whee!" Read more:October
Hello, Cool & Rainy Weather! Let's Play Together! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Wasn't today a nice change from our typical hot Laredo, Texas days? The rain combined with cooler temperatures made it a wonderful day for cuddling at home (and perhaps singing one of our class cuddling songs, "Skinnamarink").Several of my Imagine That! students (three years to five years old) let me know that they had been singing our rain rhythms "drip drip drip drop" and "pitter patter" today. Two little boys (Noah & Cullen) even shared with me an energetic rendition of "Rain, rain go away. Come again another one day!"Our Imagine That! unit theme for this semester,Hello
Weather, Let's Play Together, has been so much fun. Our preschoolers have just naturally connected with stomping in mud puddles, dancing in the rain and sun, and exploring rain and wind sounds. I was so proud of them this week as they lifted their perfect children's voices to sing our class songs! They didn't even need my help to sing our "Hello" song.We still have lots more fun musical learning in store for
Our First Kindermusik Class 1970-01-01 00:59:59 While cleaning out my picture drawer, I came across this picture of me and Noah at our very first Kindermusik
Village class. This was August (?) 2004 with Ms. Pat. Our first unit was Dream Pillow/Zoom Buggy,so this semester has been a trip down memory lane.He was so little!!Hold them close, moms! Don't miss a single minute, because they grow up too fast! Read more:First
Tales From The Kindermusik Convention, Part Three 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Day Three
of the KindermusikConvention
brought a chance for me to do some shopping at the Convention Store. Kindermusik shopping is one of the fun perks of being an educator and studio owner; each semester I get to add instruments, books, puppets, and other props to our studio supply closet--not only do we have the basics like sticks and bells and eggshakers, my teachers and I also have a large collection of world instruments, drums of all shapes and sizes, and other surprises to use in class. For each age level (infants & babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and big kids), I purchased at least one set of new instruments plus some new puppets and story books. Mr. Fish is one of the new Village (infants to 18 months) instruments.Morning also brought the opportunity to explore different topics in breakout sessions. Sister Patricia St. John, an "expert in early childhood music, the founder of Carondelet Music Center and its Executive Director," shared ways to approach teaching from a child-ce Read more:Tales
Tales From The Kindermusik Convention, Part Two 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Morning of Day Two was filled with the remaining sessions of the Leadership retreat. After a very interesting discussion about group theory by Dr. Clay Rowell, we were each presented with a "Little Red Box." Those of you that enjoyed the Village Baby camp last summer with me will remember this song--it's on the "Busy Days" Kindermusik
CD:"I wish I had a little red boxto put my baby in.I'd take her out,and kiss, kiss, kiss,and put her back again."The red boxes are for saving all those sweet notes, beautiful drawings, and other treasures from my Kindermusik families.Afternoon brought the arrival of hundreds of Kindermusik educators from around the world for the opening session of the convention. We were treated to a performance by the North Carolina A&T State University "Cold Steel" drumline. These musicians were incredible!Thursday also included a vocal training session with noted voice coach Arthur Joseph, and a charity auction for the Ruth D. Anderson Kindermusik Children's Fund. ( Read more:Tales
, Convention
, Part Two
Tales From The Kindermusik Convention, Part Four 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Time flies--it's the last day of convention. We filled our morning learning with Rosamund Zander,gifted psychotherapist and wife to Benjamin Zander. She took us deep inside our teaching philosophies and challenged us to assess the way we relate to each child. Excellent session...In the afternoon, we attended breakout sessions covering a variety of topics, including: applying the "Five Love Languages" to the classroom, teaching practices for preschool and big kid classes, including special needs children in the classroom, and using the American Sign Language Sign & Sing curriculum.The Awards & Recognition Banquet was Saturday evening. Though I wasn't able to stay for the banquet (rushed back to Tennessee to spend time with my parents and see my much-missed Noah), Kindermusik
by Sarah Flack was recognized for being a Maestro program, placing us as one of the top Kindermusik programs worldwide. Read more:Tales
, Convention
Spring 2007 Schedule Now Available 1970-01-01 00:59:59 The Spring
2007 Kindermusik Schedule
is now available online.If you would like a copy mailed to you, call (753-8199) or e-mail me, and I'll send one out. Spring semester starts January 29 and ends May 26.With more than twenty day, afternoon, and evening class times, Monday through Saturday, we're sure to have something that fits your schedule.It's easy to register for classes!Online:Our parent-friendly website is easy to use, especially late at night after the little ones have drifted off. Though Mastercard and Visa are accepted online, you do not have to use a credit card to save your space in class. By Phone: Call our studio telephone line (956-753-8199) to let us know which class(es) you wish to enroll in. We'll fill out your registration form for you and save your requested space(s).In Class: Stop by the studio during class times (M-Sat), and let us know which class(es) to enroll your family in.Looking forward to another great semester of making music with you!P. S.--Register b
Spring 2007 Class Themes 1970-01-01 00:59:59 One of the neat things about Kindermusik is that every semester brings a new theme for each class--infants & babies, toddlers, preschoolers, big kids. That means new music, books, songs, instruments, and learning.Here's a look at our themes for the Spring
:Village (0 to 18 mths)Hickory, Dickory, Tickle and Bounce is the theme for the first half of our sixteen-week Village semester. Research shows the more you expose your baby to nursery rhymes and songs, the stronger those emerging language-learning skills will be. That's why these Mother Goose-like stories and rhymes are featured in this unit. During the semester, you'll develop research-proven communication strategies with your child through listening activities, speaking "parentese," and American Sign Language.The Rhythm of My Day is the theme for the second half of our sixteen-week semester. This session will help you bring more rhythm and routine to your baby's day, as well as help her develop lasting learning skills. We'l
Tales From The Kindermusik Convention, Part One 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Trees changing colors, mountains, cool weather...The drive to North Carolina for the 2006 KindermusikConvention
was beautiful. I left Noah, still sound asleep, with my parents in Tennessee; this would be our longest time apart since he was born. He was very excited to get to spend time playing in the flower garden (also known as digging in the dirt), walking in the woods, and looking for bugs with Granny and Papaw. I, on the other hand, was a little (lot) nervous about being away from my "baby" and daydreaming about what I would do with all the free time I was sure to have at the hotel.I've been to conventions and workshops before, both as an early childhood music educator and in my former life as a graduate student/teaching assistant at East Tennessee State University. Some conventions are more of an excuse to see the host city than to learn, but not this one. As lovely as Greensboro looked to be, I didn't leave the hotel for more than hour during the four days of convention. It wa Read more:Tales
Why I Love Being a Kindermusik Educator: Reason No. 577 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Because I get to spend time with precious little ones like these (and their wonderful moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas, sisters, brothers, aunts, and uncles). Thanks for sharing pictures from the Kindermusik
Costume Party, Sophie! Read more:Reason
, Educator
Kindermusik Costume Party 1970-01-01 00:59:59 You are invited to a children's costume party! Bring your child in his or her favorite costume to the Kindermusik
studio at 10 E Del Mar Blvd on Sunday, October 22, from 2-3:30 PM. We'll have sweets (and a few healthy snacks), singing, dancing, a craft or two, and lots of chances to take pictures with friends.This event is most appropriate for children up to age seven, though older brothers and sisters may attend. You do not have to be currently enrolled in Kindermusik classes to join us, and current Kindermusik families are welcome to bring a friend. This is a family time, so NO scary costumes, please!! This is a FREE event but we do need you to RSVP (753-8199 or by e-mail at kmbysarahf@aol.com). Come join the fun! Read more:Party
October Kindermusik Newsletter 1970-01-01 00:59:59 The October
2006 issue of the Kindermusik
by Sarah Flack newsletter is now available. If you would like a copy, e-mail me, and I'll add you to the newsletter list.
Costume Party Fun 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Our Kindermusik room was full of superheroes, mice, princesses, fairies, an elephant, and more today. (Did you see my little friend with the purple mohawk, by the way?)We had so much fun playing with pumpkin seeds (some eating the seeds, some using them for crafts), exploring pumpkins, eating lots of yummy foods (thanks for the marshmallows, J. J.), hearing the story of Fred, the Hungry Pumpkin, and capping the party off with an exciting costume parade.Thanks to everyone who was able to spend the afternoon with us!P. S.--This is the play dough recipe I used:3 cups of flour 1 1/2 cups of salt3 cups of water2 tablespoons of vegetable oil1 tablespoon cream of tartarFood coloring or 1 package of UNSWEETENED Kool-AidIn a saucepan, mix flour, salt, and cream of tartar. Slowly stir in water (like making gravy). Add vegetable oil and food coloring; mix well. Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly, until dough starts to pull away from sides of the pan. It will become difficult to stir. Read more:Party
On The Road to Laredo 1970-01-01 00:59:59 We'll be leaving for the airport this afternoon and officially back in Laredo
late (as in 2 AM late) this evening. Kindermusik Convention 2006 was incredible; I have LOTS to share with you all. Keep an eye on this blog for pictures and convention stories later this week (when I have my computer back). Remember, classes resume tomorrow. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone!
Looking Ahead: Kindermusik Calendar Reminders 1970-01-01 00:59:59 All classes (except for Family Time) will meet the weeks of December 4 and December 11.December 18-22 is a bonus week of classes. We'll be doing winter-themed songs and activities this week. This is a great time to make-up missed classes or spend extra time together at Kindermusik
.The week of January 1 and January 8 are the final two class weeks of the Fall semester.Spring classes start on January 29 and run through May. Read more:Calendar
Hey, It's me! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 During the recent Kindermusik convention, we were given the opportunity to have professional headshots taken. I'm trying to get blogger to let me use mine in my profile so just ignore this post.
Moments Like These 1970-01-01 00:59:59 At bedtime earlier tonight, Noah was actually letting me cuddle with him. There I was, cradling him in my arms, singing one of our special "Noah and Mommy" lullabies, and rocking him. He was quiet, content, caught up in the moment....or so I thought. Suddenly, my child looks up at me and states: "Mama, your shirt is dirty. You need to get the dirt off it." Ah well, such is life when living with a preschooler. Read more:Moments
December Kindermusik in Laredo News 1970-01-01 00:59:59 The super-sized December
issue of our Kindermusik
studio newsletter went out yesterday. If you would like to join the mailing list or have a copy sent to your (snail)mailing address, e-mail me.Here's a recap of this month's news: New Class Schedule Available Now...With over twenty classes to choose from, Monday through Saturday, in the day, afternoon, and eveningDecember Kindermusik Events...Bonus Classes, Update on the last classes of the Fall semester, and an invitation to the Noon Year's Eve PartyFindings from an George Mason University study about the benefits of repeated enrollment in Kindermusik classesKindermusik Gift Certificates....Can be customized and available in any amountMusic Box Parents Night...Kindermusik's specially-designed program for preschools and day cares; come see what a class is likeDecember Contest...win a $25 Kindermusik gift certificateThanks for reading! Read more:Laredo
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