September 14 - An Important Day!

In music classes we have been talking a lot about the Star-Spangled Banner  as well as other patriotic songs as we begin this year.   
 September 14 is the 204th  anniversary of Francis Scott Key writing of the poem, "In Defense of Ft. McHenry" which later became known to us as our national anthem, the Star-Spangled Banner.  

Mary Pickersgill was known as one of the top flag makers in Baltimore.  Major George Armistead wanted something flying over the garrison guarding Baltimore's waterfront that would be seen by the British, even from a distance.  Mary was commissioned to make the flag...30 by 42 feet....it required 300 yards of wool, and had 2-foot wide stripes as well as 15 stripes and stars.  She had to work on the flag in a nearby brewry as her own home wasn't even large enough.  Taking 6 weeks to sew with the help of about 5 other women, Mary Pickersgillcompleted the flag and was paid $405.90 for her work.  The main flag weighed about 50 pounds (23 kg), and it took 11 men to raise it onto a 90-foot (27-meter) flagpole.  There was also a smaller storm version that flew during the battle, costing $168.54. 

In addition to reviewing proper etiquette while singing the Star-Spangled Banner, students have done a variety of activities to reinforce the lyrics as well as the pattern of colors in our flag for the younger students.  We are all very proud to be citizens of our country!

Time is Flying in the Music Classroom!

WOW!  It's March already!  Spring is almost here!  It's a busy time of the year for music educators.....concerts, vocal and instrumental contests, preparing for graduation! 
We took time out from our concert preparations to help our community celebrate Music In Our Schools Month.
Martin Grade School has a tradition of decorating grocery sacks so watch for some artwork with your purchases in March!  Some classes have started decorating their sacks!  Of course, they all hope that their parents will be given THEIR sack when they check out of the grocery store!  As you can see below, there are some pretty crafty bags that will be filled with groceries in the coming weeks!

This month is full of celebrations!  March 3 is a special day for our nation.  March 3 is National Anthem Day.  On March 3, 1931, President Herbert Hoover signed into law “The Star-Spangled Banner” as the United States’ national anthem.  As we know, Francis Scott Key wrote the lyrics for the Star-Spangled Banner on September 14, 1914, during the Battle of Fort McHenry in the War of 1812. It was originally called “Defence of Fort McHenry”.   This was one of many patriotic songs, but grew on the American people.  America did not have an official national anthem a the time.  It was over 100 years before the Star-Spangled Banner was our official anthem.
We have several musical performances coming up.  Hope to see you there to help our students celebrate Music In Our Schools Month! 
Students and educators appreciate the support they receive from their families year-round!  Thank you for supporting the arts in your child’s school by attending concerts, encouraging him/her to practice an instrument and sing in the choir!

Off and Running.....♫♩♫♩

In music classes we have been talking a lot about the Star-Spangled Banner  as well as other patriotic songs as we begin this year.   Veterans Day isn't that far away!  We are already preparing our performance for the Veterans! 🇺🇸🇺🇸
 September 14 was the 202nd  anniversary of Francis Scott Key writing of the poem, "In Defense of Ft. McHenry" which later became known to us as our national anthem, the Star-Spangled Banner.  

We gathered as a school at the beginning of the day to sing the Star-Spangled Banner together in celebration of this special day.

Mary Pickersgill was known as one of the top flag makers in Baltimore.  Major George Armistead wanted something flying over the garrison guarding Baltimore's waterfront that would be seen by the British, even from a distance.  Mary was commissioned to make the flag...30 by 42 feet....it required 300 yards of wool, and had 2-foot wide stripes as well as 15 stripes and stars.  She had to work on the flag in a nearby brewry as her own home wasn't even large enough.  Taking 6 weeks to sew with the help of about 5 other women, Mary Pickersgill completed the flag and was paid $405.90 for her work.  The main flag weighed about 50 pounds (23 kg), and it took 11 men to raise it onto a 90-foot (27-meter) flagpole.  There was also a smaller storm version that flew during the battle, costing $168.54. 

In addition to reviewing proper etiquette while singing the Star-Spangled Banner, students have done a variety of activities to reinforce the lyrics as well as the pattern of colors in our flag for the younger students.  We are all very proud to be citizens of our country!

Technology Classes have been busy, as usual.  Kindergarten students are learning names of parts of the computer as well as what they see on the monitor.  Mouse control is a biggie for them, so we are doing lots of different activities to "get a grip" on handling the mouse!  Everything from tracing letters and numbers to creating pizzas!  We have some VERY creative pizza chefs in Kindergarten!

First and Second graders have been refreshing their keyboarding skills using Dance Mat Typing and TTL4.  HOME ROW and AWESOME POSTURE! are words they are hearing frequently not only in first grade, but in all grades!  

The students love Dance Mat Typing.  It's a mixture of fun, music, and goals to accomplish that reinforce good typing skills.

TTL4  (Type to Learn) is very engaging for students. Students begin TTL4 at the end of 1st grade and continue the program through 6th grade.  It includes more than 100 lessons that target typing skills, and includes diagnostic, formative, and summative keyboarding assessments.  We are all excited when someone passes their lesson and advances to another level.

All classes have been talking about online safety, both at school and at home. This is emphasized continuously throughout the year.  The older students are completing activities in Digital Passport to reinforce what we have been discussing as a class.  Topics such as not revealing personal information online, cyberbulying, choosing between being an upstander or a bystander, benefits as well as dangers of sharing information online, how to effectively search for information online, and learning about copyright, credit and plagiarism and how to apply these concepts to their own creative work.

Happy Birthday Star-Spangled Banner

In music classes we have been talking a lot about the Star-Spangled Banner this year.  September 14 was the 200th anniversary of Francis Scott Key writing of the poem, "In Defense of Ft. McHenry" which later became known to us as our national anthem, the Star-Spangled Banner.

Mary Pickersgill was known as one of the top flag makers in Baltimore.  Major George Armistead wanted something flying over the garrison guarding Baltimore's waterfront that would be seen by the British, even from a distance.  Mary was commissioned to make the flag...30 by 42 feet....it required 300 yards of wool, and had 2-foot wide stripes as well as 15 stripes and stars.  She had to work on the flag in a nearby brewry as her own home wasn't even large enough.  Taking 6 weeks to sew with the help of about 5 other women, Mary Pickersgill completed the flag and was paid $405.90 for her work.  The main flag weighed about 50 pounds (23 kg), and it took 11 men to raise it onto a 90-foot (27-meter) flagpole.  There was also a smaller storm version that flew during the battle, costing $168.54.
In addition to reviewing proper etiquette while singing the Star-Spangled Banner, students have done a variety of activities.  Younger students colored flags (not an easy task for a kindergartener!), noting the order of the colors of the stripes on the flag.  

Students also learned about length, width, and perimeter as we measured the actual size of the flag!

We celebrated the 200th Anniversary as a school body Monday morning.  We of course sang the Star-Spangled Banner and then measured the size in the gym.  Then we wanted to see if the entire student body would fit inside of the area of the flag!  Well, we EASILY fit the entire elementary students and teachers inside the flag (somewhere around 300) and had lots of room to spare!  Students agreed that the junior high and high school would probably have easily fit in too!  Here we are singing the Star-Spangled Banner together.  The yellow rope represents the perimeter of the flag.

It's A Star-Spangled Year!

I haven't posted a blog for quite awhile...since July!  It was a very busy summer for me, not home very much!  I will try to be more consistent now that we are back in the swing of the school year!  We have complete 2 weeks of school already!  Students and teachers are back into school routines, and time is already flying!  

This is our Star-Spangled Year!  Know why?  This year is the 200th anniversary of the writing of the lyrics of our Star-Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key! There is a very interesting story that goes with the adventure that Francis Scott Key had while writing these lyrics!  Ask your children about it!   To learn more details about the battle at Ft. McHenry and how Francis Scott Key came to be there to witness it, go HERE.
Adding to our local celebration will be a Star-Spangled performance by the 2nd and 3rd graders on October 21.  We are already learning some of the selections we will sing.  One of our favorites already is a song entitled, "Mount Rushmore" by Karl Hitzemann.  It's a beautiful song.  Many of the students have been to visit Mount Rushmore, so this song means a lot!  We have also explored how Mount Rushmore was made, how big it is, and what each of the presidents represented has done for our country.  They will be singing traditional patriotic songs as well as some new, star-spangled melodies.

We have been focusing on our breathing while singing.  These students are practicing their breathing while lying down.  Students are able to see the rise and fall of their diaphragms as they inhale and exhale.  We can tell it makes a difference in our singing when we think about these things!  We talk about phrasing and breathing as we sing our songs.
Kindergarten and first graders have been singing to the book "Brown Bear Brown Bear" by Eric Carle.  We put our own spin on the book by using the melody we sang and using our own unique animals!  

I have a collection of zoopal plates which are, unfortunately, not sold any more.  I think that music teachers bought all of the inventory!  These work well for reviewing not only our song, but colors, animals, and syllables (rhythm) in language. This is also a good way for me to assess their singing voices as we begin our year. Even if you can't buy zoopals, you can still play online games with them!  The kids love these games too!  They have been exploring them in technology class!  You can find them here!

More on our Flag...

Thanks to my friend Kristin Lukow for sharing this great news article on CBS Sunday Morning today!

Check your Answers!

Here Are The Answers!!!

The Star-Spangled Banner was.....

Made in Baltimore, Maryland, in July-August 1813 by flagmaker Mary Pickersgill, her daughter, 2 nieces, and an indentured servant.

Commissioned by Major George Armistead, commander of Fort McHenry

Original size: 30 feet by 42 feet

15 stars and 15 stripes

Raised over Fort McHenry on the morning of September 14, 1814, to signal American victory over the British in the Battle of Baltimore; the sight inspired Francis Scott Key to write “The Star-Spangled Banner”

Preserved by the Armistead family as a memento of the battle

The letter"A" was sewn into the original flag by Louisa Armistead, widow of the commander of Fort McHenry.

First loaned to the Smithsonian Institution in 1907; converted to permanent gift in 1912.

The Star-Spangled Banner officially became our National Anthem in the year of 1931.

Happy Anniversary Star-Spangled Banner!

Star-Spangled Quiz

O say does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave?

Francis Scott key wrote the poem, "In Defense of Fort McHenry" September 14, 1814.  This poem later became our National Anthem. See if you know the information below. 

Can you fill in the mission information about the Star-Spangled Banner Flag???????

Made in ________________, in July-August 1813 by flagmaker ______________, her daughter, 2 nieces, and an indentured servant.
Commissioned by Major George Armistead, commander of Fort __________
Original size: _________________
__________ stars and _________ stripes 
Raised over Fort McHenry on the morning of _____________, to signal American victory over the British in the Battle of Baltimore; the sight inspired (who) ____________ to write “The Star-Spangled Banner”
Preserved by the ___________ family as a memento of the battle
The letter _____ was sewn into the original flag by Louisa Armistead, widow of the commander of Fort McHenry.
First loaned to the _______________________ in 1907; converted to permanent gift in 1912.
The Star-Spangled Banner officially became our National Anthem in the year of _______.

(Answers tomorrow!)

The Star-Spangled Banner by the Gaither Vocal Band

The anniversary of the writing of the Star-Spangled Banner is tomorrow!  Francis Scott Key penned the words to the poem "In Defense of Fort McHenry" on September 14, 1814.  Here's a version of our National Anthem sung by the Gaither Vocal Band.  Beautiful, inspirational, well done!  This group, led by Bill Gaither, certainly raises the bar for male harmony and excellence in musicianship!

"THAT'S A BIG FLAG!"

Music was "hands-on" this week.  Classes measured how big the original Star-Spangled Banner was that inspired Francis Scott Key to write his poem "In Defense of Ft. McHenry".  We borrowed a measuring wheel, and headed outside!  It was a beautiful cool day, so we enjoyed that as well!  Students held crepe paper as we measured out the 30' x 42' rectangle.  Most students were surprised at how big it was.  We estimated how many students might fit inside that rectangle (perhaps 200 if they were all kindergarteners!), we discussed the reasons why it was made so large, and we were in awe at the tireless effort put in by flag maker Mary Pickersgill as she, along with family and nearby neighbors, sewed the flag by hand in only 6 weeks!  This Saturday, September 14, is the anniversary of Francis Scott Key writing of the poem "In Defense of Ft. McHenry", later to become the Star-Spangled Banner. Students will celebrate together by singing our National Anthem as a school Monday morning, September 16.

2nd Graders measuring the area of the Star-Spangled Banner

The Star-Spangled Banner

We've been learning about the history behind the Star-Spangled Banner in school.  One of the videos we watched this week was this one -  the Star-Spangled Banner played by Jake Shimabukuro on his ukulele.  Jake has quite a few recording on YouTube if you want to take a listen!

Anniversary of the adoption of the Star-Spangled Banner as our national anthem.

The bill designating "The Star-Spangled Banner" as our national anthem was adopted by the US Senate and went to President Herbert Hoover for signature on March 3, 1931. The President signed it the same day. The words were first written by Francis Scott Key on September 14, 1814, as a poem titled, "The Defense of Fort McHenry."

Here Are The Answers!!!

The Star-Spangled Banner was.....

Made in Baltimore, Maryland, in July-August 1813 by flagmaker Mary Pickersgill, her daughter, 2 nieces, and an indentured servant.

Commissioned by Major George Armistead, commander of Fort McHenry

Original size: 30 feet by 42 feet

15 stars and 15 stripes

Raised over Fort McHenry on the morning of September 14, 1814, to signal American victory over the British in the Battle of Baltimore; the sight inspired Francis Scott Key to write “The Star-Spangled Banner”

Preserved by the Armistead family as a memento of the battle

The letter"A" was sewn into the original flag by Louisa Armistead, widow of the commander of Fort McHenry.

First loaned to the Smithsonian Institution in 1907; converted to permanent gift in 1912.

The Star-Spangled Banner officially became our National Anthem in the year of 1931.

Francis Scott Key

Star-Spangled Quiz

O say does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave?

How well do you know the facts surrounding our Star-Spangled Banner and it's writing? Tomorrow, our students will be celebrating the writing of the Star-Spangled Banner by singing it together as a whole school at the beginning of the day. See if you know the information below.

Can you fill in the mission information about the Star-Spangled Banner Flag???????

Made in ________________, in July-August 1813 by flagmaker ______________, her daughter, 2 nieces, and an indentured servant.
Commissioned by Major George Armistead, commander of Fort __________
Original size: _________________
__________ stars and _________ stripes
Raised over Fort McHenry on the morning of _____________, to signal American victory over the British in the Battle of Baltimore; the sight inspired (who) ____________ to write “The Star-Spangled Banner”
Preserved by the ___________ family as a memento of the battle
The letter _____ was sewn into the original flag by Louisa Armistead, widow of the commander of Fort McHenry.
First loaned to the _______________________ in 1907; converted to permanent gift in 1912.
The Star-Spangled Banner officially became our National Anthem in the year of _______.

Good luck! Check back tomorrow for the answers!!

Remember those Lyrics!

Music students are continuing to review and learn the lyrics to our National Anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner. Many of the older children are pretty good at remembering the lyrics, while the Kindergarten and First Graders have more of a challenge! All students are excellent at showing respect for our Flag as they stand and sing (as much as they can remember!) of our National Anthem. We also stress other ways to show respect such as hands on our hearts, hats off, no visiting etc. The Kindergarten and First Grade students colored their very own flag the other day. It's unique in that the lyrics to the first verse of the Star-Spangled Banner is printed on the stripes! Did you know that Frances Scott Key actually wrote FIVE verses for the Star-Spangled Banner? Here are a few shots of our "lyrical flags"!

The Star-Spangled Banner - Happy Birthday!