The second graders are learning Fanga Alafia, a song from West Africa. During the instrumental break they practiced creating polyrhythms, the simultaneous sounding of two or more rhythms. Students broke into groups to create these rhythms and then performed them for each other in class.
The second graders will be singing Fanga Alafia for Grandparents and Special Friends Day.

And, here is a sneak peek at We Haz Jazz. The fourth graders can't wait until Friday!

Untitled from Valerie Díaz Leroy on Vimeo.

Breaking News for Rick Riordan Fans

If you love Rick Riordan and don't follow his blog you should. I just found out that book two in the Kane Chronicles will be released on May 3rd of this year. Yeah! If you head on over to Rick's blog, Myth & Mystery, you can follow a link to read the first chapter of The Throne of Fire for the next 24 hours only!

A Great New Year

Often, when returning from a long vacation, we have some catching up to do when classes start up again. My music student have not missed a beat since they've been back to school! The fourth graders are eager to perform We Haz Jazz at the end of the month. Students have seen singing, dancing, and acting up a storm in preparation. Below are pictures from our first "actors meeting." I was so impressed to hear the emotion in the fourth grade voices. They have truly taken on their characters!

Stack the States

As a young girl I traveled a lot with my mom. My favorite trips were to Ecuador and Japan. In high school we visited Europe a number of times. However, it wasn't until I hit my 30s that I began to explore the Unites States. This is when I realized my awareness of world geography is much stronger than my knowledge U.S. geography. Enter Stack the States. I came across this geography game over the break. The game helps players (young or old) identify states by shape, name, and bordering territories. It's available for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Give it a try!

Images from http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/stack-the-states/id381342267?mt=8