March 2015Teacher Reymund

Dear Parents, Welcome to the second half of SY 2014-2015! I am very happy to see my students from first term moving on with me in this class. We continue on working on our fine and gross motor skills using castanets, drum pads and tambourine. We played along with variety of songs, sang and danced while holding our musical instrument. Enjoy the photos! Thanks,Teacher Reymund

Dear Parents,

Here are some of the many benefits of learning drums at this early age:

Social Needs. Drumming often occurs as a collaborative, interactive process. If facilitated correctly, participating in drumming experiences can help a child work on skills such as turn-taking and sharing, as well as help them feel they are part of a group contributing towards a group process.Communication Needs. Playing a drum or percussion instrument can be a useful way to communicate nonverbally and to “listen” to another person’s nonverbal communication.Fine and Gross Motor Skills. This may almost seem self-evident, but different playing techniques can be used to help work on different fine and gross motor skills. This can even be true for developing lower extremity strength (e.g. imagine standing and playing a large conga drum).Emotional Needs. As with the girl Kat Fulton worked with, participating in a drumming activity can help a child feel safe enough to express his/her feelings. Additionally--and speaking from experience--there’s nothing much better for releasing anger than banging on a drum.Cognitive Needs. By participating in a drumming experience, children can be working on attention, impulse control, and decision-making skills.

Thank you,Reymund