»Arts |
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As an Arts Program School, Westport Heights’ goal is to provide our students with a balanced and comprehensive standards based arts education that includes dance, vocal music, instrumental music, theater, and visual arts for all grade levels, Kindergarten through fifth. Our students are exposed to a broad spectrum of artistic performances, and receive substantive arts instruction and assessment. At Westport Heights, students have the opportunity to refine their own creative expression, and to develop a well-informed appreciation and analysis of the arts. |
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»Instrumental Music |
Westport Heights offers an exciting opportunity for fourth and fifth grade students to participate in an instrumental music program with Ms. Weese the instrumental music director. Students are selected based on interest, ability, and responsibility. Students select from the following instruments: flute, clarinet, trumpet, violin, and cello. Every Monday, students receive instruction on their selected instrument. Winter and Spring recitals offer children the opportunity to share their achievements with friends and family. Our rigorous program requires a great committment. The students who participate enjoy enrichment in music, academics and social endeavours. |
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»Westport Heights Chorus |
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Westport Heights Elementary School has a long-standing Choral tradition of excellence! Under the direction of Mrs. Colleen Cronin, Chorus is open to selected 3rd, 4th and 5th graders. Students must audition for Chorus and have the approval of their classroom teacher to participate. Students demonstrate their "vocal readiness" for chorus by matching pitch and being able to sing in both their lower and upper vocal registers. Chorus is so popular at Westport Heights that Mrs. Cronin has expanded the enrollment to 100 students in order to give all who qualify this special opportunity! Our wonderful parent volunteer, Mr. Sam Taylor helps with classroom management, making such a large group feasible. More adult volunteers are always welcome. This honors group is an enriching experience for students who love to sing. The repertoire includes classical art music, arrangements of folk music from various countries, and music arranged specifically for the development of choral singing in children. The emphasis is on developing a beautiful choral tone and on singing in harmony. Participation is free. We meet for 50 minutes near the end of the school day, one day per week, on Wednesdays. The Westport Chorus presents at least two public concerts per year, inviting the entire student body, parents, grandparents and friends to attend. We will present a December Holiday Concert and a May Spring Concert to demonstrate what the children have learned. This year's awesome Chorus will do a fine job representing their school! |
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»Vocal Music at Westport Heights |
Classroom general and vocal music is taught at Westport Heights one day per week, for the entire school year. This year Mrs. Cronin is working with Grades 1 and 2. Grades 3, 4, and 5 have the opportunity to audition for the upper-grade Chorus. During music class the students sing, read, chant, play, clap, dance and move! While having loads of fun, the students learn the fundamentals of music; including steady beat, rhythm, pitch, melody, harmony, dynamics, expression, tempo, composition and form. Listening skills are improved through exposure to recorded vocal and instrumental music, as well as live performance. Students make connections to the music's cultural and historical context. They make connections to reading, poetic form and some foreign language. They learn mathematical spatial reasoning skills through music. Students learn to identify families of instruments, and get hands-on experience playing various rhythm instruments from the percussion family - always a lot of fun! Emphasis is placed on singing on pitch with an age-appropriate free tone; using the whole body to express the music and on learning to read music notation. Mrs. Cronin presents a sequential curriculum based on the California State Standards in Music. All the students in every grade at Westport Heights receive music instruction during November and December in preparation for their Holiday Concert performance. All parents and the community are invited to see the artistic accomplishments of our talented and enthusiastic students! |
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