Art, Music & Theater

Art

Visual Arts is an integral component of each child’s education at Fairyland School. Based on the Georgia Visual Arts standards, students are taught through techniques that stimulate the imagination and encourage them to utilize their creative potential in learning about and producing original works of art. Art is created through various mediums including mixed media, 2-D and 3-D designs, textiles and ceramics, drawing and painting.

Discussions of many artists and historical events from past and present inform their thinking and artwork and are often related back to and support classroom studies. In addition, our art instruction provides opportunities for students to work individually and collaboratively to foster social development and cooperative interaction.

Music

The Music Department at Fairyland School is led by nationally recognized artist Jennifer Daniels and Jeff Neal. The music curriculum is rooted in engaging our students to develop their musical abilities through thoughtfully designed interactive lessons and activities. Students sing, read, create, write and produce music of their own. Lessons are linked back to the classroom and even incorporate using different forms of language such as French, Spanish and Sign languages. Our performance philosophy honors childhood and we strive to build courageous musicians and performers who develop confidence in themselves over time and develop their love and appreciation of the musical arts now and for the rest of their lives.

Pre-Kindergarten
Works on having FUN with music.  We couple movement to simple songs, and ask for creative input from the children as to what direction each song should take.  We use props (parachute and stretchy band) that bring the class together to feel the steady beat communally.  And we manipulate instruments, such as egg shakers, rhythm sticks, BoomWhackers, xylophones, and ukuleles.

Kindergarten – 1st Grade
We try to couple movement with everything we do, continuing to develop gross and fine motor skills, as well as whole brain engagement.  We work on strumming in a steady, simple motion, and we work on utilizing space (long notes and rests).  We begin to count note values, and to use a range of dynamics (fast – slow, loud – soft, high – low).  We sort and categorize instruments, exploring timbre and the variables of size and pitch.

2nd and 3rd Grades
Work on matching pitch, keeping steady rhythm, and offering creative input that fits into the rhythm and rhyme schemes of the songs.  We do a bit more listening as well, discovering form in songs, identifying patterns, and discussing mood and meaning.  On ukuleles we strum and chord at the same time, simple 1 and 2 finger chords.  The strumming is more complicated as we use both upward and downward motions, and talk about the feeling and groove of performance.  We explore the differences in time signatures and genres.

4th and 5th Grades
Challenged to write in small groups, and to open themselves up to more abstract ideas. We play ukuleles with 1, 2, and 3 finger chords, and the strumming is more complicated. 4th and 5th graders are invited to join an after-school Uke Club.  We explore subtle tonal differences and identify major/minor chords. We sing and play in canon (in round), and in harmony. The time signatures that we work with are sometimes awkward for our Western ears, which makes for challenging performances and a lot of laughs. Students are encouraged and expected to offer creative input and to lead the rest of the group in song and movement.

Theater

The Missoula Children’s Theatre (MCT), the nation’s largest touring children’s theatre, has been touring extensively for more than 40 years now from Montana to Japan, and will visit nearly 1,200 communities this year. A tour team arrives at Fairyland School with a set, lights, costumes, props and makeup…everything to put on a play…except the cast. The team holds an open audition on Monday afternoon and casts 50-60 students to perform in the production. The show is rehearsed throughout the week and two public performances are presented on Friday night and Saturday morning.

All MCT shows are original adaptations of classic children’s stories and fairytales… a twist on the stories that you know and love. Creativity, social skills, goal achievement, communication skills and self esteem are all characteristics that are attained through the participation in this unique, educational project. The Missoula Children’s Theatre is brought to you by the Fairyland School PTO.