2009-2010 Music Education Excellence Award Information
Nine schools across Canada earned the Music Education Excellence Award for the 2009-2010 academic year. Each successfully delivered the kind of music programme outlined in the Criteria for the award. The Kodaly Society of Canada wishes to congratulate these schools!
The Music Education Excellence Award is no longer being offered.
Bon Accord Comm. School, Bon Accord AB
Music teacher Danielle Gilpin; Administrator Darryl Propp
Students in our music program take part in the following
1. Monthly performances for parents and the other students
2. Grade threes attend the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra annual presentation
3. Students in grade three and four have opportunity to be part of the music club which meets weekly and participate in the Christmas Concert, monthly assemblies and other presentations
4. All students prepare a song, dance, recorder song, etc. to present to parents at our annual volunteer appreciation tea
5. Grade one students prepare a concert for the local senior’s residence to showcase their learning
6. This year students in music incorporate art into their learning by describing how they can “see the beat, hear the colours”
Davis Elementary, Carbonear, NL
Music teacher Nancy Mugford; Administrator Charlene Walsh Grimes
All students K-5 take part in music in our school. All students also participate in a choir and have the option to take part in Band or Chamber choir. We have worked very hard to build our music program and believe we have a strong program that offers many opportunities to our students.
Every year we participate in the Kiwanis Festival held in the region.
Ecole Quadra School, Victoria, BC
Music teacher Jody Onuma; Administrator Maureen Weston
Ecole Quadra offers music instruction to all students, taught by a specialist teacher. Our music teacher, Mrs. Jody Onuma, holds a Bachelor of Music degree and a diploma in Education. Mrs. Onuma’s program promotes a love of music through singing, listening, movement, and instrumental play. Students learn to read and write musical notation as they progress through the grades. Grade three students learn to play the recorder as part of their regular program; grade four and five students learn to play the ukulele.
We are very proud of our choral program at Ecole Quadra. The school choir is run on an extra-curricular basis and is open to all interested students in grades 2 to 5. This year the choir entered the Greater Victoria Performing Arts Festival and was awarded a prize for musicianship. The choir was also invited to perform in the Choral Honours Performance. Another highlight for the choir this year was their production of the musical “Once Upon a Lily Pad”. Mrs. Onuma, an accomplished violinist, will take on the instruction of our school strings program next year. This is a district sponsored program, open to all interested grade 5 students.
Ecole des Deux Mondes, Campbell River, BC
Music teacher Darlene Ngo; Administrator Joanne Crawford
Ecole des Deux Mondes has an active music programme which includes regular general music classes for all 185 students in addition to two choirs.
The two choirs, Primary and Intermediate, performed in Remembrance Day Assemblies and the Christmas Concert as well as various functions outside of the school. Primary Choir, 45 Grades 2 and 3 students, meet once weekly to develop skills to sing in two parts. Primary Choir performed for senior residents at Ironwood Place. Our Intermdiate Choir of 87 Grade 4 to 6 students met twice weekly. Additional performances included the Comox Valley Concert Choir Festival, after which the choir was invited to participate in the national MusicFest event in 2011. Other community performances include the Olympic Torch Relay in Campbell River, the Canadian Parents for French Annual Carnaval d'Hiver.
This year EDM was fortunate to have Diane Brown, our choir accompanist, bring the community's set of English handbells into the Grades 5/6 and Late Immersion music classes for the majority of the year. Students learned to play several pieces and were invited to perform at our School District's Taste of the Arts. In addition they attended a handbell workshop in Nanaimo. EDM students have been invited to perform with the handbells in our local July 1st celebrations.
Landing Trail School, Gibbons AB
Music teacher Tanya Frigault; Administrator Patricia Hengel
Landing Trail School is a ECS-Grade 4 school in Gibbons Alberta. All students take part in Music classes twice a week. The Music program is based on Kodaly principles. During class time students learn to sing using solfege, work on rhythmic principles, explore Music History, and use creative movement. Listening, composing, and folk dance are also key in the program. Students play an assortment of non-pitched as well as pitched percussion instruments, recorder, and this year handbells.
All students take part in Christmas concerts, our Logos group creates a marvelous Easter program every year, and every staff member and student is involved in song at our Volunteer Tea near the end of the year. Landing Trail boasts an Honour Choir of 90+ members on a yearly basis ranging from grades 2-4. The choir takes part yearly in the Remembrance Day Ceremony, one choral festival, the Volunteer Tea, and the Sturgeon Night of Music. The Sturgeon Night of Music is a division wide event that allows the music programs of all Sturgeon Schools to shine.
Namao School, Namao AB
Music teacher Colleen Malanchen; Administrator Vernice Pollman
The students at Namao School have many performance opportunities throughout the school year. All K-5 students participate in the Christmas concert, performing choral music, Orff arrangements, handchimes, recorder and drama.
There is a K-5 Spring Choir that performs for parents at the Volunteer Tea. The Gr 3-6 Spring Choir participates in a mass choir for the annual Sturgeon Night of Music. The Year End talent show allows students in K-5 to perform, focusing on any are of the performing arts. There are choirs in Grade 5-9 for both the Remembrance Day event and the Christmas Concert.
Portage Trail Jr. Community School, Toronto ON
Music teacher Cathy Ullmann; Administrator Susan Weishuhn
The music program at Portage Trail Community Junior School is an active, diverse program. Children have been engaged and excited with the vocal and instrumental portions of this program which contain both student participation and kinaesthetic involvement and use of instruments such as the recorder, the lummi sticks, various Orff instruments and also Ghanaian drums. Dance and chanting have been linked to these activities and all children have been given opportunities to grow with music. Choirs for Primary and Junior grades have flourished and performed at our Showcase, our Get 2 Gether (celebrating 10 years of learning at Portage Trail CJS), our initial Community Welcome Night . At Massey Hall for the TDSB Spring Festival, where students played drums, danced and chanted there was much excitement, and an opportunity once again to share with the community as we continue to engage our parents. Students who are interested in joining the Middle School Instrumental program attend special classes once a week to learn basic instrumental skills. PortageTrail is both excited about and immersed in music!
R.L. Clemitson Elementary, Kamloops, BC
Music teacher Irene Whitfield; Administrator Darlene Gordon
The music program at R.L. Clemitson is all inclusive. Students from K-7 enjoy a full and varied program - playing instruments in the Orff method, full recorder ensembles, guitars, ukuleles and access to a primary and intermediate choir. School wide attendance at local festivals includes regular classess performing dances or instrumental selections. A large scale production always occurs at Christmas and sometimes in the spring as well. The school performed “Treasure Island” in the spring of 2010. The staff and community are very supportive of this strong musical program run by Mrs. Irene Whitfield.
St. James High School, Port aux Basques NL
Music teacher Ann Marie Lane; Administrator Dave Clarke
After a 20 year absence from St. James High School's curriculum, the Music program was initiated in 2005-2006 by the school's current Music Educator Dr. Ann Marie Lane. The program offers music courses from Grades 7 - 12 including music appreciation, ensemble playing, band, choir, and music technology. The student enrolment in music has increased such that approximately 64% of the entire school population participates in a music course (100% of the Junior High and 24% of the Senior High).
Band, Choir and General Music is offered at the Junior High grade levels. Music Appreciation and Band is offered at the Senior High grade levels. The High School Band was formed by Dr. Lane in 2006-2007. The Band program developed and in only 3 short years has been recognized with Gold Awards for Performance Excellence at Regional Competition (Atlantic Band Festival) in Halifax and at National Competition (MusicFest Canada-The Nationals / an invitation only event) in Toronto. As well, the School Band received a second invitation back to the Nationals in Ottawa in 2010.
The Music students have a very active yearly schedule and participate at School and Community Events. These include: Remembrance Day Ceremony, Awards Night Ceremony, Christmas Concert, Memorial Christmas Tree Lighting Service, St. James High School Idol Competition, Menu and Merriment, Sweets and Songs, Hockey Tournament Opening Ceremony, Regional and National Music Festivals and Competitions, Graduation Exercises, Spring Concert, Cancer Relay for Life, Out-Reach Concerts for Elementary School, and Out-Reach Concerts for Senior Citizens.