March was a wonderfully active month for the students and faculty of the Rocky Point Music Department, and what better time to highlight the amazing music talent than to recognize “Music in Our Schools Month!”
For close to 40 years, March has been officially designated by the National Association for Music Education for the observance of Music in Our Schools Month, the time of year when music education becomes the focus of schools across the nation. The purpose of MIOSM is to raise awareness of the importance of music education for all children, and to remind citizens that school is where all children should have access to music. MIOSM is an opportunity for music teachers to bring their music programs to the attention of the school and the community, and to display the benefits that school music brings to students of all ages. Music in Our Schools Month began as a single statewide Advocacy Day and celebration in New York on March 14, 1973, and grew over the decades to become a month-long celebration of school music beginning in 1985. This March, the students and music faculty of Rocky Point joined music educators and music students all across the nation to celebrate the music education theme “I See ME in Music Education.”
In addition to daily music classes and rehearsals, several activities and special performing opportunities took place throughout March. Some events that students participated in included:
March 1 and 2 – The production of the High School Musical “The Addams Family” was performed.
March, 2, 8, 9 and 10– Thirty-two students participated in Suffolk County Music Educators’ Association’s All-County Festivals.
March 4-6 – Twenty students ranging from grades 3-12 – Trent Birnstill, Julianna Byrnes, Sophia Byrnes, Olivia Carley, Jayna Cohn, Andrew DeTurris, Henry Fiore, Christos Giannakos, Chloe Gravinese, Lawrence Hall IV, Madelyn Ilardi, Alexander Lantigua-Mettrock, Lily Mayer, Antonio Morrow, Anna Norrby, Isabella St. Pierre, Paula Vergara, Aengus Walsh, Mallack Walsh and Nathan Watkis – participated in the New York State School Music Association Solo Evaluation Festival for Piano. These students include:
March 10 – Rocky Point High School Marching Band and Rocky Point Middle School 8th Grade Band performed and marched in the Miller Place-Rocky Point St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
March 15 – Joseph A. Edgar Intermediate School’s 5th Grade Select Chorus “High Notes” performed at the annual JAE Senior Citizen St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast.
March 18 – Middle School and High School Jazz Ensembles participated and performed in an educational clinic at The Jazz Loft in Stony Brook, NY.
March 20 – Joseph A. Edgar Intermediate School’s Family Folk Dance Night took place with over 150 students and their parents/guardians dancing and sharing music together.
March 21 – The Rocky Point Middle School and High School Orchestras combined to present the Night of Strings concert.
March 26 and 27 – The production of the Joseph A. Edgar Intermediate School’s 5th Grade Select Chorus “High Notes” Spring musical, “Johnny Appleseed: A Musical Play About a Great American Pioneer” was performed.
Throughout March, JAE and the Middle School incorporated various Music in Our Schools Month messages into their school’s daily morning announcements. Each day in March at JAE, Mr. Knapp, Miss Monastero, Mr. Ventura and various students read an “I See Me In Music Education” prompt along with a MIOSM message about a variety of music topics. During these morning announcements, all students were encouraged to visit Mr. Knapp’s Google Classroom to accomplish a daily task on a variety of special music topics. The Middle School celebrated by providing an “On This Date in Music” Fun Fact (with a song) each day on the morning and the afternoon announcements.
At FJC, music teacher Miss DeMelfi taught a variety of songs to each of her classes that connected to the Solar Eclipse theme. At JAE, all students in the building completed a brief writing assignment starting with the prompt, “We’re LUCKY to have music because…” All of the students’ work was posted on the walls in the music wing at JAE, creating a Music in Our Schools Month “Wall of Shamrocks.” At the Middle School, orchestra director Mrs. Walter created a bulletin board that displayed the musical backgrounds and/or tastes of teachers and staff in the building.
A message from Rocky Point Music Department Chairpersons Mr. Craig Knapp and Ms. Amy Schecher read, “Music is in schools because it has been an ageless passion of human beings for every culture in the world. There has never been a civilization on earth that has not found music to be intellectually and emotionally valuable. Children are innately responsive to music. Music allows children to express joy in the most natural way, both verbally and physically, through singing, movement and playing of instruments. Music completes the picture and helps reach the whole child, including the emotional component. We are very proud of our dedicated music faculty and incredibly thankful for the amazing children we teach every day. We continue to thank the Rocky Point Administration and Board of Education for supporting our music programs. Remember, “I See ME in Music Education!”
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Date Added: 4/16/2024