Please visit my new blog!

I won!! I am now Mrs. Washington 2011!! I am starting a new blog and will be working to update it soon here is the new link:
Mrs. Washington 2011

Mrs. Washington Pageant Practice 3/6

Today was our last practice before we all head to Moses Lake this Saturday for the pageant! Carla Richards Mrs. Washington 2010 graciously organized and led it for us. The Lakewood YMCA donated the practice room that was perfect to use, lots of room and mirrors to watch what we were doing. We worked on our opening number and our bathing suit walk. The music is so awesome this year it is going to be a fabulous program.

My Son Cameron and his girlfriend Klesey came to help out. Cameron was in charge of doing our voice recordings for the evening gown portion. He is so talented with audio video equipment I knew I could rely on his expertise. He got a little hungry after working so hard so he left to get a snack... well he shows back up with a box of doughnuts!! Seriously he brings a box of doughnuts to a pageant practice!! We had fun taking some pictures with his doughnuts. Mrs. Washington 2010 does not have to worry about being on stage in a bathing suit so she enjoyed a doughnut for us!!

BLE Carnival

Yesterday my son and I were back at Black Lake Elementary volunteering for the annual carnival. This event is something the kids and families look forward to every year. It is a very big source of revenue sponsored by our PTA. The great thing about BLE is we always have lots of volunteers who are willing to help and give their time.

Tickets were sold to everyone and then they used the tickets for playing games, food or other fun activities. When they wone games they would get a different ticket back. These tickets could then be turned in for prizes. Jordan and I manned the Nemo Bean Bag toss game. This was harder than it looked but we gave them lots of chances and let them move closer so they had a better chance getting the bags through the holes. We were so busy we didn't have time to take any photos!

BLE Spaghetti Feed for World Vision & Food Bank

The annual Black Lake Elementary Spaghetti Feed is a tradition for the 6th graders. They were going to use the money raised this year for their space camp that is coming up in a few weeks, however due to our fabulous Christmas wreath sale we already had enough funds. Therefore, they decide to focus on helping others. Students were totally in charge of this event! They cooked, provided entertainment, bussed the tables, were the servers, hostess/hosts, clean up crew, etc. Very few parents were needed to help but a few of us were there doing our part. I was so impressed with how well everything went. These 6th graders were so responsible and took this seriously. My son Jordan was a server, he wore a suit but by the end of the evening he shed the tie and jacket! I was a server in the kitchen, I helped oversee the spaghetti scoopers! I had to get my gloved hand in there and scoop some spaghetti & pass plates but really these kids kept things moving so well, it was easy.

The monetary donations were about $500!! Plus lots of food for our local food bank. The money raised will go directly toward helping Pakistan through World Vision, six months after devastating floods, the needs are still great.

Peter G. Schmidt Elementary with Music Teacher Mrs. Williams

What a funtastic day I had at Peter G. Elementary! This is the last school I will be visiting for Music In Our Schools Month. I met Mrs. Williams and her 6th grade classes when they performed at the Tumwater Youth Program hosted Tree Lighting event. I was the MC for the event inside the fire station where several choirs performed. It was a great opportunity for our community to see music education in action. It also gave me a great opportunity to share with them the importance of music education and how they can be advocates for it.

Mrs. Williams is one of those teachers that everybody loves!! She is full of life and energy. The music she picks for the kids to sing is fun and lively. She also teaches them movements as well so when they perform it is very fun to watch. The 6th graders performed Don't Stop Believin while we waited for the parade to start. Yes that's right a crazy hat parade! Today the entire school and staff were celebrating Dr. Suess's Birthday by wearing silly hats. The entire school participates in a parade that winds through all the class rooms. I wore my crazy hat...my tiara and joined in on the fun. This school knows how to have a good time!!

I started out the day with Mrs. Peirce's 2nd grade class. After sharing my message about the importance of music education the students performed a few of their Cinco De Mayo songs they are practicing for an upcoming performance.

Miss Clayton's 5th grade class and Mrs. Center's 3rd grade class spent the whole time talking with me about Music Education and lots of questions about the pageant.

Mr. Colgan's 4th grade class played their recorders for me. 3 songs that they will be playing for their parents at an upcoming concert. They sounded amazing and I could tell they had been practicing!

The last class of the day Mrs. Knutzen's 1st grade were wiggly and a very active group, after all it was the end of crazy hat day who wouldn't be wiggly!! After we talked about Music Education they sang a few farm songs for their upcoming "Moosical"

I had so much fun at Peter G. It's the only school that had a parade while I was there!! Mrs. Williams is a wonderful and talented teacher and I am grateful for people like her who inspire our children to be creative and express themselves.

Lacey Elementary School Mrs. Kelley

What a great way to start of March with Music In Our Schools Month by visiting Lacey Elementary. Mrs. Kelley is the fabulous music teacher at this school, and I got to spend the day with her. Her classroom is full of all kinds of instruments and fun information. You can't help but feel the music in the air in this classroom! Mrs. Kelley is very talented and can play many different instruments to accompany her students. She also directs a 4th, 5th and 6th grade choir early in the morning. The choir came in during the 1st grade class to sing a few songs. They were awesome!

I was given the chance to share with each class the importance of music education, what opportunities there are available to them and what types of jobs they could have someday in music. Each class had lots of input and great questions. I was asked lots of questions about the upcoming pageant as well.

One class got me to sing for them, I did the Birthday song by the Beattles. In another class I participated in a folk dance and a rythm clapping song, was that ever challenging. I even played a few other music games with the adpative learning class. It was another fun filled day in Music class!!

These are the classes I visited with today:

5th Grade Miss Penrose
4th Grade Mr. Tuttle
3rd Grade Mrs. Martins
Adapted Learning Mrs. Folks
1st Grade Mrs. Tamanaha
2nd Grade Mrs. Deming

March is Music In Our Schools Month!

March is Music In Our Schools Month (MIOSM)...

and Music In Our Schools Month means advocacy!

Music programs nationwide are in danger. State and local legislators are attempting to make up for funding shortfalls in this difficult economy by cutting education budgets, and music programs are often the first to be considered. Advocacy takes place on many fronts, and advocates for music education need to learn to speak to different audiences, each of whom has a key contribution to make. Now’s the time to get involved and do your part to ensure that America’s students have access to a comprehensive, sequential music education taught by exemplary music educators!

March has been officially designated by MENC: The National Association for Music Education for the observance of Music In Our Schools Month (MIOSM®), the time of year when music education becomes the focus of schools across the nation. MIOSM began as a single statewide celebration in 1973, and has grown over the decades to encompass a day, then a week, and then in 1985 to become a month long celebration of school music. 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 school music brings to students of all ages.

The celebration continues to grow each year, reaching more and more students, teachers, musicians, and music supporters. Schools and communities throughout the country and overseas celebrate MIOSM with concerts and other activities based on the year's theme. Classrooms, concert halls, civic buildings, clubs, parks, libraries, and shopping malls are just some of the arenas in which the public can observe the processes and results of music education.

MENC, representing more than 75,000 active, retired, and pre-service music teachers and 60,000 honor students and supporters, is the sponsor of MIOSM. In addition to announcing the theme for the year, the organization is responsible for communicating ideas to support state and local MIOSM celebrations, providing awareness items such as T-shirts, posters, and buttons, and coordinating programs such as the World's Largest Concert.

MENC's 52 federated state organizations (representing each state, the District of Columbia, and Europe) play an active role in the observance, securing governors' proclamations, enlisting the support of chief state school officers, and establishing organizational structures to help reach individual music educators. MIOSM chairpersons with each state organization provide the major thrust for the MIOSM celebrations, with the goal of involving students, administrators, parents, civic groups, and community members. Other national arts and education organizations also lend their endorsements and support to the programs through publications and events.

MIOSM and the events surrounding it are the ideal opportunities for increasing awareness of the benefits of high quality music education programs in our nation's schools. MENC hopes that teachers, students, and music supporters alike will find ways to join in on the celebration through creative activities and advocacy. Learn more about how MENC works to support music education, and visit MusicFriends to join other advocates working to insure that music is part of a well-rounded education for all children.

For more information visit MENC