South Bay School Mrs. Gerard's Music Classes

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What a fun day I had at South Bay Elementary! I was able to hang out with 7 classes 1st through 6th grade! They were full of energy. They asked many interesting and thought provoking questions. We talked about music education, music careers and all the opportunities they have with music. Of course they asked about pageant stuff too! They were very interested in my band and what songs we play. We also discussed the music they like to listen to as well.

We played a few games but the real fun was trying on the crown! At first it was a dare for one of the boys but soon we found that most of the boys wanted to try it on! I even taught them a pageant pose! They were quite good! Almost everyone got a Music Just Imagine tattoo on their hand or arm but a few had to have them on their foreheads or other weird spots!!!

Ms. Gerard is a fun and passionate teacher. All the students love her and her music class. My big thanks to her and all that she does!

Cinderella's Attic Network

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This is a new Non-Profit Organization that has been started by Renata Hanson. She is an amazing woman with lots of energy and ideas. This has been her dream to provide this opportunity for girls and women. Having 2 daughters of her own she knows what it is like for a girl to go to a prom and get all dressed up. Her goal is to provide nurturing and esteem building experiences for girls and women by lending them everything they need to look and feel beautiful for any special event or dance.

As a volunteer I get to work the boutique. Helping to take donations, organize the dresses and accessories, help girls who come in to have a wonderful experience. This is very fun for me since I only have boys at home!

Tumwater Highschool Community & Electives Fair

Today Tumwater High School held its first Community and Electives Fair. The purpose was to expose students to elective opportunities and areas of community service. I helped staff the Chorus booth in my continuing effort to support Music Education. I got to talk with the students in choir already about their experiences. They all agreed their teacher Mrs. Osgood is an amazing teacher and she has made their experience even greater.

One senior I talked to told me that her music classes are what kept her coming to school. It has made her high school experience so much more meaningful and fun. She also shared that the choral classes are such a melting pot of students that it was a way for her to meet all different types of students that she might not ever get to know outside of chorus.

The students staffing the table were able to get lots of other students to sign up for the choir classes. Another senior helped other boys make the decision to join by explaining the guy/girl ratio 2 girls to one guy! That was an obvious selling point!

MENC article about ...Mrs. Pacific Northwest!

I am honored to have been featured in a web story by the National Committee for Music Education. The Mrs. America organization supports the MENC. We were given an assignment to visit schools in an effort to promote music education. I was the music director for my local vacation bible school for 10 years. This was a big community event that hosted 1000 kids each summer. I have always loved music and working with the students. So the challenge to visit schools was an easy one for me and one I looked forward to.

I contacted many music teachers at schools in my area and got a great response. I shared my experience with the staff at MENC and they asked to do a story about it. Here is the link to the MENC Web Story

Seven Oaks Elementary 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th & 6th grade classes

Today March 22 I spent the day back at Seven Oaks Elementary with Music teacher Ms. Hathaway. She is an amazing teacher. It was an exciting day and I learned many new things. Of course I came their to inspire the students but they also inspired me with their positive attitudes and abilities. I played the flute with Ms. Cryders 3rd graders and Ms. Henry's 3rd graders. Ms. Koch's class sang their Martin Luther King song for me, it was beautiful. I played the Recorder with Ms. Koch's class. It was a little more challenging than the flute, the students thought it was funny when I squeaked my notes!

During lunch I helped Ms. Hathaway work on some choreography for the 2nd grade classes upcoming music performance. We had fun making up the motions. After lunch Ms. Raymond's 1st graders came in. Wow they are a lively bunch. They sang several songs that will be sung in their upcoming spring musical. We then helped them learn their choreography to their skunk song. It was very funny.

Next Mrs. Roth's 2nd graders came in. After practicing their songs we worked them on the choreography for their milky way rap song. As we taught them the moves we had them help make up some new parts. They were quite talented. Their homework was to go home and makeup some free form moves! I can't wait to see what they come up with.

Lastly Mrs. Kerry's 6th graders came in. They are playing the Marimba's. Mrs. Hathaway taught me a small part on the Marimba last time I visited so of course she put me right in with the students to do my part. I had already forgotten how to do it but the students were eager to show me how. I thought I finally got it right and then they informed me I was playing the wrong part! They didn't make fun of me too bad!

Homeless Backpacks Benefit Concert

March 20th the band Pre/Emptive Apology, that I sing in along with my husband who plays drums and other friends who sing and play guitars hosted a benefit concert for Homeless Backpacks. Thanks to generous donations we raised over $1200!! Homeless backpacks provides food for after school and weekends for homeless kids in Thurston County. It is a totally run by volunteers and is completely non-profit.

Mrs. Snohomish County Jessica Riggs, Mrs. Washington Beth Larsen, Mrs. Seattle Tamara Deporter & Mrs. Olympia Irene Schade came to help work the door for us. They greeted everyone with their beautiful smiles. They even got to dance a little too! The concert went very well! We are glad to use our talents to help others.

Boston Harbor Elementary 4th & 5th grade classes

March 18th after spending the morning at Horizons elementary I headed over to Boston Harbor elementary. Mrs. Watson's 5th grade class, Mr. Barber's 4th/5th grade class and Mrs. Robinson's 4th grade class. After my little speech Mrs. Richart the music teacher had them sing several songs. One of the classes used the MENC music books for some classic songs like Clementine and Danny Boy. The students were excellent singers and full of enthusiasm. They even let me sing along with them!

Horizons Elementary 5th, 6th grades & Chorus

March 18th I spent the morning at Horizons Elementary. I met with 4th Grade Mrs. McCuston's class, 6th grade Mrs. Regester's class, 6th gradeMrs. Cameron's class & the 5th & 6th grade chorus group. Mrs. McElroy is new to Horizons school. She has been busy assesing the students to see what they know. It was fun to take a break and have a guest for them this week. These classes had great questions for me they would make great pageant judges! Mrs. Cameron's class was very funny!
The 5th and 6th grade chorus sang a song they were working on for me. It was beautiful and the girls are very talented. They were working on their choreography and they had some great moves. They will be performing at an upcoming assembly for the school.

KGY 1240 Interview with Dick Pust

This morning I was interviewed on the Radio for the Mrs. Washington Pageant. Dick Pust has been a local DJ for many years and happens to be a friend of my parents. He asked me lots of very good questions I think he would make a great judge for a Pageant. I brought my son Cameron and his friend Kelsey as they were out of school this morning. It was very comfortable chatting with him, it was easy to forget there are people out there listening. I have a tendency to talk fast because I have so much to say, but I did my best to slow it down!

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Roosevelt Elementary 4th and 5th Grade Music class

Today I went to Roosevelt Elementary and spent time with 3 different classes. The students were very fun and energetic. They sang and african song that had dance moves with it as well! I sang along and took pictures of them doing their thing! Mrs. Richart is their music teacher. She travels around to several schools in the district. I will be following her around this week to other classes. Mrs. Richart is an amazing teacher who puts a lot of time and effort into each of her classes. She produces several musicals with her Junior High kids each year.

South Bay School Mrs. Gerard's 3rd Grade Class

My second visit was to South Bay Elementary my Alma Matter! Wow the school has sure changed since I was a student there. This time my visit was with the 3rd graders. We had a great time together. We talked about how important music education is and how much fun it is. I got to put Music tattoos on everyone and then they sang and played some songs for me. I even got to join them in a song game. Music class can be so much fun thanks to amazing teachers like Mrs. Gerard!

Seven Oaks Elementary

My first class visit for music in our schools month was at Seven Oaks Elementary, Mrs. Hathaway's 6th grade class. I had so much fun! I got to talk to the kids about the importance of music education in their lives and many other things! They were very respectful and well behaved. Mrs. Hathaway even got me to sing for them! They were a great group of students, bright and energetic full of questions! After the class was over Mrs. Hathaway taught me and my son Cameron (the photographer) how to play the Marimba. What an amazing teacher she is, it is obvious she loves what she does and cares about her students.

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March is Music In Our Schools Month

The Mrs. America Organization has a strong and continuing commitment to MENC: The National Association of Music Education working everyday to advance music education by encouraging the study and making of music for all students!

In an effort to promote and support music education in our schools, each contestant raises funds and volunteers at various schools and music events in our community. I personally am very passionate about music. I am a vocalist and percussionist. I along with my husband and friends practice and perform as a band. I have also been the music director for our local vacation summer school for 10 years. We have an average of 1000 kids within our community who attend each year.

The MENC has dedicated March as MIOSM: Music In Our Schools Month. I will be visiting school music classes in Thurston County to share some words of inspiration to the students. My message is simple, to the let students know the benefits to them to be part of a music program and to encourage them to pursue more music classes throughout their education. The students will be filling out a card that says "What music means to me..." I will be using these cards to make a poster collage that will be displayed in their classroom for all to admire!