Birkdale Residence

Instructor: Mandi Siatkowski

Week 1

Tuesday, September 21^st marked the first day of music classes at Birkdale Residence! Class ran from 10:00-10:45am and although only 5 children were expected to attend with their parents, the class size grew at its busiest point to 31 participants (including 18 children)! After introducing everyone through the Hello Song, the children enthusiastically sang, danced and jammed along to a repertoire of Roly Poly, One Finger Keeps Moving, Put Your Finger in the Air, I Wake Up My Hands, The Wheels on the Bus, Head and Shoulders, Shake Your Sillies Out, Shake It Baby Shake It and Twist & Shout! Maracas were introduced as the Instrument of the Week and the kids went wild under the parachute! Everyone clapped happily at the end, and many children asked if I was coming to sing again tomorrow. It was an exciting and promising start to bringing music into the lives of these families.

 Week 2

Week number two of Rainbow Songs Foundation at Birkdale Residence proved as successful as the first! Again, 18 children excitedly participated in what was a fun and energetic session. From 10:00-10:45am, we sang, moved and danced to Roly Poly, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum, If You’re Happy and You Know It, 2 Little Blackbirds, Corner Grocery Store, I Shut the Door, Hurry Hurry Drive the Firetruck, Sleeping Bunnies and, Walk Walk Walk and Stop. The tambourine was demonstrated as the Instrument of the Week and the entire group had a great time jamming to The More We Jam Together and the ABCD Medley! It’s also very apparent that the parachute is going to be a big hit every week. This week, the children wore name tags which helped tremendously when singing the Hello and Goodbye songs. Another wonderful class!

 Week 3

The children definitely know me now, and it is incredible to see their faces light up in anticipation, knowing that music class is about to begin. October 5^th marked week number three of Rainbow Songs Foundation at Birkdale Residence. 10 children plus several parents and residence staff were in attendance for another animated 45 min class! After saying ‘Hello’ to each child, an entire lesson of new songs was learned comprised of Doe a Deer, Poor Little Bug on the Wall, Clap Your Hands 1-2-3, the Eensy Weensy Spider and Old MacDonald had a Farm. All the kids got up and moved to Walking I’m Just Walking Along and we had a lot of fun stomping around to Elephants Have Wrinkles! The kids kept the beat of the Drum as the Instrument of the Week was introduced, and played along to The Lion Sleeps Tonight as well as De-oh. A couple of the parents this week also sang very enthusiastically along with the class! I’m looking forward to next week.

 Week 4

The fourth fall music class at Birkdale Residence took place on Tuesday, October 12^th. Just like weeks past, attendance was wonderful, with 14 children taking part along with many mothers and staff volunteers. Our RSF classes so far have primarily attracted children in the oldest part of the 0-5yr participatory age range, the average seeming to be around 3-4 years. As a result, I have been trying to gear most in-class repertoire to their skill level, interests and abilities.  After walking into Birkdale today, greeted by a half dozen hugs and excited hellos, we all joined together in singing Roly Poly, Where is Thumbkin, Six Little Ducks, 10 Little Fingers, The Rooster Song and the How Now Brown Cow Medley! We got up and learned our Circle Scales and strutted like roosters All Around the Kitchen. We continued sharing with the bean bag activity and everyone listened intently to the ’ribbit’ of Wooden Thai Frogs, followed by jamming along to Little Green Frog, Jamaica Farewell and Three Little Birds. Last, we got swallowed under the parachute by a Boa Constrictor!

The children and community here continue amaze me with their enthusiasm to learn and to sing their hearts out!

 Week 5

October 19^th, five classes into the fall session at Birkdale Residence, was another joyful experience. 12 children, a handful of moms and a few staff volunteers participated while the group sang along to Clap Clap Clap Your Hands, One Little Finger Tap Tap Tap, Johnny Works with One Hammer and What are you Wearing. Halloween was on everyone’s minds when the kids answered the question, ‘What will you be for Halloween?’. We also kept the theme going with ‘I’m Dressing up for Halloween’; the children excitedly howling at the moon like werewolves!

To move a little, we turned ourselves around to the Hokey Pokey and then Row Row Rowed the beat with Chime Bars. Finally, we got into a vibe and played all the instruments along with I’m in the Mood for Jammin’.

I was told that this would be one of the last weeks for many of the families who have been participating in this shelter’s program since its beginning. A few moms will be moving into new homes of their own come November 1^st, so I’m hoping that next week, I’ll see lots of costumes, and that those families will finish off their time with RSF with a bang and memories to last a lifetime!

Week 6

Happy Halloween!

On October 26th, Birkdale Residence caught a case of some very scary songs! A dozen children, a few parents and staff got in the spirit of all things spooky as we sang along to What Will You Be For Halloween, the Very Scary Spider, Roly Poly (trick or treat version), I’m Dressing Up for Halloween, Pumpkin Pumpkin, Five Little Pumpkins, I’m a Crazy Witch and I Shut the Door! And although the children were not dressed up, we had a lot of fun acting out their costumes for the upcoming weekend.

Dancing to the Monster Mash was a twisting experience, and everyone got to mak scary minor chords as the Sruti Box was introduced as the Instrument of the Week. Lastly, we jammed to GHOSTBUSTERS! and took a trip to Old MacDonald’s spooky farm.

Everyone, including me, had a lot of fun celebrating this special week!

 Week 7

Another fun week of music at Birkdale Residence, as 14 children came to sing along! We started by breaking all the rules to Momma Don’t Allow, then did a little counting with 10 Little Fingers. We followed that up by learning our lefts and rights to Dat is the Right Hand. Razamatazama, Crocky Crocodile and Johnny Didn’t Have Any Breakfast rounded out the first part of the class. And then we started jumping! Sleeping Bunnies woke us all up, and we continued catching some air with Jump Jim Joe. After so much exercise, we calmed back down with the meditative Ting Shaw Bells.

To end things off, we found that ‘The More We Jam Together’, the better, and we Twisted and Shouted! Lots of fun and learning had by all.

Week 8

Tuesday November 9^th marked week 8 of music classes at Birkdale Residence. Again we saw a very full class; 15 children were in attendance to excitedly sing the Hello Song (a class favourite) followed by Hands Together Hands Apart, Clap Your Hands 1-2-3, 1+2+3+4, Alice the Camel and Corner Grocery Store. And after concentrating for a few songs on numbers and counting, the children happily jumped up and turned around to What Are You Wearing and shook all their sillies out!

Week 9

Upon entering the daycare where RSF holds its classes at Birkdale, I could hear singing in the air; “Hello, Hello. Hello Everybody, Hello”.  And after an excited round of shouted hellos from my class regulars, one of the residence daycare staff mentioned that the children all talk about me and the songs we sing throughout the week, between classes! It definitely warms the heart and put a huge smile on my face.

Today, Tuesday November 16th, was week number 9 of the session, and just like all classes since we started here, attendance was high with 16 children and about 8 adults participating! We started by learning the days of the week and their rhythms, then got more warmed up with One Finger Keeps Moving and If You’re Happy and You Know It. We buzzed like Poor Little Bugs on the Wall, warmed up to Mister Sun and, worked on our opposites with Roly Poly, after taking the lead from one little girl having too much fun putting her hands up into the air and down!  We also learned about our body parts in English and French, with Head and Shoulders and Alouette.  Finally, we Walked, Just Walked Along! Lots of variety and fun was the theme of the day!

The staff and parents at this shelter are truly wonderful, always singing and taking part enthusiastically. I really can see the difference it makes in motivating the children to participate! I also find that the grownups here are always as excited to learn about the IOTW as the children, this week's instrument being the guiro. To finish off, we jammed to Going to the Zoo and Down in the Valley, and danced under the parachute.

I truly can’t believe we’re only 3 weeks shy of the end of the session. It’s just flown by so quickly!

 Week 11

Shadowing the theme of regular Rainbow Songs classes, this week we went on a journey to the zoo with Animal Week! 14 children got into the spirit, wearing animal headbands and excitedly taking a trip while the ‘Wheels on the Bus went all through the ZOO! Every time we moved to ‘go see’ a new animal, we jumped on the bus and got our arms rolling!

Today, together we sang Going to the Zoo and started with the smallest of the animals; we saw the Eensy Weensy Spider and played the wooden Thai Frogs to Little Green Frog.  We then went to the bird enclosure, and saw Two Little Blackbirds chirping and Six Little Ducks wading in the water. Next we went to see A Turtle in its Shell and watched as Crocky Crocodile snapped its jaws!  And after such an exciting morning, we needed a tiny rest and a bit of lunch, first closing our eyes then quickly opening them again with Sleeping Bunnies and moving All Around the Kitchen.

The Ocean Drum was definitely a popular IOTW, and as the children passed it around the circle, the mood of the class mellowed, Listening to the Water.  Finally, to see a few more animals before heading home, we picked up our instruments and took short trips outside the zoo, first In the Jungle and then to Old MacDonald’s farm.

This was another fun week at Birkdale Residence; and a few more families earned their RSF CDs!

Week 11

Tuesday, November 30th marked music class number 11, the second last of the fall session at Birkdale Residence. Fifteen children and nine adults (including our very own Janet Skinner) sat in our music circle in the daycare for another 45 minutes of songs, singing and fun!

We started out finding our rhythm to 1+2+3+4, counted all of our 10 Little Fingers, and then got all Sticky with some Bubblegum (which I must add, seems to have become one of the class favourites!). We finished off singing about our body parts with Dat Is the Right Hand, and then continued on to All Da Nations and Some Like It Hot!

To keep our hearts beating, we danced in the circle to Shoo Fly and Elephants Go Marching One by One. We kept the rhythm alive, becoming drummers working with Sticks and learned to shake the caxixi as the instruments of the week, finally jamming out to Jamaica Farewell and dancing under the parachute.

Another inspired and energetic lesson.

Week 12