Welcome Great Bend Students!

While there are many benefits to being able to bring a music class right into your home, it can be harder for kids to focus properly.

Please put your child’s name in the Zoom account they are joining class with! If you need help doing so, you can send a message during class to the account named Miss Heidi – Support. 

Please work with your child(ren) to locate and set up a distraction-free space for class! Snacks, pets, siblings, etc. are very distracting for the entire class, not just your student. A defined space and routine of their own really helps your child(ren) be in the right frame of mind physically and mentally.

It’s also very important to practice muting and unmuting on Zoom! Practice this skill before class if possible. We’ll also work on it during class to make sure everyone takes turns listening and participating.

A pair of headphones with a microphone can be helpful to wear during class. Even if they are not worn for every class, having practice wearing headphones will be help when it comes to recording our final virtual performance pieces, which require the use of headphones.

If possible, please position light sources (windows, lamps, etc) in front of your child(ren), and not behind them, so we can see their faces on camera!

We recommend that a parent or other guardian attend class with Otter Pod student(s) to assist as needed.

Depending on your individual child(ren)’s needs, some parents or guardians may also attend class with their students in Seal or Porpoise Pods. We welcome as much  involvement from parents, grandparents, older siblings, and other guardians that works for each individual family and child!

Our daily classes are structured to use repetition and predictability to create a safe, welcoming learning environment, even though our 30 minute classes are fast-paced.

We begin each class with the same welcome song to allow students to get ready mentally and physically to learn; end with the same goodbye song; and in between we practice building skills by consistently working on the piece chosen for our final ensemble performance at the end of the term, along with other fun and games!

This makes every class a chance for kids to feel comfortable learning and demonstrating their skills, knowing that they will have a chance to continue to improve and practice, which in turn nourishes self esteem and a sense of belonging for every student. This also creates an environment where students begin to teach other students — a key part of our El Sistema-inspired program and one that gives students a sense of ownership over the music making process.

The sense of belonging that results also means that in each class, students connect with each other to create a community through music making. We share birthdays and other milestones and appreciate that the virtual learning environment means that we are able to share our homes with each other in every class.

Siblings (or other relatives) can join class together in a shared area, each with their own device or sharing a screen. If they are on separate devices it would be best to be in different rooms to prevent echo and feedback. Often students do better having their own device. Do what works best for your family!

Teaching artist Jennifer LeCaptain, known to her students as Miss Jennifer, lives Manitowoc, WI with her very soon-to-be husband. She mostly loves to play the saxophone, but she is so excited to sing, dance, and make music in many ways with the Sound Scholars this term!

In class, you may also see Heidi Nelson, or Miss Heidi to students, who lives in Olympia, WA. She will be listed on Zoom as ‘Miss Heidi – Support’ and assists our teaching artists in all classes to help with technical support and teaching. If you have questions or need a support, send her a message in Zoom chat!

Matthew Melendez, who is our original Sound Scholars teaching artist, lives in Union, WA and now substitutes as needed — as well as making special guest appearances!

Note: our beloved Ms. G. is currently out on maternity leave. Otter and Seal Pod teaching artist Gwyndolyn Jones-Dunton, known as Ms. G. to her students, lives in Attleboro, MA with her husband and children. Her 4-year-old son, Kyrie likes to pop into class from time to time to sing and learn with us. 

Every week, we have one or two small assignments that reinforce the concepts and skills learned in class. These assignments are turned in through Seesaw and generally do not require more than 10 minutes of parental or guardian involvement.

Some example assignments: coloring sheets related to vocabulary terms; demonstrating a skill like keeping a steady beat; practice for our final ensemble performance such as practicing recording and following along with a guide track.

It’s never too late to turn in missed assignments, and students are encouraged to repeat assignments that they enjoyed!

If possible, we appreciate advance notice if a student will be absent for multiple days of class in a row. Please send us an email at teachers@greatbendmusic.org with your child(ren)’s name and the dates.

Otherwise, in the case of absences of 1–2 days, you do not need to notify us, but do feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns about what may have been covered in class those days.

For the occasions when there is a conflict during regular class time, families have the option of coming to another session held at a different time. The class Zoom link used for your normal time will also get you into the other sessions for each Pod (Otter, Seal, Porpoise).

Here are the sessions for each Pod in the Spring 2022 term (all times are Pacific):

• Otter Pod: 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 2:00 PM
• Seal Pod: 3:00 PM, 3:30 PM, 4:00 PM
• Porpoise Pod: 1:30 PM, 2:30 PM, 4:30 PM