Parents are invited to a variety of musical experiences planned for Woodside Elementary School students involved in Arts in Community Education (ACE) programming. ACE is a Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (MSO) educational program offered to a select number of schools in southeastern Wisconsin. The program encourages understanding of music, improved listening skills and family participation.
The activities planned for the next month and a half are:
- Fourth grade parents invited Jan. 10 — Parents of fourth-graders are invited to attend an in-school presentation Jan. 10 by the Florentine Opera in the school’s Large Group Area (LGA). The event is from 10:45 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and will feature an opera performance. Performers will present “The Three Little Pigs,” a one-act opera in which the music of Mozart is used to retell the familiar story.
- First grade parents invited Jan. 11 — Parents of first-graders are invited to attend a MSO Percussion Duo presentation Jan. 11 from 11:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. in the Woodside LGA. The pair will play a variety of percussion instruments in telling the story of “Where the Wild Things Are.” This fits with the theme of storytelling that ACE listening pieces, presentations and projects focus on in first grade.
- Kindergarten parents invited Jan. 12 — Parents of kindergartners are invited to attend a presentation Jan. 12 by the MSO resident conductor. The 30-minute presentation, which begins at 11 a.m. in the LGA, focuses on the job of the conductor. Students will practice conducting techniques. It incorporates the kindergarten ACE theme of the family of music — audience, performer, composer and conductor.
While parents are encouraged to attend in-school programs for their children, ACE events during the school day are not intended for students’ younger siblings.
- All Woodside families invited to HFAC Feb. 19 — The professional jazz group, Swingin’ with Julie Wood, will perform Feb. 19 at 6:30 p.m. at the Hamilton Fine Arts Center, W220 N6151 Town Line Road, Sussex. This free event is open to all Woodside families, and parents are welcome to attend with children of all ages. The jazz combo will play various styles of jazz with popular tunes such as “The Flintstones,” “A-Tisket, A-Tasket,” “The Sesame Street Theme Song” and “Rhapsody in Blue.” In addition to Woodside, Marcy Elementary School families are invited because they also participate in the ACE partnership.
The music teacher at Woodside is Heather Cheslock. Woodside is located at W236 N7465 Woodside Road, Sussex. The Woodside Home and School provides financial support for the ACE program.