8/27/17
We can't believe it is done! What a wonderful SEEK season we had. Mrs. Bakken and I enjoyed getting to meet some of you last night. It is so crazy at Open House that we know we didn't get a chance to speak to all of you. Trust us, we love gushing about your child and their talents. You truly saw their best performance of all last night. Thank you for joining us! Thank you for all the support you gave your child on this journey. :0)
Today we took down scenery and had a little "snowball" fight. This is always so much fun. After that we had the opportunity to go to the Shakespear's Kids play. It was so awesome to be in the audience. Snack break quickly followed. We did some housekeeping when we came back... handing out pictures, dividing out posters and such. We then took some time to enjoy some authentic Broadway performances. I will link in the videos below. We even stuck in a clip from "The Greatest Showman." Not Broadway, but amazing singing and performing. There was just enough time for a round of the blanket game. There were so many ties as the kids have really gotten to know each other.
We love teaching this class. Something we love even more than that are seeing relationships being formed with kids from different school districts. We really hope they are able to keep in touch or continue those friendships next year at SEEK.
Some of the kids mentioned that they may be doing some performances this summer. Please feel free to drop an email with details. We really enjoy seeing our kiddos perform. If we can make it, we'll be there.
Enjoy the rest of your summer,
Ms. Hitchcock and Mrs. Bakken
We can't believe it is done! What a wonderful SEEK season we had. Mrs. Bakken and I enjoyed getting to meet some of you last night. It is so crazy at Open House that we know we didn't get a chance to speak to all of you. Trust us, we love gushing about your child and their talents. You truly saw their best performance of all last night. Thank you for joining us! Thank you for all the support you gave your child on this journey. :0)
Today we took down scenery and had a little "snowball" fight. This is always so much fun. After that we had the opportunity to go to the Shakespear's Kids play. It was so awesome to be in the audience. Snack break quickly followed. We did some housekeeping when we came back... handing out pictures, dividing out posters and such. We then took some time to enjoy some authentic Broadway performances. I will link in the videos below. We even stuck in a clip from "The Greatest Showman." Not Broadway, but amazing singing and performing. There was just enough time for a round of the blanket game. There were so many ties as the kids have really gotten to know each other.
We love teaching this class. Something we love even more than that are seeing relationships being formed with kids from different school districts. We really hope they are able to keep in touch or continue those friendships next year at SEEK.
Some of the kids mentioned that they may be doing some performances this summer. Please feel free to drop an email with details. We really enjoy seeing our kiddos perform. If we can make it, we'll be there.
Enjoy the rest of your summer,
Ms. Hitchcock and Mrs. Bakken
6/25/18
We gave two performances for other SEEK classes today. We couldn't have been more proud of these actors and actresses! Tomorrow's the big day!! We have some performances for classes in the morning and then the BIG SHOW for all of you.
Just a reminder that Open House runs from 5-7 p.m. Our performance will begin at 5:30 p.m. Our classroom is the first door on the left as you walk into Door #16. Please have your child to Pine City by 5:15-5:20 p.m., so they can get their costume on and have a few minutes to get settled. There is road construction on I-35. The Pine City exit driving North should be open... it was today.
The Strike It Rich class is selling tacos in a bag and hot dogs down in the cafeteria, so let them do the cooking. :0)
We gave two performances for other SEEK classes today. We couldn't have been more proud of these actors and actresses! Tomorrow's the big day!! We have some performances for classes in the morning and then the BIG SHOW for all of you.
Just a reminder that Open House runs from 5-7 p.m. Our performance will begin at 5:30 p.m. Our classroom is the first door on the left as you walk into Door #16. Please have your child to Pine City by 5:15-5:20 p.m., so they can get their costume on and have a few minutes to get settled. There is road construction on I-35. The Pine City exit driving North should be open... it was today.
The Strike It Rich class is selling tacos in a bag and hot dogs down in the cafeteria, so let them do the cooking. :0)
6/22/18
It was a pretty great day in the SAS classroom. All of the hard work and dedication are coming together!!! That makes these teachers very excited! We ended up doing two dress rehearsals today. We needed to make sure that costume changes were smooth. They went very well!
We were able to finalize the choreography for our last three songs today after snack. Thank you to Brecklyn, Ella, Brittany, Kenna, Evelyn, Jack, Jenner, and Nora for being such great teachers.
A special thanks to Connor, Cypress, Lauren, and Sophie for working with Mrs. Bakken to clean the snack area today. With so much to do, we had to divide and conquer. :0)
Homework for the weekend, memorization, volume, and have FUN. We still have a few kiddos that need the extra repetitions on their lines. It could be because we were all tired after yesterday, but many were struggling with their volume today.
ENJOY this beautiful weekend!
Ms. Hitchcock and Mrs. Bakken
It was a pretty great day in the SAS classroom. All of the hard work and dedication are coming together!!! That makes these teachers very excited! We ended up doing two dress rehearsals today. We needed to make sure that costume changes were smooth. They went very well!
We were able to finalize the choreography for our last three songs today after snack. Thank you to Brecklyn, Ella, Brittany, Kenna, Evelyn, Jack, Jenner, and Nora for being such great teachers.
A special thanks to Connor, Cypress, Lauren, and Sophie for working with Mrs. Bakken to clean the snack area today. With so much to do, we had to divide and conquer. :0)
Homework for the weekend, memorization, volume, and have FUN. We still have a few kiddos that need the extra repetitions on their lines. It could be because we were all tired after yesterday, but many were struggling with their volume today.
ENJOY this beautiful weekend!
Ms. Hitchcock and Mrs. Bakken
6/21/18
I'm not really sure where those six hours went, but the pictures must show it. :0) It was so crazy, a little stressful, and a whole lot of fun!! This morning the kids chose what section of the scenery they wanted to work on. They had some time to draw a sketch and make a plan while Mrs. Bakken and I worked to get the paint set up. The waiting was tough on some of them. We had a few paint incidents, but as you can see things look beautiful. We are saving the full view for Open House. Paint brushes are now clean! That always makes us happy.
There was a lot of singing today. We love the fact that the kids came up with their own choreography. I think that they remember it so much better because of this. We were able to do a run-through of just the songs before our lunch. We made our own "family table" in the classroom and enjoyed eating and visiting together.
Mrs. Bakken worked with many of the kids on parts of their costumes this afternoon. We were able to get a full run-through done today. I think we are all anticipating our first time rehearsing in costumes tomorrow. This is getting REAL!
We felt the kids deserved a little break at the end of our day, so we let them loose on the playground (after a group photo). These kids work SO HARD everyday. We enjoy them so much!
Ms. Hitchcock and Mrs. Bakken
I'm not really sure where those six hours went, but the pictures must show it. :0) It was so crazy, a little stressful, and a whole lot of fun!! This morning the kids chose what section of the scenery they wanted to work on. They had some time to draw a sketch and make a plan while Mrs. Bakken and I worked to get the paint set up. The waiting was tough on some of them. We had a few paint incidents, but as you can see things look beautiful. We are saving the full view for Open House. Paint brushes are now clean! That always makes us happy.
There was a lot of singing today. We love the fact that the kids came up with their own choreography. I think that they remember it so much better because of this. We were able to do a run-through of just the songs before our lunch. We made our own "family table" in the classroom and enjoyed eating and visiting together.
Mrs. Bakken worked with many of the kids on parts of their costumes this afternoon. We were able to get a full run-through done today. I think we are all anticipating our first time rehearsing in costumes tomorrow. This is getting REAL!
We felt the kids deserved a little break at the end of our day, so we let them loose on the playground (after a group photo). These kids work SO HARD everyday. We enjoy them so much!
Ms. Hitchcock and Mrs. Bakken
6/20/18
It was another great day in Sing it, Act it, Shake it today. Once again we were busy, busy, busy. We started out checking in costumes that were brought in, and then we did a warm-up. We haven't had time to do one in a couple days because of time constraints. I think the kids enjoyed it. It was also good for the teachers. :0)
Our first run-through was on the agenda next. We got almost through the whole show, but needed some snacks. Once we were back, we finished up. We took a "break" to do some choreography. Thanks to our Earth, Carlie, to Vivian, our Snow White, and to Connor and Cypress for teaching us their choreography. One more run-through brought us to the end of our day together. Every day things are getting better and better. We can't wait to show you all.
Extended Day is tomorrow. If you haven't already done so, please send $6 for lunch. A reminder that we will be painting scenery and some costumes tomorrow. Please be sure to dress appropriately. Mrs. Bakken and I put up most of the scenery paper before we left today. We are almost as excited as the kids are for the scenery. They always come up with great ideas.
Ms. Hitchcock and Mrs. Bakken
It was another great day in Sing it, Act it, Shake it today. Once again we were busy, busy, busy. We started out checking in costumes that were brought in, and then we did a warm-up. We haven't had time to do one in a couple days because of time constraints. I think the kids enjoyed it. It was also good for the teachers. :0)
Our first run-through was on the agenda next. We got almost through the whole show, but needed some snacks. Once we were back, we finished up. We took a "break" to do some choreography. Thanks to our Earth, Carlie, to Vivian, our Snow White, and to Connor and Cypress for teaching us their choreography. One more run-through brought us to the end of our day together. Every day things are getting better and better. We can't wait to show you all.
Extended Day is tomorrow. If you haven't already done so, please send $6 for lunch. A reminder that we will be painting scenery and some costumes tomorrow. Please be sure to dress appropriately. Mrs. Bakken and I put up most of the scenery paper before we left today. We are almost as excited as the kids are for the scenery. They always come up with great ideas.
Ms. Hitchcock and Mrs. Bakken
8/19/18
AMAZING! That is what we think your children are... just plain amazing! Today was our first day off script. Overall they did well. There's still memorization work to do, but what they have accomplished so far is great.
Mrs. Bakken and I took a trip to Lakeside Elementary after SEEK yesterday. We emptied out the costume lockers in my classroom and unearthed some great items. We scored several brown and green t-shirts. Check with your child to see if they are borrowing one of our shirts. After searching the school, we also found the seven hard hats that were in "storage." All dwarfs are covered. This morning, we shared all our great finds with the kids and logged in all of the costume items that were brought in this morning. We were super excited about some our your great finds! Costumes are due this Thursday. We know this is a short turnaround, so thanks for doing your best to get what we need. Again, if you need help with any items, please send a note or an email.
After costume check, we reviewed the choreography for the three dances we already learned. Then we moved onto a walk through of the show. We took a quick break for snack and finished the show when we returned. Thanks to Alana, Grayce, and Annabelle for teaching us the rock choreography today. A belated thank you to Kia and Felicity for teaching us yesterday's erosion choreography. We're very impressed by their great ideas.
The rest of our day was spent creating posters that shared what we learned from our research yesterday. Some are already hanging in the hallway. Be sure to check them out at Open House.
Thanks to everyone who has been sending us notes regarding changes to after SEEK busing and pick-up schedules. It makes our jobs a whole lot easier. Please remember that SEEK begins each day at 8:30 a.m. and ends each day at noon. Students who are being picked up are not allowed to play on the playground while they wait.
Extended day is THIS THURSDAY!! See yesterday's post for more details. :0)
Ms. Hitchcock and Mrs. Bakken
AMAZING! That is what we think your children are... just plain amazing! Today was our first day off script. Overall they did well. There's still memorization work to do, but what they have accomplished so far is great.
Mrs. Bakken and I took a trip to Lakeside Elementary after SEEK yesterday. We emptied out the costume lockers in my classroom and unearthed some great items. We scored several brown and green t-shirts. Check with your child to see if they are borrowing one of our shirts. After searching the school, we also found the seven hard hats that were in "storage." All dwarfs are covered. This morning, we shared all our great finds with the kids and logged in all of the costume items that were brought in this morning. We were super excited about some our your great finds! Costumes are due this Thursday. We know this is a short turnaround, so thanks for doing your best to get what we need. Again, if you need help with any items, please send a note or an email.
After costume check, we reviewed the choreography for the three dances we already learned. Then we moved onto a walk through of the show. We took a quick break for snack and finished the show when we returned. Thanks to Alana, Grayce, and Annabelle for teaching us the rock choreography today. A belated thank you to Kia and Felicity for teaching us yesterday's erosion choreography. We're very impressed by their great ideas.
The rest of our day was spent creating posters that shared what we learned from our research yesterday. Some are already hanging in the hallway. Be sure to check them out at Open House.
Thanks to everyone who has been sending us notes regarding changes to after SEEK busing and pick-up schedules. It makes our jobs a whole lot easier. Please remember that SEEK begins each day at 8:30 a.m. and ends each day at noon. Students who are being picked up are not allowed to play on the playground while they wait.
Extended day is THIS THURSDAY!! See yesterday's post for more details. :0)
Ms. Hitchcock and Mrs. Bakken
6/18/18
Happy Monday! We were all a bit tired this morning, but there was no time to rest. We had a good discussion about costumes, played the blanket game (we kept running out of time last week), Took some time to refresh our memories on choreography they worked on with their groups, and started a run-through of the show. Snack interrupted before we could finish up. Yes, we did all of that before 10 a.m. When we got back, we talked about our plans for research, chose our topics, and then worked on the choreography for two dances. From there we moved into the computer lab. The kids worked SO hard and so well in their partner groups. Mrs. Bakken and I helped out here and there, but once again our students were rock star collaborators. We had just enough time to head back to class and hand out some informational sheets. They are linked below in case your child lost them on the bus or in the depths of their backpack. :0) Tomorrow is another crazy, busy day. We can't wait to continue working with this group of kids. |
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6/15/18
Where does the time go? That was the question I kept asking myself today. Can you believe that kids have known their parts for four days? Four days and we are currently blocking movement on the stage! We also learned choreography for our first song. Thanks to Lauren, Ariana, and Sophie for sharing all your great moves.
We spent some time this morning discussing costumes. Once we get all the information into a document, we will post it on this site. Your child MIGHT remember what we talked about, but if they're as tired as we are they might not. :0)
Today was a blur. We hope you and your child can find a few minutes here and there to work on memorizing parts this weekend. Monday will bring more work on choreography, staging, and RESEARCH. We will be using the computer lab at SEEK to "dig deeper" into geology.
Happy Weekend!
Ms. Hitchcock and Mrs. Bakken
Where does the time go? That was the question I kept asking myself today. Can you believe that kids have known their parts for four days? Four days and we are currently blocking movement on the stage! We also learned choreography for our first song. Thanks to Lauren, Ariana, and Sophie for sharing all your great moves.
We spent some time this morning discussing costumes. Once we get all the information into a document, we will post it on this site. Your child MIGHT remember what we talked about, but if they're as tired as we are they might not. :0)
Today was a blur. We hope you and your child can find a few minutes here and there to work on memorizing parts this weekend. Monday will bring more work on choreography, staging, and RESEARCH. We will be using the computer lab at SEEK to "dig deeper" into geology.
Happy Weekend!
Ms. Hitchcock and Mrs. Bakken
6/14/18
It was a crazy, busy day in the SAS classroom today. After warm-ups, solos were assigned. We also gave out some additional supporting roles to sing during some of the songs. Once we got all of that straightened out, we did half a read/sing-through. We all needed a break for some nourishment, so we made our way to snack.
Once we returned, we finished up the second half of the script. We didn't waste any time launching into one more read/sing through. This time we used the music without the singers. I have to admit, there were goosebumps several times today. The voices in this room are beautiful!!!
After we finished our second time, we did something that Sing it, Act it, Shake it has never done before. Students were broken into groups based on their original parts. They were asked to work together to come up with potential choreography. They were all very focused. We can't wait to see what they came up with tomorrow.
PLEASE make sure your child is memorizing their speaking parts and songs at home. Memorizing lines is something that we just don't have time in class to do. Our goal is to do away with scripts by next Tuesday.
Below is a snippet of one of our songs. I thought you might enjoy.
Ms. Hitchcock and Mrs. Bakken
It was a crazy, busy day in the SAS classroom today. After warm-ups, solos were assigned. We also gave out some additional supporting roles to sing during some of the songs. Once we got all of that straightened out, we did half a read/sing-through. We all needed a break for some nourishment, so we made our way to snack.
Once we returned, we finished up the second half of the script. We didn't waste any time launching into one more read/sing through. This time we used the music without the singers. I have to admit, there were goosebumps several times today. The voices in this room are beautiful!!!
After we finished our second time, we did something that Sing it, Act it, Shake it has never done before. Students were broken into groups based on their original parts. They were asked to work together to come up with potential choreography. They were all very focused. We can't wait to see what they came up with tomorrow.
PLEASE make sure your child is memorizing their speaking parts and songs at home. Memorizing lines is something that we just don't have time in class to do. Our goal is to do away with scripts by next Tuesday.
Below is a snippet of one of our songs. I thought you might enjoy.
Ms. Hitchcock and Mrs. Bakken
6/13/18
I don't know about the kids, but today was a blur for the teachers. :0) We started our day with a good old fashioned warm-up. Stretching, moving, and sharing your dance style was on the agenda. The "Connor" and the "Will" were dusted off and brought to the dance floor for the second year in a row.
Next we did a circle read through. We have a female Professor Rock, so many pronouns needed to be changed in the script. We also needed to assign speaking parts for roles that had more than one part (ferns, volcanoes, mountains, and such). All went very well! We even had a little time to sing some of our songs before snack.
Once we returned from snack, we did a read/sing through. The kids did an incredible job! We were very impressed after just getting their parts the day before. Keep up the great work at home on memorizing parts. :0)
After that, we did some more get to know you activities. We did a name game. Some kids attempted (and succeeded) in beating Ms. Hitchcock in a name race. We played an old favorite called The Blanket Game, and finished up with partners and questions. We certainly don't waste time here. :0)
Ms. Hitchcock and Mrs. Bakken
I don't know about the kids, but today was a blur for the teachers. :0) We started our day with a good old fashioned warm-up. Stretching, moving, and sharing your dance style was on the agenda. The "Connor" and the "Will" were dusted off and brought to the dance floor for the second year in a row.
Next we did a circle read through. We have a female Professor Rock, so many pronouns needed to be changed in the script. We also needed to assign speaking parts for roles that had more than one part (ferns, volcanoes, mountains, and such). All went very well! We even had a little time to sing some of our songs before snack.
Once we returned from snack, we did a read/sing through. The kids did an incredible job! We were very impressed after just getting their parts the day before. Keep up the great work at home on memorizing parts. :0)
After that, we did some more get to know you activities. We did a name game. Some kids attempted (and succeeded) in beating Ms. Hitchcock in a name race. We played an old favorite called The Blanket Game, and finished up with partners and questions. We certainly don't waste time here. :0)
Ms. Hitchcock and Mrs. Bakken
6/12/18
Day #1 is in the books, and man was it fast. It was so busy, in fact, that both teachers forgot to take any photos. Of course we realized this after the kids had left. :0) So, the above pictures are of our classroom this year. With SEEK being in Pine City this year, we have a whole new domain. It does not have desks or tables, but we are loving all the space we have. There's a perfect wall for scenery, and plenty of space for all of you when you come to our performance.
We started our day full of excitement to see former students and new students. The class took time to get to know each other with a name game. Then they patiently listened to Mrs. Bakken and Ms. Hitchcock read through the script. We did let them sing the songs with us. They were also able to sign up for parts that they were interested in. By then we were hungry, and it was snack time. We had a hike to the cafeteria, but no one got lost.
Once we returned from snack it was time for try-outs. Once again we were blown away by all the talent in this classroom. I know that by now we shouldn't be surprised. The decisions on parts were not easy to make. We hope that your child loves, likes, or will grow to love or like their part. If they are struggling, please remind them that many of them will have more than one part. Solos will also be available for those who would like one. Every moment is utilized in this class. Today was no different. We were announcing roles just before walking out to the buses. We hope that everyone is feeling good about our first day.
We can't wait to really dive into this process tomorrow. It is amazing what we accomplish in such a short period of time. Please check this website daily for updates, important information, photos, and videos.
Ms. Hitchcock and Mrs. Bakken
Day #1 is in the books, and man was it fast. It was so busy, in fact, that both teachers forgot to take any photos. Of course we realized this after the kids had left. :0) So, the above pictures are of our classroom this year. With SEEK being in Pine City this year, we have a whole new domain. It does not have desks or tables, but we are loving all the space we have. There's a perfect wall for scenery, and plenty of space for all of you when you come to our performance.
We started our day full of excitement to see former students and new students. The class took time to get to know each other with a name game. Then they patiently listened to Mrs. Bakken and Ms. Hitchcock read through the script. We did let them sing the songs with us. They were also able to sign up for parts that they were interested in. By then we were hungry, and it was snack time. We had a hike to the cafeteria, but no one got lost.
Once we returned from snack it was time for try-outs. Once again we were blown away by all the talent in this classroom. I know that by now we shouldn't be surprised. The decisions on parts were not easy to make. We hope that your child loves, likes, or will grow to love or like their part. If they are struggling, please remind them that many of them will have more than one part. Solos will also be available for those who would like one. Every moment is utilized in this class. Today was no different. We were announcing roles just before walking out to the buses. We hope that everyone is feeling good about our first day.
We can't wait to really dive into this process tomorrow. It is amazing what we accomplish in such a short period of time. Please check this website daily for updates, important information, photos, and videos.
Ms. Hitchcock and Mrs. Bakken
Dear Students,
Come join us for an adventure as we learn about geology! We can’t wait to get started singing, acting, and shaking (that means dancing) with you.
Our musical this year is called “Geology Rocks!” Your first assignment begins now. Get online or find some library books to answer the following questions... What is geology? Now that you know what geology is, what can you find about the geology of Minnesota? What does pyroclastic mean? What is a seismograph used for? We’ll have more questions once you arrive, but this should be a nice start.
Next read through the script. It is attached to this email, so ask your amazing parents to print it out for you. :0) We will be sending you a CD of the music really soon!! Read the script carefully and listen to those songs, so you can begin to decide what part/parts you would really like to have. We will ask you to sign up for four parts you are interested in. ON THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS we will be trying out for parts, so start practicing now.
Bring all of your talents with you. Warm up those voices, dig deep so you can project loud and clear, get ready to memorize parts and start moving your body. We also need you to bring your creativity as we will be developing costumes and painting scenery. We will also be learning all we can about geology. Can you believe we will do all of this in just twelve days? Be prepared to work hard and most importantly have FUN!!!
On the Extended Day June 21, our lunch plans will involve ordering pizza. It really ends up being a feast of veggies, pizza, and dessert. Anticipated cost will be about $5 - $7. More information will be sent home when you arrive in June! Enjoy the end of your school year. Be ready to SING! ACT! And SHAKE IT!!!!!
We can’t wait to meet each and every one of you!
Sincerely,
Ms. Hitchcock and Mrs. Bakken :0)
Come join us for an adventure as we learn about geology! We can’t wait to get started singing, acting, and shaking (that means dancing) with you.
Our musical this year is called “Geology Rocks!” Your first assignment begins now. Get online or find some library books to answer the following questions... What is geology? Now that you know what geology is, what can you find about the geology of Minnesota? What does pyroclastic mean? What is a seismograph used for? We’ll have more questions once you arrive, but this should be a nice start.
Next read through the script. It is attached to this email, so ask your amazing parents to print it out for you. :0) We will be sending you a CD of the music really soon!! Read the script carefully and listen to those songs, so you can begin to decide what part/parts you would really like to have. We will ask you to sign up for four parts you are interested in. ON THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS we will be trying out for parts, so start practicing now.
Bring all of your talents with you. Warm up those voices, dig deep so you can project loud and clear, get ready to memorize parts and start moving your body. We also need you to bring your creativity as we will be developing costumes and painting scenery. We will also be learning all we can about geology. Can you believe we will do all of this in just twelve days? Be prepared to work hard and most importantly have FUN!!!
On the Extended Day June 21, our lunch plans will involve ordering pizza. It really ends up being a feast of veggies, pizza, and dessert. Anticipated cost will be about $5 - $7. More information will be sent home when you arrive in June! Enjoy the end of your school year. Be ready to SING! ACT! And SHAKE IT!!!!!
We can’t wait to meet each and every one of you!
Sincerely,
Ms. Hitchcock and Mrs. Bakken :0)