Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 8A
, FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS - Wdn*»d*y, 2,1W8
A visit to the
nature trail
Kim Bailey, lead naturalist
for Elachee Nature Center
in Gainesville, visited the
newly constructed nature
trail at Cumming
Elementary School. Bailey
taught the teachers at
Cumming Elementary
about native plants and
identified many of the
plants and trees on the
nature trail on the school
grounds.
Photo/submitted
Scholars make statement with video
Local leaders from education, government, vol
unteer organizations and the business world have
been invited to attend the Gainesville College
Summer Scholars’ presentation of “Goals or
Gangs” on Thursday, Dec. 3, at 4 p.m.
The presentation, which will take place in the the
atre of the Gainesville College Continuing
Education/Performing Arts Center, will feature
some students from the 1998 Summer Scholars’
program and the video which they produced on a
student’s choice - Goals or Gangs.
School events
North Forsyth High School
...fine arts club presents
“Dorothy Meets Alice,” a chil
dren's play, on Thursday, Dec. 3,
at 7 p.m. Everyone is welcome,
the will be no pre-paid tickets.
Admission at the door is $2 per
person. For more information,
contact B.J. Smith at (770) 781-
6637, ext. 356.
Vickery Creek Elementary
...will hold a Scholastic book fair
from Dec. 7-11, from 8:30 a.m. to
2 p.m. in the media center. On
Thursday, Dec. 10, the book fair
will be open until 8 p.m. For more
information, call (770) 346-0040,
ext. 238 or ext. 314.
THXXk YOU
Forsyth County and North Georgia
For Making Most Successful
First Year Package Store In Georgia!
•• • .>• ■ T
1’
i’fe ‘ '<■ X ■' ‘ ' •• ,• < X&.V, ' ’ S ‘-\ ’ ■ ’ I a -a'--
T ■
This Holiday Season, let The Pros at Jax Help
Plan Your Holiday Party Or Gift Giving. Great Selection,
Great Service, And of Course, Great Prices.
If You Don't Think There's A Difference In Package Stores, You Haven't Been To
luMM 99 99 I CLUB S 770-888-8036 GA4OO at Exit 14 Cumming Market Place
» Mg SB - WMIW J
I *'k«
■ Lik—
Uniform meeting
A Uniforms Investigation
Committee meeting will be held
Tuesday, Dec. 1, at 7 p.m. at
Otwell Middle School in the
media center. For more informa
tion, call (770) 887-5248.
Winter Nurturing Program
A 12-week positive parenting
program focusing on new skills,
fresh ideas and shared concerns
will be held Tuesday evenings,
Jan. 19-April 13, from 6:30-8:30
p.m. at the Episcopal Church of
the Holy Spirit. A S6O fee per
family covers 12 weeks of
instruction, supplies, children’s
activities for ages 4 and up and
The video is a powerful statement from the stu
dents about the consequences of the “wrong
choice” and includes a short segment on Monica
Kaufman’s coverage of gangs in Hall County.
The video and its companion brochure were cre
ated as part of the Gainesville College Summer
Scholars Community Service Learning Project and
will be distributed to local schools.
This event is free and open to the public. For
more information, call the Gainesville College
PREP Office at (770) 718-3621.
baby-sitting for kids under 4.
Sponsored by the
Cumming/Forsyth County
Council on Youth, a Family
Connection Site. For more infor
mation, call Elizabeth M. Cooke
at (770)205-1701.
Daves Creek Elementary
...will hold Family Story Hour
on Monday, Dec. 14, from 7-8
p.m. The theme this month is
“ ’Twas the Night Before...”
Everyone should come dressed in
favorite pajamas and accompa
nied by a favorite stuffed friend.
A special guest will be flying in
for the occasion. For more infor
mation, call (770) 888-1222.
EDUCATION
What to do if your child displays
an interest in music education
Has your child shown an interest
in music? If he or she claps or
marches with the songs on a
favorite television show, likes to
listen to music and sing and
dance, shows an interest in musi
cal instruments or requests that
certain music be played at home,
your child is exhibiting an interest
in music.
Music study can be a highly
rewarding supplement to the edu
cation your child receives at
school. Learning to play an instru
ment can help a child develop bet
ter concentration skills, coordina
tion, critical thinking and commu
nication skills. Music also pro
vides a positive outlet for creativi
ty and self-expression. Best of all,
it can boost a child’s self esteem.
However, in order to reap these
rewards, a child must be motivat
ed to continue to work toward a
goal. As with anything new,
music lessons can be intimidating
at first. Selecting a quality music
teacher, as well as demonstrating
parental support - making time to
listen to your child play music,
applauding and encouraging your
child’s efforts - can make the dif
ference in whether a child’s expe
rience with music is successful.
According to Judith Price, National
Certification Chair of the Music
Teachers National Association, par
ents should realize that music
lessons differ widely in content,
technique and educational objective.
In addition, choosing the right or
wrong teacher can make or break
your child’s musical experience.
To parents who are considering
music studies for their children,
Price offers the following answers
to the most commonly asked
questions:
How early should a child begin
studying music?
It is never too early to begin
exposing a child to music. Even
preschoolers enjoy group music
activities. They learn through sim-
ple songs, dancing, playing small
percussion instruments and musi
cal games. Your community may
offer preschool music programs
through the city recreation depart
ment, public schools, churches,
music stores and independent
music teachers.
When is a child ready for pri*
vate lessons?
Teachers differ in their opinions
of when a child is ready to start
private lessons. Ask the opinion
on this subject from any music
teacher you are considering.
Basically, a child must be able to
count, know right from left, be
able to sit still and follow direc
tions and pay attention for at least
30 minutes.
Which instrument should your
child study?
Whatever age your child begins
lessons, playing an instrument
will teach your child more than
can ever be learned from reading
about or listening to music. If you
feel your child is ready for instru
mental lessons at age 3 or 4, the
Suzuki method teaches very
young children how to play an
instrument, usually a small violin.
In the Suzuki method, children
imitate the teacher and parents
reinforce this through practice and
instruction at home. The Suzuki
method involves a child’s parents
in the lessons and practice from
the very beginning.
Which instruments are most
popular?
Piano, guitar and organ, in that
order, are the most popular instru
ments chosen to learn. However,
you must consider the size of the
instrument. Expose your child to a
wide variety of band and orches
tra instruments through books,
audio tapes, videos and comput
ers. Encourage him or her to ask
questions of people who play dif
ferent instruments. You can guide
your child’s choice of instru
ments, but let your child be the
ultimate decision-maker.
What can you expect to pay
for an instrument?
Os course, this will vary widely
with the specific instrument. Talk
with a music retailer about rent
ing, renting-to-own and purchas
ing options. Ask about the avail
ability of used instruments.
However, be sure that the instru
ment you get is good quality. A
substandard instrument may keep
your child from producing quality
sounds and becoming proficient
in the proper playing technique of
the instrument, potentially caus
ing your child frustration.
Where should you look for a
music teacher?
A quality music teacher can
make the difference in whether or
not your child will continue music
lessons over a number of years.
Ask your friends and neighbors
for referrals. Contact school
administrators and band directors.
A good place to start is with
MTNA, who publishes a directory
of certified teachers, available to
the public free of charge. For
more information, write to
MTNA, 441 Vine St., Suite 505,
Cincinnati, OH 45202 or call
(513) 421-1420.