Music at SFDS

In this section: Philosophy Kindergarten 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade 6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade

- Curriculum
- Performances
- Ensembles
- After School Lessons
- About Our Faculty

Music instruction takes place in all K-8 grades for 30-45 minutes two times a week. Providing music education for all of our students is a defining feature of our program and sets us apart from our peer schools; we are pleased to carry on this tradition at SFDS. Here is a list of the music teaching assignments for the 2007-2008 school year

Curriculum

At SFDS, all students are musicians. They develop an understanding and appreciation of music by learning sequential concepts through active, hands-on participation. The music of many styles, cultures, and time periods is used throughout the curriculum. In addition, children are encouraged to improvise and create their own music. The materials used meet the needs of individual children by challenging gross and fine motor skills, visual and aural memory, and intellectual and creative understanding. Through speech, song, instrument playing and movement, children experience active music making. We combine the approaches of Kodály and Orff Schulwerk, and align our lessons with the nine National Standards for Music Education.

Performances

The music department is proud to offer performance practice skills as an important part of our curriculum; guests often praise our students for their poise when presenting and performing. All the children perform several times throughout the year at assemblies, talent shares, and at the evening Music Soirees. Ensemble work showcases team work, collaboration, and community. Please mark your calendars now, as we know the year can fill up quickly!

Ensembles

Instrumental Ensembles

We actively support music making outside the general music classroom. We are excited to offer mixed grade level chamber ensembles for students who have taken lessons for at least one year and will continue their weekly lessons throughout the current year. The schedule for chamber ensembles is as follows:
Tuesday:         Guitar Ensemble (7:30-8:00)
Thursday:        Upper School Strings and Woodwinds (7:30-8:00)
                       Lower School Strings (8:00-8:30)

Choruses

Dolphin Singers with Ms. Hahn (3rd and 4th grades):  Tuesday and Friday (8:00-8:30)

Upper School Chorus with Ms. Silva (5th – 8th grades):  **new rehearsal format**
                        7th – 8th: Tuesday (7:30-8:00)
                        5th – 6th: Wednesday (7:30-8:00)
                        full ensemble: Friday (7:30-8:00)

Vocal Ensemble -- a new choral ensemble for students who are in grades 6-8, have at least one year of experience in chorus, and have intermediate music reading skills, with Ms. Silva: Thursday (7:15-8:00)

After-School Lessons

You should have already received an enrollment form for our after school extension programs. Currently, we offer private instruction in violin, cello, flute, trap drum set, saxophone, clarinet and guitar.  Instrumental ensembles, all choruses, and instrumental lessons all begin the week of September 17.
Our primary mission is to foster life-long participation in music. Please let us know how we can support this ideal for your child and your family.

Karyn Silva    568-3663           Amanda Hahn  568-3669         Jane Rinard   568-3664   

About Our Faculty:

Amanda Hahn: 
Amanda Hahn is thrilled to join the faculty at the San Francisco Day School.  She has just come from teaching for the last 9 years in an Orff Schulwerk program she started in the Cabrillo Unified School District.  Additionally, Amanda has taught general music and run choral programs, wind ensembles, and keyboard classes throughout the Bay Area in a variety of K-8 schools.  As a professional flutist, Amanda performs with local ensembles and in solo recitals.  She is devoted to her flute students, teaching in her studio and, for the last 10 years, through the San Francisco Community Music Center.

Amanda received her Master’s degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and her Orff Schulwerk teacher’s certification from Mills College.  She has participated in valuable master classes to further her expertise -- her favorite: Integrating the Arts.  This past summer, she was excited to begin her Kodály training at Holy Names University.  Amanda is currently the editor of the newsletter for the Northern California chapter of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association.

Jane Rinard :
This is Jane Rinard’s third year teaching music at the San Francisco Day School, and her sixth year teaching music in the Bay Area. In addition to general music at both San Francisco Day School and Beach Elementary in Piedmont, she teaches private piano and voice lessons, and this year she will be working as Assistant Conductor for the Concert Choir at the Piedmont Choirs. She holds a Masters Degree in Music Education with Kodály Emphasis from Holy Names University and completed her Orff Schulwerk certification through the San Francisco Orff Course this summer. She also serves on the board of the Northern California Association of Kodály Educators.

Karyn Silva:
This year will be Karyn Silva's 17th year of teaching music, and the first year in her new role as music department curriculum coordinator.  She has served as a general music teacher, chorus director and band director for grades K-12 in religious, public and independent schools throughout California. Karyn earned a Masters degree in Music Education with a Kodály emphasis from Holy Names University and has completed Orff Schulwerk certification at Mills College in Oakland.
Recently, Karyn served as the youth choir chairperson for the Organization of American Kodály Educators and has completed advanced Orff Schulwerk training relating to teaching jazz concepts in the classroom. She conducts "Allegra", and “Cantate,” two of the training groups of the Peninsula Girls Chorus.  Last year she received the “Outstanding Music Educator” award from the California Music Educators Association.