Music and Movement at HPMS!
Highland Park Montessori Saint Paul School's creative movement program has been developed and taught by Fran Ouellette, monthly, since 1998. Creative movement is a non-competitive whole body movement activity where children learn physical skills along with creativity and self-expression. This approach gently builds children's physical strength, flexibility in body and mind, coordination and balance. Creative movement teaches body awareness and how to move safely through space with others. It is taught in a joyful, inclusive, respectful, success-building environment reflecting your school's values. Children learn to move with creativity, imagination, and self-expression, developing independence, confidence and leadership skills. This approach also improves listening and language skills, rhythm and musical awareness, ability to follow directions and practice cooperation.
Singing with Kathy!
Once each week children share in the joy of song with Kathy. Kathy Lee has been with HPMS since 2019. She is a vocalist on the faculty of the Saint Paul Conservatory of Music, and has been an early childhood teacher and trainer for close to 30 years. Kathy has a passion for encouraging early musical literacy in young children as it comes so naturally to them. Children learn musical concepts as they engage in singing activities with one another, such as steady beat, high and low, fast and slow, loud and soft, and all that comes in between those opposites. Kathy also shares her talents with the Toddler Community once each week.
Playing With Music with Mark Sorvari
We found Mark through the Saint Paul Conservatory of Music. He was teaching ukulele there and we asked him if he'd like to give ukulele lessons to our 5-6 year olds. Over 4 years later, we have Ukulele Club each Friday, and Playing with Music once a week in the afternoon. We are so fortunate also to have his daughter, Mimiko, in Daralyn's room.
Mark is a professional musician, performer, teacher, and event curator. He is the Director of Playing with Music, which began in 2015, as a way to inspire, teach, and share music with young children and their caregivers. He has worked in early childhood since 2010, and has experience following the Reggio approach and is certified in Orff-Schulwerk and Music Together (music education pedagogies).
