Hello Reception classes!

I hope that you are enjoying "The Leopard's Drum"

Here is a puppet version of the book you have been looking at

Class 1E have been doing some work on this book. Click here to see the fantastic pictures they have created.

Children in 2C have created am amazing collage - click here to see

Here is 4 year old Issiah playing the djembe

Here is a little boy from the USA reading the book to his Mummy

Have a look here to see how traditional West African drums called djembes  are made

Poplar have started a choir!

We are very lucky to have Mrs Bennet join us to teach year 4 & 5. She has started a choir and they are are making great progress. Have a listen to them sing "Drunken Sailor" in 4 parts.

listen to ‘Drunken sailor by choir in 4 parts’ on Audioboo

No bad for a few weeks practise!

A song for Black History Month 2012

For last years Black History Month I did lots of work on the fabulous song


 "Ain't gonna let nobody turn me around"

with years years 3, 4 5 & 6



The children were incredibly enthusiastic and needed very little prompting to sing it with an atmosphere of determined defiance. year 6 boys (who can sometimes be reluctant to sing) were queuing up to sing it solo.

There is a brilliant version of this on the  Sing Up website that I would highly recommend for key stage 2.

This year I am going to be teaching

"I wish I knew how it would feel to be free" - (also on the Sing Up website)

Here are the lyrics (as sung by Nina Simone)

I wish  I knew how it would feel to be free
I wish I could break all the chains holding me
I wish I could say all the things that  I should say
say 'em loud, say 'em clear
for the whole round world to hear.

I wish I could share all the love that's in my heart
remove all the bars that keep us apart
I wish you could know what it means to be me
Then you'd see and agree
that every man should be free.

I wish I could give all I'm longing to give
I wish I could live like I'm longing to live
I wish that I could do all the things that  I can do
though I'm way overdue I'd be starting anew.

Well I wish  I could be like a bird in the sky
how sweet it would be if I found  I could fly
Oh I'd soar to the sun and look down at the sea
and I'd sing cos I'd know that
and I'd sing cos I'd know that
and I'd sing cos I'd know that
I'd know how it feels to be free
I'd know how it feels to be free
I'd know how it feels to be free

There are some great versions on YouTube to show your classes but here are a couple to get you started.

Another musical poem for National Poetry Day

I have only just discovered 'I hear America Singing" by Walt Whitman. I love this photo story of it



I am going to challenge my year 6 class to write a verse for " I hear London singing ". It seems particularly apt after the Olympics when there was such an intense focus on London and some of our more hidden communities got a chance to have their voice heard.

Still looking for more poems about music so please share your suggestions!