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Neighbors | Zack Shively.After the concert, the children and their guests had a snack to eat. The PTA helped organize the event and brought the snacks for the students and guests. Pictured, Robin and Joseph Bertin enjoyed their snacks after the concert.
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Neighbors | Zack Shively.The third-grade students sang Woody Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land," in which they focused on sustaining notes for whole measures. Pictured, Robert Pavalko shows the audience the types of rhythms the third grade learned in Guthrie's song.
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Neighbors | Zack Shively.Musical director Robert Pavalko spoke between pieces to discuss what the students had learned in each song. For example, the third grade learned pitch changes with “Rocky Mountain High“ by John Denver.
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Neighbors | Zack Shively.KISS Day is a tradition that takes place throughout the Boardman school district. KISS stands for Kids Invite Someone Special. Pictured are Graham Carbon and his guest Diane Parillo.
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Neighbors | Zack Shively.The kindergarten, first-grade, second-grade and third -grade students at Market Street Elementary School performed choir concerts for someone special in their lives for the school's KISS Day.
By ZACK SHIVELY
The kindergarten, first-grade, second-grade and third-grade students at Market Street Elementary School performed concerts and had snacks with a guest on Nov. 16 as a part of KISS Day.
KISS stands for Kids Invite Someone Special. Each student got to invite one person to their concert performance. Following the performance, the students and guests ate cupcakes and doughnuts, courtesy of the school’s PTA.
Musical director Robert Pavalko, who teaches at all four Boardman elementary schools, used each song to teach the students something new.
For example, the third-grade students sang “Rocky Mountain High“ by John Denver, “This Land is Your Land“ by Woody Guthrie, the nursery rhyme “Have You Seen the Ghost of John?,“ and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious“ from “Mary Poppins.”
With “Rocky Mountain High,“ the students learned musical contour. He handed the students a sheet during class with a mountain to demonstrate how their pitches should change during the song.
Pavalko taught the children rhythms and notes using Guthrie’s song. He taught them quarter notes and whole notes. He explained that they would have to hold out the whole notes in Gutherie’s song and maintain the same pitch.
The class used the nursery rhyme to do a number of things, including clapping in rhythm and singing as two separate units. The nursery rhyme’s short length allowed him the room to teach multiple things with the song.
They ended their show on the “Mary Poppins“ tune. The students learned how to sing at different dynamic levels. The students first sang at quietly at the piano level and ended with the louder forte level.
The students met with their special someone after the performances. They lined up to get their treats. Each grade level performed and ate in the cafeteria. Many of the guests took the opportunity to talk with their child’s friends.
The Boardman school district has had KISS Days for 11 years. Each KISS Day is organized by that school’s PTA.