Music in School
MUSIC WE LISTEN TO IN ASSEMBLY
At Holmgate we are passionate about developing a broad musical culture within school. In assembly every Monday we introduce a focus piece of music which links to our assembly theme for the week. We play this music in and around school during the week to expose pupils to a variety of musical genres and develop a shared love of music within the school community.
Below we will share with you our focus music for each week. This will enable pupils and families to listen at home, ensuring that you too can be part of our ever developing musical culture.
WC: 13/3/23 - RED NOSE DAY
Today we have been discussing the upcoming Red Nose Day, which raises money for Comic Relief. We have learnt about where the money raised goes and who it helps. This weeks music is 'Fairground' by Simply Red - which is purely in-keeping with the colour theme for the week!
Fairground - Simply Red
WC: 6/3/23 - READING
Today we have been talking about the importance of reading and how we celebrate reading in our school. We have a wonderful library, birthday books, buddy readers, teachers choice and enjoy a range of stories and texts through our curriculum and beyond. We thought about how reading can impact our lives, what doors it opens and what opportunities lay in store for us once we can read - but we also discussed purely reading for pleasure. This follows our amazing World Book Day celebrations last week, which really got us thinking about 'Sensational Stories'.
Paperback Writer - The Beatles
WC: 13/2/23 - ST. VALENTINE
This week we have been learning about the history behind Valentine's Day. The day gets its name from a famous saint - St Valentine. Popular belief is that he was a priest from Rome in the third century AD. In Roman times, an Emperor called Claudius II decided to ban marriage, a move which Valentine thought was unfair, so he broke the rules and arranged marriages in secret. When Claudius found out, Valentine was thrown in jail and sentenced to death. Legend has it that St. Valentine fell in love with the jailer's daughter and when he was taken to be killed on 14th February, he sent her a love letter signed "from your Valentine".
Love Is All Around - Wet Wet Wet
WC: 6/2/23 - SAFER INTERNET DAY
This week our assembly focus has been Online Safety, including Safer Internet Day. We have talked about using the internet safely, but also being kind and respectful online. The music we have listened to is from 'Wreck-It Ralph' - a film based on life inside the internet! Although we often think about using the internet appropriately through our computing curriculum, it is still important to re-visit this as the internet and online presence is such a developing factor in modern life.
Life In The Arcade - Wreck-It Ralph
WC: 30/1/23 - FRIENDSHIPS & RELATIONSHIPS
Today we have been thinking about different friendships and relationships and how these impact are lives. We listened to the song 'You've got a friend in me' that talks about supporting others through difficult times. We spent time talking about all the different relationships we have and how these make us feel, and also how we can maintain these during times of trouble.
You've Got A Friend In Me - Randy Newman
WC: 23/1/23 - CHINESE NEW YEAR
Today we listened to some traditional Chinese celebration music as we are learning about Chinese New Year! This year is the year of the Rabbit. We explored the similarities and differences between our New Year celebrations and and the celebrations and traditions surrounding Chinese New Year. We learnt about the Chinese traditions that symbolise luck and hope and considered our own luck, hope and happiness for the year ahead.
Chinese New Year - Traditional
WC: 16/1/23 - MARTIN LUTHER KING
This week we had an assembly to celebrate Martin Luther King Day (third Sunday of January which coincides with his birthday, 15/01/1929) and to learn about the huge impact that Dr. King had on his community and others many years ago. Dr King's 'I have a dream' speech was delivered on 28 August 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC to a crowd of about 250,000. It was the culmination of the 'March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom' and is a key moment in the Civil Rights movement. Martin Luther King was determined to overcome racism and discrimination - which led us to think about what we would like to overcome as individuals, and as a school community. The song 'We Shall Overcome' by Joan Baez allowed us to think about how important it is to stand together for things we believe in.
We Shall Overcome - Joan Baez
WC: 9/1/23 - NEW BEGINNINGS
This week we have returned to school after the Christmas break and have begun talking about new beginnings, new opportunities, and how the decisions we make now can impact our lives going forward. The song we have listened to in assembly this week is 'When I Grow Up' from the musical 'Matilda'. We hope that the lyrics from this song remind children of the choices they will get to make when they are 'grown up' and how the little decisions they make now could help with those.
When I Grow Up - Matilda The Musical
DECEMBER - CHRISTMAS
During December, our music in assembly was primarily the Christmas music for our end of term performances. The children worked hard in the run up to Christmas practising these for their performances, which were thoroughly enjoyed by family and friends at the end of the term.
WC: 14/11/22 - KINDNESS
This week is Anti-Bullying Week and also World Kindness Day. The message for this Anti-Bullying Week is REACH OUT so we have spoken in length about HOW we can reach out and WHO we can reach out too if we are concerned about bullying. The words to this week's song talk about treating people with kindness, which is so important. Try and say one nice thing to someone every day this week and see how this impacts positively on the people around you.
Treat People With Kindness - Harry Styles
WC: 7/11/22 - REMEMBRANCE
This week, in the run up to Remembrance Day and Remembrance Sunday, we have been listening to 'The Last Post'. This is the traditional final salute to the fallen and is usually played by buglers in honour of soldiers who have lost their lives. Our assemblies and circle time this week have been dedicated to remembering those who are no longer with us and being reflective about those who lost their lives fighting for our country.
The Last Post
WC: 31/10/22 - HALLOWEEN
A spooky return to school after the half term saw us coming into school on Halloween. In assembly this week we learnt how Halloween actually originates from historical Christian festival, and how this has developed over time into the festivities we enjoy now, such as dressing up, decorating pumpkins and trick or treating! We listened to the song 'This is Halloween' from the Disney and Tim Burton classic 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' and we even had a few Jack Skellington pumpkins in our Pumpkin Carving Competition!
This is Halloween - The Nightmare Before Christmas
WC: 10/10/22 - WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY
This week began with World Mental Health Day, so we learnt about why it is important to look after our mental health and the things we can do to promote good mental health. We listened to the song 'Rise Up' by Andra Day. The lyrics 'you can't find the fighter, but I see it in you, so we're going to walk it out' makes us think about how we can support others and help them through tricky times. As October is Black History Month, it was also important to choose this song as Andra Day is an amazingly talented black artist.
Rise Up - Andra Day
WC: 26/9/22 - DAY OF THE DEAF
This week we learnt about what it means to be deaf and how we can think carefully about how we communicate to ensure that we are a community that is truly inclusive. We even learnt some British Sign Language! The weeks song - 'The Sound of Silence' by Simon & Garfunkel - made us think about what it would be like if we couldn't hear properly, or at all, and how that would impact our lives.
The Sound of Silence - Simon & Garfunkel
WC: 12/9/22 - SCHOOL COUNCIL
This week was all about recruiting pupils to join the School Council. This is an important job within the school community and we needed music that would empower pupils to think about their role in school and whether they could be a council representative. We listened to 'How Far I'll Go' from Moana which promotes leading with pride and being strong.
How Far I'll Go - Moana
WC: 5/9/22 - NEW BEGINNINGS
The first week of a brand new academic year! This week we listened to 'Feeling Good' by Muse. The lyrics of the song talk about a new dawn, a new day and a new life. We discussed pending opportunities, the year ahead and setting personal targets - and of course being positive and 'feeling good'.
Feeling Good - Muse
CELEBRATION ASSEMBLY - EVERY FRIDAY
On Friday's, pupils listen to 'I Believe' by Yolanda Adams. This song promotes working hard to reach your goals, encourages pupils to believe in themselves and shares messages of resilience - one of our core school values.
I Believe - Yolanda Adams
