PRINCIPAL’S LETTER TO STUDENTS AND PARENTS

PRINCIPAL’S LETTER TO STUDENTS AND PARENTS

Best students and parents, I will tell you about current affairs regarding Estrada’s teaching:

The year has been exceptional and the pandemic has been challenging for us all. The good thing is that Estrada’s teaching has developed tremendously over the past year. With the Covid-19 grant from the Ministry of Education and Culture, we were able to purchase a large number of computers, microphones, cameras and other equipment we used to organize distance and hybrid education throughout the school year. We have been able to provide training and support for teachers and this will continue. The introduction of different teaching methods and applications diversifies teaching and this benefits all our students. We believe that this will bring a lot of good for the years to come.

Students will start studies according to the new curricula 1.8.2021.

A curriculum drawn up according to the National Core Curriculum for Basic Education in the Arts has been partly adopted 1.8.2018. Starting 1.8.2021 also the rest of the students will study according to the new curricula.

I will tell you about the changes below and we will organize information and discussion events for parents on the issue in May. 

Read below about our plan for teaching according  the new curriculum and how it will affect teaching arrangements:

 

Studying according to the new curriculum – MUSIC CLASSES

From 1.8.2021, all students will study according the new curriculum, which has been partially started since 2018. This may bring some suggestions for change in your studies. We will explain the changes in more detail during April-May. Also follow our information.

The task of the general syllabus for music in basic education in the arts is to create the preconditions for a good relationship with music and for a lifelong interest in music. The aim is also to support students personal interest in music.  The joy of music is important.

The key content of the general syllabus for music is to practice the basic skills of music making and to develop the ability to apply aural and analytical skills in music.

In our new “achievement list” made in support of the new curriculum, the contents of the teaching have been specified and it will bring more diverse skills to the students. The student has the opportunity to deepen their studies and learns to make better use of music in his own life; in one’s own playing, in a school music class, in playing together, at work, etc. The main part is the practising of basic music skills and the development of basic music making skills. Achievement lists are used to support teaching. These lists have been in trial for almost three years and we emphasize that this is not a sudden major change, but a long-term development of teaching. The achievement list is a tool for the teacher, but it also makes the self assessment easier for the student.

 

Progress of studies in a nutshell and possible changes

What is new in instrument teaching is that the length of the group lesson of the intermediate groups is shortened and the students get their own 15-minute one-to-one lesson in connection with the group lesson. We have had good experiences with the combination of a group and on-to-one lesson over the last couple of years. In addition, the students take part in “muha” groups where music perception skills are learned (read more below).

All changes will be prepared by the office during the spring. You don’t have to do anything about it at this point. You will get more information in April-May from your own teacher and office.

If the student has started studies as a high school student or an adult, the teaching can be carried out individually. People over the age of 15 and adults will also have their own groups to develop students’ musical abilities.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2021-2022

Once the student has started his studies at primary school age, the teaching proceeds as follows:

1.-6. graders are at the START level of their studies

 -lessons once a week in small groups, pairs or one-to-one

 -lessons mainly according to the current situation

– teaching according to achievement lists

4.-7. graders are at the PRE-FOCUS level

At this level, in addition to playing your own, you will learn the basic music skills needed to play together.

-lessons once a week in small groups, pairs or one-to-one

-lessons mainly according to the current situation, in addition to muha teaching

Change to previous (applies to intermediate level groups)

-in addition  4 x year workshops to develop the ability to apply aural and analytical skills in music.

-if the student has studied in a group, he / she will have a 15min one-to-one lesson in connection with the group lesson and the length of the group lesson will be reduced to 30 minutes

Muha, that is, the perception of music

= the student participates about 4 times a year in additional, muha workshops, where one learns to perceive music together by playing together

 7.-9. graders + – 2 years are at the FOCUS level

At this level one practices the basic skills of music making and playing together.

At the FOCUS  level, we hope that students will participate in teaching twice a week.

– lessons once a week in small groups, pairs or one-to-one

– lesson once a week to develop the ability to apply aural and analytical skills in music

Change to previous

-if the student has studied in a group, he / she will have a 15min one-to-one lesson in connection with the group lesson

-student also attends muha class weekly (see text below)

Perception of music (Muha) lessons teach together e.g. playing music through music perception skills. This means, for example, reading chords, rhythms and notes. Muha groups will be organized in different locations (in the academic year 2020-2021 at Läkkitori and Karamzin School). One of the groups meets less frequently and partly remotely, the content is the same, it is worth applying to the remote group especially if the student has a lot of other hobbies. Playing together is more successful in contact teaching. We will place students in groups and inform separately about the Focus groups in May-June 2021.

People over the age of 16 and adults are at the TEEMA/THEMATIC level

The purpose of the thematic studies is to further develop the skills acquired on common studies. The students abilities and interests are taken into account. The aim is that students find their own ways of musical expression during the studies. 

– The teaching takes into account the student’s own wishes

– students are interviewed in the spring and the teaching plan for the academic year is arranged accordingly

– lessons can also be organized in different periods (for example, the TEEMA Project in autumn 2020, where students made their own compositions and dancers choreographed them)

– possibility to focus on one’s own playing and even a certain genre of music, to learn to make music together, to perceive music, songwriting, to record, etc.

– In thematic studies, various music support studies are arranged for students

Programs: solo, band and stage

 Change from previous:

– We are in touch with each thematic student individually.

 CLASS FEES 2021-2022

The new curriculum has some effect on tuition fees.

We will update the new tuition fees in April.

Studying according to the new curriculum -DANCE LESSONS

From 1.8.2021, all students will move to the new curriculum, which has been partially in place since 2018. This may bring some suggestions for change in studies such as that we may recommend another lesson to the student in addition to the current one. We will explain the changes in more detail during April-May. Also follow our information.

You will get information and discussion events for parents on the issue in May. We will tell you more about this soon.

CLASS FEES 2021-2022

Tuition according to the new curriculum has some effect on tuition fees.

We will update the new tuition fees during April.

 

Best Regards,

Satu Klemi

Principal