Ring! Ring a ling! That's the sound of my students playing handbells in my elementary music class! Do you remember playing instruments in music class when you were a child? Playing instruments such as hand bells helps students to have real life practice using the concepts we learn in music class.
I teach general music to Pre-K through fifth grade students in a high poverty, rural elementary school in South Carolina.
My school strives to provide many exciting opportunities for students, including chorus, cheer and dance, advanced art classes, student council, and Girls on the Run. Students at my school love participating in these programs, and love to perform for their parents and the community. My students absolutely love to sing, play games, dance, and play instruments when they come to my class. They love to have an instrument to play and often have to wait their turn when we're playing handbells because we don't have enough bells for the whole class! I have used hand bells with students of all ages at my school. Even my kindergarten students love to play the handbells, and are pretty good at it too! Won't you help provide handbells and handbell music for these excited, talented, and sweet children? I know they would appreciate having enough bells for the whole class!
My Project
I am requesting two sets of chromatic handbells, two cases for the handbell sets, a set of cards showing the notes and chords, and a book of patriotic handbell music. In first and second grade, I will be able to use the handbells to reinforce and practice the pitches do, re, mi, so, and la. In third, fourth, and fifth grade, I will be able to use the handbells to reinforce do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, and high do. I will also use the handbells in third through fifth grade to give my students extra practice reading the absolute pitches on the staff. Each student will be given a highlighter that is the same color of the bell they are given. Then, the student will have to go through the song we are playing and highlight his note every time it occurs in the song. My students will also perform songs on the handbells at various programs for parents throughout the school year. For example, I plan to prepare a group of students to play at our Veterans Day program next school year.
Your donation to this project would have a long lasting impact on all of my students.
Children benefit so much from performing on musical instruments. Not only will they improve in terms of their musicianship, but my students will also have an increased sense of self esteem that comes with successfully learning to play a musical instrument. Because the handbells are easily adaptable to any grade level, your donation has the potential to reach around 450 students in a school year! Please donate!
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Ribelin and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.