Useful Information
Archived Posts from this Category
Hot Summer Classes Begin July 10th!
Posted by kmwithsarah on 21 Jun 2010 | Tagged as: KM Information, Only in Beijing, Useful Information
Summer Saturday classes are just around the corner. Join us at the Canadian International School of Beijing to beat the heat with great Kindermusik Adventures classes for children newborn to age 6. Classes begin July 10th, and are filling fast. To register call us at 8832 0818 and ask for Cindy or Sarah, or enrol online by visiting http://www.kmwithsarah.com.cn/enrol%20with%20kindermusik.php today.
Full class descriptions are included after the break. Click to discover the summer Adventures that await your family! Continue Reading »
Making Music Matters
Posted by kmwithsarah on 11 Mar 2010 | Tagged as: All that other stuff, KM Information, Useful Information
My belief in the importance of music for brain development and learning is well known. I, along with thousands of other Kindermusik teachers worldwide, have been known to “geek out” on this topic to anyone who will listen for years. Science is now catching up with what early childhood educators, musicians and moms have known for years, and the results are stunning. Not only does music matter, there is evidence that participating in music making can help maintain, even improve, brain functions in adults as well as children.
A recent article by Victoria Jaggard in San Diego, and published online by the National Geographic News provides an excellent summary of all the amazing ways making music can help with listening, language and brain function.
The article, Making Music Boosts Brain’s Language Skills, features the results of several prominent neuroscience researchers who are exploring the effects of music on the brain as part of their attempts to better understand our cognitive systems. Nina Kraus, director of the Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory at Northwestern University in Illinois in just one of many neuroscientists who believe that:
musical training, whatever the age, should be universally encouraged, since it can play a key role in education, clinical therapies, and even in protective measures for keeping the brain sharp as people age.
“Plus,” she said, “it’s just inherently wonderful.”
Science can’t really measure the joy that music brings to life, but even the most analytical of researchers acknowledge that it is an important part of how music stimulates the brain. So come to a Kindermusik class, dust off your recorder, hum on the subway, sing in the car or start a family band! Its never too early for music on the brain and, as the research proves, its never too late either.
Spring Class Descriptions
Posted by kmwithsarah on 01 Feb 2009 | Tagged as: KM Information, Useful Information
The new semester of classes is just a week away, and we can’t wait to start fresh with some wonderful new themes, music and activities with your family! Here are the class descriptions for this term. For more information or to register please visit www.kmwithsarah.com.cn or contact Sarah at sarah@kmwithsarah.com.cn or 139 1062 5893 for more information regarding locations and class times.
Village - Newborn to 18 months
The Rhythm of My Day (February/March)
This class will help you bring more rhythm and routine to your baby’s day, as well as help develop lasting learning skills. We’ll show you how and tell you why music can help your little one soothe into the day’s schedule and help build a strong body and mind network for learning. You can bring home those same stress-free play and relaxation techniques from class, and incorporate them into your daily routines.
Home Materials:CD of beautifully arranged songs from class, The Rhythm of My Day—a colorful picture board book with class themes, a set of Art Banners, and an instrument for music-making at home. Continue Reading »
The Joy of Kindermusik
Posted by kmwithsarah on 22 Jun 2008 | Tagged as: All that other stuff, KM Information, Useful Information
Musical learning is a joyful and enriching way of helping your child to develop to her full potential - in music, in school, and in life! Check out this wonderful video of children newborn through age seven experiencing the joy of learning with Kindermusik. This video features children in all of the age groups we offer, and does a wonderful job of showing how the Kindermusik experience grows with your child, building on previous experiences to support and encourage your child in every area of development. Its so much more than music, and something I am very proud to be a part of when I enter the classroom each day.
Hat tip to fellow Kindermusik educator Merri Williams, who has a fantastic blog devoted to her passion for music education and all things Kindermusik. While not always accessible from Beijing because it is hosted on Wordpress, its a delightful thing to read (and watch!) if you get the chance.
Sichuan Earthquake Relief
Posted by kmwithsarah on 14 May 2008 | Tagged as: All that other stuff, Useful Information
As some of you may know Kara Waddell, a Kindermusik with Sarah parent, leads the NGO Operation Blessing here in China. She is now in Chengdu to coordinate relief efforts, and I hope our community of families and schools will be able to support the work she and her team are doing to assist children in the quake affected areas. Operation Blessing is partners with the China Charity Federation and China Foundation for collecting funds legally in China and for coordinating disaster relief activities. Collection of needed goods is also normal for this type of disaster, and Operation Blessing will be making arrangements for this type of aid to be sent in the coming days from partners here in Beijing.
Here is a message that came through from Kara this evening. Details for assisting Operation Blessing are included after her message. If you are in a position to do so, this is an excellent way to ensure your donation will reach people who need it most through a very trustworthy and experienced organization.
Children’s Hope Int’l and Operation Blessing with the Children’s Social Work Association and Red Cross are focusing on children at risk and checking on foster homes, orphanages, and other children in hard hit areas. We’ll be in touch with needs.
It’s amazing here - everyday people driving their cars full of supplies and going themselves… we had 11 cars of Chengdu citizens crammed with supplies that went to Dujiangyan today. Another team in Mianyang who will spend the night. It’s wonderful to see everyone helping. Foreigners are not currently allowed to go to these impacted area.
Please be aware that disaster relief unfolds and twists and turns in bizarre ways so one’s plans change every few hours, it seems. Currently, Operation Blessing China relief workers have established a dual response:
Mianyang City - where 3000 are being reported dead, 18,000 buried in rubble which could greatly increase the death toll; we have a partnership there with an official government church and government officials in this area. They are reporting greatest needs are shelter and food. We can purchase in the region so cash donations currently most helpful. Large scale food or shelter supplies please contact me directly (corporate donations already in China).
Dujiangyan City - we have a 2-year old friendship with the Red Cross from a district in this city. We are making local purchases of relief supplies and will help distribute with the Red Cross.
We also intend to check on foster homes or orphanage facilities in the area. Anyone aware of a foster care facility in need in impacted region please contact Operation Blessing.The roads are extremely bad and in my opinion the government is not in error to focus on getting its military and government aid workers into the more remote, mountainous areas first without allowing other NGOs initially. We are keeping in close contact wtih the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation as well as the China Charity Federation for coordinating
response.Donations really are needed. Schools that are interested in putting together donated disaster relief kits (ziploc bags iwth certain supplies) can likely also give us drawings and cards that we can give to schools in the area. Kits may or may not be used in this relief in Sichuan but any
cash donations made will be used. I hate to always ask for cash but all relief experts are right - give to whoever you trust, but cash in response scenarios really, really helps.
CORPORATIONS interested in helping with in-kind product donation or cash donations;
China tax-deductible receipts are available
catherine@obchina.org (Chinese)
chiawhui@obchina.org (English)
6466-9296
SCHOOLS interested in helping with in-kind product donation or cash donations, please contact:
chiawhui@obchina.org
CASH DONATIONS in RMB 1000 RMB and under:
Please drop off at office on Liangmaqiao Lu - beside the Canadian International School; the link below contains directions:
http://www.obchina.org/contact/beijing/
6466-9296 (office on Liangmaqiao Lu); keep trying the number if busy
heidi@obchina. org
CASH DONATIONS of RMB 1000 or more:
Tax-deductible receipts and/or gift pick-up may be possible.
http://www.obchina.org/contact/beijing/
6466-9296 (office on Liangmaqiao Lu); keep trying the number if busy
chiawhui@obchina. org
ONLINE DONATIONS:
https://www.cbn.com/giving/obChina/option.asp
Domestic and international credit cards can be used. 100% of funds dedicated for use in China although funds collected in the U.S. All funds received this week online we’ll dedicate to this earthquake relief, recovery and development efforts.