Dear 4th and 5th Grade Parents,

Hello! I hope this email finds you well. My name is Ms. Rachel Mallon and I am the
intern for your child’s music class. I’ve enjoyed having all your children in my classes so far,
and I’m looking forward to beginning the journey of recorders! Although this journey will look
different this year, we are prepared to have a safe and enjoyable learning experience for our
children. We ask for your patience and assistance to make this great for your child, their
teachers, and you!

This week, some students will be bringing home their recorders. In previous years, this
wouldn’t happen for a few weeks until students develop a good tone or sound. We can not hear
students play in class due to possibility of aerosol spread, so students will be submitting
recordings from home. While at home, you may encounter some sounds that may not be musical
in the beginning. We encourage you to ask your child:

 Are we using the correct amount of air? (Not too much or too little)
 Are we covering all the tone holes? (This can result in a squealing sound)

While your child is in class, we will still be using our recorders without the mouthpiece and
doing different activities that will coincide with our recorder unit. On Wednesdays, we will have
an open Zoom for any students that have questions or concerns. This meeting will be from
11:15am to 12:15pm. The link to this meeting is on your child’s canvas page for music and at the
end of this letter.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Mrs. Staci Payne or myself using the
emails below. We look for your patience and assistance and thank you for all you do as we move
through this together!

Thanks!

Ms. Rachel Mallon Mrs. Staci Payne

rachelmallon@ksu.edu stacip@usd383.org

Mrs. Payne’s Zoom Link