Fall Break for Kindermusik of Berry College

The weather is lovely, and I hope you are able to get out and enjoy it. With the change of seasons come the various fall breaks. I wish there was consistency between the many school systems, but alas there is not. Kindermusik of Berry College serves families from all over Northwest Georgia and Alabama, so trying to coordinate breaks is impossible.

All that said, here's the schedule:

NO KINDERMUSIK CLASSES OCTOBER 9, 10, 11, 12 or 15.  Classes will meet on Monday October 8 and resume on Tuesday October 16.

Community Happenings

Rome is a great place to live, work, and play.  There are many opportunities in the community for families to enjoy and explore.  Here are several for you to put on your calendar:

Berry Farmer's Market

Saturday, September 15   7 a.m. - 1 p.m at Berry College
Behind the Krannert Center adjacent to the Cage Center (turn left before the gatehouse or just follow the signs).
For the kids: inflatable, cotton candy, face painting, a petting zoo, funnel cakes and photographs with a Berry jersey calf by Agri-Educations

Featuring the Berry Student Enterprises:

·  The fresh taste of the vegetables and herbs by Season’s Harvest and Martha’s Herbs
·  Berry’s own Angus beef select cuts by Berry Farms Angus Beef
·  Various hard and soft cheese produced from the milk of Berry’s jersey herd by the Berry Farms Jersey Milk
·  Adirondack chairs built by Viking Furniture
·  Handcrafted items by Viking Creations
·  Gifts from Oak Hill Gift Shop
· 
Vendors from the Rome community will also offer home-canned vegetables, jams and jellies, fresh-cut flowers, bath and beauty products, woodworking items, and home baked breads and pastries.

Berry Angus burgers will be served for $5 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for lunch.

Check out their website

Storytime at the Rome Floyd Library

This is a favorite among families with young children!  It is the best FREE 30 minutes in town.  Storytime includes puppet shows, music, and of course, books! Storytime meets every Tuesday at 10 or 11 a.m. in the children's theater beginning October 9.

Book Signing and Meet the Author Day

On Saturday, October 20 you can hear Martin the Guitar read by the author, Harry Musselwhite.  Harry will also play some tunes on his guitar, and discuss the journey of writing a book.  You can reserve a book by emailing knobles@berry.edu
Books are $20 and are first come, first serve. 

This event will take place from 10 - 11 a.m. in the Living Room of the Alumni Center of Berry College. The Alumni Center is downstairs from the Kindermusik room on the 1st floor of the Ford Complex.

Berry Fine Arts: Concerts and More

There is a concert, play or art show happening every week during the academic year on the Berry College campus.  Plan a date with your spouse, friend, or bring an older child and enjoy the arts at Berry.  Click here for the performance calendar

Spivey Hall Educational Programs by Clayton State University

This programming is not in Rome, but worth the drive.  These musical programs are just right for home school families, or if you have a day off from school.  The Young People's concerts include world class performances for $2 per person.  You do have to register in advance, so don't make plans to go unless you have reserved your space.  You can get more information here  The concert schedule runs from October - May.

Book Review: Martin the Guitar

There is a fictitious music store in New York City called Benninato's, and the shop is full of instruments waiting for someone to take them home.  One small guitar named Martin was a favorite of Mr. Benninato, but no one ever looked twice at Martin. People who came in the store favored the larger instruments.  This story was written by Harry Musselwhite, director of choral activities at Berry College. Mr. M wears many hats: choral director, basso profondo, film writer, and now adds children's author to his list of abilities. 





What do I love about this book:

• The characters. Their names are fun to say, and create images as you read.
• The lessons it teaches.  Martin is small, and over looked among the other instruments, but Mr. Benninato is encouraging to Martin.  This teaches patience, good things come to those who wait. The seasoned violin, Strada also gives Martin inspiration to step up.  This helps kids realize their elders do offer wisdom and encouragement.
• The way the music store comes to life.  All children love to imagine what happens when the store is dark, and the people have gone. The instruments in this story to come life with a concert each evening, and the same guy always wins (is he the store bully?), until one night....
• The artwork.  It is colorful, playful and delightful. The illustrator, Brian Barr, teaches at Georgia Highlands in Rome!
• The accompanying CD.  The music doesn't go with the story page by page like many children's books, but it takes the listener into the world of Martin.  
• Berry students were involved in the process of putting this book together.  Liz Robbins and Wes Scheidt are music education majors, and have been assistants in the Kindermusik classroom! Berry College educates the head, heart, and hands!

The book is a bit lengthy for the younger child, but children ages 6 - 10 will be engaged from beginning to end.  Children of all ages (2 - 92), will be enchanted with the compositions that are played so masterfully.  Did I mention that Mr. M wrote the songs, and played them too?? What a talent!!

If you would like a copy of this book, they will be available at Kindermusik of Berry College in mid-September.  Look for additional information about a special SIGNING day with Mr. Musselwhite.  Meet Mr. M, hear the music LIVE, and get your book autographed too!

Classes resume - what to expect

We are glad you are participating in the fall semester of Kindermusik of Berry College! Here are few things to remember and consider as you come to class each week:

• The college students are slowly moving back to campus, and their classes begin Monday, August 27.  The freshmen move in on Wednesday, August 22.  This will make finding a parking space more of a challenge. Also, note that these students are NOT looking for you and your child....so BE CAREFUL!!

• Use quiet voices and walking feet as you enter the building because classes are in session. Stay with your child all the way from the car to the building, and vice versa. This is for safety purposes.  I know children like to run and hide from their grown-up, especially the older kids...but please encourage them to stay with you.  Once you left the building take them to one of the fields and let them run and play!!

• Please monitor your child in the elevator! The red and yellow buttons call security, and they lose patience with all the false alarms.  An officer is dispatched EVERYTIME one of the buttons is pushed, even when your child pushes it by accident.  They are at a child's level, because if someone fell in the elevator, and really needed help they would be able to access the buttons easily!!

• Turn your cell phone off, or put it on silent while in class. This will allow you to focus fully on your child. If you must take a call, please do so in the hallway.

• WE FOLLOW FLOYD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN CASE OF SEVERE WEATHER. IF Floyd county schools are closed due to the weather, then Kindermusik will not not meet. IF the schools close after 2:00 p.m. you should call the Kindermusik office (706-233-4091) concerning afternoon and evening classes. IF it is a non-event (snows, schools close but it melts away by afternoon), then classes MAY meet. IF in doubt, call the Kindermusik office for an updated message, check the blog or Facebook.

• Please sign the photo release form in the classroom. This will give us permission to use pictures of you and your child on the blog, website or our Facebook page.

• If your child has had fever within the last 24 hours or you suspect that they are becoming ill, please do not attend class and chance infecting other families. You may make-up a class on a different day and time at any time during the semester.

• Have fun with your child at Kindermusik. No laundry, no dishes, no toys to pick up. Just enjoy this time, it passes very quickly!  Save those adult conversations for before and after class.

• Kindermusik is not about performance. It is a process of learning and loving. It is for families to grow in their time together.

Classes Start Monday, August 13

It's still summer, still hot, but FALL Kindermusik classes begin August 13 at Berry College.  

Here's the schedule:

Monday
5:30 pm Imagine That (ages 3.5-5)-1 space remains
5:45 pm Our Time (18 months - 3 years) 
6:30  pm Village (newborn - 18 months)

Tuesday
9:30 am Our Time
10:15 am Village
3:45 pm Young Child, semester 1(ages 4.5-7)
4:45 pm Young Child, semester 3(ages 5-7)

Wednesday
9:15 am Village -FULL
10:15 am Our Time

Thursday
9:30 am Village - potentially canceled due to low enrollment
10:15 am Our Time
11:00 am Imagine That - 1 space remains
3:45 - 5:15 Beyond 
(must have completed Young Child or approval of instructor)
5:15 pm Young Child, semester 1 - FULL
6:30 pm Our Time

Friday
9:30 am Our Time
10:15 am Imagine That - potentially canceled due to low enrollment

If you need directions to 

Kindermusik of Berry Colllege, click here

Email to make sure your class is still available!!

knobles@berry.edu

Coming This Weekend

Several family events are happening locally the weekend of 
July 21.


Rome Little Theater has it's Broadway Spectacular 4 opening on Friday, July 20 at 8 p.m.  The show has songs/dances from popular shows such as Cats, Sound of Music, Footloose, and Annie. You can catch the two hour plus production on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. for the next two weekends.  Admission is $12 for students and $14 for adults, if you call ahead.  Add a dollar for walk-up purchase the day of the show.


If you want to get outdoors, check out the Farm expo that will be held at Lowrey Farms in Armuchee on Saturday and Sunday.  You can buy farm fresh vegetables, check out the old farm equipment, and have a burger. For the kids there are wagon rides, and inflatables.  Admission for the two day event is FREE!! Lowrey Farms is located at 2416 Turkey Mountain Road.


Get a jump on BACK TO SCHOOL at Lieberman Family Chiropractic this Saturday.  From 2 - 5 p.m. you can get dental/eye screenings, spinal screenings, enjoy nutritious snacks, get a FREE haircut, play in the bouncy house, and much more.  Parents can even enjoy a chair massage!!  Bring a school supply item to help stuff a back pack for a needy child.

Berry Farmer's Market

If you live in Rome, then you already know that Berry College is one of the best places to visit.  You can hike, bike, and enjoy the abundant animal life of deer, turkey, ducks, cows, horses and more! This Saturday, July 14 you can also purchase fresh vegetables, home-made jam, fresh eggs, honey, and the great Berry beef and cheese.  


Bring the kids, and stroll down the shady lane across from the Ford buildings (where you come for Kindermusik).  The kids can enjoy free cotton candy, popcorn, face painting and inflatables.  The older kids and grown-ups can try their hand at corn hole toss.


You can have for lunch for $5 as Berry Angus burgers are served from 11-1.


The market takes place from 7 - 1 in the Clara Bowl.