HELLO CD!!!!!!

I am the music leader in primary and for the last 4years I have taught the children hymns/primary songs through visual pictures.  The first time I used pictures I would photocopy the pictures and coloured them in, cut them and laminate them.  It was time consuming and my colouring skills were not the best.  Then I discovered the CD version and now all I do is print off the pictures already beautifully coloured, cut them and laminate.  This CD is sent over from the USA and it takes about 3 weeks to get to me.  So I was rather excited today when it arrived in the mail.  Now I'm soughted for next years primary presentation. YIPPEE!

Primary Presentation 2010

I was feeling rather nervous on Sunday.  All the songs we have worked on over the year were about to be put on display for the congregation.  With 26 children ranging from 4yrs to 12yrs all seated the Primary Presentation began.

Some children had speaking parts either scriptures or talks they had given over the year during closing exercises.   Some of the boys sang solos or duets.  We had harmonies and split parts (A Child's Prayer).  Between each theme/scripture or talk we would perform a song.  I was so very proud of all the children they never let me down and most if not all remembered the words to all the songs.  These children do not have words in front of them when they sing, they are amazing.

Highlights for me:  The boys who sang Follow the Prophet, (no words), watching Ammon lean over the microphone (he's very tall),  nearly butting in on Matthews part,  A Child's Prayer, Junior closing remarks so fitting and beautiful and finally giving out cookies/lollipops at the end.

Another successful Primary presentation completed.  I love my calling I am so blessed to have awesome kids to teach.  I now look forward to 2011 with a new theme and a new Presidency.  The CD already ordered and on its way to me I'm excited already :-)

2009 Primary Presentation

You could say I am glowing and a very proud proud music leader. The primary presentation was very successful. Its just so rewarding to see all the hard work the children put in throughout the year finally come to ahead. So many great comments afterwards from the congregation made it even moreso wonderful. Highlights for me were:

• The children were all in one place not spread out thus I could see them and their voices were more powerful. (thanks A for encouraging me to speak up)
• The two solo boys remembered the words to their song
• The harmonies were amazing
• P finally opened her mouth and I could hear her (I love seeing someone who is so quiet and at times shy develop into a confident girl who can stand up and sing in front of a congregation and that quiet voice is heard)
• The children remembered all the songs with out the words even the little ones gave it there all
• A. made an awesome puzzle that when put together made a house
• My hand action were kept to a minimum (I think??? still need to work on that)
• Two sleeping sunbeams at the end of primary

This is my fourth presentation completed now and the children keep getting better and better. I have already looked at next years presentation and I have ordered the CD so I can be prepared. I never thought I would like this calling but I love it love it so much and the thought of being released would be devastating (although I know it will happen one day). Teaching our children about the gospel through music is such a rewarding responsibility. I am so grateful for my calling and that I have such awesome children to teach and for great primary leaders who support me. Bring on next year!!!!!!!

Primary Amusement

Today in primary the juniors were there usual bubbly self yelling and jumping over everything. When I walked into the room they stopped and looked at me: Child 1: Hey sister Finnie what happen to you? Child 2: Its her hair Child 3: It looks weird! Me: Thats right it is my hair great spotting Child 4: It looks really weird! Me: Nice weird or weird weird??? Everyone: WEIRD WEIRD!!! Bless them all.

Sunday

Being the 5th Sunday I get to do music in primary for the whole 40 min AWESOME!!! Today I divided them into teams Nephites, Laminites and the Jaradites and awarded points for great singing, harmony, reverence, remembering all the words etc. Then I gave each team a set of music pictures and they had to put them in order, this meant knowing the song word for word because the picture displays only some of the song. It was awesome to watch and listen too. Its amazing and great to see that competitiveness is still alive. I'm a firm believer in winners and loser's. These junior primary children where the most reverent well behaved and best singing ever. The all boy team, the Laminites were the winners lead by Captain Ben (who was glowing with pride) and he had much pleasure telling me that he was in his school choir AWESOME Ben!!!

Next it was the Valiant's turn to step up and again the competitive streak was even more so impressive as two of our lads tend to find primary a little boring hence at times can be somewhat disruptive. However making them team captain was a whole different story they were perfect awesome young men.

I am so proud of the children they work really hard all year to learn the songs and 90% of them know all the songs "off by heart" Being the last song they need to learn for the presentation means free range next month. I can guarantee that they all will still choose to sing the primary presentation songs except maybe the odd one who likes Called to Serve and Book of Mormon Stories.

The other interesting thing I did today in Primary clapped a rhythm to get the children's attention instead of my usual bellowing. To my amazement all the children responded with the same rhythm and stopped and were quiet. I learnt this technique at Nicholas school, so I wondered if it worked in Primary and YES!! it did. Captain Ben informed me that his teacher plays a little tune on a xylophone. I was so impressed I hope it works next Sunday???

I love 5th Sunday's, there should be more!!!!!

The Atonement

I am so blessed to be in Primary with such a wonderful teacher/1st councillor/bestest friend/my nightshift entertainer Ange. I am what you would call a little slow when it comes to understanding the gospel. I try really hard to work it out for myself but alas I always seem to fail. On Sunday Ange was teaching the children all about the atonement and it was like the penny dropped for me. Oh my gosh I was always thinking well yep there's that word atonement and that it was a special gift given to us from Jesus Christ and generally I would be happy with that explanation, but like other things in the gospel I really wanted to know so what does that really mean? Why is that word so important? How does it link to repentance? How did it come about etc? Feeling stupid does prevent me from asking the questions because I think other would think well she is stupid. Fortunately for me Ange's interpretation was brilliant. She started with two pictures one of the Saviour praying in Gesemane and the other of a little girl they were side by side (close together). Then Ange chose children to dig deep into her bag to pull out a sin and with each sin we were ask how big we thought the sin was how far would the gap be between the little girl and the Saviour. With each sin the gap was wider and even deeper like a pit. It was amazing to see the children interprete how big the gap was for each sin. David ( a valiant boy), had his arms wide apart (i.e real bad sin) for not wanting/whinging about FHE. Nicholas thought the gap was very wide for every sin, from lying to poking your brother/sister. Once the gap was made Ange asked the children how could we get back to being close to our Saviour and our Heavenly Father. To be honest I just thought you repent and Bob's your uncle. Oh how wrong was I and then that word Atonement came into the light Ange had made these awesome pavement blocks out of paper with a letter on each block that spelt the word ATONEMENT and it was put on the board between the little girl and the Saviour it was a bridge that allowed us to get close to our Saviour again. Moreso Ange took it a step further by asking the children how can we cross over that bridge to feel close to our Saviour and we went through each sin and made suggestion how we could right that wrong. We had such a joyful time playing hot n cold game to find the pavers (I think I was doing most of the yelling). I liked Ange's lesson so much that I gave it for FHE mostly to help reinforce what I had learn't and to see how much Nicholas remembered. Well because Ange is a brilliant teacher Nicholas remember most of it as he reminded me at the end.... "that's the lesson Sister Cook did on Sunday in Primary". So thank you Ange I look forward to many more lesson's from you!!!! (Actually you should teach all the time) I know I'm greedy. How big is that gap in the sin rating??? Love ya

Primary Presentation

It's over thank goodness, yes the Primary Presentation was held yesterday and it was more stressful than usual. First I receive a phone call from Kim (primary president) to tell me that a certain family were not going to be there due to illness. I wouldn't usually panick but the child in that family was my lead soloist so the anxiety kicked in a little. Approximately half n hour later my friend Amiee rings saying her son had jammed his fingers in the door and that they were off to the doctors and would be late ARRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHH!! thats 4 children not going to be there. I quickly prayed that all would be ok!!!!!!! Arrived at church and most of the children were sitting up the front. The chapel was very hot especially up the front my initial thought heat and children sitting for an hour is not a good combination. I quickly asked Matapihi if he would do the solo but he was too shy. So I asked Jamie the conversation went like this:

Me: "Jamie how confident are you to do the solo part for I am a child of God"

Jamie: (no hesitation) " I'm really confident where are the words"

Me: "I will have them by the mic"

Jamie: "ok"

This awesome child who is 7 or 8 years old was my life saver and she did a wonderful job, I am so grateful and admire confident children.

This years theme was I am a child of God. The primary children had a goal to learn and memorise all 8 songs I am a child of God, Tell me the stories of Jesus, If the Saviour stood beside me, Home, We thank thee O God for a Prophet, I love to see the temple, When Jesus Christ was baptised and Called to Serve. They did a great job and most of the children achieved this goal. As the music leader I thought it might be a tall order to fill but I was so proud of them.

Its so hard conducting the children ages ranging from 4years to 12years. Getting the children to sit still and not swing on the chairs is impossible and some struggle more than others. As I was conducting little Jonty was picking his nose and was just about to eat it I can him the Yuck look and he tries to hid it behind his back and covers his eyes only to repeat it again a few minutes later. Meanwhile up the back my son Nicholas either had a sugar fix that I don't know about but he couldn't sit still to save himself and when it came to singing the songs he would hide in the corner then it came to his talk which we had practice at home and he knew it decided to pull the shy card and did not speak even when his dad went up to help him (I was not a happy mum). Its amazing how much you see conducting and all I wanted to do was yell "stop that" "sit still" "Please don't do that" Some of my facial expression helped but you know children they know that your'er not going to stop the flow to start over again.

After it was over a sense of relief came over me however I felt that it didn't go as smoothly as last years. Next year I will try a better strategy to teach them as the hand signals are too distracting for the congregation that they watched me instead of the children.

The highlight for me was out of the 30 primary children 23 of them are boys and getting boys to sing at the best of times is a mission but they did it. After the presentation we headed off to normal class and I gave them the option of singing any primary song most opted to sing the primary presentation songs. So now I can chill and start thinking about next year...................