General Music 2013-2014
Greetings families! My name is Mr. Tilkens and I’m the new general music teacher at
Travilah. This is my 6th year teaching music full-time in Montgomery County and I’m excited to
be a part of this community.
This year the county has fully implemented curriculum 2.0. While implementing the new
curriculum we will be learning and growing a range of skills. Kindergarteners start with the
steady beat, a couple years later they are reading music, our second grade has a wonderful field
trip to the Strathmore to learn about the orchestra, and the older students learn about music
theory. Our fifth graders will be singing fun and challenging music in chorus that will prepare
them for middle school, while our fourth graders will be crewing and performing their own
musical. Students of all grade levels have something exciting to look forward to.
Through the new curriculum, our grading scale has changed. The basic grading scale is
ES, P, I, and N. These stand for Exceeds Standards, Proficient, In Progress, and Not Yet. Most
students will probably receive a grade of P in music, which is the equivalent to an “A” in other
grading scales. If you still have questions about the new grading scale, information can be found
at the following MCPS website:
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/2.0/reportcardfaq.aspx
We even have a music page on the Travilah website. From the home page, click on
classrooms, and then music. I will post concert information and digital copies of music letters
that are sent home. Students can even use some of the links to play games while fostering music
skills. There is even a game featuring Benjamin Britten’s “Young Person’s Guide to the
Orchestra,” a song that many students have been listening to lately in my class.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. I should be able to return
any email within 24 hours except on weekends.
Matthew Tilkens
[email protected]