PolyToday: Third Grade Strings

Every Poly student learns to play either the violin or the cello in third grade, which seems like it would be a daunting task, even for maestro Cheryl Scheidemantle. Here's a fun fact: she teaches the basics of instrument position and bow hold with egg cartons and modified pencils. Students are singing, learning the notes, and otherwise acquiring all the knowledge to learn the pieces they'll soon play on their real instruments. And speaking of fun, let's not tell the Class of 2031 how learning to play an instrument is serious work. When the students are racing each other by moving a cloth using only their "bow" (with their perfect bow hold, of course!) from one end of the classroom to the other, the mood is joyous and closer to an NBA final, not an academic exercise. The students have now transitioned to the actual instruments but here’s what the last few days of the egg cartons looked like for Mrs. Currin’s class.