Marcia Jordan
Music Teacher

I joined the Whittier staff in 2004. My past experience in the Boulder Valley schools includes elementary general music, middle school choirs, and special education music. My undergraduate degree in music education is from Wichita State University, and I received a master’s degree in music education from the University of Colorado in 1996.

I love teaching at Whittier International School, with the diverse background of students and families. My musical expertise is in singing and playing piano, guitar and mountain dulcimer. My hobbies are running, bicycling and karate. I was privileged to receive IB training in Romania in 2006, in the Role of the Arts in the Primary Years Program.

I am delighted to announce that I recently received my National Board Certification!

MUSIC CURRICULUM

At Whittier, in music class, students learn concepts based on the BVSD music content standards. Students learn to sing, move and play with a variety of styles of music. Because Whittier is an international school, music from many countries and cultures is included. Singing is emphasized at every grade level, and students present a musical performance for parents once each year. Students have the opportunity to play a variety of nonpitched percussion instruments, including drums, tambourines, guiros, triangles, and rhythm sticks. Pitched instruments such as recorders, handbells, and keyboards help develop the students’ music reading skills.

BVSD Music Content Standards:
1. Students will sing alone and/or with others a varied repertoire of music.
2. Students will perform on pitched and non-pitched classroom instruments, alone an/or with others, a varied repertoire of music.
3. Students will create, improvise, and/or compose music.
4. Students will read and notate music.
5. Students will listen to, analyze, and describe music.
6. Students will evaluate music and music performance.
7. Students will understand relationships among music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.
8. Students will understand music in relation to history and culture. 

Before/After School Music Programs

Replaces “Vocal Choir”
Whittier Wildcat Choir
Love to sing? Then the Whittier Wildcat Choir is for you! 4th and 5th grade students rehearse weekly after school and perform at school and community events. Students learn to read choral music, sing harmony, and add choreography to their singing. Interested in joining? An enrollment form is sent home with all 4th and 5th grade students at the beginning of the school year. If you want to enroll later, ask Marcia Jordan, our music teacher.

Replaces “Handbell Choir”
Handbell Choir
5th grade students have the opportunity to join handbell choir and perform at the 5th grade graduation ceremony. Students sharpen music reading skills, while playing beautiful music on Whittier’s three octave handbells. Handbell choir meets in April and May, once a week, during lunch recess. Our music teacher, Marcia Jordan, leads this group.

New item to add:
Guitar Club
5th grade students have the opportunity to learn to play guitar during lunch recess. The group meets once a week, from September to November. Students learn basic chords to accompany singing. The songs learned by Guitar Club are performed for parents as a culminating activity. Marcia Jordan, our music teacher, leads this group.

2008-2009 Programs