Welcome to Music!

     I am Polly Muhlenkamp, and I am presently serving as the music teacher for grades K-6 at Immaculate Conception School and for grades K-8 at Holy Rosary School in St. Marys. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education form Ohio Dominican College in Columbus, Ohio and have 22 years of teaching experience in the regular classroom and in the area of music. I have also served as an organist and choir director at my home parish of St. Patrick in Glynwood, Ohio for over 20 years. I have been married for nearly 24 years and have 3 children, ages 16, 17, and 20.

    I feel it is a privilege to teach the children of IC, and I thoroughly enjoy helping them learn new things. I believe the knowledge of music is a valuable asset to an educated person, so I am striving to help students achieve a level of literacy in music. In the early grades, we focus on music concepts such as loud and soft or high and low, and we explore them by singing, moving, and playing instruments. We also learn about some famous musical stories. In the third and fourth grades, we work regularly with recorders so that they are learning about how to read music and play it. In grades 5 and 6, students continue to learn about musical vocabulary and practice music reading skills as well as learning more in-depth about composers or famous music stories.

    Students in grades 4-6 have the opportunity to serve their school community by being song leaders at Mass which may also include activities such as playing the tone chimes or other instruments. Each year grades 2, 4, and 6 present a Christmas musical program and grades K, 1, 3, and 5 present a spring musical program. In these programs, we strive to present a variety of musical skills including playing instruments or doing movements such as dance. All students participate.