You might be wondering who I am, and that’s okay. My name is Chloe Smith and I have been teaching elementary music for over 7 years now. This is my first year at Benton Community and I am beyond grateful to be here. Music is incredibly important at the elementary level because it supports the whole child—academically, socially, and emotionally. Through singing, movement, and playing instruments, students strengthen skills like listening, memory, pattern recognition, and reading, all of which connect directly to success in subjects like math and literacy. Music also builds confidence as children perform and create in a safe, supportive environment. At a young age especially, it provides a positive outlet for self-expression and helps students learn teamwork, patience, and respect for others. Most importantly, music makes learning joyful—when children are engaged and having fun, they are more likely to develop a lifelong love of school and creativity.
In my music class, we have been working diligently on our concert music. Our 2nd and 3rd graders just completed their concerts the last week of February. 2nd Grade’s show had a theme of “Never Too Late” where we sang songs that taught us lessons about having courage, working hard, and being able to change our path for the better. One frequent thing we taught and sang about was that it was never too late to find where you belong, something that resonates with the Benton community school district. 3rd grade’s theme was “Growing Up”. We explored music that took us on a journey of growth and learning, from singing about Mr. Roger’s who taught us lots of lessons at a young age to singing a piece from Matilda the Musical, we had lots of discussions about what it means to grow up and have more responsibilities. I was very proud of their hard work! Kindergarten and First grade are now preparing for their concerts coming up on March 26th!
As you can see, I love what I do and I believe music is an essential part of a student's educational experience. I would like to close with this quote: “The man who disparages music as a luxury and non-essential is doing the nation an injury. Music now, more than ever before, is a national need.” -Woodrow Wilson