Music in Our School Month was held recently at Shoemaker Elementary in Macungie. A special assembly was held to provide the finale to a month of music.

Following The Pledge of Allegiance and an opening song, each class, directed by Lindsay Super, music teacher at Shoemaker, sang a song stressing something about music.

Kindergartners sang the song "Listen to the Beat" to demonstrate rhythm and how rhythm in music does affect the beating of your heart.

First graders performed "Give it a Rest" to demonstrate rest periods in music.

Second graders sang the song "Presto Largo" to demonstrate the changing tempo in music. Largo is very slow, Andante is medium fast, Allegro is very fast and Presto is extremely fast.

Third, fourth and fifth graders also performed and each grade was linked to something about music.

Throughout the month, Super gave students a "Fact of the Day" to help them learn about the benefits of learning music.

According to a Harvard University study, "learning music can improve reading and math skills. This is because working with pitches and rhythms involves the same mental process students go through while working on reading and math skills."

A music fact directed to third, fourth and fifth graders was, "students who take a music class do better on reading and math tests because their memory is more developed. The students come up with more creative problem-solving skills. They listen, recall and concentrate better through learning music and performing musically."

Other facts covered during music month at Shoemaker include: 94 percent of American adults believe music is vital to education and all children should be taught music and 82 percent of adults who did not learn a musical instrument wish they had. A survey of principals in 2006 revealed schools with music programs have a 93.3 percent rate of attendance where schools that do not have an attendance of 84.9 percent, a significant difference.

During the assembly, prizes and awards also were presented to students for donations they gave to support fundraisers and for achievements in reading.

Awards such as a trophy, certificate, monetary gift or an e-reader were given for reading the most to a student from each class and to the student who read the most in the school. Prizes were given to top readers in each class. The top class trophy went to Sarah McDonald's fifth grade class.

Charitable projects by Shoemaker Elementary School students recognized at the assembly included collection of school supplies for an elementary school destroyed by fire in Cleveland. Several students shaved their heads and collected $550 for cancer research. One student asked for books instead of presents for his birthday and donated the books to the program "Cops and Kids." Shoemaker students also participated in a fundraiser titled "Pennies for Patients" to help children and adults with leukemia and lymphoma.