Wednesday, November 16, 2022
WMS Maestro Strings and Honor Band Shine at Analy Fall Festival!
Friday, October 28, 2022
Analy Fall Festival, November 4th 2022
Thanks for supporting music at WMS! We are very excited about the upcoming performances at the Analy Fall Festival. The WMS Honor Band and Maestro Strings groups will be performing. The event takes place at Analy High School on Friday, November 4th. Performances take place in the Analy High Auditorium. The clinic is in the adjacent music room and the photo is taken in the cafeteria. Parents are encouraged to attend to watch the performance and support our young musicians.
The Maestro Strings Group performs first. Here is the schedule:
● Warm Up 3:30
● Perform 4:00
● Clinic 4:30
● Photo 5:00
The Honor Band performs after dinner. Here is the schedule for the Honor Band:
● Warm Up 6:30
● Perform 7:00
● Clinic 7:30
● Photo 8:00
Students will be loaned a WMS Band or Strings shirt to wear along with black pants or skirts and black shoes, if possible. Shirts will be collected in the days following the concert. Please wash the shirt before returning it.
Maestro Strings students will leave WMS at 2:30 on Friday afternoon. Some students will be riding with their parents and some students will be riding on a WUSD van. THERE WILL BE NO VAN RETURNING TO WMS. Parents will need to pick up their children at Analy after the pictures. Honor Band students will meet at Analy at 6:15 p.m.
There will be a “snack bar” with popcorn, candy and drink in the cafeteria at Analy. The El Colonel Taco Truck will also be there so there will be food available.
Thank you so much for helping to make this valuable educational opportunity for our student! Please let me know if you have questions or concerns.
Jump Start at Cazadero Performing Arts Camp a HUGE Success!!
Fifteen outstanding WMS Honor Band students joined 85 other students from 6 other middle schools and their high school mentors for a fantastic weekend of music and fun at the Sonoma Jump Start at the Cazadero Performing Arts Camp. The students came together to form a 100 member Concert Band and spent the weekend playing great music, sleeping under the stars, eating delicious camp food, having s'mores at a campfire and making new friends. 
The concert on Sunday afternoon featured the "World Premier of Hillcrest teacher Nick Pulley's piece "Swaying" which paid tribute to the Caz redwoods swaying in a gentle breeze. It was so fun to get back to Caz! Many thanks to the students and to Jennifer and Kevin, our parent chaperones! 
Friday, March 04, 2022
Sign Up for a Music Class for the 2022/2223 School Year!
It's time to sign up for your elective class for the 2022/2023 school year. Being in one of Windsor Middle School's music classes is the BEST way that you can spend your time! Decades of research on the brain and academic performance shows that learning to play an instrument increases student performance in math and language arts, increases scores on standardized tests and the SAT, boosts creativity and engages both hemispheres of the simultaneously. With elements of math, science, language arts, history and physical education, music is the most cross curricular subject offered at our school. Music groups specialize in "Project Based Instruction" with "Performance Based Assessments" . These techniques have become trendy in other curricular areas but have been the foundation of music education for hundreds of years. Please watch the video below and let me know if you have any questions.
Thursday, March 05, 2020
Windsor @ Weill!
2/22/18
Dear Parents
Thanks for all that you do to support music at Windsor Middle School. The students and I are very excited about our upcoming performance at Weill Hall on March 25th, 2020. This is an amazing and wonderful opportunity for your child to play at a world class music performance venue! Performers will meet at 6:00 p.m. at the Artist’s entry at the rear of the Hall . I need 5 parents to serve as chaperones for the event. If you can help by being a chaperone please let me know by sending me a message: smitchell@wusd.org. Chaperones get to go “back stage” and see the Green Room, the artist's rooms and the hallway with hundreds of autographed pictures of famous performers who have played at Weill.
All non-performers will need tickets to the event. Tickets are free, but you need to order your tickets before the event. They can be ordered at:
The WMS Honor Band will be joined by some members of the Cali Advanced Band. We are the first group on the bill. Students will be given 5 “tasks for participating in the event. Please let me know immediately if your child will not be there. I hope they will be because this is the opportunity of a lifetime and participation will give them most of the tasks that they need for an A in the class for the final quarter.
We will be wearing performance attire. Black long pants or skirts, white shirts or blouses (no t shirts please) and black dress shoes. (no sneakers, or athletic shoes.) Oxford style shirts are preferred though they do not have to have a button down collar
The program for the night consists of a Windsor State of the Arts address, WMS/Cali Band, WMS Strings, Ballet Folklorico, WMS/WHS combined Chorus, WHS Band, and WHS Strings. We encourage you to stay for the entire performance, but know that it may not be possible for every family.
Sincerely
Steve Mitchell
707-837-7737 ext 8134
Thursday, February 27, 2020
Yes Indeed Show a Success
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Yes Indeed Field Trip to the Luther Burbank Center
Great Job at the Winter Concert/Celebration
Congratulations to the WMS Beginning and Honor Bands for their outstanding performances at the Winter Concert/Winter Celebration. Even though we lost considerable rehearsal time because of the Kincaide Fires, the students stepped up to the challenge and did a great job. We look forward to the Honor Band's performance at Weill Hall, the Beginning Band's performance at the Windsor Day Parade and our Spring Concert.
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Analy Fall Festival 10/25/19 6:15
WMS Honor Band @ Analy
Hi Students and Parents –
The Analy Fall Festival is on Friday, October 25, 2019 at
Analy High School
6950 Analy Rd
Sebastopol, CA 95472
Our Festival performance times are as follows:
6:30 p.m. Pictures (In concert attire)
7:00 p.m. Warm up
7:30 p.m.Performance
8:00 p.m. Clinic
The Analy Fall Festival is a non competitive music festival. We will play three songs for a panel of judges (college professors usually). They will listen to us and record our performance making comments about good things that they are hearing and areas where we can improve. After the performance, we will have a clinic. Parents are invited and encouraged to attend the performance and the clinic. Students will be able to use the Analy Fall Festival for 2 tasks for the next grading period. As always, please don't hesitate to contact me with questions and concerns. Please RSVP if you have not done so already. Thank you for supporting music at Windsor Middle School!
Sincerely
S Mitchell
-->
Monday, October 14, 2019
Another Great Year at Caz!
On Septemeber 25 - 27th 20 WMS band students joined 100 other middle school and high school students from Healdsburg, Sonoma, Sebastopol and Middletown for a weekend of fun and music. We enjoyed some warm fall days and cool nights sleeping under the stars. On Friday night, we had a bonfire and ate s'mores. On Saturday night the students were treated to a concert by the directors and mentors as well as watching a movie. We did have many hours of rehearsal and sectionals so that we could prepare the challenging music for our Sunday concert. Many thanks to our chaperones David Garland and Stefanie Hirayama for making this trip possible. I can't until next year!
Thursday, September 05, 2019
Excited about Caz! 9/27 - 9/29
Cazadero Jump Start Application
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Grading for Bands at Windsor Middle School
Grading for Bands at Windsor Middle School
Half of the student’s grade
will be based on Behavior:
90-100% = A
80-89% = B
70-79% = C
60-69% = D
Behavior scores are calculated
using Class Dojo and Dean’s List.
Students will need to have their instrument, book, music and a pencil
every day in class. Being unprepared,
disrupting the class, violating any school rules including gum, food or phones
out during class time will lower a student’s Behavior Score. Please see the “Rules” sheet for the particulars
of the grading rubric for Behavior.
Half of the student’s grade
will be based on Tasks:
7-9 tasks = A (90-100%)
4-6 tasks = B (80-89%)
2-3 tasks = C (70 – 79%)
less than two tasks = D
- · Come in and practice during Flex
- · Practice one hour outside of class
- · Complete 2 short music theory or composition assignments from the book
- · Fill an instrument vacancy (worth 3 tasks)
- · Apply for being a “Band Officer” (worth 3 tasks)
- · Attend Analy Fall Festival and W@Weill Hall and Windsor Parade (worth 4 tasks)
- · Write a 1-2 page paper about a performer, or composer that you enjoy. No plagiarism. Worth 2-4 tasks depending on quality.
- · Play in Jazz Band at Flex on Friday.
- Write a review of a live performance you have seen. Include information about instrumentation, style, genre, venue and your opinion of the performance
- Research music careers and write a paper about a career that interests you. Here is a link to some music career information: https://www.learnhowtobecome.org/arts-humanities-careers/music
The grade will be calculated
as an average of Behavior scores and Tasks completed. A task sheet needs to be turned in every quarter. Students must turn in a separate task sheet for each quarter.
It should be much easier and
clearer to students and parents how to earn the appropriate percentages for the
grade the student will earn.
2019/2020 Honor Band Syllabus
Dear Students and Parents --
Welcome to another tremendous year for the Windsor Middle School Bands and
thank you for being part of our musical community! I am looking forward to once again achieving
our primary goal: to have as much fun
as possible, and to reap the many benefits of music education by creating
outstanding performing ensembles! This
document should provide all of the information that you will need to have a
rewarding and fantastic year!
What is
Honor Band?
Honor is defined as “high respect,
as that shown for special merit; esteem.”
We are happy that WMS can offer two sections of “Honor Band” this
year. The Honor Band is a specially
selected group of 2nd and 3d year players.
Each group was carefully chosen to blend ability and instrumentation. A great deal of effort was put into this
process which will allow students to play in high quality groups while still
taking advantage of the many other outstanding programs and course offerings at
our school. It is an honor for me to have you as students. I know that you will honor me with your
outstanding attitude, behavior and effort!
Attitude
Attitude is the most important
thing in life, and certainly the most important thing in our bands. Attitudes are contagious: bad attitudes tend to spread to others and
can ruin a group and the experience for every member. Similarly, good attitudes can sweep through a
group creating a feeling of connectedness and loyalty that can make good groups
great. As Charles Swindoll said, “The
longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to
me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than
education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than
what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance,
giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company...a church (a band)... a
home. The remarkable thing is we have a
choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We
cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a
certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play
on the one string we have, and that is our attitude...I am convinced that life
is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you...we
are in charge of our attitudes.” Your attitude and your behavior account for
1/2 of your grade in this course.
Please be here because you want to be here and participate in all of the
fun things that we will do this year.
Students who develop an unacceptable attitudes or behaviors will be
removed.
Community
Band classes are different from
other classes. In Band, we learn by
working together to create something that none of us could create on our
own. Every person in the group affects
every other person to a much greater extent than in other types of
classes. Each person’s behavior and
performance directly influences both the quality of the music that we produce
together, and the amount that we can learn.
Because we perform in public and represent Windsor Middle School, the
quality of our work reflects the quality of our WMS community. Each
person in the group has a responsibility to every other person, and to the
school at large, to do their best, in
class and in performance. It is
critical that we work together to create the best possible experience for
ourselves, and an outstanding impression on the community. You are a member of our team, and every other
member of the team is relying on you to be there and to do your best every time
we are together.
Behavior
Behavior in instrumental music
classes presents a unique challenge for both students and teachers. Think of it this way: the goal of our class
is to create sound - beautiful, artistic sound hopefully. We have large classes full of students who
have instruments that can make a great deal of noise. Because our classes are “electives”, students
are more likely to be in groups with their friends. (This is good, because we are creating a
community, as noted above.) The
challenge is to enjoy the company of our friends and to create an environment
that allows everyone to learn. It is imperative that students have
outstanding behavior in the classroom and in public performances. Please
see the “Rules” sheet for specific rules and consequences. Parents can help by
supporting our efforts to maintain high standards for behavior and performance.
Calendar
Here are the important dates
for the 2019/2020 School Year
Sonoma Jump Start 9/27 to 9/29 2019
Analy Fall Festival 10/25 or 10/26 2019
Winter Concert 12/12/2019
Windsor at Weill Hall 3/25/20*
Discovery Kingdom 5/16/20*
Spring Concert 5/14/20
* This date has not been
confirmed.
It is my hope that with this
advance notice you will be able to keep these dates in mind as you plan your
other activities. The Winter and Spring
Concerts are curricular events and are considered part of
the student’s grade. Unexcused absences to the Concerts will cause a student’s final grade to be reduced by
one letter grade for that term. The Analy Fall Festival and Windsor @ Weill are cocurricular events that take place outside of school
hours. Students can earn "tasks" to apply to their grade by attending these events. It is important to remember that
our ensembles are communities in which every person contributes to the work
that we produce together.
Performance
Attire
We ask that students wear black long pants, or skirt a
white long sleeve button down shirt or blouse that will be tucked in (for guys), and black shoes.
Grading for Bands at Windsor Middle School
Half of the student’s grade
will be based on Behavior:
90-100% = A
80-89% = B
70-79% = C
60-69% = D
Behavior scores are
calculated using Class Dojo and Dean’s List.
Students will need to have their instrument, book, music and a pencil
every day in class. Being unprepared,
disrupting the class, violating any school rules including gum, food or phones
out during class time will lower a student’s Behavior Score and result in other
consequences. Please see the “Rules”
sheet for the particulars of the grading rubric for Behavior.
Half of the student’s grade
will be based on Tasks:
7-9 tasks = A (90-100%)
4-6 tasks = B (80-89%)
2-3 tasks = C (70 – 79%)
less than two tasks = D
· Come in
and practice during Flex = 1 task
· Practice
one hour outside of class = 1 task
· Turn in
a “Music Evaluation Sheet” (worked on in class) = 1 task
· Make a
recording with Smart Music (can be done during flex or before school. Home subscriptions are available for $12.)
· Complete
2 short music theory or composition assignments from the book
· Fill an
instrument vacancy (worth 3 tasks)
· Apply
for being a “Band Officer” (worth 3
tasks)
· Attend
Analy Fall Festival and W@Weill Hall and Windsor Parade (worth 2 tasks)
· Other
tasks made by arrangement.
· Play in
Jazz Band at Flex on Friday.
The grade will be calculated
as an average of Behavior scores and Tasks completed.
It should be much easier and
clearer to students and parents how to obtain the appropriate percentages for
the grade the student will earn.
-->
Thanks again for encouraging
your child to play music and thank you for supporting music at Windsor Middle
School! As always, you can reach me at
837-7737 ext 8134 or by mail: smitchell@wusd.org
Thank you very much for being
part of the Windsor Middle School Honor Band!
By participating in our group your are demonstrating that you are a person
of character and depth who cares about your education and your future. Every year, the WMS performing groups draw
the finest individuals in the school and this year is no exception. Thank you.
2019/2020 Beginning Band Syllabus
Dear Students
and Parents -- Thank you for being part of the Windsor Middle School Musical
Community. Music enriches our lives in
many ways, and the work that we do together enriches the overall climate and
culture of Windsor Middle School.
Consequently, we have a responsibility to our selves and to our school
to live up to our potential and to create the best bands that we possibly
can! I know that the students in this
year’s bands are capable of great things.
I truly believe that we can create some of the best music ever produced
at Windsor Middle School, and I look forward to working together, having fun,
learning many things and taking advantage of your abundant talent. This document should provide all of the
information that you will need to have a rewarding and fantastic year!
Attitude
Attitude is
the most important thing in life, and certainly the most important thing in our
bands. Attitudes are contagious: bad attitudes tend to spread to others and
can ruin a group and the experience for every member. Similarly, good attitudes can sweep through a
group creating a feeling of connectedness and loyalty that can make good groups
great. As Charles Swindoll said, “The longer
I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is
more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education,
than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other
people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or
skill. It will make or break a company...a church (a band)... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice
every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot
change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain
way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the
one string we have, and that is our attitude..I am convinced that life is 10%
what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in
charge of our attitudes.” Your attitude and your behavior account for
1/2 of your grade in this course.
Please be here because you want to be here to participate in all of the
fun things that we will do this year.
Students who develop an unacceptable attitude that affects other members
of the group will be removed.
Community
Band classes
are different from other classes. In
Band, we learn by working together to create something that none of us could
create on our own. Every person in the
group affects every other person to a much greater extent than in other types
of classes. Each person’s behavior and performance directly influences both the
quality of the music that we produce together, and the amount that we can learn. Because we perform in public and represent
Windsor Middle School, the quality of our work reflects the quality of our WMS
community. Each person in the group has a responsibility to every other person,
and to the school at large, to do their
best, in class and in performance.
It is critical that we work together to create the best possible
experience for ourselves, and an outstanding impression on the community.
Behavior
Behavior in
instrumental music classes presents a unique challenge for both students and
teachers. Think of it this way: the goal
of our class is to create sound - beautiful, artistic sound hopefully. We have large classes full of students who
have instruments that can make a great deal of noise. The challenge is to enjoy the company of our
friends and to create an environment that allows everyone to learn. It
is imperative that students have outstanding behavior in the classroom and in
public performances. A list of
Band Room Rules was sent home with a section to be signed by both the student
and the parent. Please consult the
“Rules” sheet for specific rules and consequences. Parents can help by supporting our efforts
to maintain high standards for behavior and performance. Students who develop an unacceptable pattern of behavior that affects
other members of the group will be removed.
Calendar
Here are a
list of the dates that we have on the calendar for the 2019/2020 school year:
Winter
Concert 12/12/19
Windsor Day
Parade 5/2/20
Spring
Concert 5/14/20
It is my hope
that with this advance notice you will be able to keep these dates in mind as
you plan your other activities. The
Winter and Spring Concerts are considered part of the student’s grade.
Unexcused absences to the Concerts will cause a student’s final grade to
be reduced by one letter grade, but extra credit work will be available for any
student who is uanable to attend.
Performance
Attire
We ask that
students wear black long pants, or skirts a white shirt or blouse (tucked in
for boys), and black shoes.
Grading
Fifty percent of a student’s grade is based on behavior,
attitude and participation in class. These
will be listed as “Behavior” points. Fifty
percent of their grade is based on completing
“tasks”. The first two tasks
involve turning in an instrument loan agreement, and turning in a signed
“Rules” sheet.. Other tasks can include:
·
Come
in for Flex
·
Practice
one hour outside of class
·
Turn
in a “Music Evaluation Sheet” (worked on in class)
·
Make
a recording with Smart Music
·
Complete
2 short music theory or composition assignments from the book
·
Fill
an instrument vacancy (worth 3 tasks)
·
Apply
for being a “Band Officer” (worth 3
tasks)
·
Other
tasks made by arrangement.
Grading for Bands at Windsor Middle School
Half of the student’s grade
will be based on Behavior:
90-100% = A
80-89% = B
70-79% = C
60-69% = D
Behavior scores are
calculated using Class Dojo and Dean’s List.
Students will need to have their instrument, book, music and a pencil
every day in class. Being unprepared,
disrupting the class, violating any school rules including gum, food or phones
out during class time will lower a student’s Behavior Score and result in other
consequences. Please see the “Rules”
sheet for the particulars of the grading rubric for Behavior.
Half of the student’s grade
will be based on Tasks:
7-9 tasks = A (90-100%)
4-6 tasks = B (80-89%)
2-3 tasks = C (70 – 79%)
less than two tasks = D
· Come in
and practice during Flex = 1 task
· Practice
one hour outside of class = 1 task
· Turn in
a “Music Evaluation Sheet” (worked on in class) = 1 task
· Make a
recording with Smart Music (can be done during flex or before school. Home subscriptions are available for $12.)
· Complete
2 short music theory or composition assignments from the book
· Fill an
instrument vacancy (worth 3 tasks)
· Apply
for being a “Band Officer” (worth 3
tasks)
· Attend
Analy Fall Festival and W@Weill Hall and Windsor Parade (worth 2 tasks)
· Other
tasks made by arrangement.
· Play in
Jazz Band at Flex on Friday.
The grade will be calculated
as an average of Behavior scores and Tasks completed.
It should be much easier and
clearer to students and parents how to obtain the appropriate percentages for
the grade the student will earn. A task sheet must be turned in every quarter, to earn a passing grade.
-->
Instrument
Selection
It is very
important that beginning students select the correct instrument when they are
starting out. A student is much more
likely to be successful and reap the benefits of studying music, if they choose
an instrument that they are well suited for.
Each person’s body and face is different and most people will find that
they have an easier time with some instruments than with others. Many students already have an idea of what instrument they would like to play, or
the student’s family has an instrument that they can use. Please keep an open mind about instrument
selection. Our goal is to have everyone
be successful in their efforts to play an instrument. The students in the Beginning classes will
soon be trying out the different instruments mouthpieces to see which
instruments will suit them. A letter
will be coming home soon letting you know how your child did on the instrument
tryouts.
WMS
Instruments
We are
fortunate to have school instruments that we will be able to loan to students
for the year. If your student has
already brought in an instrument loan agreement, they should have received an
instrument. We are expecting to receive
another shipment of new instruments soon so we should be able to accommodate
everyone. The sooner a student turns in
a loan agreement, the sooner they will get an instrument in their hands.
Percussion
Students who
wish to play percussion instruments will be able to apply and audition for one
of our percussion positions after our Winter Concert. Our percussionists must be among the finest
musicians in our group. Not only do they
need outstanding music reading and rhythm skills, they need to be proficient in reading both treble and bass
clefs. They also must have outstanding
classroom behavior, a strong work ethic and outstanding musicianship. For these reasons, we wait until half way
through the year to determine which students will be selected to play
percussion. A student who really wants
to play percussion will have to demonstrate that they can play all of the
material that we are playing on their first instrument. Parents who would like to help their child
become a percussionist can help by making sure their child is successful on
their first instrument.
Practice
Beginning students will have
the best success if they adhere to a regular practice schedule to develop the
skills that are taught in class. Coming
in at flex and/or practicing outside of class will really help students to be
successful. Students who do not practice
outside of class will have a much harder time being successful in class and
will be much more likely to want to quit. Parents can help by providing a quiet
space and time for students to practice.
Listening to your child and providing a few words of encouragement can
really help!
Thanks again for encouraging
your child to play music and thank you for supporting music at Windsor Middle
School! As always, you can reach me at
837-7737 ext 8134. It is often easiest
for me to communicate via e-mail: smitchell@wusd.org. If you prefer to communciate via e-mail
please send me a message so that I have your address in my address book. Thank you !!
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