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. 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. 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 2017/2018 school year:
Winter
Concert 12/14/17
Windsor Day
Parade 5/5/18
Spring
Concert 5/24/18
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. Failure
to attend the Windsor Parade will result in a 250 pt. fine, 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 work they do outside of class, or on
demonstrated service to the group. These points will be listed as “Academic”
points. Options for earning “Academic”
points include documented practice time, written reports on composers and
performers, written music theory assignments, musical or concert reviews,
directed composition projects, music careers research projects, solo and small ensemble performance projects,
extra or co-curricular performance or fundraising opportunities. There are points available for playing in
extra curricular ensembles, serving as a Band Officer or other service to the
“musical community”. There are 900
points per term available for behavior and participation in class and 900 “Academic”
points available for work that is done outside of class, or for extra service
to the group. The final grade is
calculated as an average of the two scores described above. Students who earn less than 540 points in the
“Academic” category, can still get a “C” if they have outstanding classroom
behavior and participation. Students who
earn more than 900 points in the “Academic” category will not be able to
subsidize poor scores in the “behavior and participation” category. Student scores are posted by “code name” in
the room, so students will know how they are doing at all times. The Academic portion of the course is
“self-directed” in the sense that students choose which assignments they would
like to do and when they would like to turn them in. This gives students the freedom
to plan their homework around their individual schedules,
but adds the responsibility of making sure that they have the points that they
need for the grade that they want to earn by the time the term ends. The grading rubric is as follows:
Grading for Windsor Middle School
Bands
Behavior
points available per quarter: 900
Daily
points available per day: 20
Academic
points available per quarter: 900
Your
grade will be based on the “Average” of your “Behavior” and Your “Academic” points.
810 - 900
= A
720 - 809 = B
630 - 719 = C
540 - 629 = D
below 540
---- does not earn a passing grade
Ways to
earn points:
- Practice – 1 hour – 100 points, Flex time practice included!
- Playing tests – 50 – 100 points depending on difficulty.
- Research papers on Composers or Performers – 100 – 250 points depending on quality
- Performance Review – 50 – 250 points depending on quality
- Composition projects – 50 – 250 points depending on quality
- Music Theory worksheets - 50 points per sheet (4 available per term)
- Music Careers research projects - 50 – 250 points depending on quality
- Band Officer – 500 points (President, Librarian, Treasurer, Sound Tech)
- Jazz Band or EC ensembles – 50 points per session – 250 pts. per performance
- Fill an Instrument vacancy (low brass/low winds) – 500 – 750 points
(The points awarded for filling instrument
vacancies will be negotiable.
We clearly have a need for some
instruments more than others.)
If you
have less than “540 points” in the “Academic” Category on the last day when the
grading period is over, 539 points is added to your “Academic” score. This will bring your average up. If you have more than “900 points” in the “Academic”
Category, your “average” is calculated based on 900 points and not your actual
total. This keeps well behaved students
who have not done enough work outside of class from failing, and poorly behaved
students who get a large number of “Academic” points from automatically earning
a good 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 a limited number of schools instruments that we will be able to loan to
students for the year. Preference for WMS
instruments will be given to families that have a financial need to borrow one
from the school. All other WMS
instruments will be distributed by lottery.
“Music for Schools” also has instruments to loan to those families that
are unable to rent an instrument. Once
again, preference is given to those families with a financial need. I have applications available for those
interested in pursuing this option. Rental
instruments are available from several shops in the area including Stanroy
Music Center and Santa Rosa Music Center in Santa Rosa. Donations to our instrument repair are welcome. You can make checks payable to WMS Boosters.
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. 1 hour
of practice time per week will give a student the 900 points required for an
“A” in the “homework” portion of our grading system. Students are always welcome to practice more
than that, and they may need to at the beginning. 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. 10 - 20 minutes
of practice 5 days a week will really help a student to pick up the skills that
they need to be successful. 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 !!
Please
sign below to indicate that you have read and understand the terms set forth in
this syllabus:
_______________________ Student
_______________________ Parent
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