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 2018/2019 school year:
Winter
Concert 12/13/18
Windsor Day
Parade 5/4/19
Spring
Concert 5/24/19
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 coming in during Flex
Time, 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 cocurricular performance or fundraising opportunities. There are points available for playing
in extra curricular ensembes, 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”
810 - 900
=
A
720 - 809 =
B
630 - 719 =
C
540 - 629 =
D
below 540
---- does not earn a passing grade
Ways to
earn points:
- Practicing
during Flex 200 pts.
- Practice
– 1 hour – 100 points.
- 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. We
are happy to loan the WMS instruments that we have for the year, and ask that
families who are able donate $50 for
instrument maintenance so that we can insure that all WMS instruments
remain in good working condition.
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.
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 !!
