Standards for student conduct and participation:
Each student is expected to:
♫ Be on time and ready to go.
· Come in quietly, set up quickly, and sit down prepared with all
necessary materials. Students must be in their seats with his/her instrument in rest position, music, pencil,
binder on stand no later than 2 minutes after the tardy bell has rung.
♫ Bring all materials to class.
· Must have music, binder, pencil and instrument at the beginning of class or daily grade will be lowered.
♫ DO NOT talk, whisper, pluck or play out of turn.
· Orchestra is a class that requires listening, attention and patience.
♫ Quiet and respectful during tuning.
· No talking, whisper, plucking or playing while tuning “A” is on.
♫ Be prepared for class by practicing a minimum of 30 minutes every evening.
· We are only as strong as our weakest player.
♫ Inform parent or guardian of any orchestra announcements pertaining to extra rehearsals and
performances.
· All notices sent home are the students responsibility to give to their parents. All notices will be posted and
downloadable on the school website. www.CANYONHILLSMUSIC.weebly.com
♫ Respect others and their property.
· Students must conduct themselves in a responsible and respectful manner.
· Absolutely no name calling, put-downs, or talking back to other people including the teacher.
♫ Pay attention and stay on task.
· If the director gives a student a task, he or she must complete it. (ex. Shadow bowing.)
♫ Have a positive attitude.
♫ NO GUM. PERIOD.
· Spit it out without being told before class starts.
· Detention will be assigned after multiple warnings.
♫ No Long Finger Nails. PERIOD.
· Long fingernails do not allow for proper left and right hand positions and limit good intonation. Please trim to
required length. Sorry, ladies no long manicures. Warning will be given, but second offense will result in lower
daily grade.
♫ Have fun and create beautiful music!
Consequences:
1. Verbal Warning
2. Change of seating
3. Conference with student.
4. Phone call/email to parent/guardian
5. Detention and contact parent/guardian
6. Referral to counselor.
7. Referral to the office.
8. Removal (If schedule can not be change, student will have written work)
Emergency Clause:
In the case of a severe incident where a student or group of students are seriously impeding theirs or the rest of the class’ education, or becomes a safety issue to their self or others, he/she will be removed from the class and sent directly to the principal with a referral.
CELL PHONES AND OTHER ELECTRONIC MEDIA:
I SEE IT, I TAKE IT!!!!!
CARE OF MUSIC:
Students are responsible for all music they receive. Music should be hole punched and placed in the student’s binder. Music should be kept in the binder at all times.
Fundraising:
All orchestra students will have the opportunity to fundraise to help with supplies and field trips. Fundraisers are NOT mandatory. We typically hold two fundraisers a year. The students will receive a letter stating what each fundraiser will cover. If a student choses not to fundraise they will be charged the fees for the supplies and field trips that occur.
Orchestra Parents:
As an orchestra parent, you are invited to attend all orchestra concerts. Your child will proudly see that you care and appreciate their hard work and dedication. Most concerts are completed within an hour. Your support will help all of us meet our goals toward developing better students and building an outstanding orchestra program!
Grading Policy per District Guidelines:
Understanding of Content 40 %
Including but not limited to:
· Daily Rehearsal grades
- Each class rehearsal will be graded. If student follows the rules, stays on task and has all materials, then the rehearsal grade is a 100.
· Coming to class prepared with all materials.
- Material checks will be done throughout the grading period. If the student does not have his/he materials in class the grade will be a 0.
· In class quizzes.
- All quizzes can be retaken for a higher grade before or after school. However, No retakes will be
allowed after progress/report card grades are posted.
· After school rehearsal attendance/credit
o Advanced notice will be giving if after school rehearsals are required.
· Class worksheets/homework
· Take home instruments
o Students will receive 20 points a day for taking home their instrument.
Mastery 40 %
Including but not limited to:
· Playing test
o To be eligible for Contest students must receive a 90 or higher on all playing test.
· Written tests
· Performance/Contest dress rehearsal
· Concerts/Contest Performances
o Concert grade will consist of 5 grades
§ Position/Posture
§ Tone
§ Performer
§ Audience Expectations
§ Individual Practice
Engagement - 20%
Daily Participation and discussions are required
Parent Portal: If you haven’t already, please take the opportunity to establish an account through the EPISD Parent Portal to be able to monitor your child’s attendance and grades, as well as email his/hers teachers with any questions or concerns.
Orchestra Material List
· 1-inch hard cover three-ring BLACK binder. It must be black. NO EXCEPTIONS.
· Two #2 pencils
· Clean soft cloth (preferably a baby washcloth) for wiping down instrument after playing.
· Rosin
o Due to some situations and circumstances, each student is required to provide his/her own rosin.
· Rock Stop (Cellist)
· Shoulder rest (violin and violas) Bring instrument with you to store for fitting.
· Folding music stand for at home practice and field trips.
Recommended material
Smart music (smartmusic.com)
Smart Music can be ordered online. The program cost $40 a year. The program will help the students with their daily practice routine. The method book and most concert songs are on the program. This program is used in the classroom everyday!
******FIRST MATERIAL CHECK WILL BE ON SECOND WEEK OF SCHOOL!
Orchestra Concert Dress Code
TOPS
Coming Soon!! Tops will be available to purchase for all concerts and contests. (I will notify you where and when this can be purchased)
Bottoms
Pants must be appropriately fitted (must not be oversized or tight fitting). ONLY BLACK DRESS PANTS ARE ALLOWED FOR CONCERTS. BLACK JEANS ARE NOT ALLOWED! If a student wears jeans they will receive a referral and will not be allowed to participate in the concert!
SHOES
Black dress shoes with black dress socks. TENNIS SHOES ARE NOT ALLOWED!
All students need their concert dress by TBA
*****Please do not procrastinate on purchasing the necessary concert attire. IF A STUDENT ARRIVES AT A CONCERT WITHOUT ALL OF THE CORRECT CONCERT ATTIRE THEY WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO PERFORM AND WILL RECEIVE A ZERO. If there is a problem finding or funding any of the clothing, please contact Mr. Montoya immediately. Please do not wait till the last minute to ask for assistance.
Orchestra Instrument Information:
INSTRUMENTAL RENTALS: $45.00 for the 2020-2021 school year (NO SEMESTER PAYMENTS). Waiver forms are available from Mr. Montoya for those who may have economic hardship. ALL RENTAL PAYMENTS ARE TO BE MADE TO Mr. Montoya CASH PAYMENTS ONLY. All instruments will be issued on a, first come first serve basis.
To rent an instrument from the El Paso ISD, the parent will be issued a responsibility form. Please sign and return to Mr. Montoya. I will fill out the rest regarding instruments.
STUDENTS WILL BE ALLOWED TO DROP OFF INSTRUMENTS IN THE MORNING BEFORE BREAKFAST OR AFTER BREAKFAST DURING TRANSITION TIME. MR. MONTOYA WILL NOT BE IN THE CLASSROOM DURING BREAKFAST TIME. PLEASE MAKE ARRANGEMENTS.
PRIVATE OWNERSHIP OR RENTALS: Orchestra students are allowed to own their own instruments or rent from a music store. Please see attached paper with information on good places to purchase or rent instruments.
******WHETHER YOU RENT OR OWN YOUR OWN INSTRUMENT: It is the student’s responsibility to maintain and care for their instrument. Any instrument will be issued to the student in good, working order with a functional bow. If a student damages a school instrument, he or she may be monetarily responsible for the repair as stated in the EPISD rental agreement. If the student breaks a string, it is the student’s responsibility to purchase a replacement string within two days from the day that it breaks. Strings can be purchased at any local music store. A STUDENT GRADE MAY BE AFFECTED IF THE STUDENT IS WITHOUT A STRING OR A WORKING INSTRUMENT FOR MORE THAN TWO DAYS SINCE ORCHESTRA PARTICIPATION REQUIRES AN INSTRUMENT.
Instrument Drop-off and Pick-up
Instruments can be dropped off in the orchestra room between 7:30-7:50 A.M.. Do not carry it with you from class to class. Please pick up all instruments after school between 2:50-3:00 P.M. If you ride the bus at the end of the day, please hurry and pick up your instrument before leaving school. Students leaving early may come and pick up their instruments before leaving campus for the day.
******NOTE ABOUT INSTRUMENT STORAGE: DO NOT LEAVE INSTRUMENTS BY THE ORCHESTRA ROOM DOOR OR IN TEACHER’S CLASSROOMS. YOU WILL BE REFERRED AND YOUR PARENTS WILL HAVE TO HAVE A CONFERENCE WITH ME!
Rehearsals and Concerts
Extra Rehearsals: Throughout the course of the school year, the orchestra director WILL schedule extra rehearsals to help prepare the students for upcoming orchestra performance/competition. THESE EXTRA REHEARSALS ARE MANDATORY AND GRADED. Students who miss extra rehearsals must have a parent contact me by phone or email, and also send in a signed written statement why the rehearsal was missed. After 2 missed rehearsals (excused or unexcused) the student will not be allowed to perform. Extra rehearsals will be from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. I will do my best to schedule all mandatory rehearsals when the tutoring bus is available.
Eligibility: The state of a Texas requires by law that all students must have a passing grade of a 70 or above at the 6 week period and on the report card in all classes to be allowed to participate in extra-curricular activities. If the student becomes ineligible, he/she will not be allowed to perform with the orchestra for competitions and field trips. Please be attentive to your child’s grade and ensure the child contacts their teachers to schedule tutoring for any class he/she may be struggling in.
Performance and/or competitions: Orchestra students are required to attend mandatory performances and/or competitions during the course of the school year. These performances may be during school hours, after hours on a school night, or on the weekends. Some performances may require that the parent provide their child transportation to and from the performance. All performances are MANDATORY and GRADED, so please make arrangements to make sure your child is at the performance on time, and has a ride home at the end of the event. Mr. Montoya will inform the students and post the performance information in the orchestra room about a month before each scheduled performance or activity. Please be sure to communicate with your child to assure you receive information in a timely manner. All dates and letters sent home will be posted on the orchestra website.
www.canyonhillsmusic.weebly.com
Attendance:
An orchestra cannot perform at optimum with members missing. Students are required to participate in all rehearsals and performances unless excused by the director or the school’s attendance policy. Performance dates are announced at the beginning of the school year. Any date changes are announced as far in advance as possible. All performance information will be sent home as a letter, posted in the classroom and placed on the website. www.canyonhillsmusic.weebly.com
**IT IS THE STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY TO PASS ON ALL WRITTEN LETTERS HOME TO HIS/HER PARENTS.
Excused Absences for concert and contest:
1. Death in the family
2. Approved-school sponsored activities
3. Religious holidays
4. Family emergency
5. Personal illness
Excuses 1-3 require a WRITTEN NOTE including a parent signature and date. The note must be given no later than 24 hours before the concert or contest to be excused. If the note is given less than 24 hours in advanced or after the performance, the student will be counted unexcused and receive a test grade of a ZERO. More advanced notice is appreciated especially when contests are involved. Excuses 4-5 require verbal/written communication the day of the concert and a written note (parent signature and date included) when the student returns to class. The student will play his entire concert part for the director to make-up his/her grade. The make-up will have to be done before or after school within a week of the concert date and it is the student’s responsible to schedule their make-up time with director. The director will check attendance forms to validate excuses 4 and 5.
Unexcused absences for class and concerts:
Never assume an absence will be excused. You must communicate directly with the director if there is a problem that cannot be fixed. Parents please call in all students’ absences. Although it would be impossible to include a complete list, the following are examples of unexcused absences:
Cutting class, unplanned transportation/no ride, Birthday, wedding, etc celebrations, oversleeping/alarm did not go off, forgetting instrument, completely forgot, going on vacation., not having the correct concert attire.
Seating System:
Each orchestra class is made up of a unique and interesting mix of students varying in ability. In this program, every student is important to the success of the orchestra.
Competition creates a situation “when many persons must lose in order for a few to win a prized status.” The orchestra program aims to continue its tradition of replacing hostile competition between peers with teamwork. For this purpose, Advanced Placement Seating (APS) will be used.
APS is a system followed by many college and professional orchestras. This system allows the orchestra to sound at its maximum efficiency by placing strong players all around the orchestra, not just in stands closest to the conductor. APS satisfies both the competitive and the non-competitive student. Strong players who want to play leadership roles in orchestra are given the opportunity to audition for section leader positions. Students who are happy to just be a part of the orchestra are seated in NON-HIRARCHAL order in complementary pairs. Seating in complimentary pairs allows students to learn from each other. This seating system also makes use of rotational seating. ALL STANDS will rotate at the beginning of the week and keep that same seating assignment until the end of that week. This rotation will allow students to experience the different challenges of sitting in different areas in their section.
At Canyon Hills Middle School, every student is given the opportunity to give a significant contribution to their group because their importance is not attached to a chair. Because our students understand that the success of each individual contributes to the success of the group, the students themselves foster an environment where they help each other succeed.
Individual Practice:
It goes without saying that all orchestra students must be prepared with their individual parts BEFORE coming to rehearsals even if the director does not require students to turn in a practice logs. How much practice is necessary? However long it takes to play the music up to standard! Your director will show the students strategies that will allow them to make the most out of their practice time. Just remember that students need to observe healthy musician habits (such as warming up and stretching before you play) when they practice to keep themselves injury-free.
Private Lessons
Private lessons are not required but HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. While the director tries to maintain a reasonable class size, the individual and specialized training that a student receives during private instruction allows a student to improve performance skills by leaps and bounds.
Please go to the Student Signature page once you have read this handbook to sign.
Each student is expected to:
♫ Be on time and ready to go.
· Come in quietly, set up quickly, and sit down prepared with all
necessary materials. Students must be in their seats with his/her instrument in rest position, music, pencil,
binder on stand no later than 2 minutes after the tardy bell has rung.
♫ Bring all materials to class.
· Must have music, binder, pencil and instrument at the beginning of class or daily grade will be lowered.
♫ DO NOT talk, whisper, pluck or play out of turn.
· Orchestra is a class that requires listening, attention and patience.
♫ Quiet and respectful during tuning.
· No talking, whisper, plucking or playing while tuning “A” is on.
♫ Be prepared for class by practicing a minimum of 30 minutes every evening.
· We are only as strong as our weakest player.
♫ Inform parent or guardian of any orchestra announcements pertaining to extra rehearsals and
performances.
· All notices sent home are the students responsibility to give to their parents. All notices will be posted and
downloadable on the school website. www.CANYONHILLSMUSIC.weebly.com
♫ Respect others and their property.
· Students must conduct themselves in a responsible and respectful manner.
· Absolutely no name calling, put-downs, or talking back to other people including the teacher.
♫ Pay attention and stay on task.
· If the director gives a student a task, he or she must complete it. (ex. Shadow bowing.)
♫ Have a positive attitude.
♫ NO GUM. PERIOD.
· Spit it out without being told before class starts.
· Detention will be assigned after multiple warnings.
♫ No Long Finger Nails. PERIOD.
· Long fingernails do not allow for proper left and right hand positions and limit good intonation. Please trim to
required length. Sorry, ladies no long manicures. Warning will be given, but second offense will result in lower
daily grade.
♫ Have fun and create beautiful music!
Consequences:
1. Verbal Warning
2. Change of seating
3. Conference with student.
4. Phone call/email to parent/guardian
5. Detention and contact parent/guardian
6. Referral to counselor.
7. Referral to the office.
8. Removal (If schedule can not be change, student will have written work)
Emergency Clause:
In the case of a severe incident where a student or group of students are seriously impeding theirs or the rest of the class’ education, or becomes a safety issue to their self or others, he/she will be removed from the class and sent directly to the principal with a referral.
CELL PHONES AND OTHER ELECTRONIC MEDIA:
I SEE IT, I TAKE IT!!!!!
CARE OF MUSIC:
Students are responsible for all music they receive. Music should be hole punched and placed in the student’s binder. Music should be kept in the binder at all times.
Fundraising:
All orchestra students will have the opportunity to fundraise to help with supplies and field trips. Fundraisers are NOT mandatory. We typically hold two fundraisers a year. The students will receive a letter stating what each fundraiser will cover. If a student choses not to fundraise they will be charged the fees for the supplies and field trips that occur.
Orchestra Parents:
As an orchestra parent, you are invited to attend all orchestra concerts. Your child will proudly see that you care and appreciate their hard work and dedication. Most concerts are completed within an hour. Your support will help all of us meet our goals toward developing better students and building an outstanding orchestra program!
Grading Policy per District Guidelines:
Understanding of Content 40 %
Including but not limited to:
· Daily Rehearsal grades
- Each class rehearsal will be graded. If student follows the rules, stays on task and has all materials, then the rehearsal grade is a 100.
· Coming to class prepared with all materials.
- Material checks will be done throughout the grading period. If the student does not have his/he materials in class the grade will be a 0.
· In class quizzes.
- All quizzes can be retaken for a higher grade before or after school. However, No retakes will be
allowed after progress/report card grades are posted.
· After school rehearsal attendance/credit
o Advanced notice will be giving if after school rehearsals are required.
· Class worksheets/homework
· Take home instruments
o Students will receive 20 points a day for taking home their instrument.
Mastery 40 %
Including but not limited to:
· Playing test
o To be eligible for Contest students must receive a 90 or higher on all playing test.
· Written tests
· Performance/Contest dress rehearsal
· Concerts/Contest Performances
o Concert grade will consist of 5 grades
§ Position/Posture
§ Tone
§ Performer
§ Audience Expectations
§ Individual Practice
Engagement - 20%
Daily Participation and discussions are required
Parent Portal: If you haven’t already, please take the opportunity to establish an account through the EPISD Parent Portal to be able to monitor your child’s attendance and grades, as well as email his/hers teachers with any questions or concerns.
Orchestra Material List
· 1-inch hard cover three-ring BLACK binder. It must be black. NO EXCEPTIONS.
· Two #2 pencils
· Clean soft cloth (preferably a baby washcloth) for wiping down instrument after playing.
· Rosin
o Due to some situations and circumstances, each student is required to provide his/her own rosin.
· Rock Stop (Cellist)
· Shoulder rest (violin and violas) Bring instrument with you to store for fitting.
· Folding music stand for at home practice and field trips.
Recommended material
Smart music (smartmusic.com)
Smart Music can be ordered online. The program cost $40 a year. The program will help the students with their daily practice routine. The method book and most concert songs are on the program. This program is used in the classroom everyday!
******FIRST MATERIAL CHECK WILL BE ON SECOND WEEK OF SCHOOL!
Orchestra Concert Dress Code
TOPS
Coming Soon!! Tops will be available to purchase for all concerts and contests. (I will notify you where and when this can be purchased)
Bottoms
Pants must be appropriately fitted (must not be oversized or tight fitting). ONLY BLACK DRESS PANTS ARE ALLOWED FOR CONCERTS. BLACK JEANS ARE NOT ALLOWED! If a student wears jeans they will receive a referral and will not be allowed to participate in the concert!
SHOES
Black dress shoes with black dress socks. TENNIS SHOES ARE NOT ALLOWED!
All students need their concert dress by TBA
*****Please do not procrastinate on purchasing the necessary concert attire. IF A STUDENT ARRIVES AT A CONCERT WITHOUT ALL OF THE CORRECT CONCERT ATTIRE THEY WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO PERFORM AND WILL RECEIVE A ZERO. If there is a problem finding or funding any of the clothing, please contact Mr. Montoya immediately. Please do not wait till the last minute to ask for assistance.
Orchestra Instrument Information:
INSTRUMENTAL RENTALS: $45.00 for the 2020-2021 school year (NO SEMESTER PAYMENTS). Waiver forms are available from Mr. Montoya for those who may have economic hardship. ALL RENTAL PAYMENTS ARE TO BE MADE TO Mr. Montoya CASH PAYMENTS ONLY. All instruments will be issued on a, first come first serve basis.
To rent an instrument from the El Paso ISD, the parent will be issued a responsibility form. Please sign and return to Mr. Montoya. I will fill out the rest regarding instruments.
STUDENTS WILL BE ALLOWED TO DROP OFF INSTRUMENTS IN THE MORNING BEFORE BREAKFAST OR AFTER BREAKFAST DURING TRANSITION TIME. MR. MONTOYA WILL NOT BE IN THE CLASSROOM DURING BREAKFAST TIME. PLEASE MAKE ARRANGEMENTS.
PRIVATE OWNERSHIP OR RENTALS: Orchestra students are allowed to own their own instruments or rent from a music store. Please see attached paper with information on good places to purchase or rent instruments.
******WHETHER YOU RENT OR OWN YOUR OWN INSTRUMENT: It is the student’s responsibility to maintain and care for their instrument. Any instrument will be issued to the student in good, working order with a functional bow. If a student damages a school instrument, he or she may be monetarily responsible for the repair as stated in the EPISD rental agreement. If the student breaks a string, it is the student’s responsibility to purchase a replacement string within two days from the day that it breaks. Strings can be purchased at any local music store. A STUDENT GRADE MAY BE AFFECTED IF THE STUDENT IS WITHOUT A STRING OR A WORKING INSTRUMENT FOR MORE THAN TWO DAYS SINCE ORCHESTRA PARTICIPATION REQUIRES AN INSTRUMENT.
Instrument Drop-off and Pick-up
Instruments can be dropped off in the orchestra room between 7:30-7:50 A.M.. Do not carry it with you from class to class. Please pick up all instruments after school between 2:50-3:00 P.M. If you ride the bus at the end of the day, please hurry and pick up your instrument before leaving school. Students leaving early may come and pick up their instruments before leaving campus for the day.
******NOTE ABOUT INSTRUMENT STORAGE: DO NOT LEAVE INSTRUMENTS BY THE ORCHESTRA ROOM DOOR OR IN TEACHER’S CLASSROOMS. YOU WILL BE REFERRED AND YOUR PARENTS WILL HAVE TO HAVE A CONFERENCE WITH ME!
Rehearsals and Concerts
Extra Rehearsals: Throughout the course of the school year, the orchestra director WILL schedule extra rehearsals to help prepare the students for upcoming orchestra performance/competition. THESE EXTRA REHEARSALS ARE MANDATORY AND GRADED. Students who miss extra rehearsals must have a parent contact me by phone or email, and also send in a signed written statement why the rehearsal was missed. After 2 missed rehearsals (excused or unexcused) the student will not be allowed to perform. Extra rehearsals will be from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. I will do my best to schedule all mandatory rehearsals when the tutoring bus is available.
Eligibility: The state of a Texas requires by law that all students must have a passing grade of a 70 or above at the 6 week period and on the report card in all classes to be allowed to participate in extra-curricular activities. If the student becomes ineligible, he/she will not be allowed to perform with the orchestra for competitions and field trips. Please be attentive to your child’s grade and ensure the child contacts their teachers to schedule tutoring for any class he/she may be struggling in.
Performance and/or competitions: Orchestra students are required to attend mandatory performances and/or competitions during the course of the school year. These performances may be during school hours, after hours on a school night, or on the weekends. Some performances may require that the parent provide their child transportation to and from the performance. All performances are MANDATORY and GRADED, so please make arrangements to make sure your child is at the performance on time, and has a ride home at the end of the event. Mr. Montoya will inform the students and post the performance information in the orchestra room about a month before each scheduled performance or activity. Please be sure to communicate with your child to assure you receive information in a timely manner. All dates and letters sent home will be posted on the orchestra website.
www.canyonhillsmusic.weebly.com
Attendance:
An orchestra cannot perform at optimum with members missing. Students are required to participate in all rehearsals and performances unless excused by the director or the school’s attendance policy. Performance dates are announced at the beginning of the school year. Any date changes are announced as far in advance as possible. All performance information will be sent home as a letter, posted in the classroom and placed on the website. www.canyonhillsmusic.weebly.com
**IT IS THE STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY TO PASS ON ALL WRITTEN LETTERS HOME TO HIS/HER PARENTS.
Excused Absences for concert and contest:
1. Death in the family
2. Approved-school sponsored activities
3. Religious holidays
4. Family emergency
5. Personal illness
Excuses 1-3 require a WRITTEN NOTE including a parent signature and date. The note must be given no later than 24 hours before the concert or contest to be excused. If the note is given less than 24 hours in advanced or after the performance, the student will be counted unexcused and receive a test grade of a ZERO. More advanced notice is appreciated especially when contests are involved. Excuses 4-5 require verbal/written communication the day of the concert and a written note (parent signature and date included) when the student returns to class. The student will play his entire concert part for the director to make-up his/her grade. The make-up will have to be done before or after school within a week of the concert date and it is the student’s responsible to schedule their make-up time with director. The director will check attendance forms to validate excuses 4 and 5.
Unexcused absences for class and concerts:
Never assume an absence will be excused. You must communicate directly with the director if there is a problem that cannot be fixed. Parents please call in all students’ absences. Although it would be impossible to include a complete list, the following are examples of unexcused absences:
Cutting class, unplanned transportation/no ride, Birthday, wedding, etc celebrations, oversleeping/alarm did not go off, forgetting instrument, completely forgot, going on vacation., not having the correct concert attire.
Seating System:
Each orchestra class is made up of a unique and interesting mix of students varying in ability. In this program, every student is important to the success of the orchestra.
Competition creates a situation “when many persons must lose in order for a few to win a prized status.” The orchestra program aims to continue its tradition of replacing hostile competition between peers with teamwork. For this purpose, Advanced Placement Seating (APS) will be used.
APS is a system followed by many college and professional orchestras. This system allows the orchestra to sound at its maximum efficiency by placing strong players all around the orchestra, not just in stands closest to the conductor. APS satisfies both the competitive and the non-competitive student. Strong players who want to play leadership roles in orchestra are given the opportunity to audition for section leader positions. Students who are happy to just be a part of the orchestra are seated in NON-HIRARCHAL order in complementary pairs. Seating in complimentary pairs allows students to learn from each other. This seating system also makes use of rotational seating. ALL STANDS will rotate at the beginning of the week and keep that same seating assignment until the end of that week. This rotation will allow students to experience the different challenges of sitting in different areas in their section.
At Canyon Hills Middle School, every student is given the opportunity to give a significant contribution to their group because their importance is not attached to a chair. Because our students understand that the success of each individual contributes to the success of the group, the students themselves foster an environment where they help each other succeed.
Individual Practice:
It goes without saying that all orchestra students must be prepared with their individual parts BEFORE coming to rehearsals even if the director does not require students to turn in a practice logs. How much practice is necessary? However long it takes to play the music up to standard! Your director will show the students strategies that will allow them to make the most out of their practice time. Just remember that students need to observe healthy musician habits (such as warming up and stretching before you play) when they practice to keep themselves injury-free.
Private Lessons
Private lessons are not required but HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. While the director tries to maintain a reasonable class size, the individual and specialized training that a student receives during private instruction allows a student to improve performance skills by leaps and bounds.
Please go to the Student Signature page once you have read this handbook to sign.
CLASSROOM RULES AND EXPECTATIONS
1. Be in your seats ready to play when the bell rings. This includes having your instrument, music, pencil, etc,
ready to go.
2. Everyone must have their own music at their seat every day
3. No GUM, food, or drinks of any kind is allowed in the orchestra room.
4. Hats, sunglasses, hoodies etc, are not to be worn during class.
5. Ipods, Mp3s, cell phones (including texting etc.), are not to be used during rehearsals.
6. Respect the property of other individuals. This includes instruments as well as music. You do not have
permission to “borrow” anyone else’s instrument or materials. Please do not assume that you do. You
would feel awful if you damaged someone else’s instrument and so would they, and their parents, and your
parents and the director, and the principal and….
7. Respect other people--their opinions, abilities, belongings, and space.
Consequences of inappropriate behavior
1. Verbal Warning
2. Student/Teacher - Conference/Detention
3. Student/Teacher/Parent Conference
4. Notify Administration
1. Be in your seats ready to play when the bell rings. This includes having your instrument, music, pencil, etc,
ready to go.
2. Everyone must have their own music at their seat every day
3. No GUM, food, or drinks of any kind is allowed in the orchestra room.
4. Hats, sunglasses, hoodies etc, are not to be worn during class.
5. Ipods, Mp3s, cell phones (including texting etc.), are not to be used during rehearsals.
6. Respect the property of other individuals. This includes instruments as well as music. You do not have
permission to “borrow” anyone else’s instrument or materials. Please do not assume that you do. You
would feel awful if you damaged someone else’s instrument and so would they, and their parents, and your
parents and the director, and the principal and….
7. Respect other people--their opinions, abilities, belongings, and space.
Consequences of inappropriate behavior
1. Verbal Warning
2. Student/Teacher - Conference/Detention
3. Student/Teacher/Parent Conference
4. Notify Administration