SILVIS SCHOOL
DISTRICT #34
BAND HANDBOOK
2009-2010
Director: Mrs. Cheryl Schehl
Welcome to the Band Program
at George O’Barr and Silvis Jr. High School.
Parents are invited and encouraged to attend all performances and fully
support your child in this Musical Experience.
Parents and students are
requested to read this handbook, discuss it, and keep it for reference. 100% effort must be given by each member of
the Band Ensemble to successfully attain our goals in musical achievement. You are embarking on a lifetime of musical
enjoyment.
I look forward to another
exciting and musical year!
COMMUNICATION
The Silvis Bands
maintains a website, created by a current Band Parent, that has all the
information needed for participation in the Bands. This is a very convenient resource if you
have misplaced this handbook, calendar or any other forms that have been issued
during the year. Please check this
website regularly.
I would like to
continue to email families that have access, any information that would
normally be handed out to the students or mailed home. This will save paper and help to get the
information home. Please see the
attached form to fill out your email information. I will still send letters home to those that
do not have an email address.
WEBSITE:
EMAIL:
PERFORMING
GROUPS & MEMBERSHIP POLICY
Beginning Band: This class is open to all 5th
Grade Students. Beginning Band meets
once/week for the first 3 weeks of the program for small group lessons. After 2-3 weeks, students will meet on
Tuesday and Thursday during study hall from 2:15-2:45p.m. for full Band
Rehearsal. Students will continue to
receive one small group lesson for 20 minutes/week on a day chosen by the
director based on schedules and instrumentation.
Concert Band: This class is made of 6th, 7th
and 8th grade Band Students who previously attended the Beginning
Band Class for the entire 5th grade year or moved into the district
and attended another Band Program for at least one year. Students who enter Jr. High without previous
Band experience and wish to join band, must complete a semester of lessons with
Mrs. Schehl prior to being admitted into the Concert Band. Concert Band meets daily for a full class
period. Students also receive a private
or small group lesson once/week for 20 minutes.
Jazz Band: This class is available only to students who
play saxophone, trumpet, trombone, baritone, tuba, piano, drum set, guitar or
bass guitar and who are currently part of the Concert Band. Drum Set students are required to take
private lessons from a drum instructor outside of school time. 6th-8th Grade students
may participate. Auditions may be held
if the participation numbers are too great.
Jazz Band meets before school on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday each
week beginning the third full week of school.
CONCERT
DRESS
Concerts are formal
events. As a result, every student is
required to be in the proper band uniform for all performances. Any Jr. High student not wearing the
regulated uniform (unsoiled and pressed) at the time of a performance will not
be permitted to participate in that performance and will receive a deduction of
100points from their grade. The
following is a list of the required Concert Dress for each performing group:
Beginning Band Concert and Jazz Band
Black Shoes Black Shoes (no
sneakers/sandals/patterns)
Black Socks Black Socks
Black Dress
Pants/Skirt Black Dress Pants (no
capris/jeans/shorts/patterns)
White Shirt White Tuxedo Shirt Tucked in (issued)
Black
Bow Tie (issued)
JR. HIGH
CONCERT BAND GRADING POLICY
Practice Card
(10%): A student’s progress in band
will depend on what is achieved during daily home practice sessions. Learning takes place in school, but
proficiency is gained at home. Weekly
practice cards will need to be filled out and returned at each lesson.
Rehearsal
Participation and Effort (20%): Band
Students will be expected to enter the Band Room on time with all materials and
instrument. Behavior, effort,
participation and classroom skills will be assessed.
Lessons (20%): Students effort at home and in rehearsals
will be assessed through playing exams and homework assignments.
Performances (50%): All are mandatory. The Silvis Jr. High handbook excused absence
policy will apply to any exceptions.
PRACTICE
TIPS
Parents, a key element to
your child’s success on his/her instrument will be your support. Very rarely will a child practice without
having to be told. With the proper
guidance and support from you, both you and your child will quickly see the
benefits of good practice.
Students will see more
improvement if they practice daily for shorter periods of
time than if they try to do all of their practicing in one weekend. In Band, a student’s homework is their
practice time at home. Set a 15-20minute
time each evening for practice. Perhaps
as a break between studying for Math/English!
Students always have something to practice! Even if they choose to practice fun Disney
Book songs rather than their scales, homework or Band Music, they are still
benefiting!! Cool!
Students are required to
take their instrument home daily and especially every weekend. On occasion, I will announce a day when
instruments may be left overnight, but such times are rare. Failure to take an instrument home each
weekend will result in deductions from their lesson grade.
POSSIBLE
POINT DEDUCTIONS
Absent from
performance (unexcused only) -100pts.
Tardy to class -5pts
No music/book -5pts
No music during
performance -50pts.
No instrument or
equipment -10pts.
Instrument left at
school over the weekend -5pts.
Chewing Gum -5pts.
Equipment/Instrument/Music
not put away -5pts.
Improper Dress for
Performances -100pts.
Disruptive in
rehearsal or performance director
discretion
(May result in
student being removed from that performance and/or from future Band Events.)
Extra Credit +10pts
(View a Music
Performance of any kind and bring the program/ticket stub to Mrs. Schehl)
SCHOOL OWNED
INSTRUMENTS
Some instruments are
very expensive to purchase and, therefore, are available through the
school. Unfortunately, there are only a
limited number of these instruments available.
In order to be issued
a school owned instrument, the parent and student must sign an agreement that
they take full responsibility for the instrument. There will be a yearly usage fee of $30.00
for using a school instrument to cover incidentals. The student is responsible for normal
maintenance of his/her instrument and/or any damage to the instrument during
the year. The student must provide
reeds, oils, and other accessories.
I have read the above
information and received the required performance date sheet.
Student
Signature________________________________________________
Parent
Name______________________________
Parent
Signature_________________________________________________
Parent(s) Email
Address:
______________________________________
Home Address:
___________________________
Home Phone Number:
____________________________
Please return this
sheet to Mrs. Schehl by 9/10/09!