Dear Middle School
Band Parents,
We
are very excited to have the opportunity to teach your children this year in
band! Please read through this important information and the grading policies, then electronically sign the agreement.
BVMS
Band students will have several large group concerts this year along with
middle school solo contest in the spring.
Our first performance opportunity is just around the corner; we will be
playing at the football game against Sioux
Falls Lincoln High School on September 21! The full
schedule is included with this letter, and we hope that by giving you these
dates now you will be able to plan your schedule so that your child can attend
all required concerts.
For
the football game performance, seventh grade students will be required to purchase
a uniform shirt. It is a long-sleeved t-shirt that they will
wear several times in 7th and 8th grade. The cost for this shirt is $15, and will be
fit and ordered after school starts. A
check made payable to Brandon Valley
Middle School can be brought to school when the student picks up their
shirt. If your eighth grader doesn’t
have a shirt or needs a new one for any reason, please let Ms. Baker or Ms.
Lundin know ASAP. Sixth grade students,
plan to wear BV Spirit Wear.
In
addition to group band, your son or
daughter will also have small group
lessons once per week. This schedule
will be posted once school has begun.
These lessons are a great way for your student to improve musically, so
please help your child remember to bring their instrument back and forth to
school on the days that it is needed. If
a lesson is missed, our expectation is that it be made up within three school
days. Students are expected to practice at home. Please encourage your child to play for you-
it is always more fun and rewarding to play when you have an audience!
As
parents, you can help ensure your child’s success in band by making sure that
they have all the required supplies. Instruments should be in good working order
and kept clean to maintain good tone and pitch.
Students should bring their music to each rehearsal, and should always
have a pencil. Woodwind instruments
should have at least three good reeds with them at all times so that if
one gets chipped they don’t have to miss out on any rehearsals or
performances. We suggest purchasing the
small plastic reed guards along with your reeds for storage. This will probably save you money in the long
run as it will extend the life of your reeds!
Brass players should have valve or slide oil with them at all
times to keep their instrument running smoothly. Percussionists are expected to bring their
own snare drum sticks to each rehearsal.
Required books will be discussed at students’ first lesson.
We are confident
that we will have a great school year!
We will work hard, learn a lot, and have a ton of fun along the
way. We will keep our website updated
throughout the year with our schedule, what we’re working on, and other things
you may find helpful. In an effort to go
green, we will post all information you may need online rather than sending
paper copies home once the school year begins.
Our website address is
www.bvmsbands.blogspot.com. You can “follow” the blog so that you will be
automatically notified via e-mail whenever an update becomes available. If you have any questions for us during the
school year, please feel free to contact us at school anytime. Our email addresses are
Laura.C.Baker@k12.sd.us or
Elanor.Lundin@k12.sd.us and the
Middle School phone number is 582-3214.
Brandon Valley
Middle School Band
Course Expectations
In order to reward students
for the hard work that they are doing in band, students will earn a grade in
middle school band. This is to recognize
the efforts that they put forth to become musicians. The school grading scale will be followed,
and the student’s grade will be broken into five categories.
1. Lessons- 30%
Lessons are a vital part of
the band curriculum. Students work in
small groups according to their instrument and individual ability level to gain
new skills. The lesson times are
assigned by the teacher to coordinate with the student’s schedule. The lesson grade will be determined by the
teacher and will include both lesson attendance and preparedness for the
lesson. If a student must miss a lesson for any reason, it must be made up within three school days. Students can sign up for make-up lessons in
the band office.
2. Daily Participation- 30%
Participation points for
group band rehearsals will be awarded in this category. Points can be earned by coming to band on
time with all materials and ready to learn.
Good rehearsal etiquette will ensure maximum points are earned.
3. Practice Records- 10%
Because everyone progresses at
a slightly different pace, at-home practice is a very important factor in
musical success. The practice
requirement is meant to allow students to work on individual needs at their own
pace. Practice time should be
substantial enough to accomplish a goal while not being overwhelming. It is best to break the practice requirement
into 4 to 5 blocks of time throughout the week, rather than trying to complete
it all in one sitting. This year’s goal
is 100 minutes per week.
4. Concert Participation- 30%
We work very hard to put together
outstanding performances for our friends, family, and community members, and students
will be rewarded for those efforts as well!
All concert dates are considered mandatory, and the dates are provided below. Please put those dates on your family
calendars right away to avoid any conflicts.
We believe that these
guidelines will help us to create a successful music learning environment while
maintaining the current high standards of music performance. If you have any questions regarding these
policies, please feel free to contact us at any time.
Sincerely,
Laura Baker and Ellie Lundin
2012-2013 BVMS Band Calendar
Please put these dates on your calendars today to avoid conflicts!
Monday & Tuesday, August
13-14- MS Marching Camp
Friday, Spetember 21st - Marching
Performance – HS Football Game – 7:00 - All Grades
Thursday, December 13th - 6th Grade
Winter Band Concert – PAC – 7:30
Tuesday, December 18th
- 7th and 8th
Grade Winter Band Concert – PAC – 7:30
Tuesday, March 5th - Augustana Jazz
Festival – All Day - Jazz Band Students Only
Monday-Thursday, April 8-11 - Recital Week - All Grades
Saturday, April 13th - Turkey
Supper – PAC – 5:00-8:00pm - 7th, 8th, and Jazz Only
Saturday, April 20th - Middle
School Solo Contest – BVMS – All Day - All Grades
Sunday, May 5th - Brandon Loyalty Day
Parade – 2:00pm - 7th
and 8th Grades Only
Tuesday, May 14th - 6th
Grade Spring Concert – PAC – 7:30
Thursday, May 16th - 7th and
8th Grade Spring Concert – PAC – 7:30pm
