• Arrival: Students are to enter in an orderly manner and go directly to their seat/section. Students will only need a pencil and paper for classes (and for music classes, a folder). All other materials and items will need to be placed on the wall beside the door.
  • Choir: Students will need to pick up their folder from the portfolio cabinet. A pencil is required at ALL TIMES!
• Free Time: THERE IS NO FREE TIME! Students are expected to be working the entire time. For General Music students who complete the lesson early, they will begin work on an extra credit project.
• Expectations in class:
  • All students must stay in their assigned seats. Students must plan accordingly, meaning pencil sharpened prior to class, materials out, etc.
  • Noise Level-BE COURTEOUS! There are other classes around us. No yelling. If noise becomes a problem, lights will be flickered only once. The second time will result in consequences as defined in the Classroom Rules.
  • NO PASS OUTS! NO EXCEPTIONS!
• Money Collection: All money will need to be placed in the money mailbox or in the box on my desk. DO NOT GIVE IT TO ME!
• Dress Code: It’s strictly enforced. Refer to the school and SCS handbook.
• Dismissal: All students will gather materials and line up accordingly prior to leaving the classroom. We leave quietly every day.
• Teacher Emergency: This can occur if I am called to the office, if I am needed in the hall way, or for any other emergency. In this case, I will let another teacher know so that they may come in the classroom.
• Hall Passes: Only one student may be out of the classroom at one time. NO EXCEPTIONS! See E-PASS procedures.
• You are not allowed to be excused from class to see another teacher.
• Emergency Button: Only push for emergency reasons. Any student who is suspected to have pushed the button will be disciplined. Use of the emergency button in error causes our administrators and secretaries to do more work.
• Email Addresses: I need yours and your parents. I will send out a mass email at least once each week for the choir students. This is also an effective way of communicating good and bad things with parents.
• Communications with Parents: If communication is needed to rectify a behavior problem, parent will be called first. Message will be left if no answer. Parent will then be emailed and letter will be sent home if no contact is made via phone.
• Conferences: If a conferences is needed, please speak with me personally. I am usually at school by 7:10 every morning and will usually leave around 5:00pm.
• Emergency Procedures:
  • Fire Drills: Students will leave in an orderly manner and exit to the hall door on the left. Students are to remain quiet and in a line.
  • Tornado: Students are to line up in the 8th grade hallway, legs crossed with hands covering head.
  • Lockdown: Students are to line up against the wall that is least visible from the window and door. Students are to remain quite.
• Grading:
  • Assignments: Assignments are given and graded! Assignments turned in late will be deducted 10 points for each week after the turn in date.
  • Lesson Plans: These will be posted right here, on the blog.
  • Submitting Assignments: Place written assignments in the “IN” folder or hand in during class.
  • Papers will be graded and returned to you within one class session.
  • Please see the handbook or syllabus for additional grading information.

Restroom: There will be no group or individual restroom breaks during Music/Choir classes. Since this is a MAPS class, students will usually come from or go directly to the restoom before or after class. Emergencies do arise and Miss Ward should be notified if possible before leaving class. Some circumstances will not allow this.

Hall Pass–This year we are using an E-PASS. It is an electronic pass that begins timing once the student has removed the pass from the room. The students are allowed 4 minutes to get back to the room. After that four minutes, the alarm will sound on the E-PASS and in the classroom. Students are to sign in and out each time the leave or enter the classroom once class has began. Only one student will be out of the room at a time. Any teacher wishing to see a particular student during Music/Choir will have to make arrangements ahead of time.

Grades will be taken on the following items.  The order information is presented may be changed to accommodate the school schedule.  Additional practice and remedial lessons will be added as needed.  In addition to the listed information, students will receive several participation grades.  They will also be responsible for completing a “Warm-Up” for every class.  If they are absent, they can get the “Warm-Up” from anyone in the class.

Week 1:    Introduction, Rules & Procedures
Week 2:    Week 1 Quiz, Staff, Clef Signs, Line/Space Names, Notation, Whole/Half/Quarter Notes
Week 3:    Week 2 Quiz, Measure, Time Signatures, Note Values
Week 4:    Week 3 Quiz, Rest Values
Week 5:    Week 4 Quiz, Dotted Notes
Week 6:    Week 5 Quiz, Ledger Lines
Week 7:    Week 6 Quiz, Repeat Sign, 1st & 2nd Endings, Tie
Week 8:     Week 7 Quiz, Slur
Week 9:    Week 8 Quiz, Eighth Notes, Extra Credit Projects Due!!

Grading:  Students are responsible for all assignments.  Occasionally it will be to the students benefit to keep some assignments and paper, once returned.  The student will need to have a place to store such papers.  All assignments will be weighted equally.  Meaning that no assignment is worth more points than any other.

CLASSROOM RULES
1.  Be prompt – Be in assigned seat when class begins.
2.  Be prepared – Bring all equipment needed for class (pencil, paper, homework)
3.  Be polite – Demonstrate respect for all members of the class.
4.  Participate and follow directions the first time they are given.

REWARDS
1.  Special recognition and verbal praise
2.  Notes and calls home
3.  Happy Notes
4.  Additional privileges and responsibilities

GRADING PROCEDURE
Students will receive an A, B, C, D, or F in music this year.  Conduct grades will also be given.   Every student starts each class period with an A.  It is up to the student to keep their A!
A = 93 – 100
B = 85 – 92
C = 75 – 84
D = 70 – 74
F = 69 and below

The student can lose their A for the day in several ways.  Below are some examples:
-20 points for being disrespectful
-20 points for being late to class
-20 points for not participating
-20 points for not performing their assignments satisfactorily
-20 points for not being prepared

CONDUCT GRADES
Students will be given conduct grades in choir.  Conduct grades will be given according to how many marks they accumulate during the nine weeks.  0 – 1 mark equals an E, 2 to 3 marks equals an S, 4 to 5 marks equals an N and 6 or more marks equals a U.

EXTRA CREDIT
Extra credit will be given approximately 2 weeks prior to the end of the grading period.  Extra Credit assignments are due approximately one week prior to the end of the grading period.  Specific dates will be given closer to the end of the grading period.

Welcome to GMS and welcome to the award winning Red Devil Concert Choir.  I’m thrilled and excited that you have chosen to be a part of the Red Devil Concert Choir, many of you for the second year in a row.  We have an AWESOME group coming back this year.  What a GREAT group of musicians we have this year!  What GREAT singers!  What a GREAT schedule!  We’re going to have a super year with exciting and rewarding experiences in choir as the year progresses.

I’m so excited about choir this year.  We’ve got a new choir room on the new 8th grade hall and we’ve got choir 3 times a week again!

Our size is going to be a little bit smaller than last year’s because we had such a large group moving up to the high school.  Nonetheless, it will still be a tremendous group!

This handbook is for Germantown Middle School Choir members and their parents with the hope of giving information regarding the various phases, activities, policies, and regulations of the choral music program.  All choir members and parents are urged to read the entire handbook carefully at the beginning of each school year.  The ultimate goal of the following policies, guidelines and rules are to help create a successful young musician, and thus, a great choral program.

FOCUS OF INSTRUCTION:
Sixth Grade Choir:  Reading music, correct tone and sound production, correct singing posture, care of the voice, development of vocal techniques, and readiness for the ensemble performance.
Seventh and Eighth Grade Choir:  Continued development of music reading, continued development of individual vocal techniques, group performance of choral literature, continued care of the voice, and ensemble performance.

CLASSROOM RULES
1.  Be prompt – Be in assigned seat when class begins.
2.  Be prepared – Bring all equipment needed for class:  folder,             music, pencil, etc.
3.  Be polite – Demonstrate respect for all members of the class.
4.  Participate and follow directions the first time they are given.

REWARDS
1.  Special recognition and verbal praise
2.  Notes and calls home
3.  Happy Notes
4.  Additional privileges and responsibilities

GRADING PROCEDURE
We will again use the same grading system as last year in choir this year.  Students will receive an A, B, C, D, or F again in choir this year.  Conduct grades will also be given.   Every student starts each class period with an A.  It is up to the student to keep their A!
A = 93 – 100
B = 85 – 92
C = 75 – 84
D = 70 – 74
F = 69 and below

The student can lose their A for the day in choir in several ways.
-20 points for being disrespectful
-20 points for being late to class
-20 points for not participating
-20 points for not performing their assignments satisfactorily
-20 points for not being prepared

Students may gain extra points through the check system.  Checks will be earned at Ms. Ward’s discretion when students go above and beyond the call of a normal choir student.  Each student with 15 checks at the end of the grading period will receive an extra point added onto their average.

CONDUCT GRADES
Students will be given conduct grades in choir.  Conduct grades will be given according to how many marks they accumulate during the nine weeks.  0 – 1 mark equals an E, 2 to 3 marks equals an S, 4 to 5 marks equals an N and 6 or more marks equals a U.

CHOIR ACTIVITY FEE
There will be a choir activity fee of $75 this year for each choir member enrolled in choir.  This fee will pay for transportation costs, music, awards, clinicians, contest registration fees, solo and ensemble fees, etc.  This fee does not include the Six Flags trip fee. Choir activity fees are due by Monday, September 10th, or your child could be removed from the choir program.

RED DEVIL CONCERT CHOIR UNIFORMS
The choir student will be responsible for purchasing a choir uniform, choir shoes as chosen by the director, and black socks (males) or flesh colored stockings (females).  This will help ensure unity of our uniform.  The cost for a new uniform will be $135 for females and $100 for males.  There are also a limited number of used uniforms.  They are available directly from the student who bought them last year.  You may check the bulletin board for any used uniforms that are for sale.  We are also in the process of scheduling a Swap Night.  More information to come!

MUSIC FOLDERS
Music Folders will be done a little differently this year.  Instead of making every student a copy of all music, we will have a classroom set of choir folders.  They will have all music in them.  All students are expected to keep folders neat and orderly, even though we will be sharing.  These folders can only be taken home if it has been checked out through Miss Ward.  A folder count will be done at the end of each day.

WEDNESDAY MORNING REHEARSALS
We will have Wednesday morning rehearsals again beginning in September.    Rehearsals will begin at 7:29 AM and will end at 8 AM.  Roll will be taken and all members must be present.  Too many absences from the Wednesday morning rehearsals will result in dismissal from the performance choir.  Check the choir email or Ms. Ward’s website for choir information, practice schedules, performances, etc.  To be early is to be on time.  To be on time is to be late.

REHEARSALS AND PERFORMANCES
Rehearsals and performances are a vital part of our choir program.  An unexcused absence from a scheduled performance will result in a deduction of 50 points.  Also, an unexcused absence from a required rehearsal will result in a deduction of 10 points per rehearsal.  Students may be removed from the performance choir when absences affect the performance of the full ensemble.  Excuses, no matter how good they are, will not produce a fine choir.  They should be given only for the gravest of reasons.  Choir rehearsals and performances require total participation in order to be effective for all concerned; please avoid activities and appointments on days when you are asked to attend.

WEST TENNESSEE VOCAL MUSIC EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
This year, we are proud to announce again, our Red Devil Choir will again be a member of the West Tennessee Vocal Music Education Association (WTVMEA).  Their website is www.WTVMEA.org if you are interested in reading more about the group.  Our choir students will be eligible to participate in the All – West Tennessee Honor Choir Tryouts, Clinic and Concert, the Solo and Ensemble Festival, and the Choral Concert Festival.  Mr. Lane and Ms. Ward will receive all of the details about this organization in late August when we attend the association’s meeting.  Look for more details about these VERY special events and opportunities for our Red Devil Concert Choir.  We will send out a letter with all of the details as soon as we receive them.  What a GREAT opportunity for our students to participate and perform with other great musicians and singers from the West Tennessee area.

EMAIL ADDRESSES
If you have an email address, please fill out the student information sheet at the end of this handbook and return it to Ms. Ward as soon as possible.  Each week Ms. Ward will send out a choir information newsletter via email listing practices, upcoming events, awards, congratulations, etc.   Also included in the email will be rehearsals and school and band activities.

THE BOX
Any notes from parents, practice sheets, private lesson sheets, creative ideas, special student awards, etc., please place in THE BOX on Ms. Ward’s desk.  Any money to be turned in should be sealed in an envelope and placed in THE BOX, as well.    On the outside of the envelope please write your child’s name and what the money is for.  Also, please put your child’s name on the check when a check is sent.

AWARDS
Special choir awards will be given this year at the Spring Concert.   Choir Awards will include outstanding girl and boy musicians, excellent girl and boy musicians, most improved musicians, section leader awards, etc.

BAND AND CHOIR BOOSTER CLUB
All band and choir parents and friends of the band and choir are encouraged to become active in the Band and Choir Booster Club of Germantown Middle School.  This is a totally 100% volunteer organization.  This is an exciting group dedicated to supporting our students.  We could not function and be successful without the help and time of many booster members.  Booster meetings are held the second Monday night of every month at 6 PM in the GMS Band Room.  Our first Booster Meeting will be Monday night, August 27th at 6 PM in the Band Room.  Duties of the Band and Choir Boosters include such things as chaperoning, helping with fund raising activities, helping with the concerts, uniforms, and serving on various committees.  We are in need of several people to head committees dealing with these areas.  Continued success of the band program depends on volunteer efforts of many working together.  There are a wide variety of volunteer opportunities.  Sign up and become a part of the Band and Choir Booster Club now.  Give our Band and Choir Booster Club President, Mr. Holland, a call at 870 – 0053 and become actively involved.  Come to the Booster Meetings each month and help our Mighty Red Devil Band and Red Devil Concert Choir members at GMS.

All band and choir fees are due no later than Monday, September 10th or your child could be removed from the band or choir program.