Can you believe it's April already? The month of April begins to get very busy and there is a lot to think about and pay attention to. Below you will find a list of things that are due and dates of things that are upcoming. Please pay careful attention to deadlines. Probably the most important thing that goes on in April is registration for next year.
As far as registration goes for our current sixth and seventh grade band members, I could give you lots of data that shows how important music is in a child's schooling, resulting in better grades, self esteem, connection to school, etc. I could talk about the opportunities that students have and will continue to have as they progress through the years if they stay involved in music. But really, I think the main thing is to reflect on your experience in band. If you've enjoyed our performances, if you've had a good time in class, if you enjoy playing your instrument, if you've gotten good grades, and if you enjoy being in a class with your friends that are also in band, then I hope that you continue to be in band next year. I know that if it was up to me, every student would be in band, but I would also like it that every student found great success in band, got all As, could play every note right, asked questions and got help when they needed, and practiced an hour a day. :-) I know that isn't going to happen, but if you enjoy band, you should definitely sign up and continue with it. You know that I think every student is important to the whole group and we'll never be as strong when we lose good students. So I hope to be you are in band next year.
There will be no Summer Band this summer as I am retiring and we don't know when the new director will be hired and on board. It was a hard decision whether or not to do summer band, but I really wanted my last days to be with all of my students, not just those in summer band. And when you retire there is a certain amount of time that you are not allowed to work, so there wasn't a whole lot of choice. I hope that the new band director will want to continue to offer a summer band program for the students. I've done it every summer since I started teaching and have loved doing it. The summer program actually reenergizes me because I get to come to school and just teach kids to play music. It is the purest example of why I became a music teacher. Over the years I've had students volunteer to come back and help out. I just want to take a moment to thank all of them from the bottom of my heart. It has always been a blessing to come in during the summer and work with them to help teach the beginners each year, and provided them with a great opportunity to give back to the program. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Another thing that goes on in April is jazz band auditions for the upcoming year. Right now, things are a little bit in the state of limbo as some decisions are being made that simply haven't been made yet. Traditionally, the current seventh grade jazz band students just continue into eighth grade jazz band. For right now I think they should plan on that. Jazz band is a year long class that just starts in the middle of the year. So they don't have to audition again, they just need to continue into eighth grade jazz band, and it is really my expectation that they would do that. The piece we don't know is about the seventh grade jazz band and whether or not to have me audition the students and decide on that group, or to have the new director audition that group next fall and put that group together. I would advise students to be listening to announcements in class carefully as these decisions get made and passed on to me. I will try to keep students informed as I know things and if I need to update this Note page, then I can always do that. So you might want to check it a couple of times this month to see what is going on with this situation. Thank you and I'm sorry for any inconvenience. There are just a lot of different scenarios playing out and it is hard to know what the end result will be.
Our final concerts of the year are meant as a celebration of all the hard work that we've done throughout the year. I will be presenting certificates to those students who have met the criteria to earn one. That criteria is that you get an A in band for the first three quarters, you average a B on all of your practice cards, you are in attendance at all the after school rehearsals and concerts, and you have been a positive part of the band program. I want everyone to know that while it is not the easiest thing to qualify for a certificate, it is very possible and attainable for every student to earn a certificate. Certificates are not based on whether you sit first chair, or make it into an honor group, etc., rather they are based on the expectations that I set for every student at the beginning of the year and continue to expect throughout the year. The criteria to receive a certificate should not be a surprise to any student as we talk about these expectations every quarter. It is not whether I choose or not choose to give you a certificate, rather it is whether you have done the things that you needed to do to earn one.
The seventh grade jazz band is adding a date to our performance calendar. May 3 is the IB Big Event where all the community projects will be displayed and presented. It is usually done in an open house kind of format. I don't have the exact times yet but I do know that we will be performing that evening. Please put the date on your calendar as soon as possible to try and avoid conflicts. I am hoping that a month's notice is enough that all the kids can do it.
Below are a list of important upcoming dates to pay attention to:
March 21 - Fifth graders visit Sunset for music concert and orientation.
April 16-18 - Practice sheets for weeks 1-4 are due. The first four worksheets are due.
April 23 - Band 6 after school rehearsal 2:30-3:30. (assessment grade)
April 27 - All theory worksheets for quarter four are due. None will be accepted after this date
May 1 - Band 6 Final Awards Concert 6:00 pm in gym.
May 3 - Jazz Band 7 performs at IB Big Event.
May 7 - Band 8 Final Awards Concert 6:00 pm in gym.
May 14 - Band 7 and Jazz 7 Final Awards Concert 6:00 pm in gym.
May 24 - Last Day Band 7 and 8 to Elitches all day till 6:00 pm
Thank you as always for all of your continued support of myself and the band program here at Sunset. It is my pleasure to work with all of you.
As far as registration goes for our current sixth and seventh grade band members, I could give you lots of data that shows how important music is in a child's schooling, resulting in better grades, self esteem, connection to school, etc. I could talk about the opportunities that students have and will continue to have as they progress through the years if they stay involved in music. But really, I think the main thing is to reflect on your experience in band. If you've enjoyed our performances, if you've had a good time in class, if you enjoy playing your instrument, if you've gotten good grades, and if you enjoy being in a class with your friends that are also in band, then I hope that you continue to be in band next year. I know that if it was up to me, every student would be in band, but I would also like it that every student found great success in band, got all As, could play every note right, asked questions and got help when they needed, and practiced an hour a day. :-) I know that isn't going to happen, but if you enjoy band, you should definitely sign up and continue with it. You know that I think every student is important to the whole group and we'll never be as strong when we lose good students. So I hope to be you are in band next year.
There will be no Summer Band this summer as I am retiring and we don't know when the new director will be hired and on board. It was a hard decision whether or not to do summer band, but I really wanted my last days to be with all of my students, not just those in summer band. And when you retire there is a certain amount of time that you are not allowed to work, so there wasn't a whole lot of choice. I hope that the new band director will want to continue to offer a summer band program for the students. I've done it every summer since I started teaching and have loved doing it. The summer program actually reenergizes me because I get to come to school and just teach kids to play music. It is the purest example of why I became a music teacher. Over the years I've had students volunteer to come back and help out. I just want to take a moment to thank all of them from the bottom of my heart. It has always been a blessing to come in during the summer and work with them to help teach the beginners each year, and provided them with a great opportunity to give back to the program. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Another thing that goes on in April is jazz band auditions for the upcoming year. Right now, things are a little bit in the state of limbo as some decisions are being made that simply haven't been made yet. Traditionally, the current seventh grade jazz band students just continue into eighth grade jazz band. For right now I think they should plan on that. Jazz band is a year long class that just starts in the middle of the year. So they don't have to audition again, they just need to continue into eighth grade jazz band, and it is really my expectation that they would do that. The piece we don't know is about the seventh grade jazz band and whether or not to have me audition the students and decide on that group, or to have the new director audition that group next fall and put that group together. I would advise students to be listening to announcements in class carefully as these decisions get made and passed on to me. I will try to keep students informed as I know things and if I need to update this Note page, then I can always do that. So you might want to check it a couple of times this month to see what is going on with this situation. Thank you and I'm sorry for any inconvenience. There are just a lot of different scenarios playing out and it is hard to know what the end result will be.
Our final concerts of the year are meant as a celebration of all the hard work that we've done throughout the year. I will be presenting certificates to those students who have met the criteria to earn one. That criteria is that you get an A in band for the first three quarters, you average a B on all of your practice cards, you are in attendance at all the after school rehearsals and concerts, and you have been a positive part of the band program. I want everyone to know that while it is not the easiest thing to qualify for a certificate, it is very possible and attainable for every student to earn a certificate. Certificates are not based on whether you sit first chair, or make it into an honor group, etc., rather they are based on the expectations that I set for every student at the beginning of the year and continue to expect throughout the year. The criteria to receive a certificate should not be a surprise to any student as we talk about these expectations every quarter. It is not whether I choose or not choose to give you a certificate, rather it is whether you have done the things that you needed to do to earn one.
The seventh grade jazz band is adding a date to our performance calendar. May 3 is the IB Big Event where all the community projects will be displayed and presented. It is usually done in an open house kind of format. I don't have the exact times yet but I do know that we will be performing that evening. Please put the date on your calendar as soon as possible to try and avoid conflicts. I am hoping that a month's notice is enough that all the kids can do it.
Below are a list of important upcoming dates to pay attention to:
March 21 - Fifth graders visit Sunset for music concert and orientation.
April 16-18 - Practice sheets for weeks 1-4 are due. The first four worksheets are due.
April 23 - Band 6 after school rehearsal 2:30-3:30. (assessment grade)
April 27 - All theory worksheets for quarter four are due. None will be accepted after this date
May 1 - Band 6 Final Awards Concert 6:00 pm in gym.
May 3 - Jazz Band 7 performs at IB Big Event.
May 7 - Band 8 Final Awards Concert 6:00 pm in gym.
May 14 - Band 7 and Jazz 7 Final Awards Concert 6:00 pm in gym.
May 24 - Last Day Band 7 and 8 to Elitches all day till 6:00 pm
Thank you as always for all of your continued support of myself and the band program here at Sunset. It is my pleasure to work with all of you.