Lufkin Road Middle School's Band Manual/Webpage 2008-2009
Band Teacher-Leigh
Anne Simmons (lasimmons@wcpss.net)
LRMS Band HandbookClass
Policy/Procedures All-county Band Auditions: November 6th after school at All-county Band Clinic: November 20th (after school) and all day on November 21st. All-District Band Auditions: January 10th, 2009. All-District Clinic: January 30th-31st, 2009
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Concert Dates Tracks 1 & 2 Tracks 3 & 4 6th, 7th, and 8th grade band classes: December 4th, 2008 and ? All concerts are held in the
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This is an exciting year for the band program at
I encourage you to use this band manual as an informational resource
regarding all band activities at
There are well over 155 beginning band students this school year. This is
one of the largest beginning band classes in the history of the band program at
This is a special year for me and my family as we will welcome our first child into our family sometime in August. I will be on maternity leave a little longer than most teachers due to my son’s prenatal diagnosis of a unilateral cleft lip and cleft palate. We are very fortunate to have Mr. Randy Guptill to serve as our guest band teacher during my absence. Students will find that Mr. Guptill and I have very similar expectations regarding student’s practicing their instruments and being well-behaved in band class.
It is truly a pleasure to be the band teacher at such a wonderful school.
The students, parents, teachers, and community here at
Sincerely,
Mrs. Leigh Anne Simmons, band teacher
The policies and procedures outlined in this handbook are based on the basic expectations that I have for each student.
Class Procedures
A. Students will arrive on time, prepared for rehearsal with all necessary
materials.
B. Students will retrieve their instrument from the storage area, sit down in
their assigned seat, assemble their instrument, put their case under their
chair, and wait quietly for the teacher to begin class. Students should begin
the “STARTER” on the board.
Do NOT play your instruments until told to do so.
C. After the teacher begins class there will be no unnecessary talking. If a
student has a question, they must raise their hand to ask the question and be
recognized.
D. Students are to remain seated at all times during band class. Percussionists
are an exception to the rule, yet they are expected to remain at their assigned
instrument.
E. Disruptive behavior, failure to listen to directions and wasting class time
will not be tolerated. There is no discussion during class about a punishment
given for these actions. Discussion of a consequence should be taken up with
the teacher after class has ended or a conference will be scheduled at a more
appropriate time.
F. Students will only do band work during band class. If your instrument is in
repair, students are expected to “finger” along with the music as
the rest of the class plays.
G. Students will assist in keeping the band room neat at all times. Paper and
other trash will be placed in the waste paper basket. Items left in the band
room should be placed in the Lost and Found area located in the band room.
H. At the end of class, the teacher will instruct students to pack up their
instrument, gather all necessary materials, and wait quietly in their seat to
go to their next class. Once the teacher inspects the classroom and everyone is
quiet, the students will be dismissed.
Consequences for not following classroom procedures and rules:
Verbal Warning
Conference with student/Time out in practice room
Choices/telephone call home
Administrative Referral
* Steps may be skipped based on severity of the infraction.
Behavior consequences
An individual's behavior and performance impact the other members of the band. Students are expected to be on their best behavior at all times. In our classroom, during concerts and at festival performances, we should represent LRMS positively. One incident of poor behavior can ruin the public's good impression of our band and school. Consequences for behavioral infractions will be handled by the school guidelines. The consequence will depend on the severity and frequency of the infraction.
Changing Instruments
Some students will be asked to change instruments so our band can have a full, well-balanced sound. Woodwind players may be asked to play bass clarinet, oboe, or bassoon. Saxophone auditions for 6th grade clarinet players will be held after our first concert. Mrs. Simmons will audition the students. Brass players may be asked to play F Horn, Baritone, or tuba. It is very rare that a student would be asked to switch to one of the basic four instruments (flute, clarinet, trumpet or trombone) after the first three weeks of school in sixth grade.
LRMS has a very limited number of school-owned instruments. These include the oboe, bassoon, bass clarinet, baritone, and tuba. These instruments are assigned at the teacher's discretion. A signed contract must be used when playing a school instrument. The student is responsible for any damage or loss of an instrument.
When purchasing an instrument, please look for the following
Instrument Brands: Bach, Bundy,
TAKE YOUR INSTRUMENT HOME
DAILY
Students are required to take their
instruments home each day for daily practice. The school’s insurance does
not cover loss or damage to personal property.
*Parents you may wish to add the musical instrument to your homeowner’s
insurance policy.
All students are expected to play their band instrument each day in band
class. Class participation is a large portion (30%) of each student's grade.
Below you will find some of the most common reasons that are given for not
participating.
1. Braces: Many students will have
braces or will soon get braces. I know that having braces can sometimes be
painful. Generally, if your mouth is really hurting, I will allow you to sit
out for the day. For this to be an excused day from playing your instrument,
you must have a note from your parent within 24 hours of not playing your
instrument in class.
2. “I don't have a reed.” A student that plays the clarinet or
saxophone must have a reed to play their instrument. These students are
expected to have at least two reeds in their instrument cases at all times to
prevent problems that arise when one reed breaks.
3. “I don't have my instrument.” It is extremely important for each
student to have their instrument in class daily so they may participate in
class and receive help with their music needs.
4. Repair shop: When a student's
instrument is in the repair shop, the student is expected to continue to
participate. By participation, I mean “finger” the music as the
rest of the class plays. The student should continue to ask and answer questions
just as if their instrument was in class.
Our school service representative from Music and Arts Company will come
to our school every week usually on Thursday.
If your instrument is in need of repair, you must write a note
in your instrument case that includes the following information and put it in
Mrs. Simmons office:
a. What is wrong with instrument?
b. Where was your instrument purchased?
c. Name
d. Parent's name
e. Telephone number.
Most music stores will sell band books and supplies.
Required class materials
6th Grade Band Class :
1 . Standard of Excellence Book 1 Enhanced (purchase from a local
music dealer)
2 . Fundamentals for Music Theory for the Wind Band Student book One .
This book should be purchased from
7th Grade Band Class :
1. Band Expressions Book 2 (purchase from a local
music dealer)
2. Fundamentals of Music Theory for the Wind Band Student Book Two .
This book should be purchased from the
8th Grade Band Classes:
1. Hal Leonard and Advanced Method (purchase from a local music
dealer)
2. Accent on Achievement Book Three (purchase from a local
music dealer)
All band students will need a Three Ring 1” binder with a clear view cover and page protectors. Students will also need a pencil and notebook paper in their binder. Students should keep their band books, music and band manual in their binder at all times.
Grading Policy
Each student's quarterly average is based on two categories: Daily
Grades / tests (70%) and participation (30%).
Daily Grades/Tests. Students will be given both playing and written tests periodically on assigned music, and musical concepts. Students should practice their instruments daily and study for band tests just as they do for core classes.
Participation. Students will begin each quarter with a grade of “100” in this category. If a student does not participate in class for an unexcused reason such as being sent to CHOICES, time-out, failure to bring instrument, reed, music, theory book, or band binder to class, the student will receive a grade of “60” for that day in band class.
Performances are an important part of every student's music education. An unexcused absence from any performance will result in twenty points deducted from the student's participation grade. The only accepted or excused absences from a concert are those determined an excused absence from school as outlined by WCPSS board policy.
NOTEBOOKS: As listed in the class materials section, every student will need a Three Ring 1" binder with a clear view cover and 10 or more page protectors. This year all band students will store all of their music in the binder. All method books are to be stored in the binder as well. This band manual should also be in the band binder as a reference.
PERFORMANCE ATTIRE
Students should wear a standard outfit when performing with the LRMS Band.
All band students will wear a LRMS Band T-Shirt and black pants or long black
skirts.
Band shirts will be sold in July. The order form for t-shirts is attached to
the band manual. Please keep in mind that your child will grow a lot in middle
school when ordering a t-shirt. Band T-shirts are $10. Checks should be
written to
Amusement Park Performance Trip
It has become tradition at Lufkin Road Middle School for the seventh and eighth grade band to
take an annual trip to an amusement park to perform in a band festival and then
to enjoy a fun-filled day in the park. This year we will possibly take the
seventh and eighth grade band students on May 1-2, 2009 to Broadway at the
Beach and Hard Rock Park in
Extra Help Session
If you are in need of extra help or would like to have extra practice time,
please e-mail your teacher to set up a convenient time for extra practice.
Typically, extra-help sessions are at 7:00 a.m. in the band room.
All-County Band
All-County Band is typically for seventh and eighth grade band students that
would like to participate in a band clinic sponsored by
All-District Band
All-District Band is typically for seventh and eighth grade band students
that would like to participate in a band clinic sponsored by the Central
District. Central district includes schools in Guildford, Alamance,