Welcome parents and students!

Four Levels: Beginning, Philharmonic, Sinfonietta, Honors Around 200 students total throughout all orchestras Two Orchestra directors Meets daily Has received only first division ratings at all contests we have been to since we started! Is the State Champion Full Orchestra for Texas! Optional Rock Orchestra available for upper level students More than HALF of the Faubion Orchestra students are in athletics!! School for directors:

70% Summative: Playing tests, performances 30% Formative: Practice logs, weekly participation/supplies, theory Replacement copies of music are on our website at password for music is lionorchestra (case-sensitive) Practice logs are recorded in student planner and signed by parent to be checked in class every Monday. Students who practice at school need to get a director’s official signature to document each practice session so that parents can check that it is indeed happening.

Faubion-Middle-School-Orchestra/ (for updating information/paying fees etc. Instructions of ow to get on charms is on our website forms page (for filling out health form, ECC form, and drug testing form)—site will be correct on Monday

Please return by September 9 or before: Signature page Orchestra Activity Fee and Fee page Field Trip Form Private Lesson Form (if interested) School Owned Instrument Form (for all cellos/basses) Co-curricular/Extra-curricular Code of Conduct (on rank one 7 th and 8 th grade—MISD drug testing form (on rank one) Medical release form (on rank one)

 This page needs to be signed by both parent and student  Acknowledges policies in handbook  Acknowledges receipt of calendar  Calendar is on website at We are using google calendar this year  Please plan ahead and mark these dates on your calendar now SIGNATURE PAGE

CALENDAR The most current calendar is on our website forms/calendar page Mark/reserve orchestra calendar dates now. If there are conflicts with existing events, please let us know now. These dates should be kept open…please do not schedule things on top of orchestra events. Concerts/contests/events cannot be “made up” and many are curricular, graded events. Students are also part of a musical team in which each team needs all of it’s members. One person’s absence does make a difference in the slate of sound produced Texas No Pass/No Play applies to trips and contests. Concerts are part of our curriculum Rock Orchestra contracts will be distributed after the first progress report (3 weeks) and will be given to non-beginning students who are passing all classes and have a 90 or above in orchestra.

 $18 per lesson paid directly to the lesson teacher  Lesson teachers are all college graduates who majored on their instrument and have been screened by MISD.  Lessons are once a week, minutes  Most lessons occur during half of an orchestra class one day a week. Other lessons may be scheduled before or after school.  Please sign up now if you are interested—there are usually not openings mid-year. Lessons have been a big part of student success.  These lessons are for the year, if there are problems w/a teacher, please contact Mrs. Glass. If discontinuing of lessons needs to occur, give 2 weeks notice. PRIVATE LESSON FORM (OPTIONAL)

 Orchestra Activity Fee is $30 for Beginners, Philharmonic, and 8 th grade Sinfonietta,$40 for 7 th Sinfonietta and $55 for Honors(this is for the entire year (not per month)  This covers their orchestra t-shirt, orchestra binder/dividers, solo fee and CD, and a fraction of the transportation and social events, Sinfonietta/Honors include All-City fee, Honors includes Tuxedo shirt. Additional San Antonio trip costs will be finalized later and is not included in this fee.  Cello/Bass students have an extra $30 annual school instrument fee  Additional things can be paid for at this time as well (All-Region, extra t- shirts, donations, etc)  Cash is fine or checks/money orders made payable to FMS Orchestra..new payment options (on Charms) are coming!  Students should put payments for all items throughout the year in an envelope marked with your child’s name and what it is for in our orchestra room safe. PLEASE DO NOT DROP OFF MONEY AT THE FRONT OFFICE. If you pay with cash, please use exact change. We are not able to make change.  You may pay in installments if necessary—we will help you if there is financial need—just ask! ORCHESTRA FEE/T-SHIRT ORDER FORM

OTHER FORMS/HANDOUTS Co-Curricular and Extra Curricular Code of Conduct-- All students must sign this district document on rank one. Some students may sign it mutliple times because of athletics. Drug Testing form—for 7 th and 8 th grade only, must have one for each activity (Fine arts and Athletics) on rank one! School Owned Cello/Bass Form—for all cellos and basses. Specific instrument serial number will be filled in once school begins and class instruments are assigned. This must be turned in before students can use a school instrument. Field Trip Form—for the numerous field trips we go on. Each trip will have an info sheet communicated w/students and parents before the event.

Formal Concert Attire  Solid Black shirt—any sleeve length is okay—no sleeveless (Honors will wear Tuxedo shirt)  Solid Black pants for boys AND girls (no skirts or capris)  Black socks/natural colored hose  Black shoes with “toes” (not sandals) Informal Concert Attire  Orchestra t-shirt  School appropriate bottoms  Sneakers IF YOU NEED HELP OBTAINING ANY OF THESE ITEMS, PLEASE LET MRS ZAMORA OR MS GLASS KNOW WELL IN ADVANCED AS WE DO HAVE A FEW EXTRA CLOTHING ITEMS TO LEND OUT FOR STUDENTS IN NEED. WE LOVE RECEIVING DONATIONS OF OUTGROWN BLACK CONCERT CLOTHES FOR THIS!

VOLUNTEERING!  We need many volunteers for events/trips throughout the school year! Please help!  All volunteers need to fill out an annual criminal history background check. Please take care of this now so you are able to attend/help on trips and such later.  Takes about 2 weeks to be cleared. 

FUNDRASING  Orchestra Fundraiser will start September 23— Fredericksburg Farms Salsas/Dips/Glazes. Some samples here today  Dinner Concert/Silent Auction in January—if you would like to help solicit donations or have your business donate something—please see Rebecca Holdstock  Concession Stand Sign up! NEW THIS YEAR! Need two parents for each date.

No instruments for any class on the first day of school—please bring them on Tuesday Students should drop off instrument and binder in orchestra room prior to 1 st period. We have an exterior door to help w/this, but students must stay in room or go back outside until 8:15. Pick-up instrument prior to going out to the bus at the end of the school day Students in athletics should be able to store instrument in coaches’ office—we will work out specific details and solve any problems if they arise! DAILY PROCEDURES

Make sure you have rented an instrument from a music store. (Please DO NOT buy online). Contact Mrs. Zamora or Ms. Glass if you have any problems getting an instrument—we are here to help you! Make sure you have your orchestra class supplies (beginners: “school kit”, returning students just new book) Returning students—make sure your tuner has working batteries and that your pick-up is in working order. Have all shoulder rests ready!

It’s going to be a FANTASTIC year! Students—fun/candy activity now! Parents— questions/form, $ turn in? Come on up!