1. Mrs. Jessie Katona jkatona@jacksonsd.org
Eighth Grade Band BTSN
Mrs. Jessie Katona

2. Please mark these dates down
2 mandatory concerts per year
Student attendance counts as a test grade (25%)
Please make sure that you don’t schedule Dr. appts on these 2 days (We have a mandatory dress rehearsal from 9am-12pm each of these days at JLHS)
If it isn’t an excused absence from school, it’s not an excused absence from the concert
Winter Concert: Wednesday December 20, 2017
Spring Concert: Tentatively Wednesday May 23, 2018
7pm at JLHS auditorium
Students report to JLHS band room at 6:15pm in full concert attire

3. What should they wear? Girls:
Bottoms: Black dress pants or skirts (appropriate length, they will be sitting down)
If stockings are worn, they can be nude or black colored. No yoga pants, leggings or sweatpants
Tops: White top or blouse. No t-shirts. Must be plain white, no pattern. The shirt can have detailing on it as long as it is not a different color
Shoes: Solid colored black flats, boots, nice shoes, or heels. If heels are worn, please pick a pair that the student has worn before (they will be climbing stairs)

4. Boys:
Bottoms: Black dress pants. No sweatpants
Tops: White dress shirt. No t-shirts. A tie is optional. For the winter concert, boys can wear a festive tie if they would like (as long as it doesn’t have a sound button in the bottom)
Shoes: Black dress shoes or really nice black sneakers (with no other colored markings on them). BLACK SOCKS!
The students are working hard to make the concert as professional sounding as we can. We don’t want to ruin that by not all looking professional as well.

5. Where is band in my child’s schedule?
Pd. 2B-3 (9:30-10:37)
Full rehearsal on A days
Small group lessons on B days

6. Small group lessons Same rotation as 7th grade band
Once every 6 school days
Half of PE class
Not pulled from Health
During the marking period they are in Health, they will need to stay after for lessons from 2:30- 3 so that I can have a chance to hear them individually

8. Google Classroom playing assignments
No more Practice Logs in 8th grade
We will be completing playing assignments on Google Classroom
Weekly assignment
Homework grade
Due on the first day of the week that a student has band (listed on calendar)
If it is not submitted by the due date, students will be required to perform their playing assignment during their next scheduled lesson
Instructions are listed on my teacher page
Students unable to complete GC assignments will play during lessons

9. Without practice logs, how do you know that my child is practicing?
I will be able to determine each child’s level of home practicing based on their playing assignment
Some students may only require 30 minutes of practicing each week to complete the assignment and keep up in class
Other students may require 2 hours of practicing each week to complete the assignment and keep up in class
I have faith in each of them that they are making good decisions and developing good practice habits appropriate to their playing abilities
If a student is not submitting sufficient playing assignments and is not progressing on their instrument, they will be required to complete Practice Logs until their playing improves