1. MEETING ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23 7:00 PM Boyce Middle School Orchestra

2. 1. Contact/Communication Important Resource: Mrs. Shoemaker’s teacher page http://www.uscsd.k12.pa.us//Domain/697http://www.uscsd.k12.pa.us//Domain/697 (www.uscsd.k12.pa.us/Page/6970)www.uscsd.k12.pa.us/Page/6970 Best method, Email: sshoemaker@uscsd.k12.pa.ussshoemaker@uscsd.k12.pa.us Phone: 412-833-1600 ext. 5035 (ext. 3017 is for Ft. Couch) Emergency Phone: 412-533-3158

3. 1. Contact/Communication 1. Next year: Remind 101 (Link on Mrs. Shoemaker’s teacher page in June)- It will be important to sign up for notifications. 2. Sign-up begins for orchestra in June (Link on Mrs. Shoemaker’s teacher page). Please provide the best email address for communication. 3. Quarterly string program newsletters

4. Getting to Mrs. Shoemaker’s Teacher Page

6. Mrs. Shoemaker’s teacher page can also be found by going to the Boyce page  “Teachers’ Pages”, “Mrs. Shoemaker”.

7. Getting to Mrs. Shoemaker’s Teacher Page

11. Quarterly Newsletters

12. Rehearsals 5 th grade rehearsals are held on Monday mornings before school: 7:30-8:30 It is extremely important that students are prompt and consistent in attending rehearsals. In the event that a student misses a morning scheduled rehearsal for an emergency (car trouble, weather, etc.) but is still present in school, they are required to participate in a “make-up rehearsal” on a Tuesday morning or after school for an equitable amount of time (1 hour per missed rehearsal). These are scheduled at the director/teacher’s discretion.

13. Lessons Violin, Viola and Cello lessons are held in addition to morning rehearsals. Lessons are a 30 minute pull-out time during the day. Each student is offered 2 possible lesson times (ex. 8:45-9:15 on Monday or 12:45-1:15 on Tuesday) and they may choose to attend the best lesson time for them.

14. Lessons In the event of a complication despite the 2 scheduled time options, students are required to fill out a “Lesson Conflict Form” and return it to Mrs. Shoemaker so that we can keep track of the lesson and reschedule the time.

15. Lessons/Rehearsals 2014/2015 2 nd week of schoolLesson group auditions 2 nd week of school1 st Monday morning rehearsal 3 rd week of schoolPull-out lessons begin

16. Materials Needed- In Addition to the Instrument 1 Additional set of strings Rosin, A Pencil Violin/Viola: Shoulder rest Sponge rests are alright, but at this point a “Kun” or “Everest” shoulder rest is best. 5 th Grade Instructional Book: Sound Innovations Book 1 (for Violin, Viola, Cello or Bass)

17. Materials… Students will be given 2 sets of music: One set to take home, and one set to leave at school. They will not be required to take music to school and back, but they may do so if they wish. We do have a classroom set of cellos for students to use in lessons. Students are required to bring their own instrument to concerts. Students may store their instruments in the orchestra room, but they must take them home at the end of the day. Instruments are not allowed to remain overnight at the school.

18. Grading Students will receive progress reports with their report cards that will reflect the following areas of performance: Attendance Preparation Technique Note Reading Tone Rhythm Reading Intonation Attitude Musicianship

19. Student Responsibilities Practicing: Ideally 20-30 minutes every day Bare minimum: At least 10-15 minutes per week– students who struggle with developing a practice pattern should focus on accomplishing one small successful task, even if it only requires a few minutes, and celebrate their work. Parent support for practicing: Adult string education instructional videos from my teacher page Support for school music: recordings on my teacher page (or occasionally Blended Schools) Other materials on my teacher page: recordings, visual materials to support and reinforce new learning. Focus and an Open Mind Always bring necessary materials for class and/or concerts.

20. Enrollment By enrolling in the String Orchestra at Boyce Middle School, students are committing to participation in orchestra for the full school year. The following are the most common causes for a student wanting to leave an instrumental program: The social perception of the program or activity Whether new or old friends are actively engaged in the program Self-perception of ability and aptitude *“I’m just not good at it” Conflict avoidance, normally due to responsibility/expectations Lowered priority

21. Self Perception of Ability and Aptitude Every student encounters challenges and difficulties at some point in the learning process. One of the valuable benefits of a music education is the development of perseverance. Practice helps students to develop a mindset of measuring “growth” more than “talent”. Appropriate learning goals can play a role in motivation and student perception of ability. Please feel free to contact me at any time if you have questions or need support with practicing habits

22. Tentative 2014/2015 Dates The following are tentative performance and/or rehearsal dates for the 2014/2015 school year  Winter Band/Orchestra/Chorus Rehearsal: December 10 th from 12-4 pm (USC HS Theater)  Winter Band/Orchestra/Chorus Concert: December 11 th at 7:00 pm (USC HS Theater)  Winter Band/Orchestra/Chorus Assembly: December 12 th from 12-3 pm (USC HS Theater)  Combined String Concert: March 19 th at 7:30 pm (USC HS Theater)  Spring String Rehearsal: May 26 th from 7:45-9:00 am (Boyce Theater)  Spring String Concert: May 27 th at 7:00 pm (Boyce Theater) These dates are all still tentative and subject to change.