Snyder Elementary General Music/5th Grade Chorus Handbook for 2012-2013

Snyder Elementary

General Music/ 5^th Grade Chorus Handbook

2012-2013

Music Teacher

Amanda L. Gillette

130 Warren Street Sayre, PA 18840
(570) 888-7742

agillette@sayresd.org

Welcome Back!

Dear Students and Parents,

Welcome to an exciting year of music at Snyder Elementary! We at Snyder Elementary have many traditions including concerts, festivals, talent shows, and general performances that will continue to flourish this year.

Making this happen is an easy thing to do; making it happen well will take teamwork and

responsibility on the part of the teacher, the parents of our students, and the student

themselves!

The purpose of this handbook is to become familiarized with the policies, procedures,

and calendar of the Snyder music program.

It is my belief that music is truly one of the greatest of the arts, and to make music

together is a unique and thrilling part of being a human.

I am looking forward to working with all of you, students and parents alike, this

upcoming school year. If you have any questions feel free to call or email me at the

number enclosed on the cover sheet.

“We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of the dream..”

-Arthur William Edgar O'Shaughnessy

Sincerely,

Amanda L. Gillette

National Standards for Music Education

1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.

2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.

3. Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments.

4. Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines.

5. Reading and notating music.

6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.

7. Evaluating music and music performances.

8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.

9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture.

Ensembles with Mrs. G at Snyder Elementary

5^th Grade Chorus

This ensemble is open to all 5^th graders. The chorus will perform a variety of

vocal literature appropriate to their grade level. A spring concert will be performed (dates TBD) at the Sayre Area High School in the auditorium. This ensemble rehearses once a week on days 2 and 5. Mrs. Barrett and Mrs. White’s 5^th grades students are on Day 2 from 1:10-1:55pm. Mrs. Lyons and Mrs. Walker’s 5^th grade students are on Day 5 from 2:00-2:45pm.

1^st and 3^rd grade singers

Each year all 1^st and 3^rd graders at Snyder Elementary will put on a concert in the spring (dates TBD) both grades will perform a variety of music appropriate to their grade level.  Each class rehearses once a week, every week, leading up to their performance.

Concert Attire

Concert attire for 5^th Grade Chorus 1^st/3^rd grade concerts will be as follows:

Nice Spring Attire.

We ask that students refrain from wearing ripped jeans, spaghetti strapped tops, and logo t-shirts.  All school policies on attire are in affect for concerts.

Any student not meeting proper concert attire will be asked to change into proper concert

attire or will not be allowed to participate in the concert.

Grading Policy

General Music:

All students start with an “E”

Grades are based on 2 factors:

1    1.)    Behavior

2    2.)    Participation

Points may be deducted for:

Inappropriate classroom behavior (Consequence 2 or above)

Unwillingness to participate in the class work lesson of the day

5^th Grade Chorus

All Students start with an “E”

Grades are based on 3 factors:

1   1.)    Behavior

2   2.)    Participation

3   3.)    Preparation

Points may be deducted for:

Inappropriate classroom behavior (Consequence 2 or above)

Unwillingness to participate in rehearsal

Not bringing their folder and a pencil to rehearsal

Discipline Policy

Discipline is essential in creating a safe learning environment in our schools. As such,

the following policy will be implemented during all classes, performances, rehearsals, and extra

activities.

.

Rules

1. Listen! Listen! Listen!

2. Raise your hand and wait to be called on when you have a question.

3. Be kind to EVERYBODY!

4. Ask permission to touch instruments.

5. Keep your hands and feet to yourself.

6. Enter the room and line up quietly. 

Consequences

1. Verbal warning

2. Movement of student in classroom closer in proximity to the teacher.

3. Recess time inside with Mrs. Gillette and note sent home to parent(s)

4. Dismissal from classroom and sent to principal

5. Request meeting with Parents

Positive Consequences

1. Freeze Dance

2. Opportunity to gain a music moolah

3. Opportunity to gain a prize from the music treasure chest

4. More positive consequences will be available depending on the term and

opportunities available at that time.

*SEVERE DISCIPLINE CLAUSE*

If a student chooses to blatantly and/or maliciously cause a serious classroom disruption,

the severe discipline clause may be used and the student will immediately be sent to the

principal’s office and advanced to the fifth consequence.

Getting Acquainted with the Music Room!

Here are a few of the bulletin boards around the music room that help students get acclimated to being in the music room.  I use the all of my boards to inform the students of things they need to remember to be successful in music class. 

WELCOME BACH! This month's composer of the month is Johann Sebastian Bach.  I use this particular board in my room to help the students remember something specific. This month we are trying to remember Bach's name. On the board are pictures of Johann Sebastian Bach's head on the body of a chicken! When the students were asked "What sound does a chicken make?"  they all answered "BACH!" They will never forget his name now! 

"Note"worthy News are the classroom rules! These are the keys to success in the music room.  Big, prominent reminders of the rules hang in the back of the classroom. It is the first thing you see when you enter the room.  

"Note"worth News REVIEW! This hangs on the back of the music room door.  At the end of class each class self-evaluates themselves to see how they did that day.  Without talking students give a thumbs up, if they did well in that area, or a thumbs down if they did not.  The gold smiley faces are for thumbs up, and the blue frown faces are for thumbs down.  This great idea came from the school's amazing Art teacher!

Composer Corner! Set up like a marquee there is a spotlight on a specific composer .  The composer changes once a month, the first composer this year is Johann Sebastian Bach.  Each class of  the students are given "snap shots" of information on that particular composer.  On the bottom of the board are the 4 main musical time periods that we will study in K-6th grade. The 4 musical time periods are Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Contemporary.  As we learn about the composer we also discuss the musical time period they belong to and what typical music was in that period.  

The Book Nook is aimed for 3rd-6th grade.  The shelves are filled with books and magazines about music, bands, making instruments, different songs, just about anything you can think of about music! Once a month the 3rd-6th graders do a Book Nook Review. The student will read one article in a magazine, or one chapter of a book and answer the following questions: 1.) What did you read about? 2.) What do you wonder after reading your book/magazine? 3.) What can you infer/predict from your reading? This gives the students the opportunity to read about music and critically think about what it is they are reading.  

The word wall!!! One new word will appear on the wall a week, that word is what we use for our daily lesson.  Students learn to define the word, and also use it in the music room setting.  From composing their own rhythm raps, to playing non-pitched percussion instruments in an antiphony style, these words are the foundation of the weeks lessons for all K-6th grade.