SGI
CHORUS
MEMBERSHIP PACKET
SCHOOL YEAR 2013 TO 2014
SGI CHORUS
MEMBERSHIP PACKET
WELCOME TO THE CHORUS WITH MRS. GROSS!
Dear Chorus Students and Parents,
Welcome! Vocal music is an exciting activity in which the students’ opportunity for participation increases as each year passes. Chorus students learn to express themselves in a unique manner different from many other subjects and activities. One of the most important concepts learned is how to grow as an individual, achieve as a group and work for common goals.
We live in an area where music is given a prominent place alongside other academic areas of study. In a time when arts programs around the country are forced to close, the programs of Spring Grove Area School District continue to create excellent and successful programs. As a curricular course in the State of Pennsylvania, Orchestra is an elective class with defined objectives for the individual student. As a group organization, the Chorus enhances the aesthetic quality of life and promotes school spirit and pride. As part of the overall Chorus Program, the Spring Grove Chorus is a part of an 8 year journey culminating at high school graduation.
The importance of music here is no accident. It is the most widely used of all the arts. Most everyone enjoys music through some outlet, whether it is through television, radio, movies, internet, or concerts. Central to the appreciation and understanding of music is performance. There is a great pride in making music with a group of friends and working toward a common goal. Chorus students are always in the public eye. Therefore, responsibility and discipline are stressed so that students are always in the excellent representatives of themselves, their school and their community.
Most importantly – CHORUS IS FUN! Many students will make lifetime friends and memories through their association wit the school Chorus program. This handbook is designed to assist you as a parent in understanding the many dimensions of the Chorus program at the Intermediate level. Please read through the handbook and help you child understand its contents. We strongly recommend that you store this handbook in a safe place where you can easily access it throughout the year. I am always happy to answer any questions you may have, but my priority is devoting the maximum amount of time and energy towards meeting the daily needs of the students.
PROGRAM PHILOSOPHY
MISSION STATEMENT:
In partnership with families and communities, it is the mission of the Spring Grove Area School “District Music Department to cultivate artistic citizenship through performance, understanding, and appreciation for a lifelong participation in music.
PHILOSOPHY:
* Music is a vital part of the human condition, and is indispensable to the well-rounded education of all children.
* Music is a source of opportunities: it opens new possibilities; it supports imagination, appreciation, and understanding; it adds a new dimension to life.
* The ability to create, perform, and respond to music expressively and intellectually has a
significant humanizing influence.
* Participation in music helps the development of constructive life-skills such as self-discipline, cooperation, communication, adaptation, and more.
* The skills, knowledge, and habits developed through the study of music enrich students’ lives and reach their full potential.
* Through these experiences, students build positive personal relationships with others, professionalism, and work ethnic, communication skills, teamwork, and collaboration, and critical thinking and problem solving skills that prepare them to live and work in a culturally diverse society.
DISCLAIMER:
The information contained in this handbook in intended to be accurate at the time written, and is subject to change. Please contact the director if you need clarification of any of the material presented in this document.
STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITY:
The Spring Grove Chorus Program has a reputation of high standard of excellence in musical performance. This level of success requires a great deal of collaborative effort among teachers, administrators, parents, and students. By enrolling in the Spring Grove SGI Chorus Program, you are making a commitment to the Chorus as an organization and, more importantly, to yourself and the other students in the Chorus. This commitment includes accepting responsibility for the following:
1. Actively participating as a member of the Chorus for the full school year.
2. Do your best to grow musically as an individual by practicing on a regular basis
3. Maintain a positive attitude and support the goals of the Chorus.
4. Work positively with all Chorus members and director to achieve Chorus group goals.
MEMBERSHIP
Most students who have previously participated in the Elementary/SGI school music programs may be admitted to the Intermediate School Chorus. Fifth grade singers are recommended by the Elementary music teachers. When the Chorus Director feels a student is not ready musically or socially to join the Chorus class, that student will continue to work hard in music class until the Chorus Director has seen proof that the student is ready to participate in the chorus class. New students will be admitted to the group when the director considers them technically and socially ready. Also, the student must be doing well academically and have acceptable behavior with the classroom teacher to be considered for Chorus.
CHORUS CLASS GOALS
1. Establish each student’s understanding of basic fundamentals and techniques of singing.
2. Foster each student’s ability to read musical notation
3. Encourage self-discipline through individual practice and correction of mistakes
4. Build each student’s self-esteem through participation in successful musical performances.
CHORUS CLASS
The SGI Chorus has class once a cycle for 30 minutes. This class is not only a rehearsal where we prepare for performances; learn the importance of teamwork; works on skills…. it is also a CLASS that the student earns a grade. The Chorus Director has the right to send a disruptive student back to the academic class or to the office so that the other members have a safe and effective learning environment.
MISSED CHORUS CLASSES
When a student forgets their music, they should report to the Chorus class as usual. The Chorus Director puts an “M” (No music) in the grade book (which will result in a loss of a point). If a student becomes disruptive, the Chorus Director sends the student back to their academic classroom. When a student chooses not to attend ( and is not absent from school) and the Chorus Director received no warning from the academic teacher, the director puts a “NS” ( No Show) in the grade book ( which will = a 0 for that class) Please note , I am usually informed when students are sick/absent from school. When a student is absent from school and missed a Chorus class, they lose no points.
MATERIALS
Chorus music and other handouts are provided for the students and must be returned to the director when stated. Folders are also provided for the students. I would ask that each student please bring a pencil to Chorus class to mark their music. (Maybe keep a pencil in their Chorus folder) Each student is responsible for their folder, music, pencil, and handouts.
GRADES
Students participating in Chorus class will receive a grade each class based on individual and group progress made during the pervious week. The cumulative grade will be on their report card each marking period. These are the procedures which will be followed to ensure fairness and quality in the SGI Chorus:
Grades are based on a point system. Each Chorus class, the student will be able to earn 5 points or a total of 5 points each cycle:
1 point = attending class / performances
1 point = having all materials needed (Folder, music, pencil, handouts, and good attitude).
1 point = effort / progress
1 point = positive behavior / sitting in assigned seat
1 point = taking the music home for practice/memorizing music
Any student failing any academic classes may not participate in Chorus class until improvement is shown in the deficient academic area and is approved by their academic teacher and parents/guardians. Any Chorus student who has repeated academic discipline issues maybe asked not to participate in Chorus class until improvement in behavior is shown and is approved by the academic teacher, counselor, principal, and parent/guardian.
GROUP EXPECTATIONS
All Chorus class members are expected to be contributing members of the group. Contributing members always:
* Report to class on time and are prepared with all items needed.
* Take their music home to practice and memorize the music.
* Practice vocal techniques learned in Chorus class.
* Participate in all performances (unless prior permission to be excused is received from the director.
* Are respectful to fellow music members.
Loss of recess time for Retraining and/or notification to home will result for students who do not come to Chorus class; are frequently not prepared, or have behavior issues
PRACTICE
Students should sing at home on a regular basis. I will try to have practice MP3 files on the Chorus website for students to sing along with at home to practice and to memorize the music. Practice is sometimes a struggle for some, especially those with very busy home schedules. Everybody’s home schedule is quite different. My goal is to have the student learn how to practice with quality in place of quantity. Just like an athlete uses repetitions in their workouts, the student should practice a song correctly several times in a row. In their workbooks, for example, I may ask the student to practice a song 3 times correctly in a row in place of asking them to practice the song for 5 min. Usually. teachers will ask the student to practice a certain number of minutes. As the parent, I feel you and your student should choose what will work for you and your schedule. FYI: Necessary amounts of practice varies from student to student. Students who find the Chorus curriculum to be difficult or too easy may want to consider private lessons. If you are interested in this, please contact Mrs. Gross at school. ( 225-4731 or )
ACTIVITIES/ EVENTS/ PERFORMANCES
Students are required to participate in all scheduled Chorus activities unless noted otherwise. Absences are only excused in accordance with established district criteria. For example, if your child stays at home ill during the day, they will be unable to perform in any evening events. This would be an excused absence. Other examples of excused absences could be religious observations and extenuating circumstances. Conflicts with non-school activities are not excusable reasons for missing a scheduled school performance. Parents are encouraged to plan ahead to resolve any conflicts with scheduled school activities. Unexcused absences from a required activity can result in a lowering of the student’s grade. We want your child to be involved in as many activities as they wish, and we are able to resolve most conflicts easily with adequate communication. Curricular performances will be graded as a major test grade. If the student is on time, dressed appropriately, has all materials, and demonstrates proper performance etiquette, a grade of 100% will be awarded. The concert dates are :
SGI: DECEMBER 18TH 2013 @ THE SR. HIGH SCHOOL 7 PM
MAY 12TH 2014 @ THE SR. HIGH SCHOOL 7 PM
POSSIBLE PERFORMANCE AT A YORK REVOLUTION BASEBALL GAME IN THE SPRING.
We may be asked to perform at other activities which are optional for the student to participate in. Close to the concert date, the parent/guardian will receive a paper with a return slip at the bottom so I know who is participating in the activity. If there is an emergency that the student is unable to participate in an activity, please notify the Chorus Director as soon as you can. (225-4731 or )
CHORUS ATTIRE
Chorus students should always look nice when representing themselves and their school.
Mrs. Gross will send home information about what to wear depending on the activity.
CONCERT ETIQUETTE
Concerts are the culmination of much student’s effort and are necessary to meet national, state, and school district standards for Chorus. More importantly, concerts are an opportunity for students to demonstrate their talent s for an appreciative audience. For this reason, it is very important that both students and listeners observe appropriate concert etiquette during any musical performance. Please review the following guidelines prior to our first concert.
1. Place electronic devices in the silent position during the performance.
2. Refrain from talking while the director is on stage
3. Only enter or leave the seating area during applause.
4. Do not take flash photographs while the group is playing ( before and/or after is fine)
5. Do not post other children on any social media without the permission of their parents/guardians
6. Attend the ENTIRE concert.
Students and directors have worked very hard for each performance and gratefully value your approval as demonstrated by your applause. The following are some guidelines to consider in recognizing a quality performance:
1. It is appropriate and polite to applaud as the conductor approaches the podium.
2. Do not applaud for soloists during a full band, orchestra, or choral concert performance, however, it I appropriate to applaud for soloists during a marching band or jazz band performance.
3. For exceptional performance, it is always appreciated when the audience stands in applause following the final selection. This is known as a standing ovation.
COMMITMENT
The impression that the Chorus makes has a great deal to do with the spirit, pride, and future reputation we will create for our school and for our Chorus. You must make an effort to learn and improve daily in school and in Chorus. Be a hard worker in everything you do, as that will benefit you in all that you do for the rest of your life. Regular practice on your proper singing technique and music memorization is your responsibility in order for the Chorus to improve and be successful. The Chorus will only be the best if the members are dedication to being the very best musicians they can be. REMEMBER, YOU ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE CHORUS!