RIS Handbook for Instrumental Music Jacqueline Lewis-Wang, Director of Instrumental Music Ridgecrest Intermediate School, Rancho Palos Verdes Performing Groups: Concert Band, Concert Orchestra, Advanced Band, Advanced String Orchestra, Full Orchestra, and CIVA. Tradition: Through Music Performance every student can develop aesthetic sensitivity to the art of making music. From birth to death, music has the power to enrich our lives. Over time music has been a measure of artistry and civilization. Although instrumental performance can provide such benefits as developing attention to detail, problem solving and organizational skills, time management, and a sense of accomplishment in doing something well, the main purpose of the Ridgecrest Intermediate School (RIS) instrumental classes is to build instrumental technique and to create music together. The Goals of the RIS Instrumental Music Classes The study of music in the RIS music ensembles includes the following: 1. The development of musicianship including music literacy, music theory, and music history. 2. The development of instrumental technique. 3. The detailed rehearsal of instrumental literature for performance with elements of performance practices. Concepts We will Cover Music Theory- Key Signatures, Notes and Rests, Music Composition (Concert Band, and Concert Orchestra), Music Vocabulary, Rhythm, Symbols, Time Signatures, Treble/Bass/Alto Clefs, and Tempo. Performance- Instrumental Techniques, Intonation, Musicality, Rhythm, and Tone Quality. Music Careers-Arranger, Composer, Conductor, Copyist, Musician, Music Contractor, Music Editor, Musician, and Sound Engineer. School Conduct Code: R=Respect, I=Integrity, S=Safety, Matrixes are placed in each area of our school. Class Expectations: 1. Respect yourself, your neighbor, teachers, staff, school property, our school, classes, and learning. 2. At all times follow all school rules in the contract you sign at the beginning of the year (These are rules for the entire school). 3. Be alert, attentive, and considerate during classes and rehearsals, and give your best effort. Classroom Procedure 1. Be on time (tardiness may affect both your conduct and academic grade), and come prepared (bring your instrument, music, and pencil to every class unless the teacher has told you otherwise. 2. Be positive. Try not to criticize another student s mistake; everyone is here to learn. 3. When the teacher is talking, listen without talking. Follow the directions and requests made by the teacher. Consequences 1. 1 st offense: Warning, name written down in a behavior log, with a loss of participation points, and seat change. 2. 2 nd offense: Paragraph writing about what happened, teacher/student conference, and parents will be contacted. 3. 3 rd offense: An alternate setting will be chosen for the student, parents will be contacted with a possible conference scheduled and an essay assigned to define the inappropriate behavior. 4. 4 th offense: Office Referral, and Parent contact with a possible conference. Positive Consequences Verbal Praise/High Fives/Fists/Thumb Up Excellence Awards/Raider Dollars Music Game Day/Movie Day/Extra Computer Day To Achieve Success Have a great attitude, and maintain this great attitude throughout the school year. Try Your best, learn from mistakes, and begin to develop the growth mindset.
School Instrument Use: RIS has a number of school instruments, and sometimes instruments can be loaned out from across the district. School instruments will be issued after the instrument loan form has been filled out and signed. A donation of $120.00, or $40.00 per trimester is requested for instrument repair and maintenance. These are the following RIS instruments available for students: 1 String Bass (to use at school), 2 Trombones, 2 Trumpets, 1 Alto Saxophone, 2 Tenor Saxophones, 2 Bass Clarinets, 2 Clarinets, 2 Flutes, 1 French Horn, 1 Oboe, and 1 Tuba. There are also area music stores, that rent instruments and where a rental fee goes toward the purchase of an instrument. If you are interested in purchasing an instrument ask Mrs. Lewis-Wang for suggestions of good quality brands to buy. Ridgecrest Music auditions will take place in March 2018 on a Saturday the date is TBA. All audition materials will be handed out 2 weeks prior to auditions. Audition Sign Ups will be on SignUpGenius. The SignUpGenius link will be sent to all in March 2018. Concert Reports: For a specific trimester designated by the instructor, a Concert Report will be due. A Concert Report is one completed as an audience member where students attend a live Concert and write a one-page summary. The guidelines of the written report will be posted on EDLIO (ridgecrest.pvpusd.net) for each instrumental class. All soloists in Solo Night January 2018, and 8 th grade Solo Night coordinators will not need to complete a Concert Report for Second Trimester. Many classes will complete at least 1 Concert Report for the school year! Concert Information Concerts are worth several grades due to the important nature of all students contributing Performances are considered tests, and cannot be made up. Serious illness or emergencies are acceptable reasons for an absence from a Concert. In such a case, the student will notify the teacher via parent email or call to school. My phone is: 310-544-2747 x217, and email is lewiswang@pvpusd.net. An absence for any other reason music be cleared with the teacher at least 48 hours prior to the concert. Concert Dress: Concert attire is important for providing a sense of unity and for raising the spirit of the occasion. Boys & Girls School Polo Shirt (Advanced Band only, School will provide this). White (Bands, Concert Orchestra), or Black(Advanced Orchestra) Dress Shirt, or blouse (girls) Black slacks, or skirt (girls) Black socks, or tights (girls) Black shoes (boys, and girls) For Festival, Orchestra will wear all black for Advanced Orchestra, and black bottoms and white top for Concert Orchestra members, Advanced Band members will wear our white RIS Band and Orchestra Polos, and black on the bottom with everything else that is specified above. Concert Band members will wear white up top, and black below, please refer to the list above. Competitions, Festivals, and Field Trips: For special field trips, competitions and festivals, students selected to represent Ridgecrest In extra-curricular events music maintain a C average with no 'Ns', or 'Us' (Needs Improvement, and Unsatisfactory Conduct), in each of their classes, in order to participate, or receive special permission to participate, or have special permission in order to participate. Students will need to complete a Field trip Behavior Code Sheet, and may need to wear a name tag, So that he/she can be easily identified by our parent volunteers.
Ridgecrest Concert Dates for 2017-2018 (Please note some dates may be TBA, or may need to be changed due to unexpected circumstances.) High School Invitational: Friday October 13th, Peninsula High Football Game confirmed. Orchestra Festival, location is TBA, Wednesday, October 25 th 2017. This date still needs to be Holiday Parade of Lights, Saturday, December 2nd, 2017 for RIS Marching Band Club Members (if we have enough participants), Our RIS Marching Band Club will meet Tuesdays after school from 3:30-4:30PM through Booster Club. Winter Concert: December 6th Instrumental Night starting at 6:00PM: Parent volunteers will be needed for Concert Supervision, and Refreshments Solo Night: January 19 th -This is open to all instrumental students who are enrolled in music. The Concert will be held in the RIS Auditorium. Elementary Tours: Tour #1 Friday, February 23 rd, and Tour #2 on Monday, February 26th: We will need up to 8 Parent Chaperones. Concert at The Botanical Gardens on Sunday, March 4th, 2018 and is for Advanced Orchestra. The Concert will be held in the Frances Young Auditorium. The Concert will be in the mid afternoon around 3:00PM. Call Time will be 30 minutes prior to our Performance. More details will follow starting in January 2018. Ridgecrest Music Open House: March 26th. This is put on by our 6 th Graders, All Grades are welcome To participate as well! Music In The Parks Festival, Friday, April 20 th, 2018. We will leave by bus from school at 2:00PM. Our Festival will be on Friday. Our Park Day will be on Saturday, April 21st at Knott s Berry Farm. Students will need to let the director know if he/she will be attending one, or both events. Spring Concert: May 24 th, starting at 6:00PM. All Instrumental Groups, Concert Band, Concert Orchestra, Advanced Band, Advanced Orchestra, and CIVA will be on one night, and one Concert. The Concert site is in the Ridgecrest Auditorium.
Grading for Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Grade Electives: Taking part in a music ensemble or class is a privilege and demands a certain amount of pride. Each member of the class and ensemble can show this by assuming the responsibility such membership demands. A person s success in meeting obligations is reflected in his, or her grade for the class. Grades in all instrumental classes will be determined through points accumulated and weighted in these areas: participation, practice, quizzes, performances, or tests of musical ability content. Tests not made up or performances and unexcused classes missed will negatively affect the student s grade during each evaluation period. In addition conduct grades will be given. Grades will be determined through the use of a point system: Possible Point Totals (approximate) Categories Points Earned Daily Participation Points 570-600 pts. per trimester Computer Days 10 per day (6 Concert Reports th Graders), 25-50 points (for Zero Period 275-575 pts. per Trimester classes) Quizzes/Music Theory Drills 50 points- 100 Total points Points per Possible=Varies week, depends per on days class we meet Play Test/Chair Checks 50-100 pts. per week for the Trimester during the week. Performances If a student is disruptive, he or she may 200 be pts, asked 2 or to more write performances a couple paragraphs and may lose participation points depending on the behavior. Daily Practice Reports 100-300 pts. per Trimester points lost due to illness, or emergency can be made up through extra practice and may be waived by the instructor depending on the Sectionals circumstance. 400-600 pts. Each grade is recorded as a number in Aeries, as follows: Citizenship: A+=98 and up C+=77 In addition to the academic A=93 grade, each student C=73 will receive a grade in Citizenship. Citizenship will be Evaluated as follows: A-=90 O=Outstanding, S=Satisfactory, C-=70 N=Needs Improvement, U=Unsatisfactory. Good and Excellent B+=87 Citizenship requires effort and D+=67 accountability. Outstanding citizenship can be earned by fully participating in class, demonstrating cooperation, using leadership skills in class, and going above and beyond. Students will follow B-=80 all classroom and school standards. D=63 Citizenship grades may be affected by the following: Inappropriate behavior, missing materials, eating, D-+60 drinking, or chewing gum in class, tardiness, or not making good use of class time. Practice: Home practice is a crucial element in the development of playing any instrument. As with any psychomotor skill, repetition is required for mastery. For the Year-Long Instrumental Music Classes a minimum of 60 minutes of home practice per week is suggested. Practice Minutes will be recorded on a Practice Log sheet in OneNote and will be recorded weekly. Our Advanced Group members are required up to 100 minutes per week, and minutes will be logged on a Practice Log Sheet in OneNote. Zero Period Minutes will be checked every 3 weeks. Information and schedules will be posted on EDLIO (ridgecrest.pvpusd.net) under News, and Calendar sections, we will also be using risband.shutterfly.com, and it would be beneficial if parents and students (if you have not already done this) sign up for this free and private site. Besides home practice there will be Chair Checks and Take Home Quizzes, or worksheets where students will be tested on new knowledge and skills they have learned. Students are encouraged to take private lessons. If you need referrals for teachers please ask me, and I ll make some recommendations. A student who disrupts the class more than once during a period may be referred to the office and will have his/her parent contacted within 24 hours and a possible conference arranged. I look forward to a successful and fun-filled year with all of you. Parents, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to call me at School at (310) 544-2747 x217, or email me at lewiswang@pvpusd.net. Sincerely, Jacqueline (Jacquie) Lewis-Wang, Ridgecrest Instrumental Music Director
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC HANDBOOK/CONTRACT RETURN PORTION STUDENTS RETURN THIS TO ME IN CLASS. (Student will return this page of the handbook to me.) I have read the Instrumental Handbook and I agree that I understand and will meet these requirements. Return for as grade by (date) Student Name: Grade: Students please print your name above Student Signature: Parent Signature: Date: Ridgecrest Intermediate School Instrumental Department Student/Parent Information Form Having good parent, teacher, and student communication is important for your child s success. Please provide the following information to help with this process. Mother s Name: Email address: Daytime Phone: Evening Phone: Father s Name: Email address: Daytime Phone: Evening Phone: Parent volunteers will be needed through-out the school year! Please check the blank where you would like to volunteer. Sign-ups lists will be included on our risband.shutterfly.com (band and orchestra website) and also on signupgenius.com. You will get an email to sign up for activities so we can get organized together! If you have a special contribution that you would like to make as a parent volunteer please let me know on the other category at the end of the following list. Chaperon/Chaperone (Field Trips, School Tour, Music In The Parks, etc) Decorations for Concerts Will take Pictures and share with us via email to the director or through our shutterfly website Refreshments for Concerts Supervision at Concerts (We will need to rotate this position depending on who is performing. Supervisors will be needed to Follow groups after their performance to ensure the safety of our Raiders. Transportation (carpools, etc) Other
(Only Advanced Band needs to fill this out!) RIDGECREST INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL MUSIC DEPARTMENT AGREEMENT FOR USE OF RIDGECREST POLO SHIRTS RIS White Polo Shirts are loaned out free of charge. However if they are damaged, or lost than a replacement fee will be needed. Shirt Number: Actual Cash Value: $12.00 The undersigned agrees by signing this form and certifies that he/she will assume all responsibility for damage or theft to this Polo Shirt. The undersigned agrees with the value assigned to this equipment and the assessment of its condition as noted above. Student s Name (Please Print): Grade: Date: Home Address: City: Telephone#: Parents Signature: Date: