"If you sound great in the practice room, you're practicing the wrong thing."
IDAHO ARTS CHARTER SCHOOL ORCHESTRA 2022 - 2023
Have fun and make sure everyone is having fun while we learn! Respect Yourself & Respect others!
We are a team. Orchestra should be a safe place for all students to have fun, take shelter from other worries, and to just make music. Any sort of bullying, put downs, harassment, or otherwise demeaning talk of another student or teacher will not be tolerated.
Arrive to class on time and prepared with instrument, shoulder rest or rock stop, music and a pencil.
Listen closely during rehearsal, don’t talk or play unless you are instructed to do so. Please no talking.
Follow all directions the first time they are given.
If it is not yours DON’T TOUCH IT!!!!!
No gum, food, drink (except approved water bottles)
Electronic devices
High Schoolers - are permissible when used for class purposes (See technology policy below). Misuse or abuse of this policy will result in the device being taken away and give to the office to be collected at the end of the day.
Middle Schoolers - Per school policy, your cell phone should be turned off and in your backpack or locker. If I so much as see your cell phone, (yes, including sticking out of your back pocket) it will be logged as a cell phone violation in milepost.
Communication. Parents - All official communication will come in the form of an email. Please put my email on a safe sender list: nick.harker@idahoartscharter.org. If I sent an email about a topic (date change, supply needed, etc.), I will assume you are now aware of said topic.
ALL ORCHESTRA STUDENTS: Instrument, bow, rosin, pencil, soft cloth to clean instrument, folder (will be provided) to hold music, and a spare set of strings.
VIOLINS and VIOLAS: Shoulder rest
CELLO and BASS: Rock Stop
Strings on Wings Students: Sound Innovations Book 1 for your instrument.
7th through 12th grade Students: Essentials for Strings for your instrument.
All instruments, books and supplies can be obtained at the following stores. Dorsey Music, Dunkley Music, American Music, Owyhee Fiddle Shop (see "local music stores" page on website for contact info.)
All assignments and grades are listed in PowerSchool. Please ensure that all students and parents know how to log in. If you do not know your log in, let me know and I'll put you in contact with our PowerSchool specialist.
Concerts: Participation in concerts are a vital part of your grade. All concerts are REQUIRED. Please mark on your calendar the concert schedule listed below and make concert attendance a priority on concert days. Students need to arrive at least 35 minutes BEFORE the concert starts in order to tune and warm up. This is part of their concert grade. Students are required to stay for the ENTIRE concert (all performing groups). Most concerts are over by 8:00 pm. This schedule is subject to change at the teacher's discretion.
2022 - 2023 School Year
Spooky Fall Concert - During School on Monday, October 31st
Winter Concert - TBD
Spring Concert - TBD
Festivals: Participation in large group adjudicated orchestra festivals are required and a vital part of your grade. This will require that we travel by bus to another location and not attend classes that day. Because being absent from school is required for these festivals students must be earning an A, B or C grade for the semester in all classes they will be missing. A grade check will be done 5 -7 days before the festival date. Students that have not met this requirement will not be eligible to participate in Festival. Parents are encouraged to attend the festival performances.
33 points for being on time
33 points for being in proper uniform (this includes proper socks and shoes)
33 points for bringing your own music
101 points for successful performance in the concert
Post-Performance reflection and evaluation = 100 points
TOTAL PERFORMANCE POINTS = 200
Excused Concert Absence (hospitalization, severe illness (I will need a doctor’s note)
Unexcused Concert Absence – Any other reason. 0 points (up to 100 points can be earned with a 5 page typed report following MLA format, about a musical topic of choice and approved by Mr Harker.
Assessments: Playing tests and other assessments both written and performance, will be given regularly in class.
Fridays are pass off days. Students will use the time to pass off rhythms, scales, or excerpts from their music every Friday. Excerpts from their music will be graded (30 points). Rhythm and scales will be cumulative at the end of the semester. Students, 7-12 grade, will be assigned a spot to reach in their book.
Most students have anxiety about playing in front of other people, especially their peers. The more they can do so the quicker they will learn to overcome that fear and will be better equipped come concert performance time. If there is a viable reason that a student should be required to play in front of their peers, the parent needs to submit to Mr. Harker a written note explaining the situation.
Practice Time: Practice is ESSENTIAL to improve musically and all Orchestra students are required to practice. Studies are showing that consistent practice is more important than overall time practiced. Therefore, the format will look a little different than years past.
All students, regardless of class, are required to practice for a minimum of 5 minutes, 5 days a week. # of school days per week do not change the 5 day requirement.
Students record practice time on paper logs found on the table in the front of the classroom. Practice logs are due the first day of school each week (typically Monday or Tuesday) before the end of the school day. They may turn it in early. Late submissions will receive 75% of their earned grade.
Practice reports more than a week late will receive a 0, regardless of days actually practiced.
Electronic submissions will be accepting for extenuating circumstances only.
Every day practiced, regardless of total number of minutes, will receive 2 points for a total of 10 possible for the week.
Because of the lack of total minute requirement, the students will be required to write a thoughtful journal each day about their practicing. Each day's entry is work 3 points (at least 3 sentences per day practiced). Here are some samples of what they can write about:
What pieces did they practice, and where in the piece?
What are you struggling with? Notes, rhythms, style, scales, technique, etc. are all acceptable topics.
Did you listen to the music on youtube, spotify, jw pepper, or another source? What did you hear? How does this help with your learning?
The above requirements result in each practice log worth 25 points total.
Students can earn up to 10 extra credit points per practice report for extra days practiced. 1 extra day + 1 extra journal entry = 5 extra points.
If a student does not practice all 5 days, they can still earn up to 3 points for a journal entry on the day they missed, explaining why they missed that day, what they could have done to prevent it, and how they can make up for missed practice in the coming days.
Class Attendance: Attendance in class is very important as most of the instruction is given during class.
Preparation Points: 10 points. Occasional prep checks will make up this grade. Full points requires that students arrive to class on time and prepared (with instrument, music and pencil) and show proper behavior during class. Points will be deducted for tardiness, not being prepared, or receiving a warning for inappropriate classroom behavior. If a student does not bring their instrument to class, they will receive a 0 for their daily grade.
Sheet Music: Strings on Wings students will be supplied a book by the school as part of their instrument kit. They are not using a school instrument, then they must purchase their own copy. All other students will have their music given to them in class and be given one copy of music. If students lose, destroy or otherwise make their free copy of music unusable they will be charged the JW Pepper replacement cost for the part. (Music is expensive. Please take care of it). All music for any given performance must be turned in at the next class period.
Take care of your music. Use the folder provided. If your folder starts to fall apart, ask for another one. Do not force your music into a backpack, instrument case, or normal pocket folder where it does not fit.
PENCILS ONLY! - Do not mark your music with any sort of ink (pens, markers, highlighters, etc.) or colored pencils. Any marking you make must be able to be erased.
Marking up your music with anything other than a pencil may be grounds for a replacement cost added to your account.
A Word About Plagiarism & Cheating: Plagiarism and cheating are not tolerated. If a student cheats or plagiarizes I will follow the school policy, which is that an F will be given on the assignment with no option of make-up. Cheating includes: claiming credit for work that is not your own (i.e., copying homework or answers, using others’ projects or papers, or plagiarizing documents from the Internet, which included copy/paste), having parents, siblings, friends or any other source complete your homework, allowing other students to copy your homework, assignments, or tests, talking during a test or exam may be perceived as cheating.
Honesty is the best policy. Reporting practice time that you did not do only hurts yourself and prevents you from being the best musician you are capable of. Be honest.
Reports of practice numbers will be made periodically available for parents. Students that are found to have reported false practice numbers will receive a 0 for those practice logs.
Extra Credit: Extra credit can be earned through the following activities. In order for points to be received the student will need to write a 2 paragraph (10 sentence minimum) summary of the event and have it signed by their parent.
Concerts (school concerts they are not playing in whether they are IACS or another school)= 10 points
Professional Concerts (Boise Philharmonic, etc), you will also need to attach your ticket stub to the written summary = 15 points
Written reports or media presentations (on a pre-approved topic) = up to 15 points
In Class Student Performances = up to 15 points
Private Lessons on another instrument (have your teacher sign a note) = 25 points per Semester
Private Lessons on Orchestra instrument (have your teacher sign a note) = 50 points per Semester
Extra Credit can also been earned weekly through extra practice, up to 10 points for 2 extra days of practice and journal entries.
Grades
94-100—A
90-93—A-
87-89—B+
84-86—B
80-83—B-
77-79—C+
74-76—C
70-73—C-
67-69—D+
64-66—D
60-63—D-
59 and below—F
IACS Late Work Policy: Late work will be accepted for excused absences only and for five school days after the due date. Late work is worth 75% of the grade earned. Some exceptions for the late policy will be made for assignments that are time bound/performance based (history, economic summit, concerts, etc…) Minimum number of grades: Each class must have at least 10 grades per quarter in the gradebook.
Students are expected to respect themselves, others and property. Violation of this simple rule will result in the following actions:
1. Verbal warning (this is usually given after non-verbal warnings)
2. Second verbal warning and loss of daily points
3. If a third warning is warranted the student will be removed from the rest of the class and receive a detention.
4. In extreme cases where students are posing a threat to themselves or others they will be immediately taken to the Administrator’s office.
1. Each student is required to check their school email daily. This will be a vital means of communication.
2. Students are required to check their grades weekly on Power School.
Orchestra members are REQUIRED to supply and wear concert uniforms. The concert uniform for all students is as follows:
Concert Black
Everyone - Nice Black Shoes, black slacks with a black button up shirt, or black dress or black skirt with black blouse. Simple, non-distracting jewelry ok.
Audience members need to be seated and quiet when the performance is in progress
- If it is necessary to arrive late or leave early, do so between music pieces
- Clapping is the appropriate way to show appreciation for the performance at the end of a piece when the conductor has put their baton down. Modern tradition states that it is only appropriate to applaud at the end of an entire piece of music and not in-between movements. However, if you feel the need to applaud anytime (for a particularly good movement, or a solo in the middle of a movement) go ahead!
- During a jazz or rock piece clapping is appropriate after a solo.
- Parents should keep small children seated with them and not allow them to move around during the concert. If very young children become restless and disrupt others ability to listen, please take them from the performance area until they are quiet.
- It is customary to welcome the director with applause.
- Hats or caps should be removed during a concert as a courtesy to those sitting behind you. Food or beverages should not be present during the concert unless provided by the performing groups as part of the performance.
- Cell phones and other electronic devices should be silenced. No exceptions! Please do not use these devices during a concert. The light can be disruptive to other audience members.
Orchestra Calendar - All events for the year are already / will be added to the calendar, and will be accompanied by an email to the parents and students.
There may be additional dates added and/or changes made to times and venues, but this is the basic calendar of the year.
ELRO, between Thanksgiving and Christmas plan to be very busy with community performances.