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WAHS Chorus Syllabus
Welcome to the Western Alamance High School Choral Department. During your time as a member of one of our choirs, you will make incredible friendships, make wonderful music, and grow as musicians and independent critical thinkers. As you read over this document please consider how you can help to mold this environment for yourself and others to ensure the best experience for everyone involved.
Expectations:
Be Polite
Be Prompt
Be Prepared
Be Productive
Participate
Corrective Actions:
1st Offense – Warning
2nd Offense – Discussion and parent contact
3rd Offense – Discussion, parent contact and lunch detention
4th Offense – Parent/teacher conference w/ admin and lunch detention
5th Offense – Admin referral for additional consequences
**For extreme behavior, office referral will be earned regardless of a warning**
Required Materials
Pencil
Paper
Binder no larger than 1”
Binder pencil holder
Concert Attire (see section below for more information)
If it is possible for your family to do so, please consider donating tissues or hand sanitizer for our classroom.
Tardy Policy – You must be inside the room and in your seat before the bell rings. Be prepared and attentive as soon as the bell rings by checking if there is a written warm up, beginning the vocal warm ups when instructed and copying down any new performance dates written on the board. Three tardies will result in a phone call home and count as an unexcused absence. If you are at or over five minutes late to class, you will be written up for skipping.
Bathroom – Use the bathroom sparingly and at appropriate times. If you are using the bathroom constantly and disrupting the flow of rehearsal, you may be asked to cut back on your visits. Only one student may be out of the room at a time. Social visits or sightseeing tours of the school are not permitted and may result in one of the consequences listed above.
Phone Policy – In accordance with North Carolina law, use of cell phones in the classroom during instructional time. Students are strongly encouraged to place their phones in the designated area in the chorus room and turned off for the duration of class. If a student is found to have their phone out during instructional time, the phone will be confiscated immediately and consequences will be in line with the ABSS Wireless Communication Procedures. The student’s grade will also be affected. Smart watches can be worn, but should be in airplane mode and only used to check the time.
Food and Drink – Food and drink is not permitted in the chorus room unless you have express permission from Mr. Lucier. Water is fine during class time. If you have food or drink for a snack, you may have them at the door before or after class, or during our 5 minute break. Students will not be allowed to use the microwave during class time to avoid disruptions to the educational environment. This includes lunchtime; students will not be allowed to eat lunch in the choir room starting this year - it is a distraction to our third block class and the classroom was not left clean a majority of the time last year. Thank you for your cooperation with this.
Rehearsal Spaces Policy - The Chorus Room is a shared space by all who utilize it throughout the day. The expectation for our space is that we keep it clean and neat, as well as a space we can all be proud of. A rule of thumb for us this year should be to leave the space better than you found it. Clean up garbage and place it in the appropriate receptacle, sweep the floor, wipe your feet as you enter the room, etc. If you wouldn’t want your home to be left the way you see the room, please don’t leave the classroom that way.
Practice Rooms - The practice rooms are also shared spaces with the Band. The practice rooms will only be available for what they are named: practice. These rooms will fall under all the same rules as the chorus room and should be respected and used as such. Anyone found using the rooms inappropriately or damaging the rooms will have consequences appropriate to what has been done to the room.
Fire Door - Based on discussions with the School Safety Team and our SRO, the back door to the Chorus Room is to remain locked and only used as a Fire Door. When the back door is unlocked, student safety is impacted and that is more important than the convenience of quick entrances and exits to the building.
Instrument Policy - Instruments in the room are not toys, but are classroom assets used to enhance our study of music. If someone would like to play the piano, Mr. Lucier must be asked for permission first. Food and drinks are also not allowed on or near the piano, and students should not lean on or climb on the piano. Any other instruments being used in the classroom also fall under this policy as well.
Respect of Personal Space - Mr. Lucier’s desk is his own personal space in the classroom. Respect of that space is expected such as:
Anything behind Mr. Lucier’s desk belongs to him and should be treated as such.
Please do not sit at Mr. Lucier’s desk or use the chair(s) behind his desk.
Food and drinks (including water and bottles) should not be placed on Mr. Lucier’s desk ever.
If you need something from one of the drawers behind Mr. Lucier’s desk, please ask permission first.
Curriculum
As part of the new state standards rolling out this year, students will be assessed on skills outlined by the State Board of Education. Each student will have to display the skills listed of each level to move to the next level each semester. Any student not displaying proficiency in each skill will be asked to take the same level again. A spreadsheet system will be used that has been developed by Mrs. Doss and Mr. Babb to keep track of each student. If you have a question or concern about your student’s growth, please contact Mr. Lucier and he will give you a full update using the data collected via the spreadsheet.
Grading Standards
Rehearsal and Presence
10%
Music Literacy
20%
Music Theory
20%
Music Checks and Response
20%
Musical Performance
30%
Rehearsal and Presence - This section of your grade is derived from your effort each day, being on task, and your attendance for each class rehearsal. You will receive a weekly grade that will be updated at the end of each day of the week. Each day, every student can receive 20 points for their grade. Each time someone needs redirection, is off task, or is absent without reason, those points can be taken away. At the end of the week you will receive a score out of 100 points.
Section Competition and Classroom Cup - each section’s scores will be averaged at the end of each week and there will be a winner announced at the beginning of the next week. If your section wins this for the week, there will be a selection of candy for your section and bragging rights. Each month, one section from the entire department will be selected as the holder/winner of the “Classroom Cup” for the upcoming month. The winners of the Classroom Cup for that month will receive an “Assignment Pass” that can be used on any written work assignment that those students have missed.
Students not participating in classroom activities - if you choose to not participate in classroom activities, you will be asked to sit at the desk in the back of the room to complete written assignments for the day. Any alternate work done at the back desk will receive no grade higher than a 50% and will be graded for correctness. For example: if you complete the assignment for the day and you get 8 out of 10 questions right, you receive 100%-50%=50%. and 8/10 is an 80%, so I subtract the 20% you did not get correct, resulting in a 40% for the day’s grade, or a 8/20 for your daily grade. While doing this assignment, if you miss any assessments that occur during the class period that would have been graded material, these will result in a zero and you cannot make up the grade as you were in the class and chose not to participate. If this happens on multiple occasions or Mr. Lucier has a concern, your adults will be contacted as well as administration to formulate a plan to ensure you participate in the future.
Music Literacy - this includes all work with reading music, dictation, creating and improvising, etc. Assignments will mostly be aural with rubrics giving the student guidelines and expectations.
Music Theory - These assignments pertain to the “nuts and bolts” of how music is organized, and the vocabulary used to describe music. Some assignments will be written, some will be performance based.
Music Checks and Response - Music checks will be announced one week prior to the date. Each student or a small group of no larger than 3 will be checked for accuracy on a piece of music that we are working on. There will be Warrior Times available for preparation for this and there will be practice tracks on Canvas available to every student. If a student is found not to have their music learned well enough, the student may not be allowed to participate in an upcoming concert. Response assignments will be written responses and analyses of music and performances. These will be done individually and graded for correct use of vocabulary, detail, correct spelling and grammar, etc.
Music Performances and Rehearsals - We will have dress rehearsals and concerts throughout the school year. Attendance and participation in these performances will determine this portion of this grade. Any issues with inappropriate behavior or activities, or being a disruption can affect this grade.
Note: Concerts and dress rehearsals are not optional! - Please check the last page of this syllabus for dates and times for this semester and put them in your calendars now! This goes for both students and their adults.
Makeup Work – Students will have one day for each day they are absent to turn in assignments. For instance, if you are absent for 3 days, you will have three more class days to complete and turn in your makeup work. If you have ISS or OSS, you must check with Mr. Lucier about what you will miss each day and must complete the assignments prior to the end of that day and this will not count as makeup work; assignments not completed according to these timelines will be filled out as a zero in Infinite Campus.
Late Work - Students will only be allowed to turn in late assignments if they have been absent with an excuse or if they have been given express permission from Mr. Lucier in writing via email.
Academic Recovery Plan - Western Alamance High School is committed to providing opportunities for academic success for all students. At the end of the first nine weeks of a course, a student who earns a grade lower than 50% can be assigned to an “Academic Recovery Plan” so that the student has an opportunity to re-learn material and demonstrate mastery of the course objectives. At the end of the course, the subject teacher will revise the grade to a 60% for the first nine weeks if the student meets the following criteria:
The student successfully completes an “Academic Recovery Plan” developed by the student and teacher.
The student maintains an average of 60% or higher for the second nine weeks.
Tutoring – If you have any questions or need any assistance please see me.
Available tutoring times are:
Warrior Time - Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
Any other times agreed upon by Mr. Lucier, the student, and the adult of that student.
Warrior Time - Students will be expected to attend the Warrior Time they have been assigned/signed up for. Please do not ask for Mr. Lucier to change your Warrior Time on the same day or ask if you may go to a different Warrior Time if you are assigned to one. Students will be expected to use Warrior Time for enrichment for the class which they are assigned and will not be used for socialization.
Parent Conferences – Please feel free to contact me via email or phone with any questions or concerns. Conferences can be scheduled at least three days in advance. If you must cancel, please do so at least 24 hours before the scheduled time. If an administrator is required, we will schedule one as well.
Concert Attire
Concert attire will be provided by each student in Concert Choir and will be worn at both the dress rehearsals and concerts. If you still have the attire required in the 2015-16 school year and it is not in compliance with the new attire expectations you do not have to get rid of the attire. Dresses and Tuxes will still be used by the members of Choral Ensemble. Below are the expectations for concert attire:
Concert Choir
Black dress pants
Black button down dress shirt
Black dress shoes with black dress socks
or
Black blouse or shirt
Black pants/longer skirt/dress (must be at or below the knees)
Black flats or short heels
If you cannot provide any of these items, please let Mr. Lucier know as soon as possible so he can provide these for you. If you are using our concert attire for rental, there is no rental fee HOWEVER; if a tuxedo or dress is returned with any damage, you will be responsible for replacing the damaged item at full price, plus tax and shipping. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Warrior Voices
Students in Warrior Voices will wear the provided black suit or black choral dress.
PLEASE REVIEW, SIGN, AND RETURN THE NEXT PAGE TO MR. LUCIER BY 8/29/2025
Sign below and return signatures to Mr. Lucier – keep the rest of your syllabus with your chorus folder.
By signing below, you are acknowledging that you have looked through this syllabus in detail with your family and understand the expectations outlined for you in this document as a member of the WAHS Choral Department.
Student Name:__________________________________________________
Signature:______________________________________ Date:___________
Parent/Guardian Name:___________________________________________
Signature:______________________________________ Date:___________
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