Find the answers to the following questions below under the bold headings! Please email me with any other questions you think should be added to this list.
Grades - What can I do to make up my grade?
Grades - Why is my grade a _____ (Better Question: How do I learn the things I need to know and be able to do to make up my grade)?
Rehearsal Attendance - What is Rehearsal Attendance and how do I make it up?
Rehearsal Skills - What are Rehearsal Skills and how do I make them up?
Rehearsal Skills - I've been trying to make up my Rehearsal Skills and you're not seeing me. What should I do?
Performance Skills - What are Performance Skills and how do I make them up?
Absences - What do I do if I'm going to be absent and miss class?
Concert Make-up - What do I need to do if I'm going to miss a concert?
Festival Make-up - What do I need to do if I'm going to miss a festival?
Uniform (Auditorium) Rehearsal - What is "Uniform (Auditorium) Rehearsal" and how do I make it up?
Voice Checks - What are Voice Checks and how do I make them up?
Uniforms - Questions about Choir Uniforms
Extra Credit - Can I do extra credit?
What can I do to make up my grade?
Find out what learning you are missing (check Skyward), find the learning make-up assignment here on this website (Make-Up Assignments Page), and use it to demonstrate that you have learned the knowledge or skills.
Why is my grade a _____ (Better Question: How do I learn the things I need to know and be able to do to make up my grade)?
Answer to the first question: That is a reflection of the evidence of learning that I have seen from you, up to this point.
Answer to the better question: If you want to improve your grade, find out what learning you are missing (check Skyward), find the learning make-up assignment here on this website (Make-Up Assignments Page), and use it to demonstrate that you have learned the knowledge or skills.
What is Rehearsal Attendance and how do I make it up?
We don't have a lot of homework in choir. At the same time, we do a lot of work every day in class. Whenever students miss class, whether they are on vacation, sick, or on a school trip, they miss all of the learning that we did that day. In order to make up for the missed learning, students need to do the Rehearsal Make-up Form which can be found on the (Make-Up Assignments Page).
This form can be filled out at any point, including before being absent
Once filled out, it will take up to a week for the Rehearsal Attendance Assignment to raise. If you have done the form, and it has been more than a week, and your grade still has not raised, please email me at mthornton@alpinedistrict.org.
What are Rehearsal Skills and how do I make them up?
Rehearsal Skills is an essential standard that I evaluate all year. There is one grade for this assignment, and it is the largest portion of the grade for choir. To reach a 3 or above on Rehearsal Skills, students need to demonstrate the following: 1) Listen for and follow instructions, 2) Participate Fully, and 3) Communicate Effectively. To reach a 4 on Rehearsal Skills, students need to demonstrate a few rehearsal habits that are listed on the Rehearsal Skills Assignment form on the Make-Up Assignments Page. Print off the Assignment and then come talk to me about what you need to do to demonstrate the learning and raise your grade. If you are at a level 0 or 1 you will need to do the Rehearsal Skills Assignment to demonstrate your learning. If you are at a level 2 or 3, you can either do the assignment, or continue to work hard in demonstrating a level 4, and wait for me to re-evaluate the class, which I try to do about every 2-4 weeks.
I've been trying to make up my Rehearsal Skills and you're not seeing me. What should I do?
The most effective way is to fill out the Rehearsal Skills Assignment on the Make-Up Assignments Page and have me sign it at the end of each class for a couple of days.
Or you can continue to work hard in demonstrating a level 4, and wait for me to re-evaluate the class, which I try to do about every 2-4 weeks.
What are Performance Skills and how do I make them up?
Performance Skills are the pass offs that we do right before a concert. In order to make this grade up, you should first find out from a friend what we focused on while you were gone (or remember what we focused on if you were there but got a low score). Then, make up all missed classes by doing the Rehearsal Make-up Form on the Make-Up Assignments Page and focus during the practice on the skills that we worked on that day. Finally, come prepared to do all of those skills, along with the current skills we are passing off during the next class period.
What do I do if I'm going to be absent and miss class?
One of the skills that we are focusing on in choir is being responsible. When we miss a rehearsal, being responsible is finding out what we missed and doing our best to learn what we missed.
Talk to a friend and find out what you missed, access the Rehearsal Make-up Form on this website (Make-Up Assignments Page), or on Canvas, and then learn the things you missed and submit the form.
What do I need to do if I'm going to miss a concert?
You will need to make it up. Check the Performance Make-up Assignment on the Make-Up Assignments Page for the google form that you will need to fill out to make up the learning missed.
What do I need to do if I'm going to miss a festival?
You will need to make it up. Check the Performance Make-up Assignment on the Make-Up Assignments Page for the google form that you will need to fill out to make up the learning missed.
What is "Uniform (Auditorium) Rehearsal" and how do I make it up?
The Uniform (Auditorium) Rehearsal is where students wear all of their performance clothes and we pass them off. We also practice in the Auditorium, for the students to prepare for the performances we will be doing this year.
You will need to make it up. Check the Performance Make-up Assignment on the Make-Up Assignments Page for the google form that you will need to fill out to make up the learning missed.
What are Voice Checks and how do I make them up?
Voice Checks are an opportunity for me to evaluate each student's individual voice. It is also an opportunity for you to grow in your ability and courage. You have the option of singing in front of the class for extra credit or of singing after school for me and one other person (your "audience" - usually students bring a friend or a family member - which could be a parent). You will sing "My Country Tis of Thee" while I play the piano. Then you will sing one song of your choice for about 30 seconds. It can be any school-appropriate song that you know. The whole thing lasts about 1 minute.
In order to make up the Voice Check, you will need to set up a time with me to come in with a friend or family member, and sing the Voice Check for me. If you don't know who to bring, you can ask Mrs. Baugh if she can be there to be your "audience".
Questions about Choir Uniforms
Please see the Uniform Page for questions about uniforms.
Can I do extra credit?
Although we don't have extra credit, we DO HAVE CREDIT! I believe in learning, and I believe in second chances, so, in choir, you can always make things up, even after the term is over (however, the make-up work does increase the longer you wait, so make it up as soon as possible!
In order to get credit for what you have learned, you need to demonstrate what you have learned.
Extra credit generally means an assignment where a student does something unrelated to a learning objective, to get points in their grade so that their grade will go up. Because this is not related to the learning that the grade is set up to communicate, there is no extra credit in choir but there is always a way to get credit, and make things up. Check the Make-Up Assignments Page for more info.
What's your favorite color?
It depends on the day, but most of the time it's blue.
What's up?
Lot's of wonderful things! How are you doing?