HERITAGE 7th GRADE GENTLEMEN'S CHOIR

2020-2021

Heritage Academy Mesa

Instrumental Music Department

Mr. Kerwin Blau, Director

kblau@heritageacademyaz.com

Dear Choir Members and Parents:

Hello and welcome to Choir!! We here at Heritage aim to provide students and parents with the optimal online experience, as well as the best in person musical education we can. I look forward to working with each and every one of you as we strive to build unified choral performance groups even though we are not beginning in a face to face setting. And at such a time that we are able to gather together, the items highlighted in this syllabus will be a helpful resource we can refer back to. I am grateful for the time and effort you are putting forward to help our choral performance groups excel.

With much gratitude,

Mr. Blau

CHOIR SYLLABUS/Handbook

Heritage Academy Mesa

2020-2021

Supplies:

• Pencil: always needed for every rehearsal. No pens.

• Music Folder with all pieces that we are practicing to perform.

PERFORMANCE ATTIRE

- White long sleeve dress shirt

Black: Tie, belt, dress pants, dress socks, dress shoes

CONCERTS

All Concerts are FREE. Our Choir concerts are held in the First United Methodist Church across the street from the school!

ONLINE CLASS PROCEDURES & GRADING

ONLINE REHEARSALS; Classroom assignments will be given on the Google Classroom homepage. Assignments will include work on musictheory.net, watching assigned music videos,composer studies, responding to short question/answer assignments, and submitting video recordings of singing tests/responses. These video recordings will be submitted through Flipgrid with links on the Google Classroom. The videos will not be shared with other students, only the teacher has access to them. It is also suggested to not watch your videos over and over and fret about how you look, or what your background looks like. The main focus and purpose of these is the music. Grades will be based on participation and completion of assignments.

RESOURCES FOR ONLINE LEARNING

Musictheory.net Flipgrid.com

Soundtrap.com Google Classroom

CLASS PROCEDURES & GRADING

REHEARSALS;

Students enter for rehearsal by being prepared, on task, and on time. Tardies will affect grades. Students are to be in the Choir room by the bell. They should be seated with all their music and materials within one minute after the bell. Tardiness to either the bell or to ensemble readiness will result in possible loss of daily points. To be respectful to others, it is appreciated that you do this on time. All Heritage rules of conduct, behavior, and use of the school facilities will be expected to be followed.This means no food or drink (including gum) or “rough-housing” is permitted in the rehearsal room. Our rehearsal room is not the lunch room. Points will be subtracted from daily grade if this policy is violated. Regarding restroom: While it is most effective to have every musician present, restroom use will be permitted.

CELL PHONES

Cellphones are not to be out or used during class time. Students are to put their phones in their backpacks during rehearsal. Using a cell phone during rehearsal, performance, or in the audience for student use is not allowed. Should a student choose otherwise - result will be loss of daily participation points and or concert points. The phone will be taken and kept by the teacher and may be retrieved by the student at the end of class, or the parent at the end of the day.

GRADING

At the end of each grading period, points are totaled and put into percentage form:

Performances = 40% Daily Points/Participation/Citizenship =40%

Singing Tests/Written work & quizzes = 20% Total Possible = 100%

Grades are earned on the following basis:

Participation/Rehearsal Points:

Daily and Rehearsal points serve as motivation for us to have productive rehearsals, and make wise efficient use of time.

This grade is all encompassing. Daily points are given for overall citizenship which includes being present, on time, prepared with music for rehearsal and participating with No gum, No phone. Tardies will result in loss of 10 daily points. Misconduct or choosing to not follow appropriate rehearsal technique will result in lost points. Students are expected to have their music, and pencil at EVERY class. This is not optional. Grades will reflect a student's level of commitment. Participation & Rehearsal points are worth a large portion of your total grade.

Music checks/Playing Exams: specific points attached to each selection

Written assignments: Concert reflections, teacher surveys, & theory

Performances: Points are earned for the semester by arriving on time, having complete performance attire, appropriate audience etiquette, appropriate performance etiquette, observation of the entire concert.

MUSIC

Every student will receive a practice copy of the performance music we are working on in class. This copy may be taken home for individual practice. Students are responsible for keeping music accounted for.

PERFORMANCES

Purpose

This is a performance based class. Our purpose in meeting, is to prepare as an ensemble for performance, while maintaining a mindset of learning and discovery along the way. Every performance is an opportunity for the Choir to share & demonstrate its present level of skill, musical maturity, interpretation, and musicianship. Through performing, we share with each-other and audience members the joy of music. It is crucial to our success as a team that each member of the Choir prepare and perform at the best of one’s ability.

Grading & Performance

Performances are the equivalent of taking a major exam in an academic subject. Since a performance is a one-time occurrence, there are NO make ups for missed performances. Individual participation for every performance is crucial! We need every member present! Attendance at performances are imperative. Please mark your family calendar today with our concerts for the year!

Call Times for Performance

The “call time” is the time that students are expected to arrive for a performance. All students are to be present 30 minutes prior to a performance. Students will sign in prior to warm up. Tardies that occur with ‘call time’ will be reflected in the performance grade.

Performance Calendar

All of the Choirs at Heritage Academy have their performance dates posted on the school calendar. Please refer to the school calendar often and use it to update your personal calendars as time grows closer to each performance.

______________________________________________________________

Best Practices and Expectations

for Online Learning

As a Distance Learning Scholar, it is anticipated that you will...

1. Check your assignments for the week in Google classroom by 8 a.m. Monday morning for A days and 8 a.m. Tuesday morning for B days.

2. Take attendance every day by 8:15 a.m. for 1st period classes and by 2 p.m. for all other classes. There is a Google Form that your teachers will share everyday in each Google Classroom. Teachers will enter attendance each day into PowerSchool by 3 p.m. If you have not submitted your attendance by 2 p.m. for each class, you will be marked absent in classes missing attendance. If you are sick for a day and won’t be working on your schoolwork, please have a parent call the front desk and let them know you are “absent” for the day.

3. Monitor your assignments and pay close attention to deadlines. You will have a more successful learning experience if you carefully manage your time. Our expectation is that you will be “in school” during school hours, Monday - Thursday. Evenings and weekends can be used to catch up or prepare for the next week. Set aside time every day to complete your school work.

4. Turn assignments in on time. Assignments are due based on class schedule. A-day assignments are due Monday and Wednesday by midnight. B-day assignments are due Tuesday and Thursday by midnight.

5. Be aware that late work will be penalized. Unlike the 4th quarter of last year, teachers will mark your work late and will deduct points according to their syllabus. Some teachers may not accept late work. We are not in an emergency online learning situation. We are in school and value both academic learning and behavioral character. Be responsible. If you have a computer issue or need extra time, communicate clearly and promptly to your teachers. They may or may not give extended time.

6. Advocate and problem solve for yourself. When you get stuck reread instructions, rewatch posted videos, ask a friend for help, work with your success coach or parent, email your teachers. We want you to be successful. We want you to learn. Use all your resources to get help. Your teachers will do their best to reply to your emails during school hours Monday through Thursday. If you email them in the evening, they may not get back to you until the next day. If you email them over the weekend, they will reply on Monday.

7. Help your parents or success coach help you. When you have questions, log into your Google Classrooms and show your parents or success coach your assignments. Your assignment due dates can also be viewed through the calendar on your teachers’ Google Sites.

8. ​Join your teachers each week during office hours for help. ​Each member of each department will be online in two, one hour blocks for office hours on Wednesdays and Thursdays of every week. Click the “meet link” on the homepage of a Google Classroom, and it will take you directly to the Google Meet.

Schedule: 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. math, 10:00 - 11:00 English & history, 11:00 - noon science and world languages, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. performing arts, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. athletics.

9. Maintain Heritage standards and character. When joining Google Meets, making videos, working out, submitting assignments, etc. Heritage standards in dress and speech should be maintained. Be respectful and use proper English usage. Even though we’re online, academic language should be used (not “social media or texting” language) when communicating with each other and your teachers.

10. Participate in community building. Your teachers will plan activities to develop classroom community while learning online. Be a full participant in your class not just academically but also socially. Get to know the other scholars in your classes so you can support each other.

11. Remember that we’re all in this together. We miss you and wish we could hold school in person. We are all Heritage Heroes! Together we can have a great school year.