Greetings! Welcome to Carnage Middle School and the Carnage Middle School Dance Department. I'm Mr. Barrier and I am excited to have this opportunity to teach dance to highly interested dancers. Feel free to ask me about my education and experiences in dance.
In this class, we will learn many different dance genres such as ballet, jazz, modern, and contemporary, along with dance history, dance vocabulary, and dance fitness and health. We will have so much fun this semester and learn many new things.
E-mail is the primary point of contact for students outside of school: mbarrier@wcpss.net. If the student prefers Canvas Inbox, that is accessible too.
Parents should have access to an app called TalkingPoints.
Personal Responsibility - Always be prepared! Dress out for class and always have your supplies READY.
Respect - Be respectful of the teacher, your classmates and the school.
Integrity - Be on time to class and with assignments. Also, be original and honest!
Determination - Challenge yourself! Don't be afraid to try something new!
Excellence in all you do!
If you have any questions or concerns about these rules, please see Mr. Barrier.
NO FOOD OR DRINK EXCEPT WATER IN BOTTLE WITH A SEALABLE LID. This is for safety reasons. You will be written up each time this occurs and WILL SERVE lunch service detention.
Only students in current dance class are allowed in the room during that class.
Street shoes are to be removed upon entry and placed in the designated place.
Only the teacher's device is to be connected to the Bluetooth speaker. Do not change the volume without the teacher's permission.
Do not occupy the teacher's desk or use their belongings without permission. You will have to ask permission every time -- one time might be okay, but the next time may not be!
The teacher will NEVER ask you to do anything bad, so please promptly respond to all requests.
You will need the following items for class every day, without exception:
A filled water bottle with a closable lid/cap
At least TWO Pencils with erasers (no pens!)
CHARGED Chromebook (you might not be able to charge in class!)
A dependable note-taking app is highly encouraged (i.e. Apple Notes, Evernote, Notability, Microsoft OneNote, etc.). You may also use a traditional paper notebook as well.
Hand Sanitizer, Tissues, and Clorox wipes are ALWAYS accepted, too!
Students MUST adhere to school dress code first.
Appropriate clothing is necessary for dance class for numerous reasons:
It allows for full range of motion.
It allows for the instructor and the individual student to examine proper body alignment so as to avoid injury.
Perspiration soaked items aren’t worn for the remainder of the day.
A properly dressed class gives the most professional appearance to our visitors.
“If you look the part, you’ll feel and act the part”.
You will need the following outfit for class every day:
General Classes
Females
Leotards preferred, Camisole shirts allowed, sweat pants, yoga style capri pants/leggings, compression shorts, clean socks or bare feet.
Any dance shoes must be pre-approved.
Dance pants have no buttons or zippers.
No baggy Tee Shirts, low-cut or mid-riff shirts for females. No part of the bra should be seen.
Compression shorts must be of an appropriate length and hug the thigh. Any other types of shorts may only be worn over leggings.
Males
T-shirt and sweats/shorts, clean socks or bare feet.
Company Dress Uniform
Females
Solid black leotards/camisoles, black tights, black dance pants/sweats/compression shorts.
Any dance shoes must be pre-approved.
Dance pants have no buttons or zippers.
No baggy Tee Shirts, low-cut or mid-riff shirts for females. No part of the bra should be seen.
Compression shorts must be of an appropriate length and hug the thigh. Any other types of shorts may only be worn over leggings.
Males
Solid colored tee-shirt and sweats/shorts, clean socks or bare feet.
In addition to garment requirements:
Hair must be worn out of the face/eyes.
Piercings should also not be worn.
Every student is expected to arrive to class recently bathed and wearing deodorant. No cologne, perfume, or scented lotions should be worn.
Both males and females should wear the respective athletic support.
The teacher reserves the right to make request that student not wear or adorn themselves in any distracting manner that would take away from the learning environment.
Dress out points are deducted when a student is not in appropriate dance attire. This includes hair. Because dress out points are only 5% of a given assignment, this only negatively affects the repeat offender.
Students are allowed to go to the restroom during class, but they MUST have a hall pass. Here is the procedure:
Student signs out the pass.
Student takes the pass and exits the room.
Student uses the restroom.
Student returns and places the pass back on the hook.
If a student goes into the hallway without a pass, they are subject to disciplinary action.
They will only have one opportunity to go during the period. If there is a special need, please have the parent communicate (via e-mail or TalkingPoints) prior to class to the teacher.
Unless the teacher deems otherwise, only one student may go at a time. Please be considerate of others who may be waiting to go the restroom.
Students are expected to keep water bottles available. Requests to go get water are NOT an emergency and teacher reserves the rights to have the student wait until a proper time within the lesson.
Please understand that mobile phones and similar devices are distraction in the classroom. Currently, these devices have a multitude of uses -- none of which belong on the dance floor. Additionally, these devices can be a hazard on the dance floor. Students are allowed to have their phone in class, however they must be in a silent mode and MUST BE IN THEIR BAG/BELONGINGS. Again, they CANNOT have their phone on the dance floor -- that is a safety concern.
Additionally, they will not be allowed to check their phones during class. Texting/talking to anyone (including their parent/guardian) during class is not allowed. If there is a pressing emergency that involves your student, please coordinate this with the main office.
1st offense - Student will be asked to place their device into their bag and they will have a 10 point deduction
2nd offense - Write-Up and a zero for the assignment
60% Major Assignments
40% Minor Assignments
If you DO NOT submit an assignment by the due date, a zero will be recorded in PowerSchool and it will be marked as a "Missing Assignment". You can ALWAYS turn in work early!
If an assignment is INCOMPLETE by the due date, the grade will reflect was has been submitted.
If you have a PLANNED absence, you must communicate (via email, face-to-face, or both) with your teacher ahead of time to make a plan for missed work.
If you have a UNPLANNED absence (sick), having personal challenges or are in need of academic support, you must communicate (via email, face-to-face, or both) with your teacher and explain why. The Student and the Teacher will determine the appropriate support.
If a student CHOOSES not to participate in a graded activity, they will receive a zero that can't be made up. ANY activity can be graded.
Teachers have been asked to share class content resources with students using the Canvas Learning Management System. While most if not all assignments will be completed in person through performance assessments, information posted in the Canvas should especially prove helpful if a student is absent and needs to check for any make-up assignments.
IMPORTANT: ALL work is to be submitted via Canvas. It is very important that your student is familiar with the platform and they communicate all challenges with teacher (95% of the problem can be resolved in this conversation).
IMPORTANT: Grades for assignments WILL NOT be posted in Canvas but instead are ONLY posted in PowerSchool. Students are encouraged to check PowerSchool at least once a week.
I recommend being an "observer" to your student's classes. Click here for more information.
With any program, there are needs and wishes to keep us performing at the highest level. The following items can be purchased for personal use or to share within the class.
Please do not buy these items in bulk due to limited storage. Finally, please check with the teacher before purchasing to ensure there isn't a surplus -- this list is not updated in real time:
Class Uniform (please refer to "Class Dress Code"; personal use only)
Boxed tissue
Hand sanitizer
Disinfectant Wipes
Wet Ones hand wipes