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Choir Syllabus/HandbookWalter Wellborn High School

135 Pinson RoadAnniston, AL 36201

Mr. Carlton Copeland, Choral Director [email protected] phone: 256-741-7643

*Email is the best way to reach me.

Course Description:In choir you will learn how to read music using the Kodaly Solfege System while preparing songs for performances. Performances are a required part of this class. Students will be given a participation grade daily. Participation grades will reflect student preparedness, posture, and attentiveness.

Required Materials: Alfred’s Complete Essentials of Music Theory Workbook.

(Available on Amazon for less than $10.) ISBN-13: 978-0882848976

Three ring binder, 1 inch, black Three prong portfolio with pockets, any color Spiral-bound notebook, college ruled Manuscript paper notebook Mechanical pencil

Outline of Course:This school year will consist of building and improving music reading skills. Attendance at all choir performances is required, even if you are not performing in the concert. Attendance will be taken AFTER each performance. Please mark your calendars carefully. Some dates are included in this syllabus, but a tentative calendar will be sent home soon.

Concerts and Performances:Oct. 14 Performance at Fall Festival Dec. 5 Choir/Band Concert, Adcock Gym, 6pmDec. 7 White Christmas, 6pmTBA Choral Concert, Eulaton United Methodist Church

Choir Syllabus/Handbook,

*****All dates are subject to change! Some additional concerts will likely be added. An updated list of events will be available soon. These are included for planning purposes. Thanks in advance for your flexibility.

Description of Standards:

Alabama Standards for Choral Music will be taught during this course. Please refer to the Alabama Vocal Music Standards for detailed listings of standards. (https://alex.state.al.us/)

Expectations: Let’s create a positive atmosphere for learning!

Daily Procedures:

RESPECT EVERYONE1) You need the following items every day at your chair: pencil, folder, and paper inside the

folder. 2) Pick up your music folder every day before you sit down.3) When you walk in the door daily, you must immediately complete your written warm

up silently. You are not allowed to talk during this time. The warm up will usually be on the screen in the front of the room.

4) Book bags are not allowed at your seat.5) Cell Phones: Cell phones are ONLY ALLOWED when Mr. Copeland has given

advance notice that cell phones are allowed (Choir Device Days or CDD). If I see or hear them, the cell phone will be confiscated and given to an administrator and a record of the offence will be created. Having your cell phone on non-CDDs will negatively affect your daily grade. Thanks for NOT allowing me to see or hear the cell phone in class unless I have asked you to bring them to class. It allows for better learning!

6) Use the bathroom and get water BETWEEN classes only…..not DURING class.7) Emergencies: If you are ill or have some sort of emergency and need to go to the

bathroom during class, please let me know. 8) If you forget your folder, you will not be allowed to go back to your locker to get it.9) If you are late, bring a hall pass from a teacher or an administrator. 10) If you do not have a hall pass, the tardy is UNEXCUSED and will be recorded in iNow.11) Excessive tardiness will result in disciplinary action. 12) Please raise your hand before speaking if you have a question or comment.13) Please do not write on choir room property. 14) Keep your hands and feet to yourself.15) Do not play piano without permission.16) Spit out gum and candy on your way in the door. It is not allowed in class.17) Avoid leaning forward or backward in your chair.18) You may sharpen your pencil before class. If you need to sharpen during class, please

ask first.19) Once you enter my room, you must stay inside my room and begin your warm up. You

may not linger in the doorway or in the hall outside my room, and you may not put your books down and then go to the bathroom or walk out of the class.

20) Choir Field Trips are a privilege. You begin earning the right to go on those trips today. Remember that you show what kind of student you are every day.


http://www.georgiastandards.org/

21) Throwing objects is not allowed.22) When announcements are on, we all listen.23) Make up work policy: It is your responsibility to ask me about missed assignments.

Failure to make up missed work will result in a zero.

Consequences of misbehaviors:1) Verbal warning2) One on one discussion3) I will contact your parent4) I will refer you to an administrator

Excellence is not an act, but a habit.

Your daily grade is 40% of your total grade.Here are the FOUR ways to Ensure You Get An “A”

Every day in Choir1) Bring your pencil, folder and paper daily. Place the date and class period on each

warm up. Keep your folder in order by DATE. Random folder checks occur several times each week, and folders are collected for grading at the end of each nine weeks. (20 points daily).

2) Begin your warm up quietly and immediately (30 points daily).3) Participate to the best of your ability and listen ACTIVELY. (30 points daily).4) Pick up your singing folder daily as you enter the classroom and take it to your

chair (20 points daily.)

Concert Uniform

Each student must purchase a choir polo. The cost is $20. Polo money is due by September 1st. Students must also have a pair of khakis and a pair of blue jeans without holes above the knee for informal performances.

Formal concert attire will vary by ensemble. More information regarding attire will be sent home soon.


Choral Leadership Team

Student Leadership Opportunities

Student leaders are vital to a healthy and growing choral program. Student leaders will be held to the highest standards in behavior, participation, musicianship, character, and attitude. Student leaders will work together, with guidance and advisement from the choral director, to intentionally promote the choral program using media, word-of-mouth, and other strategies to promote choir recruitment and retention. Students will plan activities for Choir Day and Choir Camp. Student leaders will work closely with the choral director to plan concerts and other performances.

Section Leader, 4 positions available per ensemble

Section leaders are expected to provide strong musical and personal leadership. They are also expected to display an attitude of enthusiasm, hard work, support, and loyalty to the choir. They must always display cooperation and support of the director and choir by words and actions, and they must have time to devote to the choir. There will be one section leader per voice part for each ensemble. The duties of section leaders are as follows: Provide accountability for the rest of the section he/she leads. Exemplify great musicianship and scholarship in choir and

other academic classes. Learn their own part as quickly as possible and assist their

section as they learn their parts. Provide links to available part tracks to their section

members. As necessary, Record part tracks for their section. Make sure that each member of their section has music,

folder, and materials daily.


Secretary/Historian –2 positions available, 1 for each level

Duties of Secretary/Historian are as follows: Keep accurate records of choir officer meetings. Save all programs, CDs, and other performance related

materials. Work closely with members of the Media Team.

Media Team

Students on the media team are responsible for capturing important moments in the choral program that will be made public so that the community may see what we are doing. Also, students will work together to create flyers, concert program bulletins, monthly choir newsletter, choir webpage, and other promotional items that will be used for recruitment purposes.

Media team positions and duties are as follows:

Media Chair, 1 position available, HS Work with director to determine the best ways to promote the

WWHS Choral Program, develop a strategy to promote the program, and articulate that plan to the Media Team.

Compile list of available concert venues and performance opportunities for each choir.

Make sure important announcements are made over the intercom by delegating or making them personally.

Photographer, 1 position available per ensemble Take pictures or choir and individual members. Send files to printer. Create and maintain space on wall with pictures of current

choir members.


Multimedia/Website Editor, 2 positions available, 1 each for MS and HS Use existing WWHS-managed social media platforms to

promote the WWHS Choral Program around campus and community.

Maintain choir website.

Promotion and Recruitment, 1 position available per ensemble Increase WWHS Choral Program visibility. Design and distribute a monthly choir newsletter.


Letter to Parents/Guardians

Parents and Guardians,

I would like to thank you for enrolling your student in choir! I am very excited about this year, and I look forward to working with you. It is vital that we have an open line of communication. I trust that if you ever have a question or concern, you will reach out to me. The best method of communicating with me is via email. My email address is [email protected]. (Note that my whole last name is not spelled out in my email address.) Please send me an email with your name, best phone number, and any information that you would like to share with me about you or your student. When I receive your email, I will add you to a mailing list so that you can receive our newsletter so that you will know what's going on in the WWHS Choral Program.

There are a few things you need to know at this time. Taking this class does require a fee. For 7th and 8th graders, the class fee is $20. For 9th-12th graders, the class fee is $25. The choir fee is due by August 25th. Please make checks payable to WHS.

All choir students are required to purchase a choir polo shirt and other ensemble-specific formalwear. More information about wardrobe will be communicated soon.

Students will need the following items for my class: Alfred's Complete Essentials of Music Theory book

(available on Amazon.com) Manuscript (staff paper) notebook (available

on Amazon.com) Spiral-bound notebook Binder Mechanical pencil


http://amazon.com/

http://amazon.com/

mailto:[email protected]

EMAIL and “REMIND”

Use of “Remind” is required for all students in my classes.Parents: I request that you become a part of my email list. You may also use “Remind” if you would like to do so, or in

case your student does not own a cellphone.

Instructions for students and for parents are below!

Remind.com is mainly a “phone-based” communication tool. However, for students who don’t have phones, you may use your computer. If you don’t have a computer, we have computers here at school for you to use.

EVERY CHILD MUST BE SIGNED UP FOR REMIND NO LATER THAN AUGUST 10 TH . I will include quiz questions on tests that come from information I have sent to you on your “Remind” account.

I use email frequently in order to communicate with parents. I also use “Remind” for parents.

Guidelines for Remind.com:

1) Here are the requirements regarding Remind:a) You must sign up by August 10 th . b) If you change phones, you must sign up again to stay current on the info. c) You are responsible for ALL information that I communicate via Remind. d) Directions to Sign Up for “Remind” :

1) There is an app . Get it! It is simply called “Remind”2) To sign up for Remind:

Each person must enter this as the phone number: 81010Then, you must text this, and you must use the @ symbol!

7th Grade-WWHS [5th or 6th period] @g74c63Chamber Choir-WWHS (7th or 8th Period) @3g92dfHonor Choir-WWHS [1st or 2nd period] @fg2a3We Speak Music-WWHS @wespeakm

All students must be signed up for REMIND no later than August 10, 2017. I will print out the results and give a grade. The grade will be “100” if you’ve signed up. It will be “0” if you haven’t signed up. Parent sign up is encouraged too. `


Parent VolunteeringIf you can do any of these things, PLEASE email me as soon as [email protected] **I prefer email communications.As a parent, how can I support the choral program? You can do so in many ways. You can contribute time and/or money. Here are some specifics.

1) Accompanist: If you are a pianist, PLEASE let me know. I would love to have a parent volunteer to play during rehearsals and concerts this year. The music is rather simple usually. The time requirements would be minimal.

2) Financial support: We are operating this choral program on a very limited budget. If you wish to contribute to our program to help us defer some costs, your donations are tax-deductible.

3) Chaperoning: We will need chaperones when we go on trips. 4) Programs: I need parents/guardians who can make copies of the programs

and fold/staple them for concerts.

PARENTS: PLEASE SIGN BELOW, AND LIST THE "NUMBER" OF THE ITEM YOU CAN HELP WITH THIS YEAR. FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU CAN HELP WITH ITEM #10, PRINT YOUR NAME AND THE NUMBER OR NUMBERS WITH WHICH YOU CAN HELP.

EXAMPLE:

PRINTED NAME: Jane SmithI CAN HELP WITH: #10 AND #3

PRINTED NAME: ______________________________________________________

I CAN HELP WITH: ______________________________________________________

****Give this to your child and ask them to give this page to Mr. Copeland if you are able to volunteer this year in one of the ways listed above.



STUDENTS AND PARENTS….

With this sheet, please do the following:

1) Sign it2) Get your parents to sign it.3) Remove it from the packet. Keep the packet in your folder all year. 4) Turn the single signed page into Mr. Copeland as soon as possible. This will count as your first homework grade!

I have read the syllabus. I am keeping a copy of the syllabus for my records.

Printed name of student_________________Student Signature______________________Parent Signature_______________________

On ______________________, I must bring my folder to class.On ______________________, this document is due to Mr. Copeland.

Attention Parents!!!!EMAIL ADDRESS NEEDED!

I send updates to parents quite frequently to keep you informed. We will also email you the monthly choir newsletter.

Please print below as clearly as possible the email addresses that you want me to use when communicating with you this year (parents only).

Please print very clearly.

Email address #1_____________________________________

Email address #2_____________________________________

If you are donating to the chorus program, please put the donation into an envelope with your check. I will give you a receipt for that donation. Thank you!


Memorandum of Understanding

Parents and Guardians,

Your child is enrolled in my choir class. This course syllabus includes my expectations,

course requirements, the nature of the assignments and how students will be assessed. If

there is anything that is unclear, please contact me at [email protected]. Students

will be expected to know the requirements and meet them. Your signature below

indicates that you and your child have reviewed the course syllabus and understand what

is expected. Please sign in the proper spaces below and return to me on or before

Thursday, August 10th.

Thank you! Carlton Copeland Choral Director

Parent Signature_______________________________ Date___________

Student Signature_______________________________ Date___________



web viewalabama standards for choral music will be taught during this course. ... it is simply...

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