Week of September 4

BAND
Beginning Band is off to a great start! Everyone should be practicing 10-15 minutes every day. The students are writing their practice assignments on the front inside cover of their books. Everyone should have STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE BOOK 1. Beginning Band meets every Monday and Thursday. We are already playing 3 notes.

ORCHESTRA
Beginning orchestra meets every Tuesday. Please make sure your child is sitting up tall, instrument in left hand and held out to the side (not in front), and bow is held properly (there are pictures in their book). This past week we learned to play 4 new notes on the D string and stickers were put on the fingerboards to help find the notes. Remember - it's a GUIDE - not exact. If strings get out of tune, students can always bring them to me and I will tune them. They can also be taken to Instrumental Music and they will tune them for free. Everyone should have ORCHESTRA EXPRESSIONS BOOK 1.

STEEL DRUMS AND CHIMES
are off to a great start! We could use 1 or 2 more players in CHIMES, but STEEL DRUMS is a full group.

ADVANCED BAND AND ORCHESTRA
has been working out of the lesson book and has been playing some arrangements. Both groups are sounding great!

GRADE 5
Sings the National Anthem at the beginning of every class.
Wednesday - Playing page 8 in the recorder book. There will be a homework assignment on Wednesday that will be due on Friday .If your child is absent on Assignment Day, I write their name on their paper and send it to their homeroom.
Friday - is Singing Day!

GRADE 6
Sings the National Anthem at the beginning of every class.
Wednesday - Playing Page 16 in their recorder books (G, A, B songs). There will be a homework assignment on Wednesday that will be due on Friday. If your child is absent on Assignment Day, I write their name on their paper and send it to their homeroom.
Friday - is Singing Day!

GRADES 7 and 8 -
Sings the National Anthem and a variety of songs at the beginning of every class.
Tuesday - continuing with Note Values. Learning about stem placement and completing measures with the correct number of beats. There will be an assignment on Tuesday that will be due on Thursday. If your child is absent on Tuesday (homework day), their name is written on their paper and posted on my whiteboard. They need to come get their assignment when they return to school, so it can be completed on time.
Thursday - Continuing with rhythm. Clapping rhythms from our Rhythm Sheet. No Homework on Thursdays.