Welcome to the MRMS Vocal Music Department Dear Parents, Welcome!!!!! My name is Laura Finch, and this is my 5th year as the vocal music director at MRMS. This will be my 16th year of teaching music. My husband and I live in Lee’s Summit where he is the Director of Bands at Lee’s Summit High School. We have two daughters; Leah who is 12 and very involved in dance, music, and school activities and Rory who is 6 and is a big 1st grader this year. Whether your child is new to the program or returning, I am so excited for the opportunity to teach your child about music. As we embark on another school year, you and your child will find that I have very high expectations. This Handbook is designed to be a reference for you and your child. Please take a few minutes to read through the information provided in this handbook. This information is valuable to the success of your child. Warmest Regards, Mrs. Finch lfinch@bssd.net Parent Communication Communication is the “KEY TO SUCCESS”. Email – Please make sure an updated email is in Parent Portal for this upcoming school year. Through Parent Portal & Power School, I am able to email entire class reminders throughout the year. This is a very successful mode of communication for all my Choirs, as most parents have access to email almost immediately. My Plan time this year is 2nd hour and so, if you email in the morning, I should be able to respond fairly quickly. However, after 9am, it may take me longer to get a response written. I will do my very best to respond the same day as the email is sent. Power School (parent portal) – I will be using the parent portal throughout the year to remind parents and students of upcoming performances and other pertinent information such as rehearsal changes, date changes, ect… Phone – In the case of a discipline issue, I will be contacting parents directly by telephone. I will also contact parents if a detention form or long form has been filled out. If a message is left, I will try and contact again the following day. Handouts/Paper Communication – I do try and send home a paper reminder for all upcoming concerts two weeks before the scheduled concert date. This is the responsibility of the child to give these handouts to their parents. On these handouts will be the same information that you will find in the vocal music handbook. Contact Information Work Email: lfinch@bssd.net Work Phone: 816-224-1800 Course Descriptions 6th Grade Vocal Music – This year long class will focus on the fundamentals of music and vocal technique. Emphasis will be on pitch matching, tone quality, breath support, diction, ear training, theory, and sight singing. There are two concerts throughout the year one in Dec. and May for 6th grade and concert participation is mandatory. 7/8th Grade Experience Music – This semester long class focuses on all aspects of music. From creating their own composition to listening to the great composers of the classical period, your child will experience all the ways in which music comes to life. 7/8th Grade Men’s Choir – This performance based semester class specifically designed for a young man’s voice; will primarily focus on proper vocal technique. Although I will incorporate other fundamentals of music such as theory and sight reading, the majority of our time will be spent on singing. Concert participation is mandatory! There will be mandatory concerts in October and December. Each concert is worth 100 points. 7/8th Grade Women’s Choir – This performance based semester class specifically designed for a young woman’s voice; will primarily focus on proper vocal technique. Although I will incorporate other fundamentals of music such as theory and sight reading, the majority of our time will be spent on singing. Concert participation is mandatory! There will be mandatory concerts in October and December. Each concert is worth 100 points. Course Syllabus Music Classroom Expectations Students are expected to have a Positive and Respectful attitude towards all students, accompanist, and teacher. Students are to be on task and attentive throughout the entire class period. Students are expected to be in class on time. Being tardy will affect their participation points for the day. Students must come prepared for class. Pencils and paper must be in their binder at all times. Students are expected to not be a disruption to the learning environment in any way. Students will not be allowed to have gum, candy, or food in class. Water bottles are fine as long as they do not become a distraction. There is a water fountain in the choir room and students will have permission to use it. If a student fails to meet any of these expectations, their participation grade will be lowered accordingly and a phone call may be made. Class Schedule 1st Semester 1st Hour 7:50 – 8:10 PACK nd 2 Hour 8:15 – 9:00 Plan rd 3 Hour 9:05 – 9:50 Men’s Choir th 4 Hour 9:55 – 10:40 6th Grade Vocal Music 5th Hour 10:45 – 12:05 6th Grade Vocal Music 6th Hour 12:10 – 12:55 Experience Music 7th Hour 1:00 – 1:45 Experience Music th 8 Hour 1:50 – 2:40 Women’s Choir 2nd Semester PACK Plan Men’s Choir 6th Grade Vocal Music 6th Grade Vocal Music Experience Music Experience Music Women’s Choir Grading Criteria 1. Daily Participation/Rehearsal Contribution – 50% of Students Grade 10 points are awarded each day to students who are in class or have an excused absence. Points will be deducted for not following classroom expectations . 2. Written Work & Tests – 15% of Students Grade Throughout the semester, I will use worksheets to reinforce learned material. Tests will include singing tests, sight-reading tests, rhythm tests, & musical term tests. 3. Concert Performances – 35% of Students Grade Students must attend all required performances 100 points is given for concert performances Concert Information & Dates 1st Semester Fall Concert: October 16th 7:00pm Men’s Choir & Women’s Choir will perform 1st Winter Concert: December 1st 7:00pm th 6 Grade performs 2nd Winter Concert: December 11th 7:00pm Men’s Choir, Women’s Choir & Honor Choir will perform 2nd Semester 1st Spring Concert: March 12th 7:00pm Men’s Choir & Women’s Choir will perform 2nd Spring Concert: April 30th 7:00pm th 6 Grade performs and Show Choir Fine Arts Night May 4th 7:00pm Show Choir will perform 3rd Spring Concert: May 14th 7:00pm Men’s Choir, Women’s Choir & Honor Choir will perform Concert Attire Gentlemen: Black Dress Shirt Black Dress Pants Any Colored Tie Black Socks Black Shoes Ladies: White dress Shirt Black Skirt or Pants (Skirt must be at the knee or longer) Black Shoes Minimal Jewelry No Perfume Please Concert Excused & Unexcused Guidelines Excused Absences: A student will be excused from a concert if he/she has an excused absence from school on the same day as the concert. A phone call or email is needed if child is not attending the concert. Failure to notify me can result in an unexcused absence. Excused absences will get full credit for the concert. Unexcused Absences: Failure to attend a concert is considered unexcused. Outside activities will not be considered excused. Concert participation is worth 35% of child’s grade in vocal music. Please make arrangements for this school related/graded activity for your child to attend. If a child is unexcused from a concert, they will have an opportunity to only make up 75% of their grade by completing an alternative assignment that is determined by the Mrs. Finch. The only way to receive full credit for a performance is by attending and participating in the concert. Concert Etiquette: Students are required to attend the entire concert. Generally, all concerts will last no longer than an hour. It is a valuable part of their learning and shows respect for the other performers. Students are also expected to behave appropriately throughout the concert. If a child fails to follow concert expectations, their concert points will be deducted. Student & Parent Signature Page Please return this page by Friday, August 29th Worth 50 points I understand the contents of this handbook and what is required of me as a student. If I do not follow policies outlined in this handbook, I understand that could result in a lowered grade. I agree to do my part as a contributing member of the Moreland Ridge Vocal Program. Student Name (Please Print) Class Hour Date As the parent/guardian, I agree to support the information and policies stated in this handbook. I also understand that my son/daughter is depending on me for transportation and proper concert attire for the required evening performances. Parent Signature Date Print Parent Names: _______________________ Parent Email Address: ___________________________ Parent Phone Numbers: Cell: ________________________ Home: _________________________ Director: Laura G. Finch Accompanist: Elaine Swanigan lfinch@bssd.net 816-224-1800