Wydown Orchestra Handbook 2018-2019 Welcome to the 2018-2019 school year! Please read through this handbook and make sure you have the concert dates on the calendar and all of the supplies needed! PRINT, SIGN, AND TURN IN the last page by Friday, August 24th. Mrs. Carolyn Day Orchestra Director Wydown Middle School carolynday@claytonschools.net (314) 854-6486 Orchestra Website: ​http://www.claytonschools.net/wms​ → staff → Day, Carolyn Follow us on instagram!
​@wydownorchestra Dear Students and Parents/Guardians, Welcome to the Wydown Middle School Orchestra program! I am so excited to start my second year here at
Wydown.
If you don’t already know me, let me tell you a little about myself! I live in the city with my husband, Colin, two
crazy dogs, and our 2 ½ year-old son, Ryan. I grew up mostly in the Chicago suburbs (Naperville to be
exact!), but moved around a lot. My family has lived in Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, and England. I earned a
Bachelor of Music Education from The Ohio State University. While I was there I had the honor of working
often with Dr. Robert Gillespie, the author of the Essential Elements books we’ll use this year. After I
graduated, I taught Middle School Orchestra for a year in Toledo, Ohio. I then moved to St. Louis and taught
at Rockwood Summit High School for three years, and then Rockwood South Middle School for three years. I
received my Master of Arts in Conducting at Webster University in 2015. I play with a quartet for fun and
occasionally with Webster University’s orchestra.
The purpose of this handbook is to give you the expectations and procedures of the Wydown Middle School
program. Since orchestra is a performing art, playing concerts to demonstrate skills on our instruments is a
large part of this class. There are several required performance opportunities for students throughout the year.
These are graded events so be sure to mark your calendars early!
All students need to rent an instrument for the school year. Violinists and violists must bring their instruments
each day to class. Students may store these instruments in orchestra room lockers provided. Cellists and
bassists will play a school owned instrument during class ​and ​must​ ​have an instrument at home to practice. It
is important that I see all instruments at the beginning of the year to make sure that they are the appropriate
size and in good condition if you are not currently in private lessons. I will let you know when to bring in cellos
and basses at some point in the first month of school so that I can check them over. Let me know if you have
any questions or special instrument needs. I will do everything I can to see that you have an instrument at
home! There is more information on where to rent instruments later in this handbook.
Practicing is a very important element to the success of our class. Specific details regarding the numbers of
required minutes of practice per week are provided in this handbook. I strongly recommend that all students
have a music stand and metronome/tuner to practice with at home. These supplies can be purchased at your
local music store. There are also many helpful apps for smartphones and tablets for tuners and metronomes.
Links to these will be provided on the orchestra website.
Private lessons can help ​all​ students progress more quickly on their instruments. I would be more than happy
to provide assistance finding the perfect teacher for you. This can be extremely beneficial to students’
development and will be necessary should they decide to audition for more challenging ensembles both in
middle school and high school.
Please feel free to contact me at any time if you have questions. ​Please be sure to print and sign the last
page of this handbook and turn it in by Friday, August 24​th​. ​I’m looking forward to another great year at
Wydown!
I will be using the Seesaw app this year to assess student progress and share photos and
videos with families throughout the year. Please keep an eye out for an email to join our
Seesaw class!
2018-2019 Orchestra Concert Dates Events in ​bold​ ​are required for the grade levels indicated​.
Please see the website for a full list of Clayton Orchestra events!
Monday, October 29th, 2018 - 4-9pm @ Ladue Fifth Grade Center
SLSMEA All-Suburban Honors Orchestra Auditions
Thursday, November 15th, 2018 - 7:00pm @ WMS
WMS Orchestra Concert
Saturday, January 5th, 2019 @ Ritenour HS
SLSMEA All-Suburban Orchestra Concerts
Tuesday, February 5th, 2019 - 7:00pm @ CHS
Elementary Strings, Chamber Orchestra, and ViBravo Concert
Thursday, February 28th, 2019 - 7:00pm @ CHS
7th & 8th Grade Festival Preview Concert
Thursday, March 28th, 2019 - 7:00pm @ WMS
6th Grade Orchestra Concert
Saturday, April 13th, 2019 @ Holman MS
SLSMEA Solo & Ensemble
Tuesday, April 23rd, 2019 - 7:00pm @ CHS
8th Grade Orchestra Concert with CHS Symphonic Orchestra
Tuesday, April 30th, 2019 - 7:00pm @ WMS
6th & 7th Grade Orchestra Concert with CHS Concert Orchestra
Tuesday, May 7th, 2019 - 7:00pm @ CHS
Elementary Strings, Chamber Orchestra, and ViBravo Concert
TBA - Middle School Promotion @ CHS GYM
7th Grade Orchestra performs
Mrs. Carolyn Day
carolynday@claytonschools.net
(314) 854-6486
Orchestra Website: ​http://www.claytonschools.net/wms​ → staff → Day, Carolyn
Supply List Supplies for middle school orchestra must be purchased or rented by the student. Below is a list of the
required supplies for orchestra class. Please refer to the instrument dealers on the next page to obtain
these items. Contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Supplies are due by Friday, August 24​th​. ​If you need any help getting these supplies please let me
know.
Required Supplies: · Instrument and bow (​all students​ must have an instrument to practice on at home)
· Rosin
· Pencil
· ​Shoulder Rest​ for violins and violas***
· ​Rock Stop​ for cellos and basses – please bring to concerts!!
· Cleaning cloth-soft, lint-free (an old piece of t-shirt works well)
· Nametag on instrument case (luggage tags work well)
· ​Black 1 inch 3-Ring Binder · ​Required Method Book (these must be purchased for class): 6​th​ Grade: ​Essential Technique for Strings Book 3
7​th​ Grade: ​Essential Technique for Strings Book 3
8​th​ Grade: ​Advanced Technique for Strings
The books and any instrument accessories should be available at most local music shops but can also be
purchased online at sharmusic.com or on amazon.com.
*** All violin and viola players are required to have a shoulder rest in lieu of a sponge in middle
school for your instrument. It is the most important factor in correct instrument posture for violin
and viola players. These can be purchased at your local area music stores. Quality brands
include W
​ olf, Kun, and Everest. P
​ lease let me know if you need any help acquiring a shoulder rest
for your student***
Instrument Dealers/Rentals String-Specific Shops: Bearden Violin Shop
8787 Lackland
314-427-7570
Rental & Sales
Clemens
6353 Clayton Road
314-727-4787
Sales only
Geoffrey Seitz Violinmaker
4171 Loughborough Ave.
314-353-1312
Sales only
Top Notch Violins
3109 Sutton Blvd
(314) 696-2172
Rental & Sales
St. Louis Strings
6331 Clayton Road
314-644-6999
Rental & Sales
First String Violin Shop
3107 Brown Road
314-426-1192
Rental & Sales
General Music Stores: Nottleman
1590 Lemay Ferry
314-631-1486
Rental & Sales
Manchester Music
102 Holloway Road
636-527-5588
Rental & Sales
Midwest Music
Conservatory
15966 Clayton Rd.
636-527-5558
Rental
School Music USA
11048 Olive Blvd.
314-218-6565
Rental & Sales
City Music
9299 Watson Rd.
314-961-8700
Rental & Sales
Tips for Renting or Purchasing an Instrument I recommend that students rent an instrument during middle school. Students may change sizes more than once and may
want an upgraded instrument in high school. If you choose to purchase an instrument, look for a vendor who has a program
in which students may trade-in their purchase for a different size or an upgrade in the future. Feel free to email me if you
have any questions.
PLEASE THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU PURCHASE AN INSTRUMENT ONLINE​. It is best to try out an instrument before
it is purchased since it will be a long term commitment! String instruments are rarely sold as bargains, so if it sounds like it
is too good to be true, it probably is. An instrument that looks good in a picture may actually need hundreds of dollars of
repair work, be unplayable, or may be the wrong size for you.
-Y
​ ou must bring your child with you to the music store to rent the instrument.​ The staff there will size your child so that they
have the correct instrument for their height and arm length. If there are any problems in sizing I will let you know during the
first two weeks of school. An incorrect instrument size can be the difference between success and frustration for string
players.
-Purchase the insurance-especially cello and bass players! Accidents happen and can be very costly!
-All instruments should include: rosin, bow, and four fine tuners (none on bass).
-You must purchase a ​shoulder rest​ (violins and violas) or r​ ock stop​ (cellos and basses) if not provided with your rental.
**See my website for more information on renting and purchasing instruments.** Orchestra Grading Policy The orchestra grading policy will be based on three areas:
Playing Assessments - 40% Written Assessments - 20% Daily Performance - 20% Concert Performance - 20% PLAYING ASSESSMENTS: ​Students will be given weekly/semi-weekly playing assessments. We will go over each
assessment in class, but they must also practice on their own to become proficient at each excerpt.
PRACTICING: ​Students are expected to practice at home each week. The minimum required minutes of home practice
are as follows:
6​th​ grade: 80 minutes/week
7​th​ grade: 100 minutes/week
8​th​ grade: 120 minutes/week
Please plan with your student a good time to practice each week. It is more beneficial to break up practice into smaller
amounts each day than a long period of practice once a week. Practicing should also occur somewhere quiet where
students can easily focus. If your child sits while practicing, please make sure they are sitting on a hard chair and not
something soft such as a couch or recliner. Below are some suggested supplies to enhance your child’s practice sessions:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Music Stand
Hard stool or chair for cellists (Violin/Viola/Bass should stand)
Metronome*
Tuner*
Recording Device (this can be used for a student to evaluate his or her own playing)*
*Apps on tablets and phones are perfectly acceptable for these purposes.
Classroom Rules and Expectations Below is a list of the rules and expectations for orchestra class. Please review them and discuss them with your child.
Rules and Expectations
1. Be respectful to yourself and others.
2. Come to class prepared and ready to learn.
3. Demonstrate appropriate rehearsal etiquette during class.
Consequences
1. Verbal Warning
2. Student Conference
3. Phone call home
4. Office Referral
Concert Information Please mark your calendars now for our 2018-2019 concert dates. Attendance is mandatory for all concerts (unless otherwise noted). ​Concerts are worth 20% of your grade.​ **​Any pre-existing conflicts must be submitted in writing by August 31st, 2018​** Concert Dress All Students s​ hould wear a nice ​black​ ​shirt​ with ​black pants and black shoes​ (no jeans or sneakers, please). All shirts
should be short sleeve or longer (no tank tops) and must be long enough to go over the top of the pants while performing.
Skirts or dresses must be at LEAST knee length​.
2018-2019 Orchestra Concert Dates Events in ​bold​ ​are required for the grade levels indicated​.
Please see the website for a full list of Clayton Orchestra events!
Monday, October 29th, 2018 - 4-9pm @ Ladue Fifth Grade Center
SLSMEA All-Suburban Honors Orchestra Auditions
Thursday, November 15th, 2018 - 7:00pm @ WMS
WMS Orchestra Concert
Saturday, January 5th, 2019 @ Ritenour HS
SLSMEA All-Suburban Orchestra Concerts
Tuesday, February 5th, 2019 - 7:00pm @ CHS
Elementary Strings, Chamber Orchestra, and ViBravo Concert
Thursday, February 28th, 2019 - 7:00pm @ CHS
7th & 8th Grade Festival Preview Concert
Thursday, March 28th, 2019 - 7:00pm @ WMS
6th Grade Orchestra Concert
Saturday, April 13th, 2019 @ Holman MS
SLSMEA Solo & Ensemble
Tuesday, April 23rd, 2019 - 7:00pm @ CHS
8th Grade Orchestra Concert with CHS Symphonic Orchestra
Tuesday, April 30th, 2019 - 7:00pm @ WMS
6th & 7th Grade Orchestra Concert with CHS Concert Orchestra
Tuesday, May 7th, 2019 - 7:00pm @ CHS
Elementary Strings, Chamber Orchestra, and ViBravo Concert
TBA - Middle School Promotion @ CHS GYM
7th Grade Orchestra performs
Wydown Middle School Orchestra Signature Form Please initial/check each area of the form below and provide signatures to acknowledge that you
have read and understand the information provided in the Wydown Middle School Orchestra
Handbook.
Students must return this form by Friday, August 24th, 2018.
❑ 6th Grade Orchestra
❑ 7th Grade Orchestra
❑ 8th Grade Orchestra
Student Name: _______________________________________________________
_______
I have viewed my student’s teacher website and understand how to access important
information. (If home internet access is unavailable, please inform Mrs. Day)
_______
I have read the 2018-2019 Online Orchestra Handbook and understand how the
information applies to my student. Hard copies of the Orchestra Handbook are available
upon request.
_______
I understand that it is the student’s responsibility to have his/her instrument and needed
materials (books, binder, music, pencil, instrument accessories, etc.) in rehearsal every
day.
_______
I have read the grading criteria and understand the importance of each component and
how each component contributes to the student’s quarter/semester grade.
_______
I have reserved the performance dates for my student’s orchestra on the family calendar
and understand the commitment of attendance as well as grade implications regarding
attendance. ​I also understand that I must report previously scheduled
commitments that conflict with a required performance to Mrs. Day in writing
prior to August 31st, 2018.
_______
I am aware of the orchestra concert dress code and will ensure that my student is
compliant at each performance.
Parent/Guardian Signature:​________________________ Student Signature:__________________________