September 2015
Dear Grade 5 - 8 Band Students and Band Parents:
Welcome to the 2015/2016 school year! We are looking forward to spending time with you this
year learning about music together. Mr. Yemen and Mrs. Linsley will each be teaching some
grade 5 through 8 students in the Good Spirit School Division. Our duties are as follows:
Mr. Yemen: Calder School, Dr. Brass, M.C. Knoll, and Yorkdale Central Schools
Mrs. Linsley: Saltcoats School, Springside School, Columbia and Yorkdale Central
Schools.
Students will be given a schedule of their band times at their individual schools.
This year, our band program will be moving to the outcome-based system of reporting. This new
marking system will be explained in detail to the students, and each student will be given a copy
of their grade’s outcomes on a rubric. If you have any questions about the new system, please do
not hesitate to contact us.
There will again be two jazz bands this year. The first, which is for students with no prior jazz
band experience but at least one year of band experience, will rehearse on Tuesdays mornings
from 7:30-8:45. The second jazz band will meet Thursday mornings from 7:30 - 8:45. This group
is for grade 7 and 8 students who have prior jazz experience. A bus will take students to their
home schools after the Tuesday and Thursday rehearsals. Students from all schools and on all
instruments are welcome to join jazz band. Rehearsals will be held at Yorkdale Central School.
Sign-ups will take place during the first two weeks of school and rehearsals will begin the week
of September 21. If you have any questions about either of these jazz groups, please contact one
of us.
All of the grade 7 students and all of the grade 8 students from all schools will meet in a full
band rehearsal once every six days at Yorkdale Central School. The grade 7 full band rehearsal
will take place every day 2 from 8:45 until 9:45 A.M. Parents are responsible for transporting
their student to Yorkdale Central School for this rehearsal. Grade 7 students from Springside,
Calder, and Saltcoats will ride rural buses to this rehearsal and will be returned to their schools
when they finish. Students from Dr. Brass, Columbia and M.C. Knoll Schools will be
transported back to their respective schools when the rehearsal ends at 9:45.
The first full band rehearsal for the grade 7 band will take place on Friday, September 11. The
first full band rehearsal for the grade 8 band will take place on Tuesday, September 15.
Please mark your calendar with the date of the first Yorkton and District and Booster General
meeting. This will take place on Saturday September 12 at 9:00am at Yorkdale Central School,
during the beginner band clinic. All parents are strongly encouraged to attend.
Our Winter Concert will be on Monday December 7 at 7:00 P.M. at the Anne Portnuff Theatre at
YRHS. Our Spring Concert will take place on Wednesday, June 1 at YRHS.
If you are a Grade 6 student, please check to make sure that your yellow band t-shirt still fits and
is in good shape for the December and June concerts. If you need a new shirt, please talk to your
band teacher as soon as possible. We will put in an order for our Grade 5 yellow t-shirts at the
end of September.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call us. You can reach us at the
following:
Mr. Yemen - work: 783-5412, home 641-6009, email: scott.yemen@gssd.ca
Mrs. Linsley - work: 783-5412, home 782-2915, email: kerry.linsley@gssd.ca
Again, we are looking forward to the upcoming year and to the musical growth that will take
place.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Linsley
Mr. Yemen