Mrs. Cancino’s Fifth Grade Band Newsletter
November 2, 2015
Dear Band Parents:
We’ve reached the end of the first quarter already! Your children have been playing for about two months
and are making so much progress. I’m sure you’re hearing the difference at home. We played through a review
from the beginning of the book, and the students exclaimed how “easy” the exercises were that gave them
headaches a month ago!
I’ve distributed a report card for beginning band, along with your child’s written quarterly exam to all of the
5th grade classroom teachers. They’ll be sending that home with report cards. Again, you won’t see a “real”
grade for band until the end of the second quarter, but I feel it’s very important for you to have consistent
progress reports. Please check with your child if you don’t see this come home in the next week.
In addition, I’ve posted updated grades to EdLine for the first quarter report card. If you haven’t yet signed
up for a code, please contact your child’s school’s main office. It’s a very quick and easy way for you to keep
track of what your child is and isn’t doing for band.
We spent some time catching up everyone on Ninja belts…just a few need to practice more in order to earn
their yellow belts, but I’m very glad to see how many children are motivated to learn those extra exercises. I
also had several students who volunteered to complete their playing test for line #33 early. We’ll continue
working on pages 10 and 11 in the book.
In the Band Practice Pages packet, we’ve started working on page 4. Ask your child about 2/4 and 3/4 time
signatures, as well as dotted half notes!
I’ll be working with the children, in class, on terms and symbols flashcards. The quarterly exams showed me
that many have skated by during the first quarter able to play the exercises but not truly reading the music.
As the material becomes more difficult, they will need to recognize notes, note names, fingerings, and rhythms
in order to play accurately. If they are struggling with any of these components, have them review.
Great job to everyone so far, keep practicing, and only three more quarters to go!! Have a great week 
Mrs. Cancino
Wade, Diggs, Jenifer, & Berry
mkcancino@ccboe.com
http://www.ccboe.com/departments/music/