Mr. Dundore,

Orchestra Director

Dear parents and students of the HCMS Orchestra, Welcome to Hunters Creek Middle School for the 2019-20 school year! Congratulations to all of our beginning 6th grade orchestra students, as well as the returning 7th and 8th grade orchestra members. I am so excited for what I know is going to be the best year yet! We have many opportunities to perform and showcase our talent throughout the year at school concerts, and even at county and regional levels. Please note that there will be several important dates and other information in this outline about this year. Please read the following class overview thoroughly to familiarize yourself with policies for orchestra class. If you have any questions or concerns about this information, please do not hesitate to contact me via Remind or by email at gregory.dundore@onslow.k12.nc.us. (Note to 6th grade students & parents: some of these items having to do with instruments won’t apply to you until we start using them after the third week. At that time, these procedures will become relevant and we will revisit and review them in class.) At HCMS, we will be continuing to demonstrate The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People in all that we do. We will be putting these 7 habits to action regularly in orchestra and become more familiar with them. The 7 Habits are:

1. Be Proactive 2. Begin with the End in Mind 3. Put First Things First 4. Think Win-Win 5. Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood 6. Synergize 7. Sharpen the Saw

It is my belief and the belief of our school that demonstrating these values in our day-to-day will enhance how we work together both as a musical ensemble and as a group of people.

Orchestra Grading Policy

Daily Grade: 40% of total grade • The daily grade will be based upon the following factors:

o Being prepared by bringing all required materials to class. o Being responsible by always remembering to take your instrument home (violins and violas). o Being organized with music kept neat and clean in a designated orchestra folder or binder. o Being attentive during class and putting forth the best effort every day with a positive and

respectful attitude. • All students will begin each grading period with 100 out of 100 points on an assignment called “Daily

Grade”. o If a student does not have all of his/her required class materials (see “required materials”

section), he/she will receive an “unprepared” mark for that day, and lose one point from the daily grade. If the problem persists or becomes a regular occurrence, parent contact will be made.

o If a student (violin/viola) neglects to take his/her instrument home at the end of the day, one DG point will be deducted. If the problem persists or becomes a regular occurrence, parent contact will be made.

o If a student is not giving the expected level of effort and participation during class, he/she can lose a DG point.

o If a student is not keeping his/her music and orchestra folder/binder neat, clean, and organized, a point will be deducted.

§ The teacher reserves the right to conduct unannounced music checks, during which time students with missing or unacceptable folders/binders will lose a DG point, and students with binders meeting expectations will receive a reward signature.

• Another part of the overall daily grade is playing at home (AKA practicing). o One of the things we discuss in class is getting away from calling it “practice”, as that can make it

feel like homework, but rather just calling it what it is: playing. o A minimum at-home playing time goal should be 60 minutes per week.

§ Going above and beyond 60 minutes is encouraged! § The music that students should be working on at home include technique work, method

book studies, concert music, and any other music or assignments given by Mr. Dundore. § Logging minutes every single day is not required. § Of course, not everyone has big blocks of free time every day to play, but even just a

few minutes here and there will add up! Find time for playing your instrument fitting around your schedule.

o The goal is for this to become a regular part of our routine as young musicians, and positive parental encouragement is hugely important!

o The more you play, the easier your instrument gets, and the more fun it is to play in orchestra! (and isn’t that the whole point?)

Performance Assessment: 30% of total grade

• Throughout the grading period there will be performance assessments in which students will have to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of technique, their music, and other musical factors by playing their instrument for a grade.

• The combined grade of these assessments will form the “Performance Assessment” part of the student’s final grade.

FLIPGRID • Throughout the year, students will be required to record video of themselves playing assigned music

using the online educational resource Flipgrid. o Students record themselves, and their videos are sent directly to the teacher. Other students

are not able to see each other’s videos. • Flipgrid assignments are often assigned over weekends to be completed by the beginning of the

following week, but can be assigned during the week as well. • Students will be trained on how to use Flipgrid on their 1:1 laptops, and will be given the access code for

their specific class. • Any students that are without a laptop or experiencing technical difficulties with their laptop should use

the Flipgrid app on a smart phone. • Flipgrid assignments should be completed at home and not at school.

o If there are any extenuating circumstances, arrangements and accommodations can be made with Mr. Dundore.

• Flipgrids are usually graded for completion only (10 points), but can periodically be evaluated for quality of performance as well (20 points- 10 completion, 10 performance).

o Students should always submit their best work. If they record but feel they can do it better, they can re-do as many times as they want before submitting.

• The reason for using Flipgrid is to test musical and technique development while preserving class time, as well as ensuring that students are playing their instrument outside of school.

PASS-OFFS • Students will be given a list of items that will need to be practiced and prepared for assessment

throughout the grading period. o Items on the list will consist of things like scales/arpeggios, exercises from the Essential

Elements book, and concert music. o This list will also contain all important information and instructions about pass-offs.

• On designated pass-off days, students will perform their assigned music for Mr. Dundore during class. o Pass-offs will typically be played in front of the class. o Depending on the grade level, pass-offs will be played individually or with a partner, at the

teacher’s discretion. • More details about pass-offs, including grading, will be given separately before we begin doing them.

Flipgrid and pass-off progress will be tracked on a chart in the orchestra room. • When a pass-off is completed, the student will add a sticker to their line on the chart. • The goal as a class is to fill the chart as much as possible!

Written Work: 20% of total grade

• Written work may be given as in-class work or to complete at home and can include small assignments or larger-scale projects.

• It will be based on skills such as: self-evaluation, critical listening, aural dictation, music theory, and music history.

• All work must include the name of the student and be turned in on time in order to receive full credit. • Written work may be given on paper, or in digital format using 1:1 devices, at the teacher’s discretion. • Students are expected to complete a practice log each week, documenting the time they spent playing

at home or outside of class for that week. o Practice logs will be turned in each Monday (or whatever day we return from the weekend) to

Mr. Dundore. o The format and grading of the playing logs will vary by grade level and be explained in the near

future, and Mr. Dundore will announce at that time when the first log will be due.

Concert Grade: 10% of total grade • Attendance at all school concerts is expected and required. • Our concerts this year will take place the evenings of December 5 and May 14, beginning at 7:00. Please

put these dates in your calendar now. • Failure to attend a concert will result in a 0 for the entire concert grade category, meaning the highest

possible grade for that grading period would be 90%. • Orchestra is a team activity, and like with any team, missing a member is extremely detrimental to the

success of the group. • Absence from a school concert will be excused only in the case of an emergency or illness. If this should

happen, please notify Mr. Dundore via Remind as soon as possible. • Dress code (boys and girls) for school concerts is as follows:

o A white dress shirt or blouse with sleeves (does not have to be long sleeves) o Black dress pants or a long black skirt (length must be below the knee) o Black dress shoes with black socks (if wearing black pants) o Boys may wear a necktie (any color), but it is not mandatory.

• It is very important for our ensemble to look uniform at all performances. You have two months from the start of school to the first concert to obtain these concert clothes if you don’t already have them. I strongly recommend not waiting until the week of the concert to find concert clothes. If you are a returning student, I recommend trying them on now, in case you’ve grown surprisingly since the last time you wore them. By signing the statement at the back of this packet, you are stating that you understand the dress code above and agree to provide all necessary garments for school performances.

• All concert events are shared with the White Oak High School Orchestra. All students are expected to remain for the entirety of the concert, for middle and high school, no exceptions. It is disrespectful to not stay to watch the other groups perform, especially when they watched you. Any student who leaves the concert early without prior consent from Mr. Dundore will only receive partial credit for that concert grade.

Required Materials

All students are required to bring the following materials to class every day: • Instrument (for violinists & violists), with the case containing:

o Rosin o Cleaning cloth o Shoulder rest or sponge (there is a stock of classroom sponges, but a sponge/shoulder rest is

always needed while playing outside of class!) • Every musician should always have a pencil on their music stand to make markings in music, etc. • A Music folder or binder to keep music neat and organized, and not folded up in a case!

o If using a 3-ring binder, make sure to have plastic sheet protectors inside. • Method book for appropriate instrument and grade level. This should be kept in the students’ backpack

during the school day, along with their music. o 6th grade: Essential Elements for Strings, book 1 o 7th grade: Essential Elements for Strings, book 2

§ Also continue bringing book 1 from last year. o 8th grade: continue bringing your book 2 from last year. o If any 7th or 8th grade student would like to donate their old book to the classroom once we are

finished with it, that would be much appreciated! o EVERY STUDENT MUST HAVE A METHOD BOOK!

§ The method book is the focal point in our course of study. § Most pass-off assignments will be from the book. § Not having a personal method book will hinder the student from being successful.

• A charged and working 1:1 laptop computer for any digital assignments or classwork given. o If your laptop is not working, it is your responsibility to take it to the media center to be

repaired. • All students should have a music stand at home to use while practicing. Collapsible music stands are an

inexpensive option that do the job just fine. o An alternative like a piano works too. Anything where the music can be propped up at an

appropriate height and not lying flat is fine. • If attaining these materials is a financial issue, please talk to Mr. Dundore as soon as you can.

Student Expectations:

• Students are expected to be ready for class when the tardy bell rings. This means that students will have their instruments unpacked, be sitting in their assigned seat, and have all required classroom materials ready for the start of the lesson.

• There is NO FOOD, DRINK, or GUM allowed in the orchestra room. Water is permitted as long as it is kept in a clear, closable bottle.

• Any cell phones, earbuds/headphones, tablets, or other devices (aside from the 1:1 laptops) must be kept in backpacks at all times. 1:1 laptops are only to be used when the teacher instructs so.

• Violin and viola players are expected to take their instrument home with them every day to practice, even if they know they won’t be able to practice that night. No instruments should be left at school overnight unless given individual permission from Mr. Dundore. Cello and bass players are required to have their own instrument at home for practicing.

o Any student who repeatedly leaves his/her instrument at school will have a parent contacted. o If there is an issue with overcrowding/lack of space on a school bus, you need to let Mr. Dundore

know so the issue can be addressed with admin/bus drivers. • It is common and natural for string instruments to come out of tune, due to things like temperature and

humidity change. 6th grade cello players will need to periodically bring their cello to school via parent drop-

off/pick-up for Mr. Dundore to retune it. 7th and 8th grade will learn/have learned how to tune their own instruments.

• Students are expected to take proper care of their instrument, as taught in orchestra class. o Every student is responsible for providing the necessary routine care and maintenance (wiping your

instrument and strings with a cloth after playing, keeping your case clean, etc.) to ensure that your instrument remains in good playable and cosmetic condition.

• Any damage or breakage to instruments will require servicing from a music repair shop (students renting from Fullers Music would have their instrument serviced by Fullers).

• Students are encouraged to have an extra set of strings in the event of a string breaking, so a new one can be put on right away. Mr. Dundore can put the new string on if one is provided.

• Behavior expectations:

o Students are expected to respect their classmates, school property, school staff, and themselves at all times.

o In order to maintain a healthy classroom community that is conducive to learning, it is essential that students exhibit responsible, appropriate behavior.

o In orchestra class, we will adhere to the school wide zone-based behavior plan. § Everyone starts class on green. § If a student gets a verbal reminder to stop inappropriate behavior and get on task, they are

moved to the blue zone. § Continuation of misbehaviors results in the yellow zone, at which time the student may be

moved to another seat in the room if necessary. Parental contact will be made for chronic yellow zone offenders.

§ If a student reaches the red zone, they are sent straight to the office and receive after-school detention (ASD).

§ The teacher reserves the right to skip over color zones, depending on the severity of the behavior infraction.

o Student behavior and color movement will be documented using the Educator’s Handbook system.

Optional Afterschool Practice Sessions

• A few times a week, students will have the opportunity to stay after school in the orchestra room to practice their instruments.

• Students can practice on their own, with a friend, as a small group, with Mr. Dundore, however they would like.

• If a student needs help or is struggling with something, this is the perfect time to get assistance. • Pass-offs can be made up or re-tested during this time! • The sessions run from the end of school until 3:00, at which time students will need to get a ride home. • There will be sign-up sheets on the bulletin board with available afterschool dates, updated periodically. • Students will need to sign up for a day, take a pink permission slip, fill it out, get it signed by a parent,

and then give it to Mr. Dundore during class on the day of. o If a student is getting a ride from another parent, I parent note or message must be given.

• This time can be counted towards practice logs- this is a quick and easy way to log 30-40 minutes!

Orchestra Fees

• A fee of $10.00 per year is charged to all orchestra students to cover the use of instructional supplies and materials used in class.

• The orchestra fee is collected and receipted during homeroom to homeroom teachers the morning of the first week of school.

Orchestra Concert Dates:

(Put these on your calendar now!)

• All concerts begin at 7:00pm with a student report time of 6:15 and are held in the Earl Taylor Performing Arts Center located at White Oak High School.

o Holiday Concert: Thursday, December 5th, 2019 o Spring Concert: Thursday, May 14th, 2020

Note: More detailed information and reminders for each concert will be given shortly before the event.

• Music Performance Adjudication (MPA): March 10, 11, 12, or 13 (exact date TBA), 2020 at NC State University, Raleigh (class trip- see attached letter for more info)

More detailed information will be given at the beginning of the 2nd semester. Our exact MPA date/time will be known by early February. Other dates- for 7th and 8th graders only (participation in auditions is optional and not part of any orchestra grade):

• Eastern Region Solo & Ensemble MPA: Saturday, November 23 at UNC-Wilmington o For solo or small groups playing music together. See Mr. Dundore right away if interested!

• All-County Orchestra auditions: January 8, 2020 at New Bridge Middle School • All-County Orchestra clinic and concert (for those that pass the audition process): Jan.31-Feb.1, 2020 at

Jacksonville High School • Junior Eastern Regional Orchestra (JERO) auditions: Saturday, March 7, 2019 at Southern MS in

Aberdeen More information regarding these events to be given at a later time to any students interested in auditioning. Please complete the contact information and performance contract page and hand in to Mr. Dundore as soon as possible. I look forward to a great year! Sincerely, Mr. Greg Dundore, HCMS and WOHS Orchestra Director Email: gregory.dundore@onslow.k12.nc.us | Phone: (910) 353-2147 ext. 31040