CHURCHILL JR. HIGH SCHOOL CHOIR HANDBOOK 2012-2013 Director of Choirs: Paula Helle Contact information: School Phone #342-3129 Home Phone #309.337.8400 School hours I can be reached: 7:30-8:45 a.m.
Welcome to the
Churchill Jr. High School Choir! As your director I promise to give my best effort to create a successful and positive learning environment. If you, the student will agree to bring a good attitude as well as your best effort, and, we will not only create beautiful music, we’ll have a lot of fun in the process! Parents- in an effort to conserve paper, this handbook will be available on Churchill’s website. If you are taking advantage of this feature, please print out page 5, (consentsheet and order forms), sign and return. Parents who request a hard copy of this handbook can return page 5.
This booklet should answer any questions that students or their parents have regarding expectations for choir. After reading, if you still have questions or concerns, please contact me using the information provided above or via the Churchill website. Please take special note of concert dates because performance attendance counts for a large portion of your grade.
Of most importance is your daily effort and contribution to the class.
Daily Schedule At Churchill choir meets daily and is organized by grade level. 6th Grade Choir meets in room 98 during 2nd period. 8:49-9:33 7th Grade Choir meets in room 99 during 8th period. 1:18-2:02 8th Grade Choir meets in room 99 during 6th period. 12:01-12:45
GRADING Grading will be based upon the following and start over with each new 9 week grading period. Daily participation: 40% Concert participation 40% Written examination/Skills demonstration 20%
There is at least one concert per grading period. Because choir is a performance-based course, there is a great deal of weight to this part of the 9 week grade. Excused absences are:
(1)Student Illness. If a student is at school the day of the concert, but becomes sick prior to the concert, a phone call needs to be made to the school (342-3129) or my cell before the concert takes place.
(2) Family Emergency. (Shopping, vacations, bowling leagues, birthdays, etc., are not emergencies.)
A make-up exam for excused absences only will be given for partial credit (30% instead of 40%) immediately after school on the Monday following the missed concert, unless another time is mutually agreed on. This make-up will take one hour, the approximate time of the concert in question.
Any student wishing to earn extra credit can receive 5% e.c. for each time they attend another concert or musical event (excluding elementary concerts) and write a simple paragraph reviewing the event. Another option is to watch a pre- approved video of a concert/ or musical. (For example, the musical “Seven Brides For Seven Brothers”, or “South Pacific”. See me before the performance/video to make sure the performance qualifies.
Are there exceptions to the Excused Absences list? Possibly. Please be responsible and contact me in advance of any concert you need to miss so we can work out a solution that is fair to everyone.
Consent for Drug Testing Please be aware that a “consent for drug testing” is now required of students who participate in all extra-curricular activities. Grade-level concerts are not“extra-curricular”, but Singing Streaks and any contests or field trips are considered as such and will require a consent form to be on file at the school.
*District Choral Festival Feb.11th (Monday) 7:00 PM
High School Auditorium
#Organizational Contest February 22nd (TBA, transportation provided)
Solo and Ensemble Contest March 8th P.M. (TBA, transportation provided) Ill. Central College
*Spring Concert
May 13th 7:00 PM
Churchill Auditorium
Singing Streaks Review
May 13th 8:00 PM Churchill Auditorium
*required attendance for grade (all choirs)
#Everyone except 6th grade choir ^ selected small group TBA / Singing Streaks only
CONCERT ATTIRE For all choir members (boys and girls): Blue Polo Shirt with Churchill Choir insignia (order form is on page 4 of this handbook), solid black slacks and black shoes (no patterns running through out). Black tennis shoes are fine, but please, no white socksand no “flip-flop
Shirt orders (choir and Singing Streaks) will need to be placed by September21st. Payment is asked to be turned in at time of order. Please return the last page of this handbook with payment. Shirts will be distributed the week prior to our first concert. If your child has a shirt that he’s outgrown or has been damaged, please order a new one. Also, I appreciate your donation of shirts that have been “out-grown”. Please note that shirts ordered after the 21st will cost $5 more per shirt. If you have access to a former choir member’s shirt that is still in good condition, you are welcome to use it.
Opportunities SOLO AND ENSEMBLE CONTEST Students in 7th and 8th grade have an opportunity to participate in Solo and Ensemble Contest in March. Students are responsible for their own fees. ($3.00 per ensemble and $5.00 per solo, unless entry fees increase again this year). This year the number of students I can take is limited, so those interested in participating are encouraged to let me know soon. We will prepare our contest music in the fall to avoid the ISAT week frenzy we’ve experienced the past few years. As always, I will provide the music, accompanist and private lessons to prepare for this event. It is the student’s responsibility to practice sufficiently for participation.
Singing Streaks Singing Streaks is an auditioned show choir made up of 7th and 8th grade choir students in Dist. #205. This year 6th grade boys are allowed to audition as well. Singing Streaks perform throughout the community and have a wonderful reputation for fun and flare, combining voice, dance and theatrics. Auditions will be held after school on Friday, Sept. 21st (3:30-4:45). Once this year’s members are selected, they will rehearse 3:30-5:30 on Friday afternoons starting Oct. 19th. Members will be required to keep a good academic standing to participate. Additionally, rehearsal attendance is required to retain membership in this group. More information will be sent home with those wanting to
audition. Pizza Party! All choir students are invited to attend a pizza party and preview the H.S. madrigal show in the high school choir room. The date for this event is Thursday, November 29th at 5:00 -6:15 PM. Bring your appetite and have fun watching the H.S. Madrigal Singers debut their Holiday show for this year.
CHAPERONES: PARENTS/GUARDIANS-each year I scramble to find chaperones for contests. If you are willing to travel with us (or in your own vehicle) to Solo and Ensemble Contest, or Organizational Contest, please indicate so on the return sheet at the back of this packet. This won’t “obligate you”,but it will let me know who I can ask!
PARENT/TEACHER COMMUNICATION Parents- if you use an email address or cell phone number that is not currently listed in the Skyward grading system that you would prefer I use to contact you, please include that where requested on the return page of nthis handbook. The more easily we
can communicate, the easier it is for me to let you know how talented your child is!
Please keep all previous pages of this handbook for
reference and return this sheet only to Ms. Helle by Friday, September 7th, 2012.
By signing this sheet and returning it, you are verifying that student and parent/guardian have read through the choir handbook for 2012/2013 and understand the expectations for this class.
Student signature
Parent/ Guardian signature
Parent/Guardian Email address:
______________________@_____________________
If you need a choir shirt, please indicate the size of shirt this student needs for their choir attire. Make sure to allow a little “growing room”. Youth sizes are very small. Only the very petite child should consider ordering one. If in doubt, stop by the school and look at a shirt.
Youth Small ______
Adult Small _______
Youth Large ______
Adult Medium _______
Adult Large_______
Adult XL_______
Adult 2XL _______
_____Enclosed is $15 for my child’s choir shirt.
VOLUNTEER HERE!
________ Yes, I am a saint and I am willing to serve as a chaperone if I am available.
Preferred parental contact address/number:
____________________________________________
Relationship to student: Parent Guardian Other:(specify)__________________ (circle one)