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Franklin Middle School Band & Orchestra |
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FAQFrequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common questions of students and parents.
Are there any practice logs for band or strings class? Yes! Practice sheets may be found in your student's band binders. They should be in the front. We check sheets every Friday during class. They do not require a parent signature, although extra credit may be received for having a signature. 7th and 8th grade parents, please note that this is a different system than last year. We even changed the name to "Practice Sheets" instead of "Practice Logs". The hope is that this method makes it easier for everyone involved. How important are concerts to my student's grade? VERY IMPORTANT! CONCERTS ARE MANDATORY! Concerts are a major part of being in an instrumental music class, and they are worth a lot as a grade. By performing what we know for an audience, we develop skills that will be useful in every aspect of life: confidence, adaptability, appropriate behavior, and pride in our accomplishments. If you know you will be out of town, I must hear from you PRIOR to the concert. If there is an unexpected situation, please let me know as soon as possible. Not having a ride is not an acceptable reason for missing a concert. Does my student need a pencil for band or orchestra class? Definitely yes! We mark our music all the time with reminders and cues, and pencils are the only way we may mark on our music. Pens are not permitted for writing on music. Also, please DO NOT put the pencil in with the instrument! Place it in an outside pocket of the case or put it in the music folder. Nothing should go in the instrument case except the instrument. Other items can damage instruments and cause costly repairs. How can I find out how my student's grade is? The easiest way is to send in a note with your student asking for a recent progress report. If that system isn't as reliable as you would like, please feel free to e-mail or call me and I'll be glad to send you an update. There is also the option of ParentConnect. Please contact our counseling office to get set up with that. How much does it cost to rent an instrument? There are many answers to this question. For students who already have an instrument (a family member's old instrument or one found at a reasonable price), the cost to recondition the instrument varies. The recommended method of renting an instrument is to go through a reputable music store. The price per month varies, but each instrument is a quality instrument with a good maintenance program. There are also school instruments to rent. However, the condition of the instrument varies (some are 50 years old!) and the family is responsible for any repairs that are required during the year. To get started with answers to this question, please see the "Links" section of this webpage for music store information. Why doesn't Mrs. Seadeek ever send any notes home? Uh oh! Mrs. Seadeek actually sends notes home quite often. T-shirt order forms, letters about concerts or uniforms, updates on what's happening in class, etc. All notes should be placed in the student's band binder. If you haven't seen anything come home, please ask your student immediately or contact Mrs. Seadeek. Most of the notes that go home are also available on the website in the "Important Documents" section. Does the band program need my help? Absolutely! Please contact Mrs. Seadeek and she will get you involved right away. Help is always needed and appreciated with copying, collating, chaperoning concerts, taking attendance at concerts, uniform organization and distribution, music filing, and general office tasks in and around the band room. We would also appreciate any help from musicians out there who can assist our 6th graders with their first year of band. If you are an accomplished musician, all of our students (6th through 8th grade) would benefit from your expertise. Please contact me so we can get you in our room as soon as possible. What is the grading system for band? Participation (classroom, concerts) 50% Assessments (musical, theory, projects) 35% Practice Sheets 15% When do the 6th graders begin playing instruments? We aim for the first week in October to begin playing instruments. Prior to that time, we are testing instruments, learning basics of rhythm and notation, and getting to know each other. Since the 6th grade classes only meet on alternating days, it takes until the beginning of October to accomplish all these tasks. How do I view the 'Important Documents'? All the important documents are in pdf format. You will need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader (a free download) to view them. There is a link for you to download Adobe on the "Links" page of this website. Why do you use e-mail so much, rather than phones? It is very difficult to contact anyone by phone in our room. We have a very loud and active classroom, with instrument noise and lots of movement. I can check e-mail three times a day and reply to all of them. I can really only check voice mail once, and I don't usually return phone calls when there are students in the room (privacy issues). There are ALWAYS students in the band room, so it's difficult to use phones. Please consider using e-mail when communicating with many teachers. Each teacher will let you know their preference. Mine is definitely e-mail! For those parents without a home computer, you may send in a note with your student or put it in my mailbox in the main office. I don't have a computer at home or an e-mail address. What now? My suggestion is to stop by the local library and set up a free e-mail account (yahoo, hotmail, or gmail). Once you have your account set up, try to stop by at least once per week and check your e-mail. Several teachers in our building send e-mails to parents once a week to let them know what's going on in class. |
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