Boone High School Chorus Department 2012-2013 Handbook

Mr. Jussi Doherty, Director www.boonechorus.com

Dear Boone Chorus Parent, Please sign the handbook contract on the last page informing us of your commitment to your childs participation in chorus. Your child will receive a quiz grade of 100% for returning the handbook form by Tuesday, August 28. See calendar is listed below and please transfer important dates to your personal calendar. Thank you in advance!

Chorus Calendar
box = required for all students | CC = required for concert choir students

August 28 (Tue) Deadline: Handbook Form due for a 100% quiz grade September 6, 6:30pm Chorus Parent Meeting Chorus Room September 13, 7:00pm Acoustic Night sponsored by chorus Auditorium ($3 admission) September 15 (Sat), 9am-5pm Chorus Retreat @ Boone HS All chorus students September 20, 2:30 - 4:30pm Disney Candlelight Video Recording *Required to participate in Candlelight Auditorium September 28 (Fri), 4-9pm All State Audition #1 Timber Creek High School October 2, 5:45pm CC sings at Open House Meet in chorus room October 23, 7:00pm Fall Chorus Concert @ Boone Call time is 6pm for students October 25 (Thu), 4-9pm All State Audition #2 & All County Audition @ Boone

November 1, 6-9pm November 2, 8am-5pm November 3, 12:45pm concert ACDA Honor Choir Seminole State College November 8, 2012, 7pm Veterans Day Joint Concert Auditorium (details TBA) November 27, 5:00-7:30pm All County Orientation & Rehearsal Location: TBA December TBA Candlelight Performance @ Epcot December 18, 7:00pm Winter Concert @ Boone Call time is 6pm for students January 10-12 All State Chorus / FMEA Select students January 17, 6:30pm Chorus Parent Meeting Chorus Room January 22, 5:30 - 7:30pm January 25, 8:00a - 5:00pm All County Chorus Rehearsals Location: TBA January 26, 12:30pm All County Chorus Concert

February 8-9 (Specifics TBA) Exact date/time TBA 4 weeks out Solo & Ensemble MPA @ Colonial HS February 4, 11, 25 @ 2:30 - 3:30pm All chorus men rehearse (required) Feb 28, Mar 1, or Mar 2 Exact date/time TBA 4 weeks out Chorus MPA @ Timber Creek HS April TBA after school Variety Show rehearsals Select students only April 25, 30, & May 1 @ 2:30 - 7pm Variety Show Dress Rehearsals May 3, 4, 5, at 7pm ($5 admission) Variety Show Performances @ Boone Call time is 5:30pm May 18, 6:30pm Chorus Banquet & Awards FCC: First Christian Church (Kaley Ave) May 31, 2:30-4:30pm Concert Choir Auditions Chorus Room June TBA CC sings at Graduation CC sings at Baccalaureate

COURSE DESCRIPTION The Boone High School Chorus program provides a performing outlet for highly motivated and dedicated students interested in becoming more involved in the art of choral music. Class activities will include performing and listening to music from many different styles and time periods, music theory, and sight-reading skills. Performances will occur periodically throughout the school year both on and off campus. TEXTBOOK / MATERIALS The instructional materials used in chorus classes are primarily sheet music which is provided. The student is responsible for any lost or damaged materials. These items should be in place by the end of the first week. 1. Pencil (only pencil should be used to write in music) 2. Three-ring binder, black, with pockets provided by chorus 3. Students are encouraged (not required) to bring a bottle of water everyday for healthier singing CLASSROOM RULES 1. Be in your seat with materials ready by 10 seconds after the bell. 2. Dispose of all food, drink, or gum (or put in your backpack) BEFORE you enter the chorus room, with the exception of bottled water. They are not allowed at your seat. 3. Be considerate of other students and your instructor by eliminating unnecessary talking. 4. Be respectful of other students and your instructor. GRADING POLICY 40% - Performance Contribution Majority of points earned by, but not limited to, being present, arriving on time, wearing uniform properly, participating positively and fully, and exhibiting appropriate audience behavior. All concert dates are listed on the front page. You have no excuse for not knowing a date of a concert. OCPS recognizes that membership in chorus requires attendance outside of the regular school day. If you know that you have a conflict with a concert date, a note from a parent or guardian is required at least three weeks in advance of the performance. See the section on Concert Absences below for more details. 25% - Class work This includes pencil checks, theory sheets, listening activities, part checks, written quizzes or tests, or other work to be done primarily during class. This can include performance assessments during class, both formal and informal in nature. 35% - Rehearsal Techniques Your rehearsal techniques grade in this class will be determined by your rehearsal participation. The following rubric will identify how your rehearsal techniques grade is determined. RUBRIC FOR REHEARSAL TECHNIQUES & PERFORMANCE CONTRIBUTION: The participation rubric is as follows. The student will 1. Arrive on time to class 2. Sit in assigned seat quickly upon arrival 3. Remain in assigned seat throughout the period 4. Have required materials quickly when needed (pencil / folder) 5. Maintain eye contact with director during rehearsal and instruction 6. Remain silent when appropriate 7. Sing with tall vowels 8. Sing at appropriate volume 9. Sing with energy and enthusiasm 10. Maintain good singers posture when appropriate In addition, students may be graded on specific rehearsal tasks on specific days. For example, your teacher may announce that todays grade is based on posture. All students will be evaluated during the class to see if proper posture is being demonstrated. At the conclusion of the class students will be either given an individual or group grade based on performance criteria, which will be given to students in advance.

CONCERT ABSENCES Chorus is a performance oriented course. Therefore, performances are a large part of each students overall grade. Students and parents are expected to prioritize concerts by transferring these dates into their calendars and by avoiding all non-emergency conflicts. If absent from a performance, it is the responsibility of the STUDENT to make sure the proper procedure is followed. An unexcused absence from a performance will result in a zero and no opportunity to make up the points. Not having a ride will be ruled unexcused. An excused absence from a performance will result in the opportunity to make up the points through an assignment selected by the director. If a student misses a concert but does not notify the directors BEFORE the concert, the highest amount of credit a student may earn for the concert is 80%. Description of makeup assignment: In an after school appointment with the director, the student will perform the concert selections and sight read alone. Their performance will be graded using the appropriate MPA judging sheet and receive a grade based on this evaluation. Absences can ONLY be excused if the student has presented a written parent note separate from the one they send to the attendance office that explains the situation to the satisfaction of the director. Excused absences can include illness, family emergencies, and pre-arranged absences (i.e. religious holidays) where a parent note is received at least three weeks prior. In the case of illness or emergency, a written parent note must be received no later than the 2nd day the student returns. This policy is also applied to required after school rehearsals. CONCERTS & BEHAVIOR It is the final decision of the director as to whether or not a student may perform. If a student has shown a lack of discipline in class or has an inordinate amount of absences, he or she may not be allowed to participate. PARENT INVOLVEMENT Chorus thrives with the help of parents! Events run more smoothly for the adults and more fun for the students. Below are some ways parents can assist. 1. Attend the chorus parent meetings held twice a year (see calendar) 2. Attend all performances 3. Chaperone field trips 4. Volunteer to help with concerts, fundraisers, measuring for uniforms, etc 5. Help students be on time for rehearsals/performances 6. Encourage/praise the efforts of each student 7. Actively support chorus fundraisers CONCERT ETIQUETTE In addition to performance skills, students will also learn appropriate concert etiquette. The following list is titled the Top 10 Rules of Concert Etiquette provided by the National Association for Music Education. 1. Refrain from talking 2. No singing, tapping fingers or feet 3. Please have nothing in your mouth, besides your teeth and tongue 4. Do not wear watches with alarms nor jangle jewelry 5. Do not open and close your purse nor rip open your velcro wallet 6. Do not sigh with boredom 7. Do not applaud inappropriately 8. Do not embarrass your teacher, parents, nor your school 9. Do not read nor play with a toy in your pocket 10. Do not go to the concert thinking you will hate the music

CHORUS FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

This letter is meant to give you a full understanding of the financial responsibilities of chorus are and how it benefits our chorus students. In short, all students are expected to fundraise or pay for 1) their chorus uniform and 2) the chorus PFC or Personal Financial Commitment of $75. See below for details.
Important: No student will be excluded from chorus due to financial difficulties. To assist with these costs, we offer several fundraisers throughout the first 9 weeks to assist students who need help raising these funds. Failure to pay/raise the required fee will result in loss of school privileges. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have or if there is a hardship for a student who might need additional time/assistance in paying these fees. Requests will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

UNIFORM Standard Uniforms: All students entering mens choir, ladies choir, or Belles Voix must fundraise or pay a one-time fee of $60 for a chorus uniform. If they are in this group again the next year, they do not need to pay it again. Girls receive the black "Chorale" dress from Southeastern Apparel Boys receive tux pants, white tie, and black laydown tuxedo shirt; no jacket, socks, or shoes In addition, all students will receive a chorus tee shirt Concert Choir: Students placed in Concert Choir (4th period) must fundraise or pay an additional $65 for the concert choir dress (girls) or tux jacket (boys). Girls receive the black Arioso dresses from Southeastern Apparel Boys receive a tuxedo jacket PERSONAL FINANCIAL COMMITMENT (PFC) - $75.00 The PFC is a commitment that every chorus family makes to support the chorus program. There are financial needs involved with school arts programs not provided for by Orange County Public Schools. Enhanced instruction is accomplished through a budget with expenses including, but not limited to, accompanist and choreographer fees, clinicians, music, group travel, concert recordings, MPA registration, classroom equipment, technology, and performances. In an active high school chorus program like ours, a typical years expenses can exceed $30,000. This fee of $75 may be fundraised, paid out of pocket, or a combination of both. **It is our goal to keep the cost of our PFC at an absolute minimum while still making sure that we are meeting the financial needs of the chorus program. PAYMENT SCHEDULE If you prefer to make payments, please follow this payment schedule: Payment #1- September 10; Payment #2- October 1; Payment #3- October 12 PAY ONLINE WITH CREDIT CARD New this year, you may pay many school fees online using SchoolPay. Go to boonechorus.com and click Pay Chorus Fees on the right hand side. The school takes Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. You will need to register for an account before finishing payment. EARLY PAYMENT DISCOUNT There is a $10 discount for those who pay the entire amount owed by Friday, September 7.

SUMMARY OF CHORUS FEES OWED: SUMMARY OF CHORUS FEES OWED: Student owes ______________chorus uniform and and ______________the chorus PFC. I owe ______________ for my for chorus uniform ______________ for for chorus PFC.

Mens Uniform: In addition to the items provided, students will need to supply their own black dress shoes and socks. Shoes must be formal and socks must be black. Absolutely no sneakers or white socks! Womens Uniform: In addition to the dress provided, all women are responsible for having black knee highs, and black closed-toe and heel dress shoes that are no higher than 2 inches.

CONTACT INFORMATION Please dont hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns. Im happy to help whenever possible! Mr. Jussi Doherty Choral Director Boone High School 1000 E Kaley St Orlando, FL 32806 Phone: 407-893-7274 Email: jussi.doherty@ocps.net Web: boonechorus.com

Boone High School Chorus

HANDBOOK FORM
We have reviewed the chorus handbook, including, but not limited to financial responsibilities, uniforms, concert attendance, grading policies, and concert etiquette.
_________________________________ PRINT Student Name

___________ Period

_________________________________________ PRINT name of parent/ guardian (please print)

X_________________________________ Signature of parent/ guardian

_________________________________ Date

Student owes ______________ for chorus uniform and ______________ for chorus PFC.

Intended payment plan (check one) Lump sum paid on or before ________________ Suggested payment plan (Sep 10, Oct 1; Oct 12) I will contact Mr. Doherty directly to make arrangements

This form is due back completed by Tuesday, August 28

Keep the rest of this handbook for your reference during the school year, and please transfer the dates to your personal calendars.