Room 116

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION: MUSIC, IN THIRD THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE IS A COURSE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH A FOUNDATION IN MUSICA PERFORMANCE AND THE MUSIC CONTENT AREA STANDARDS AS DEFINED BY THE ARCHDIOCESE MUSICAL STANDARDS. THE ARCHDIOCESE MUSICAL STANDARDS ARE STRONGLY BASED ON THE NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR THE ARTS. CONTENT AREAS EXPLORED INCLUDE DEVELOPING PERFORMANCE TECHNIQUES, AND MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS:  SINGING, SOME INSTRUMENT PLAYING, IMPROVISING, COMPOSITION AND ARRANGING, READING AND NOTATING MUSIC, LISTENING TO AND ANALYZING MUSIC, EVALUATING MUSIC, CONNECTING MUSIC IN RELATION TO OTHER ACADEMIC DISCIPLINES, MUSIC IN RELATION TO HISTORY AND CULTURE, AND MUSIC IN RELATION TO THE CATHOLIC FAITH AND SPIRITUALITY.

COURSE MATERIALS: STUDENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR BRINGING THEIR MUSIC FOLDER, THREE RING NOTEBOOK PAPER, AND A PENCIL WITH AN ERASER TO CLASS. ALL MATERIALS ASSIGNED TO BE PLACED IN THE MUSIC NOTEBOOK MUST ALSO BE PRESENT.  3^RD AND 4^TH GRADERS WILL ALSO NEED THEIR MUSICAL RECORDER. MUSIC RECORDERS MAY BE PURCHASED THROUGH THE SCHOOL IF A SUITABLE BAROQUE RECORDER IS NOT ALREADY OWNED BY A CHILD.

TEXTBOOKS: VARIOUS TEXTBOOKS ARE USED IN CLASS. THE PRIMARY BOOKS USED IN CLASS INCLUDE THE SERIES’ SHARE THE MUSIC PUBLISHED BY MACMILLAN-MGRAW-HILL AND MUSIC AND YOU PUBLISHED BY MACMILLAN.THE ISBN NUMBER VARIES ACCORDING TO THE BOOK GRADE LEVEL.  MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS WILL ALSO WORK OUT OF THE BOOK ESSENTIAL MUSICIANSHIP: BOOK ONE (ISBN: 0-7935-4329-0) AND ESSENTIAL MUSICIANSHIP: BOOK TWO (ISBN: 0-7935-4223-5). THESE BOOKS ARE PUBLISHED BY HAL LEAONARD. DUE TO THE LIMIT OF THE NUMBER OF TEXTBOOKS AVAILABLE, THE BOOKS WILL BE KEPT IN CLASS AND USED DURING CLASS ONLY.

PRIMARY LEARNING OBJECTIVES PROGRESS ACCORDING TO GRADE LEVEL AND ARE BASED ON THE STANDARDS LISTED BELOW:

ASSIGNMENTS: ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE LARGELY COMPLETED IN CLASS. HOWEVER, STUDENTS MAY BE ASKED TO PRACTICE THE MUSICAL SKILLS, THAT THEY CAN REASONABLY COMPLETE ON THEIR OWN, AS A MEANS OF LEARNING THAT PART OF GOOD MUSICIANSHIP INVOLVES DEVELOPING GOOD PRACTICE HABITS. METHODS OF PRACTICE AND STUDY WILL BE DEMONSTRATED AND PRACTICED IN THE MUSIC CLASSROOM PRIOR TO STUDENTS BEING ASKED TO PRACTICE MUSICAL SKILLS, TECHNIQUES, AND KNOWLEGE AT HOME.

ASSESSMENTS: A VARIETY OF ASSESSMENTS WILL BE GIVEN IN ORDER TO BE SURE THAT STUDENTS ARE EVALATED WITH MULTIPLE METHODS. ASSESSMENTS GIVEN INCLUDE INFORMAL AND FORMAL OBSERVATION EVALUATIONS THAT ARE RUBRIC BASED, PRACTICE QUIZZES, SHORT QUIZZES, TESTS, PRACTICE PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS, RUBRIC BASED FORMALPERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS, PRESENTATIONS, RUBRIC BASED PARTICIPATION EVALUATION, RUBRIC BASED CONTENT EVALUATIONS, WRITING ASSESSMENTS, AND PROJECT BASED EVALUATIONS. IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE BEST POSSIBLE EDUCATION TO YOUR CHILD, ALTERNATIVE MEANS OF ASSESMENT MAY BE USED AS RESEARCH BASED ASSEMENT METHODS ARE LEARNED OF THROUGH THE TEACHERS ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. PLEASE CONTACT MISS KRUGER WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS. YOUR INPUT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A VALUABLE SOURCE OF INFORMATION WITH RESPECT TO MEETING THE NEEDS OF SAINT STEPHEN THE MARTYR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES.

SPECIAL TOPICS AND CONCERTS: 6-8^TH GRADE STUDENTS WILL STUDY VOICE AND CHORAL STUDIES AUGUST THROUGH JANUARY. THEIR CONCERT IS HELD IN THE SSM GYM ON JAN. 24^th,, 2013 at 6 p.m. THE PRACTICE PERFORMANCE WILL BE HELD AT 2:00 P.M. OF THE SAME DAY IN THE SSM GYM. PARENTS AND GUESTS MAY JOIN THE SSM STUDENTS IN WATCHING THIS PRACTICE PERFORMANCE. HOWEVER, THE EVENING PERFORMANCE IS STILL MANDATORY.

3^RD-5^TH GRADE STUDENTS WILL STUDY VOICE AND CHORAL STUDIES JANUARY- APRIL. THEIR CONCERT WILL BE HELD APRIL 25^th, 2013 at 6p.m. THE PRACTICE PERFORMANCE WILL BE HELD AT 2:00 P.M. OF THE SAME DAY IN THE SSM GYM. PARENTS AND GUESTS MAY JOIN THE SSM STUDENTS IN WATCHING THIS PRACTICE PERFORMANCE. HOWEVER, THE EVENING PERFORMANCE IS STILL MANDATORY.

STUDENTS WILL BE EXPECTED TO COMPLETE WORK ON TIME. THEY WILL RECEIVE THE APPROPRIATE NUMBER OF DEMERITS AS STATED BY THE HANDBOOK. NO GRADE REDUCTION WILL BE ASSIGNED IF THE WORK IS TURNED IN LATE. THE STUDENT IS EXPECTED TO TURN THE WORK IN AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. IF THE STUDENT DOES NOT HAVE MUSIC ON THE FOLLOWING DAY, HE OR SHE MAY TURN THEIR WORK IN AT THE SCHOOL OFFICE TO BE PLACED IN MY MAILBOX. PLEASE KNOW THE STUDENT MUST HAVE HIS OR HER FIRST AND LAST NAME ON THE PAPER AS WELL AS THE HOMEROOM AND GRADE LEVEL IN ORDER TO RECEIVE CREDIT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS: STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO FOLLOW THE PROCEEDURES AND EXPECTATIONS OF THEIR GRADE LEVEL, AS STATED IN THE HANDBOOK. ALL MUSIC RULES AND PROCEEDURES WILL BE TAUGHT TO STUDENTS WHEN NECESSARY. THE TOP THREE MUSIC RULES ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1.       REMEMBER YOU, AND EVERYONE ELSE IN THE ROOM, IS A CHILD OF GOD CREATED TO LOVE AND BE LOVED.

2.       SHOW RESPECT AND KINDNESS TO EVERYONE IN THE ROOM

3.       WORK HARD DURING CLASS TO USE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN AND GROW.

 

EDLINE: GRADES WILL BE POSTED ON EDLINE AND PUBLISHED EVERY OTHER WEEK. PLEASE REFER TO THE GRADING RUBRIC FOR A GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING THE GRADES RELATING TO ELEMENTS OF CLASSWORK IN MUSICIANSHIP AND CONTENT AREA EVALUATION.

CLASSWORK: ABSENT STUDENTS WILL HAVE AN ASTRIK (*) ON THEIR ABSENT DAYS. THIS ALLOWS EDLINE TO CALCULATE THEIR CLASSWORK IN MUSICIANSHIP THROUGH PARTICIPATION WITH ONLY THEIR PRESENT DAYS, WITHOUT PENALIZING THE STUDENT. ALTERNATIVE ASSIGNMENTS MAY BE GIVEN TO MEET A STUDENTS NEEDS UNDER UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES. THIS IS TO BE DETERMINED ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND APPROVED BY THE ADMINISTRATION.

CONTENT AREA GRADES: AN ASTRIK (*) INDICATES A MISSING GRADE THAT NEEDS TO BE MADE UP OR TURNED IN. STUDENTS MUST MAKE UP CONTENT AREA WORK FOR THE DAYS THEY ARE ABSENT. THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTACTING THE TEACHER TO FIND OUT IF ANYTHING WAS MISSED AND HOW TO MAKE IT UP UPON RETURN TO CLASS.

EXTRA CREDIT: EXTRA CREDIT IS NOT AVAILABLE. IF THE TEACHER DEEMS IT APPROPRIATE, A STUDENT MAY GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS, OR RE-COMPLETE A WRITTEN WORK, A  QUIZ (OR TEST), OR OTHER PROJECT TO IMPROVE HIS OR HER GRADE IN THE AREA OF MUSICAL CONTENT. HOWEVER, CLASS PARTIFIPATION AFFECTS PROGRESS IN A MANNER THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO MAKE UP FOR. STUDENTS SHOULD PLAN TO ACTIVELY PARTICPATE DURING CLASS AND SHOULD NOT RELY ON EXTRA CREDIT.