1

Mr. Will Rogers

Room: 163

Handbook

2017 – 2018

2

Welcome Letter

Dear Choir Students and Parents,

Welcome back to school! I congratulate you on your decision to join one of the fine choirs we offer at

Riverside Junior High. Study in the performing arts will help to build connections between intellect and

emotion, develop aesthetic awareness, and improve the ability to solve problems and communicate

ideas. It is up to each individual to bring his or her personal best in order to further a tradition of

excellence at RJH. It will be my pleasure to lead you as your vocal music teacher for the 2017-2018

school year at Riverside Junior High. I’m looking forward to making great music with you!

This year, we will enjoy active learning and performing through critical thinking, productive rehearsals,

developing vocal technique and music literacy skills, and public performances. Concert and rehearsal

dates are listed in this packet, please take a moment to look through these as attendance for rehearsals

and performances are mandatory. I look forward to our first concert on October 10th, as well as other

various performing opportunities that we will have throughout the year!

In addition to concerts here at the school, some choirs may have the opportunity to perform at the

Indiana State School of Music Association (ISSMA) contest in March or at the HSE Jr. High Choral Festival.

At this time, it is undetermined which choirs will attend, please look forward to more information on

this to come during the winter season; but please DO mark these dates on your calendars!

Please also share our website: www.RiversideChoir.weebly.com with your family and friends to follow

your students work and concert information throughout the year!

Finally, remember that choir is an ensemble that works on the development of the most widely used

however technically difficult instrument to master: your voice! Healthy development of the adolescent

voice is critically important for a musician to enjoy many years of singing. I encourage you to seek out

private lessons and to practice healthy vocal habits whenever possible! Please contact me for more

information on teachers or opportunities!

Thank you in advance for your involvement with and dedication to this growing music program. Each

and every choir member is vitally important. Through hard work, energy, creativity, and enthusiasm our

choir students and parents can continue to grow in a choral program rooted in excellence!

Musically Yours,

Mr. William D. Rogers

Director of Vocal Music

Riverside Jr. High School

wrogers@hse.k12.in.us

Phone: 317-915-4280 (ext. 6163)

www.RiversideChoir.weebly.com

http://www.riversidechoir.weebly.com/

3

Calendar of Events:

School Concerts and Important Dates:

All concerts and after-school rehearsals are Mandatory! Absence and Tardiness will result in a grade

penalty to your student which cannot be made up. It is vital to the success of the choir that all

members are present and prepared for singing. Please write these dates down. If you have any

questions, please contact Mr. Rogers.

ISSMA Solo/Ensemble Schedule:

Month Day Date Event Location Time November Tuesday 11/22/2017 Solo/Ensemble Money Due to

Directors IN CLASS Class Time

February Saturday 02/03/2018 ISSMA Solo/Ensemble for Voice and Piano

Noblesville High School

TBD

Saturday 02/17/2018 ISSMA State Solo/Ensemble for Voice and Piano

Perry Meridian High School -

Indpls. TBD

Month Day Date Event Location Time September Monday 09/11/2017 Fall Choir Get-together:

Sky Zone! ($20) Sky Zone Fishers

5:30-7:30pm

October Monday 10/09/2017 After-School Rehearsal Hawk Hall 3:00-5:00pm

Tuesday 10/10/2017 Fall Choir Concert Hawk Hall Show 1: 6:00pm Show 2: 7:30pm

December Wednesday 12/06/2017 After School Rehearsal Hawk Hall 3:00 – 5:00pm

Thursday 12/07/2017 Winter Choir Concert Hawk Hall Show 1: 6:00pm Show 2: 7:30pm

TBD TBD Winter Choir Get-together: Movie Night!

RJH TBD

January

February Friday 02/09/2018 Arts on the River Hawk Hall 6:00pm

March Monday 03/05/2018 Festival Adjudicated Concert Hawk Hall 7:00pm

Thursday 03/15/2018 Jr. High Choral Festival HSE Schools

Fishers High School

TBD

Monday 03/19/2018 Fundraiser Kick-off RJH Periods 1-6

April TBD TBD Performing Arts Department Trip

Kings Island 6:30am-10pm

May Wednesday 05/09/2018 After School Rehearsal Hawk Hall 3:00-5:00pm

Thursday 05/10/2018 Spring “Pops” Choir Concert Hawk Hall Show 1: 6:00pm Show 2: 7:30pm

4

RJH School Choirs

Golden Crescendos 7th Grade Young Women’s Choir

2 sections: 4th and 5th period

Golden Crescendos is a preparatory young women’s choir that is comprised of 7th grade girls who are new to choir at Riverside Junior High. Students in Golden Crescendos learn good vocal technique through developing healthy singing habits and learning how to manage the adolescent female voice. Girls will also learn to sing in harmony against other parts, as well as develop proficiency reading notes and rhythms through daily practice. Choir meets every day as a class for the entire year. Students will sing unison, two-part, and three-part literature in a wide variety of musical styles including Broadway, classical, folk, gospel, jazz, and pop selections. This is a NON-AUDITION choir, any 7th-grade girl may join!

Golden Sound

8th Grade Young Women’s Choir

1 section: 3rd period

Golden Sound is an advanced young women’s choir that is comprised of 8th grade girls – both new and experienced – at Riverside Jr. High. Students in Golden Sound learn advanced vocal technique through developing healthy singing habits as well as learning how to manage the adolescent female voice. Students also develop advanced techniques in harmony singing as well as practice their proficiency reading notes and rhythms through daily music exercises. Choir meets every day as a class for the entire year. Students will sing unison, two-part, three-part, and even four-part literature in a wide variety of musical styles including Broadway, classical, folk, gospel, jazz, and pop selections. This is a NON-AUDITION choir, any 8th-grade girl may join!

Golden Voices

7th/8th Grade Young Men’s Choir

2 sections: 1st and 6th periods

Golden Voices is a preparatory young men’s choir that is comprised of both 7th and 8th grade boys at Riverside Jr. High. Students in Golden Voices learn good vocal technique through developing healthy singing habits as well as understand how the adolescent male voice works and expands during these middle years. Boys will also sing in harmony against other parts and develop proficiency reading notes and rhythms through daily practice. Choir meets every day as a class for the entire year. Students will sing unison, two-part, and three-part literature in a wide variety of musical styles including Broadway, classical, folk, gospel, jazz, and pop selections. This is a NON-AUDITION choir, any Jr. High Boy may join!

Extra-Curricular Choirs

Golden Carolers

Golden Carolers is a group that meets after school in the fall and winter months to prepare holiday and winter music for special events around the holiday season. This is an audition group. Students selected to be in this ensemble must attend one after-school rehearsal each week until the group ends at the completion of the first semester. Performance attire will be student dress clothes.

Show Choir

Show Choir is a dance choir that meets after school in the spring months to prepare for a feature performance at the spring concert. This is an auditioned group. Students selected to be in this ensemble must attend one after-school rehearsal each week until the group ends at the completion of the second semester. Each Spring, students have the option of auditioning for and enrolling in an after-school show choir. Concert Attire varies from year-to-year based on the music selection

5

Required Classroom Materials:

IPAD

Please bring your iPad with you to class daily. Your iPad

will only be used when instructed by Mr. Rogers for

assessment, notes, or work in our ONENOTE notebooks

REQUIRED APPS

OneNote (FREE)

Socrative Testing App (FREE)

Piano HD App (Free)

MUSIC FOLDER (PROVIDED BY MR. ROGERS)

This folder will be provided to your students in class and

will hold your students choir music only. Music will not

leave the classroom. All music will be available for student

study on blackboard

SHARPENED PENCIL

A good musician always travels with a sharpened pencil!

Pencils will be used to mark music and for theoretical work.

Formal Concert Attire: In order to preserve the look of a uniformed ensemble, students will make an effort to groom their appearance in a

professional and conservative manner. It is our mission to make the best impression on our audiences and judges,

therefore it is important that we look as good as we sound. Unless instructed otherwise, students will be expected to

adhere to the following concert dress code:

General Guidelines: o Hair should be groomed and neat with consideration to avoid excessive decoration

o Jewelry should be kept to a minimum or avoided. Students may be asked to remove excessive or

distracting jewelry

Girls – Golden Crescendos and Sound: o Each member of the Golden Crescendos Choir will wear choir uniforms for the upcoming performances.

o Garnett-colored for 7th or Black dresses for 8th grade girls the will be custom-ordered at a cost of $60.00.

Girls will also purchase tan-colored character shoes at $15.00 and wear flesh-colored hose (provided by

student) for performances.

o Students will be fitted for proper size.

o Checks should be made payable to Riverside Jr. High School with the student’s name on memo line.

Boys – Golden Voices: o Each member of the Golden Voices Choir will wear choir uniforms for the upcoming performances. o Shirt, dress slacks and tie will be ordered for the boys at a cost of $40.00. Students will provide their own

black socks and shoes. Tennis shoes with other colors are not appropriate for the formal concert uniform. The choir department will loan vests to each member for the school year. They must be returned in good condition. Should you lose or damage it, the cost to replace is $35.00.

o Checks should be made payable to Riverside Jr. High School with the student’s name on memo line.

**Students not conforming to the dress policy may be asked to sit out of the performance. If you have trouble obtaining

an appropriate wardrobe for your student, please let a director know well in advance of the performance. Help is available!

Order forms for formal concert attire will be sent home with your students during the second week of school. These must

be completed and returned to Mr. Rogers by Friday, 08/18/17

6

Grading Policy:

Daily Rehearsal Contribution 30%

Being part of a choir is the academic equivalent of being part of a team. Student behavior and rehearsal practices have a direct impact on the success of the performing group. Each week, students will receive a grade commensurate with their rehearsal contribution in class. Rehearsal Contribution accounts for 30% of the student’s grade.

Performance 21%

ALL CHORAL STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE IN PERFORMANCES. Performances and rehearsals are MANDITORY.

Each and every choir student is important in creating a successful program and performance. The performances are a culmination of all of the work the students have been focusing on and will be treated like a final exam. Students will be graded on attendance and concert etiquette (proper behavior and attendance until the end of a concert).

UNEXCUSED ABSENCES will result in a zero for the performance grade and cannot be made up! These include: - Non-school functions, lack of transportation, unwillingness to perform

EXCUSED ABSENCES are considered to be illness or family emergency. These MUST be delivered in writing or by phone PRIOR to performance date. Absences will be marked as a zero until make-up work is returned.

Music Literacy: Performance 15%

Students will complete two sight-singing and two rhythm performance tests each quarter. These tests will be completed and submitted using OneNote. Students may re-test different selections at their level as needed to produce a satisfactory grade. Submissions after the deadline may not be counted. Missing Scores will be added to the gradebook as a zero.

Music Literacy: Written 14%

Students will be given infrequent and small assessments on Socrative in choir which will help determine their understanding of written or theory concepts in music. End of Quarter Exam: 12%

Each Quarter will culminate with an exam which will be cumulative. Students will be asked to answer questions about vocal technique in essay format, identify and respond to specific examples from repertoire performed that quarter, and identify and explain parts of the human voice or the development of the adolescent voice.

OneNote Notebook: 8%

Students will keep an ORGANIZED OneNote Notebook that will catalogue concepts covered in class. If absent, students must complete this work at home. Notebook is graded on completeness.

Your progress is important to me! I want to see you grow and succeed. Grades in choir are meant to help you understand your standing in class and identify areas for improvement! While it is not uncommon to receive an A, it is very rare to receive a perfect grade. Grades are posted to SKYWARD. Please check SKYWARD regularly. Feel free to ask questions about particular grades.

7

Classroom Rules:

Be Smart Be Safe Be Nice:

Contribute well to rehearsal – we’re counting on you!

Bring a clear container with water to the choir room – singers stay hydrated!

Keep your mouth empty of gum, erasers, pencils, paper, etc.

ONLY use technology for school or academic purposes

Restroom passes will be limited to 3/student/quarter.

Have your choir materials BEFORE the bell rings!

Classroom directives are issued for a safe and effective rehearsal. When Mr. Rogers speaks, listen and respond accordingly

Return your choir materials to their correct slot in the choir room in an orderly manner.

Use the risers and chairs as intended and with care

Maintain a positive and respectful attitude towards peers and director AT. ALL. TIMES.

Assist your peers when they’re struggling

Some student performances will be great, others may need some work – applaud anyway!

Do not interrupt Mr. Rogers teaching, do not interrupt student singing, do not interrupt others speaking

Consequences

1) Verbal “Warning” issued in class 3) Teacher-issued detention

2) Conference with teacher outside of class 4) Office-referral

Grading Notes: Late work IS accepted for 25% of the grade for one day late, after one day, the penalty is 50% of the grade

Due Date Absences: if you are absent on the date something is due. You are expected to be prepared to turn it in the day you arrive back to class.

* All assignments should be completed with care. Assignments should be neat and the handwriting should be legible.

* If Mr. Rogers cannot read your handwriting, he cannot grade your assignment fully. No points will be given when a student’s answer cannot be determined.

*If any student cannot write legibly, they have the option of typing their assignments to maximize their credit potential.

Absentee Policy: YES — WE DID SOMETHING IMPORTANT WHILE YOU WERE ABSENT. It is YOUR responsibility to check with me the day you return to class to find out what you missed. You may e-mail or check OneNote or Canvas to find any handouts or assignments you may have missed.

You have ONE DAY for each day you are absent to make up missed work. After that day, any missing assignments will be accepted with a late penalty.

E-submission policy: In an emergency, you are welcome to e-mail me your assignments. There is no excuse to not have an assignment in on time. Printer and Internet issues are not an excuse. If technology failures happen, hand-write your assignment.

* Any assignment you are absent for will be entered as a ZERO until it is turned in.

Late work will be entered in Skyward when I get to it. If my assigned work is

not your priority, putting it in Skyward immediately is not mine.

8

Parents – YOU can help!

Dear Choral Music Parent/Guardian,

The Riverside Junior High School Choral Music Department welcomes you and your family to the upcoming school year! I

look forward to an exciting year which will offer many opportunities for your student. I want you to know that your support

is essential to our success. As a parent there are three ways you can help your students through your support of the choir

program:

1) Role Model! You can help by imparting the values of hard work and perseverance, reinforcing how to overcome personal

failures, and encouraging your students to get more involved and explore new opportunities in our program.

Your students may choose to audition for solos, find their place in leadership roles, or perform for judges

throughout the year. When you model support for what they do, you will have a direct effect on how much

they will accomplish and learn in this program!

2) Volunteer! You may have the availability to volunteer with choir activities. The choir will have some fun activities to take

part in throughout the year… and you and I know that organizing middle school-aged kids takes a village! If

you want to help serve cake at a concert, chaperone an activity or extra rehearsal, or just take tickets as

families arrive for a performance, I NEED YOU and would be glad to know about your interest!

3) Give! A last area of support for any arts program may be financial. This is accomplished two ways: through

fundraising and donation. Fundraising will take place in the spring and money brought in will assist with music

purchases, hiring guest judges or clinicians, technology acquisition and repair, payment to accompanists and

choreographers, providing additional props or costuming for concerts, or for designated use as scholarship

for high-performing students with demonstrable need of financial assistance for concert attire or performance

fees. Financial support may also be accomplished through donations and will be accepted at any point

throughout the year. Donors will be recognized in concert programs for the 2017-2018 school year.

Thank you for your support of your students and the choir program! I hope that you’ll have the opportunity to show support

for the choir program in any way that you’re able. I look forward to meeting and working with your kids this year – we’re

going to learn a lot!

Warmly,

Mr. William D. Rogers

9

TO VOLUNTEER OR DONATE

Parent/Guardian Information Form

Student’s Name Grade Member of (circle one):

Crescendo Voices Sound

Parent/Guardian Name: Parent/Guardian E-mail Address: Parent/Guardian Phone:

Choral Parent Club Volunteer:

____ YES! I have the availability to volunteer! (Check interest below)

Assist at concerts – cake serving/cutting, tickets, corralling kids, etc.

Chaperone Choir Events – Fun nights, Kings Island, Festival/ISSMA events

Help with extra rehearsals – reinforcing directives from Mr. Rogers, keep kids on task, etc.

NOTICE TO VOLUNTEERS! It is an HSE School District Policy that all volunteers – including parents – complete the necessary approval steps

through the district website. This process must be renewed every three years. You may contact me when you’re

finished to confirm your eligibility for volunteering.

District Volunteering Website: http://www.hse.k12.in.us/ADM/parents/volunteering.aspx

Choral Parent Club Donations:

____ YES! I am willing to donate! (Check donation level below)

Producer’s Circle Donations of $100.00 or more

Director’s Circle Donations of $50.00 – $99.00

Benefactor’s Circle Donations of $25.00 – $49.00

Patron’s Circle Donations of $10.00 – $24.00

All Choral Parent Club Volunteers and Choral Parent Club Donors will be thanked in concert programs.

Cash or checks made out to Riverside Junior High School are acceptable. Donations are voluntary. All students will

be allowed to participate regardless of donation or amount.

***PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS: wrogers@hse.k12.in.us ***

VISIT THE CHOIR WEBSITE @ www.RiversideChoir.weebly.com

http://www.hse.k12.in.us/ADM/parents/volunteering.aspxmailto:wrogers@hse.k12.in.us%20***http://www.riversidechoir.weebly.com/

10

Student Questionnaire (If you need more room, write on the back!)

Student/Parent Contract We understand the Calendar of Events and understand that ALL CONCERTS AND REHEARSALS ARE

MANDITORY. (Dates listed on page 3)

We are aware of the Required Materials and Concert Attire lists and will insure that all learning and wardrobe materials and are paid for and provided for rehearsals and concerts. Custom performance attire will not be delivered until payment has been received. (Page 5)

We have read the Grading Policy, Classroom Rules, Grading Notes, and Absentee Policy. We understand how these impact my grade in class or behavioral consequences. (Page 6 &7)

My student has permission to consume snacks and drinks during after-school choir activities or rehearsals.

Student Signature: Parent Signature:

Student Name: Member of (circle one):

Crescendo Voices Sound

1) List your performance objectives and goals: (AND REASONS for enrolling in choir)

2) Have you sung in a choir before?

3) Do you play other musical instruments?

4) Have you ever auditioned for a performance or solo before?

5) Do you anticipate auditioning for a solo or small group performance this year?

6) Have you ever performed in a musical recital or competition?

7) How well do you read music? Not so well I’m okay I’m Awesome!

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

8) How comfortable are you with your singing voice? I don’t sing much I’m a professional shower singer Let the whole world hear me!

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

9) How well do you practice music independently? I have like zero discipline I can if my parents make me I have goals and work for them!

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10