Sun Valley High School Choral Department

Dear Sun Valley Choral Students and Parents,

Welcome to a new and exciting year of singing at Sun Valley High School. I am very happy and excited to begin a new year! My main goal at Sun Valley is to provide the students with relevant and meaningful instruction that will lead to a fun, exciting and rewarding musical experience.

All performing ensembles will have two concerts during the school year: one in the winter before the holiday break, and a final concert before the end of the school year. We will also have a spring Variety show, and perform in a local choral festival in February. These dates and venues will be available as soon as possible. Students will have the opportunity to participate in a group competition, plus District, Region, and All State choir auditions. I will have more information about the dates, places and requirements of these festivals as they become available.

I am always interested in meeting the parents of my students. Please call or e-mail and make an appointment if you would like to have a parent-teacher meeting with me.

Again Welcome to the Sun Valley High School Choral Department. I am looking forward to meeting everyone and making great music together.

Musically Yours,

Nicole Moyer Choral Director [email protected]

PS. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to e-mail me, and please look at my teacher page on the Sun Valley Website: http://www.pdsd.org/Domain/92 You will find important dates, handouts, the choir handbook, a list of private lesson teachers and much more information about the choir there. The Ensembles

Freshman Choir The freshman choir is composed of students who are new to Sun Valley as freshmen. It is open to anyone that would like to learn how to sing. The choir will have two concert performances, and have the opportunity to participate in the variety show, and competition choir. Freshman choir consists of one class.

Concert Choir The concert choir is composed of mainly 10th thru 12th graders who have been singing for at least one year. The concert choir will have at least two concert performances, they will participate in the variety show, a music festival and have the opportunity to audition for district choir and participate in the competition choir. Concert choir consists of two classes.

Chamber Choir The chamber choir is an auditioned group that meets twice weekly after school. It is an accopella choir that sings with 4 or 6 people on a part. Auditions for this group will happen in late September. This group has several performances through out the year. They sing two concerts, participate in the variety show, go to a music festival, sing at one competition and perform in many local venues in our area. I am currently looking into a special trip for the chamber choir that would include attending a musical and receiving a clinic from some of the performers in the musical. **In order to audition for this choir you must be a member of either the freshman or concert choir and be present at All rehearsals, After 2 unexcused absences you will be asked to leave the group** The Music Department Handbook

1. Students Responsibilities  All Students must bring their required supplies to class everyday.  All students must practice for at least 15-20 min. everyday. Practice should include warm-up, scales, assigned lines of music and any additional music.  All students must attend after school rehearsals when required.

***After school rehearsals will be necessary as we prepare for competitions and concerts. Dates and times will be posted on my website, at least two weeks in advance***

 All students are required to attend scheduled concerts and competitions.

***We understand that emergencies happen. Please let us know as soon as possible when an emergency occurs. They will be dealt with on an individual basis and students will be allowed to make up a missed commitment***

2. Choir Room Rules  Be on TIME  Participation is expected  Bring required materials everyday  Be Ready, Be Responsible and Be Respectful  DO NOT talk during rehearsal unless called upon  NO Cellphones, NO GUM, FOOD OR DRINK ALLOWED IN THE CHOIR ROOM.

3. Consequences  Waning  Move Location  Private conference with director  Call home to parents/Detention  Office Referral

4. Equipment  All Choirs: School Choral Folder, a pencil, Theory Packet, Concert Music, and Sight Singing Packets. 5. Uniforms  All students must adhere to the district dress code during school hours and on field trips.  All Choirs Concert and Competition Dress: Gentlemen: Concert Uniform, Black socks and black dress shoes. (No Sneakers!!!) Ladies: Concert Uniform, stockings, and Black dress shoes. (No Sneakers!!!)  UNACCEPTABLE DRESS 1. NO jeans of any color, Not even black! 2. NO sneakers, NO t-shirts

6. Performances Performances are activities in which the Sun Valley School Programs are visible to the public. Each performance is a reflection on the students’ abilities, and is also a reflection on our school. Every opportunity will be made to ensure high quality performance. Each performance will be graded as a participatory test grade. Each student is responsible for bringing his/her own music and any other materials needed for each performance.

7. Grading and Assessment  Once a month singing tests/quizes 1. Scales 2. Assigned lines from sight singing 3. Assigned excerpts from music  Written Assignments 1. Basic fundamentals of music and music theory  Weekly Participation and Responsibility  Be on task, singing  Weekly Participation grade based from attached rubric  Evidence of practice  Music and supplies  Attendance at rehearsals, concerts and performances  Chair Placement may be determined by: 1. Singing tests 2. Random Challenges 3. Equipment Check 4. Attitude ***Students’ grades will be posted weekly*** Letter Grades A 100-89.5 B 89.49-79.5 C 79.49-69.5 D 69.49-59.5 F 59.49-0 Daily Participation Rubric 1-3 4-5 6-7 8-9 10 Student Student rarely Student never sometimes arrives to class on arrives to class on arrives to class time. Student Student often Student always time. Student on time. Student frequently asks to arrives to class arrives to class Promptness shows little effort in frequently asks be excused to the on time. on time. getting to class on to be excused to bathroom or time. the bathroom or locker. locker. Student is Student is rarely sometimes Student is often Student is Student is never engaged or engaged and engaged and always engaged engaged or participating in participating in participating in and participating participating in Engagement class. Student class. Student class. Student is in class. Student class. Student causes class does not cause usually focused frequently asks in Class causes class delays and is delays, but and making a pertinent delays and is sometimes rarely makes a positive questions during uncooperative. uncooperative. positive contribution. rehearsal. contribution. Student Student always Student never Student rarely Student often sometimes listens when the listens when the listens when the listens when the listens when the teacher or teacher or teacher or teacher or teacher or classmates talk. Listening classmates talk. classmates talk. classmates talk. classmates talk. Student Student often Student often Student rarely Skills Student frequently interrupts and interrupts and interrupts and frequently asks incorporates and never pays rarely pays usually pays for directions to builds off of attention. attention. attention. be repeated. ideas of others. Student Student always Student never Student rarely sometimes Student often displays respect displays respect to displays respect to displays respect displays respect to the teacher the teacher or the teacher or to the teacher to the teacher and classmates. Behavior classmates. classmates. and classmates. and classmates. Student treats Student is usually Student is usually Student is Student is rarely others with disruptive. disruptive. sometimes disruptive. kindness, and is disruptive. never disruptive. Student is Student is never Student is rarely sometimes Student is often prepared for class. prepared for class. prepared for prepared for Student frequently Student frequently class. Student class. Student Student is asks to go to asks to go to sometimes asks rarely asks to go always prepared Preparation his/her locker to his/her locker to to go to his/her to his/her locker for class with get materials get materials locker to get to get materials proper materials. needed every day needed every day materials needed every for class. for class. needed every day for class. day for class. ***Students who choose to cut class will receive a 0 for a grade.***