Course: Band copy 2

Resources

	Welcome to Mr. Firchow's Grand Moodlrific Site This site will contain Information for the three schools at which I teach: Falcon Ridge Middle School, Scott Highlands Middle School, and Blackhawk Middle School. The band curriculum at all the middle schools provides large group (rehearsal) and small group (lessons) instruction. I teach a 7th grade band at FRMS and a 6th grade band at SHMS. I will teach lessons at all three schools. Your child may have one of the other band instructors for lessons if they are in my band. I look forward to working with all the students at all three middle schools.

1	Falcon Ridge Middle School Lesson Information Lessons are the core of the band program. Eighty percent of each student's grade comes from lesson attendance and the quality of their preparation. Daily home practice is the best strategy for achieving high-quality musical experiences at school. We encourage students to practice 25-30 minutes a day, focusing primarily on their lesson book or other assigned materials. Students are excused from class for a 20 min. lesson six times per trimester. A practice calendar with lesson dates will be distributed at the beginning of each trimester. Please put these dates in your student planner and on the family calendar at home. A watch with a timer can be a helpful tool to remind students when to come to lessons. Parents are asked to sign the practice calendar the night before each lesson. PDF copies of the trimester calendar, as well as other important information, are available for download from the FRMS Band Homepage. Please select the link below to take you directly to the band homepage. We encourage you to sign up to receive the weekly FRMS Band email. To enroll, please click HERE. Follow the easy directions and you will receive an email from the FRMS Band Dept. most Fridays. It is a great way to stay informed of lesson cycle days, audition tips, band activities, concert info and much more. Please take a few minutes to read through the FRMS Band Handbook (attached below as a PDF file) to review band policies and procedures. FRMS Band Homepage file Metronome file

2	Mr. Firchow's 7th Grade Blue Band (FRMS) Every band student participates in a large group band during the school year. Students are enrolled in a specific group based on their grade level and house assignment. These groups have performances scheduled in early December and late May. Twenty percent of a student's trimester grade comes from their participation in band rehearsal every other school day. FRMS Concert Dates: Winter Band Concerts Tuesday, December 1, 2009 or Thursday, December 3, 2009 6:00pm and 7:45pm 6:00pm and 7:45pm Jazz Concert Thursday, January 14, 2010 7:00pm (jazz bands only) Chamber Ensemble Concert Tuesday, April 6, 2010 Spring Band Concerts Tuesday, May 18, 2010 or Thursday, May 20, 2010 6:00pm and 7:45pm 6:00pm and 7:45pm Zodiac sound file The Swords of Stavanger file Arabian Dances file Black Is the Color file

3	Scott Highlands Middle School Lesson Information Lessons are the core of the band program. Ninety percent of each student's grade comes from lesson attendance and the quality of their preparation. Daily home practice is the best strategy for achieving high-quality musical experiences at school. We encourage students to practice 25-30 minutes a day, focusing primarily on their lesson book or other assigned materials. Students are excused from class for a 20 min. lesson five to six times per trimester. A practice calendar with lesson dates will be distributed at the beginning of each trimester. Please put these dates in your student planner and on the family calendar at home. A watch with a timer can be a helpful tool to remind students when to come to lessons. Parents are asked to sign the practice calendar the night before each lesson. Metronome file

4	Mr. Firchow's 6th Grade 5 Red Band (SHMS) Every band student participates in a large group band during the school year. Students are enrolled in a specific group based on their grade level and house assignment. These groups have performances scheduled in early January and late May. Ten percent of a student's trimester grade comes from written assignments that occur in band rehearsal. SHMS Concert Dates: Winter Band Concerts Thursday, January 14, 2010 6:00pm Ensemble Concert Tuesday, March 9, 2010 Spring Band Concerts Tuesday, May 11, 2010 6:00pm 6th Grade Vocabulary List PDF document Dance of The Jester sound file Celtic Dance sound file The Water is Wide sound file

5	Blackhawk Middle School Lesson Information Lessons are the core of the band program. Eighty percent of each student's grade comes from lesson attendance and the quality of their preparation. Daily home practice is the best strategy for achieving high-quality musical experiences at school. We encourage students to practice 25-30 minutes a day, focusing primarily on their lesson book or other assigned materials. Students are excused from class for a 20 min. lesson six times per trimester. A practice calendar with lesson dates will be distributed at the beginning of each trimester. Please put these dates in your student planner and on the family calendar at home. A watch with a timer can be a helpful tool to remind students when to come to lessons. Parents are asked to sign the practice calendar the night before each lesson. Metronome file