COURSE NAME: Orchestra TEACHER: Dr. Daryn Obrecht ROOM NUMBER: 820 PHONE: (702)

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1 COURSE NAME: Orchestra TEACHER: Dr. Daryn Obrecht ROOM NUMBER: 820 PHONE: (702) OFFICE HOURS: I will be available before and after school for make up work and questions. Generally, my hours will be 6:50 AM 2:00 PM (except on Tan (B) days). Special appointments may be scheduled on an individual basis. COURSE DESCRIPTION : This one year course designed for students who have developed skills beyond those outlined and described in the Junior High School String Music Procedural Guide. It includes further development of those skills necessary to become independent as musicians. The course emphasizes the place of string music in Western musical heritage, style development, articulation, dynamics, rhythmic patterns, and tone throughout history. The importance of sustained group and individual effort is stressed. A progression of technical proficiency is expected. Emphasis will be placed on having a variety of performing experiences. This course may be repeated for credit. This course will fulfill either the one arts/humanities credit required for graduation. COURSE GOALS: 1. To develop facility in playing a musical instrument while developing performance skills necessary for independence as a musician. 2. To develop and enhance skills necessary for solo and ensemble experiences. 3. To identify and respond appropriately to musical notation. 4. To develop an understanding of the form and structure of music. 5. To develop a broad knowledge and appreciation of music of many styles, periods, and cultures. 6. To further develop skills to compose and arrange music. 7. To further develop skills necessary to improvise melodies, variations, and accompaniments. 8. To further develop the understanding of the relationships between the other arts and disciplines. 9. To develop the skills of listening to music. 10.To evaluate performances and exercise discrimination with regard to the quality of composition. 11.To develop attitudes enabling continued participation in musical experience throughout life. TEXTBOOKS: String Basics (volume as assigned) Essentials for Strings Strictly Strings (volume as assigned) Alfred s Essentials of Music Theory (volume as assigned) Students will be required to pay for any lost or damaged textbook. Northwest Career & Technical Academy Page 1

2 REQUIRED MATERIALS: Instrument Accessories: Violin and Viola students must have a shoulder rest, rosin, and a cleaning cloth. Cello and Bass students must have a rock stop, rosin, and a cleaning cloth. Northwest Career & Technical Academy Page 2

3 Books and Supplies: Students must bring their instrument, music, pencil, paper, and books to class every day. All sheet music will be provided by the director free of charge; however, if music is lost and/ or needs to be replaced, there will be a charge of $4.00 $8.00 per copy. Not bringing your instrument and losing music wastes instruction time and interferes with student learning. Students are expected to have and maintain the following supplies all year:. Pencil. 3 ring binder. Rosin. Extra strings Uniforms: Orchestra Girls will need to purchase a long black dress. In addition to the dress, students must wear black stockings, and black dress shoes. Orchestra Boys will need to purchase a tuxedo shirt and tuxedo pants and jacket. In addition to tuxedo shirt and pants, students must wear black socks and black dress shoes. CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS: 1. Obey all school rules. Read the school handbook in your agenda. 2. Treat others and their property with respect. 3. Be in your seat and ready to play within two minutes of the bell. 4. No talking while the conductor is in front of the class. Also, do not play instruments until asked to do so. 5. Remain in your seat at all times. If you need anything, please raise your hand and wait until called on before talking. 6. Bring your materials to class everyday (instrument, book, pencil, etc.). 7. You are not allowed to play an instrument that does not belong to you or that is assigned to another person. This is your financial protection. 8. Be responsible for putting away your music and instrument. No one will be dismissed until everyone is seated in their assigned seat and the room is in order. 9. No food or drinks in the orchestra room (except water). 10.No running or horseplay in the orchestra room or in the fine arts hall way. DISCIPLINE PROCEDURES AND CITIZENSHIP: NWCTA follows a school wide Progressive Discipline Plan when students do not follow established rules and behave inappropriately: STEP ONE: STEP TWO: STEP THREE: STEP FOUR: Verbal Warning by Teacher Written Warning by Teacher Parent Contact by Teacher (Phone or ) Dean s Referral A teacher may also issue classroom disciplinary consequences for infractions at his/her discretion. Northwest Career & Technical Academy Page 3

4 SCHOOL INSTRUMENTS: School instruments are very limited and will be provided only to students on a first come first serve basis; however, some instruments will be provided depending on need. In order to use a school instrument, a rental contract will need to be signed by the parent/ guardian. Students who use school instruments will be expected to maintain and keep the instrument in good playing condition. This includes cleaning, replacing broken strings, etc. Parents and students will be asked to sign a contract for the use of a school instrument. Remember, you are financially responsible for any damages the loss of the instrument. Note: There is NO instrument insurance available for the use of school instruments. All fines will be determined by the director. FUNDRAISING: The NWCTA Orchestra needs your help! Every year the orchestra will hold between two to three fundraisers. The money is necessary to purchase new instruments, sheet music, music stands, educational materials, and other necessary supplies. To run a successful orchestra program, we must fundraise. Keep in mind that fundraising is not mandatory; however, participation is highly encouraged. AFTER SCHOOL REHEARSALS: Before a major performance or festival, students may be required to come before or after school for extra rehearsals. It is very important that the orchestra is well prepared for all performances. Buses will be available (after school only, except Tuesdays) for students who need transportation. There will be advance notice for all extra rehearsals. If you must leave the rehearsal early, you must have a note from your parents/guardian. Excuses will be accepted for missing a rehearsal only if it is received prior to the rehearsal. GENERAL INSTRUMENT CARE: 1. Avoid extremes of temperature and humidity. a. Never leave the instrument in the car, even in the trunk. b. Never leave the instrument near a heater or air conditioner. c. Heat will soften the glue and the instrument will fall apart. d. Cold will dry out and crack the wood. 2. Always loosen the bow hairs before putting the instrument away. 3. Wipe the rosin off the strings and body when you are finished playing your instrument. Keep a soft cotton cloth in your case. 4. Make sure that cases are closed completely when packing up your instrument. 5. Be sure that hands are clean before handling the instrument. 6. Lightly clean and polish the instrument every two weeks. This will help protect the instrument from rosin build up that will eventually ruin the varnish. a. Please DO NOT use Pledge, Endust, or any other commercial brand furniture polish. 7. Avoid touching the bow hair with your fingers. Touching the bow hair will cause the hair to become very brittle and break. 8. Do not attempt to tune or adjust the pegs until you have been properly trained. It is very easy to overturn the peg a break a string, or worse! 9. Do not put masking tape or scotch tape on fingerboard. Do not use White Out or paint. Use only colored plastic tape. Northwest Career & Technical Academy Page 4

5 RELATED DISTRICT ACTIVITIES: Clark County Honor Orchestra is formed once a year by middle and high school students throughout the district. Students must audition for this group and meet for about 4 rehearsals that culminate in a performance conducted by a well noted clinician and conductor. This is an excellent opportunity for students to be involved in an outstanding musical activity. High School Solo and Ensemble Festival is for young musicians who would like to perform a solo, duet, trio, quartet, or in a small ensemble. Each performance will be given comments and a rating by a judge. Las Vegas Youth Orchestras are orchestras open by audition only and are designed to accommodate the students of different ages with more advanced playing abilities throughout the Clark County School District. Students must have two or more years of playing experience, above average playing abilities, and preferably private lessons. As a member in this orchestra each student will be able to rehearse weekly and gain the experience of playing in a symphony orchestra setting while being exposed to full orchestras of varied styles. TARDY POLICY: It is the expectation of NWCTA that students will arrive on time to every class. Not only are students developing skills for success in high school, but also for the rest of their lives. The Progressive Discipline Plan will be followed for students who are tardy to class. Furthermore, if a student is 30 minutes or later to a class, he/she will be marked absent for that class. Students who are tardy may also miss graded opening of class activities which cannot be made up. GRADING: Students will be graded on the following categories: Category Assessment Weight Daily Musicianship 25% Tests and Quizzes 25% Performances 25% Homework and Assignments 20% Final Exam 5% Category weights will vary depending on the importance of each category in displaying proficiency of skills and mastery of standards; however, the category weights will be consistent across subject areas. Homework may not be worth more than 20% of the overall grade. GRADING POLICY The purpose of grades is to provide effective feedback to students, parents, and the school administration about a student s progress towards mastery of the established standards for a particular course or subject. As such, other factors such as attendance, effort, and behavior will not be considered when calculating a student s grade; however, excessive absences (more than seven unexcused absences during a semester) may result in a loss of credit in accordance with CCSD Regulation Extra credit will only be permitted in the form of retaking a test or redoing an assignment to improve the original score. The amount of points earned/how the new score is Northwest Career & Technical Academy Page 5

6 calculated, the deadline, and the limit for how many times a student may re take a test or re do an assignment will be determined by the teacher. Students will be graded on a point scale, with the following grade equivalents: % = A Consistently Exceeds Standards 80 89% = B Consistently Meets Standards 70 79% = C Approaching Standards 60 69% = D Emergent 59% and = F Does Not Meet Standards Below Northwest Career & Technical Academy Page 6

7 According to CCSD regulation 5121, Semester exams shall be comprehensive of the material covered during the semester and may be worth up to, but not exceed, 20% of the student s final semester grade. Final semester grades shall reflect assignments and assessments completed throughout the semester and the final exam grade. Semester grades will be calculated as follows: Quarter 1/3 = 40% Quarter 2/4 = 40% Semester Exam = 20% Semester Grade = 100 % MAKEUP WORK POLICY According to CCSD Regulation 5113, teachers shall provide an opportunity for a student to make up missed work due to any absence, and students shall be held accountable for the work. When a student is absent, however, the educational experiences lost during that absence might be irretrievable because the instruction and interaction in the instructional setting cannot be duplicated through makeup work. After any absence, a secondary student is required to initiate contact with the teacher(s) to obtain appropriate makeup work within three school days immediately following the absence. Once contact has been made with the teacher(s), specific makeup work must be completed and returned to the teacher(s) within a reasonable length of time, to be determined by the teacher and communicated to the student/parent or legal guardian. The makeup work must be returned to the teacher(s) by the specified due date if it is to be acknowledged. Students shall be allowed a minimum of three (3) days to complete makeup work. Failure to complete required make up work will result in a lower grade or a failing grade due to a lack of evidence. Any previously assigned assignments that are due on the day of the absence are due the next class period when the student returns to school. LATE WORK POLICY NWCTA has adopted a no late work policy. All students at NWCTA are expected to understand and demonstrate the Employability Skills for Career Readiness Standards. Standard indicates students are expected to demonstrate time, task, and resource management skills by organizing and implementing a productive plan of work. This includes working efficiently to make the best use of time, developing a plan of work to reach identified goals, and utilizing a time management plan. If a student completes his/her work prior to a due date then it will be accepted early. Partial credit may be given for incomplete work that is turned in on the due date. When doing group work, all members of the group must have copies of all parts of the project and all members names must be listed on the work being submitted.. CLASSROOM RULES 1. Food, drink, gum, candy is NOT permissible in the classrooms or hallways. Water is acceptable. Northwest Career & Technical Academy Page 7

8 2. NWCTA Hall Passes must be used to leave the classroom. No passes to cars will be issued. 3. School Rules All school rules listed in the NWCTA Handbook will be strictly enforced within the classroom, including but not limited to: a. Proper use of cell phones, computers, and the Internet b. Bullying c. Tardy policy (see below) d. Academic integrity All students involved in copying, plagiarizing, or cheating of any kind will receive a zero on the assignment and a U in citizenship and may face additional consequences based on the severity of the incident (see citizenship). It is the expectation of NWCTA that students will arrive on time to every class. Not only are students developing skills for success in high school, but also for the rest of their lives. The Progressive Discipline Plan will be followed for students who are tardy to class. Furthermore, if a student is 30 minutes or later to a class, he/she will be marked absent for that class. Students who are tardy may also miss graded opening of class activities which cannot be made up. Some offenses are serious enough to warrant a referral to the Dean for the initial infraction (e.g.: physical violence, gross insubordination, truancy, etc.) CITIZENSHIP POLICY Students must exhibit behavior that does not interfere with the teaching/learning process, and they are expected to demonstrate employability skills necessary for the 21st Century. Outstanding (O) Satisfactory (S) Needs Improvement (N) Unsatisfactory (U) Attends class without unexcused absences or tardies; submits work on time; is always respectful, cooperative, and non disruptive of the teaching/learning process; and follows all class/school rules. This student is a positive classroom participant. Attends class with two (or less) unexcused absences or tardies; submits work on time; is respectful, cooperative, and non disruptive of the teaching/learning process; and follows all class/school rules. Has 3 5 unexcused absences or three unexcused tardies; some of the work is missing or late; needs occasional reminders to be respectful, cooperative, and/or non disruptive of the teaching/learning process; and/or and needs occasional reminders of class/school rules. Has 5 or more unexcused absences or four or more unexcused tardies; work is often missing or submitted late; needs frequent reminders to be respectful, cooperative, and/or non disruptive of the teaching/learning process; and/or needs frequent reminders of class/school rules. Student may have engaged in academic dishonesty. NWCTA ACADEMIC HONOR CODE Students are expected to demonstrate honesty and integrity while in attendance at the Northwest Career and Technical Academy. Each student is expected to do his or her own work, including homework, test taking, class and computer lab assignments, and the creation of essays, compositions, term papers, computer presentations, and scientific research. There is no distinction between giving or receiving unauthorized help; one who helps another to cheat is as guilty as one who benefits from cheating. The following actions are considered cheating and/or plagiarism: Northwest Career & Technical Academy Page 8

9 Taking or copying answers on an examination or any other assignment from another student or other source Giving answers on an examination or any other assignment to another student Copying assignments that are turned in as original work (this includes submitting the same assignment to two separate teachers without prior permission) Collaborating on exams, assignments, papers, and/or projects without specific teacher permission Submitting someone else s work, such as published sources in part or whole, as your own without giving credit to the source Turning in purchased papers or papers from the Internet written by someone else Representing another person s artistic or scholarly works such as musical compositions, computer programs, photographs, drawings, or paintings as your own Using unauthorized electronic devices Falsifying data or lab results, including changing grades electronically Forging or falsifying of any school records or forms. Knowledge of and toleration of any of the foregoing. Students who violate the NWCTA Academic Honor Code will be subject to one or more of the following consequences: 1. Zero/no credit on the assignment and a U in citizenship 2. Notification of parents/guardian 3. Documentation on discipline record 4. Required Parent Conference 5. Signing of a behavior contract to be placed in the student discipline record 6. Honor Code Probation 7. Exclusion from school activities such as dances, activities, athletics, and field trips 8. Loss of college recommendation letters All students who have computer access should be aware of the Acceptable Use Policy for computer usage and follow it. REQUIREMENTS FOR ATTENDING FIELD TRIPS: A variety of on campus and off campus activities will be scheduled throughout the year. Students wishing to participate must be in good standing in citizenship/behavior and academics in all classes. Grades will be checked three weeks prior to a field trip/activity, and advisor(s) will notify the student and parent on ineligibility. A final grade and citizenship check will be initiated a week prior to a prior to a field trip/activity, and the same procedure is required of the advisor(s). Students must have at least a D or better in each class for which they are enrolled, and have an S or O in citizenship in order to participate. Students who do not have the academic or behavior requirements will not participate and if applicable, will forfeit the fees paid to attend. Please see the student handbook for further details pertaining to field trips and activities. Northwest Career & Technical Academy Page 9

10 Dear Parent/Guardian, Please sign this page and have your child return it to me this week. If you have concerns or questions about this course, you can contact me at You can also reach me via at: I look forward to meeting you and becoming a partner in your child's educational experience at Northwest Career and Technical Academy. Sincerely, Dr. Daryn Obrecht I HAVE READ THESE COURSE EXPECTATIONS AND UNDERSTAND THE EXPECTATIONS FOR MY CHILD THIS YEAR. Parent/Guardian Signature Date I HAVE READ THESE COURSE EXPECTATIONS AND UNDERSTAND THE EXPECTATIONS FOR ME DURING THIS SCHOOL YEAR. Student Signature Date Student Name (Print) Student Number Please indicate your preference, and sign and date this form below. I give my child permission to view PG rated film clips. I do not give my child permission to view PG rated film clips with the understanding that an alternative assignment will be given. Parent/Guardian Signature Date Northwest Career & Technical Academy Page 10