"Common Times" Weekly Newsletter 1/3-1/7
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Happy New Year Wildcat Band Family,
I hope that everyone has had a restful and relaxing Winter Break with some time to reconnect with loved ones.
8th Grade Band will begin sectionals this week following the restructured schedule available below. To stay on track, those with sectionals scheduled for Mondays and Tuesdays will have a flipped/recorded sectional via google classroom that they will need to work through prior to school on Wednesday. I plan to have the videos posted by 10:00am Monday morning but it is possible they will post earlier depending on how much Matthew naps today. 😴
With the rise of COVID Cases the last couple of weeks we are expecting (hopefully it won't come to fruition) an increase in quarantines. If your student is quarantined but healthy, I will be streaming class via google meet so students are able to stay caught up in instruction while out. Here is the link: meet.google.com/bwe-itdm-ujr. Students should plan to join it with their instrument so that they can play along with the class during class times. While we will not be able to hear them, they can hear the class, the instruction and can ask questions via the chat that I will do my best to answer during class. Please note that these meets will NOT be recorded.
Stay healthy, stay well and here is to the start of THE BEST YEAR YET!
-Mr. Jones
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We will be using a program called "Band" app to communicate important reminders and updates. This is similar to Remind 101 but better suited for groups such as band. This also allows us to share photos and videos that we may not want public on our social media channels. Lastly, it is a one stop location for access to our calendar and other resources.
Click here to enroll in the 8th grade band updates: https://band.us/n/ada9685fD2mex
Click here to enroll in the 7th grade band updates: https://band.us/n/a5ad635eDbN7p
Click here to enroll in the Jazz Band updates: https://band.us/n/aea0675fD9N23
Grading Reminders (Click to expand)
"N" =I have received nothing from the student on that assignment. It factors as a zero but the student can still turn it in.
"Z" = The student turned something in but it was either the wrong assignment or did not meet minimum expectations to earn credit.
If your student desires to raise their grade they can do 2 things:
*Turn in missing assignments.
*Redo assignments with lower grades and turn back in. Students should ALWAYS read/watch/listen to feedback. Great care is taken to help each and every student grow from where they are. MANY times, I provide specific examples and exercises or additional resources for individual students to use to improve themselves. This is THE purpose of assignments.; for students to get better as an individual through specific feedback. The grade in and of itself is irrelevant. If I could give feedback without a grade, I absolutely would. Individual student growth is the only thing that matters. When growth happens via feedback, the grade takes care of itself.
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Due to school beginning on Wednesday this week, groups scheduled for sectional on Mondays and Tuesdays will complete a flipped/recorded sectional in google classroom prior to school on Wednesday.
It is important to review our calendar dates for the spring. The most updated calendar can be found linked here.
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PRIVATE LESSONS ARE AWESOME! They are designed to be fun, engaging, supportive and focused on the individual student.
We have an awesome partnership with Arkansas Music Conservatory where your student can take a lesson or two on US to see what private lessons can do for your band student! We have set aside $1000 for lessons this year. We can also help pay for additional lessons and offset the cost of lessons for families who need financial assistance in this area.
Who should take private lessons:
Advanced students who need to be pushed and challenged
Students who need some 1-on-1 assistance to learn and master concepts covered in class
Students who were not in class the last year and a half due to covid.
Students who just began playing this year
Students who want to get better
EVERYONE
To sign up for a free lesson:
Contact Mr. Jones so he can track who is taking the exploratory lessons
Contact Arkansas Music Conservatory to setup a lesson 479-268-3307 call or 479-430-2226 text
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Support the WJHS Band AND make your life easier! It's a win-win for everyone. Fundshine is an online service that allows you to purchase paper and plastic goods that will shipped directly to your home. Spot checking prices come in a little cheaper than from local stores plus a portion of sales comes back to the band twice a year. Even better, you can sign up to have recurring shipments so you get set it up and forget about it. Also, family and friends can use this service anywhere in the US! :)
Check it out by going to www.fundshine.org,support the band and make sure your pantry is always stocked!
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To stay in the know be sure to follow us on your social media platform of choice: Facebook, Instagram or Twitter - @wjhswildcatband and/or at www.wjhswildcatband.com
If you have any questions or concerns, please never hesitate to reach out. We are partners in your student's growth and need to work together for them to be as successful as possible.
Have a band-tastic and short week everyone!
Musically Yours,
