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"Common Times" Weekly Newsletter 11/8-11/13


Greetings Wildcat Band Family!


We had a wonderful week of progress on personal skills, responsibility and our concert music! 7th grade clarinets had a fantastic visit from Professor of Clarinet from the University of Arkansas Dr. Nophachai Cholthitchanta. He has volunteered his time every Friday to work with our clarinet students. Such an awesome opportunity and partnership with the U of A!!


All assignments turned in as of 1:00pm Saturday have been graded and put into HAC. If an assignment shows an "N" that means I have received nothing from the student on that assignment. It factors as a zero but the student can still turn it in. Please note that this quarter students can only turn in the initial assignment 3 weeks after the due date. Grades that show a "Z" mean 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:

1) Turn in missing assignments. EVEN FROM 1ST QUARTER.

2) Redo assignments with lower grades and turn back in. EVEN FROM 1ST QUARTER.


Students should ALWAYS read/watch/listen to feedback. Great care is taken to help each and every student grow from where they are. MANY time, 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.


This week is a bit busier than last, so please take a moment to review the schedule below.


  • Monday -

  • A day classes practice records due.

  • All Region Jazz Band Auditions at Rogers Heritage. Itinerary and information here.

  • No Flute sectional (we will have it Thursday after school for those who are able to attend)

  • Tuesday - (No clarinet sectional. It will be Wednesday during priority. Saxophone sectionals WILL occur during priority time.)

  • B day classes practice records due.

  • Pep rally for Apple Glen (for those who volunteered)

  • Attire - WJHS Band Shirt or WJHS Shirt. Layer for warmth in the morning

  • 6:30am - Meet in WJHS Band Room. Enter through back band room door from commons. The rest of the school will be locked.

  • 6:55am - Walk over to Apple Glen

  • 7-7:30am - Perform

  • 7:30am - Eat Donuts provided by Apple Glen

  • 8:10am - Perform in front of WJHS

  • 8:25am - Pack up and go to class

  • Jazz Band "Choose Love" Performance

  • Attire: WJHS Band shirt or WJHS shirt, layer for warmth but look professional. NO LARGE HOLES IN PANTS. JEANS PREFERRED

  • 3:35pm - Report to band room/eat pizza (thank you Mrs. Moore for picking it up!)

  • 4:15pm - Load Bus and equipment/Depart for event

  • 5:30pm - Approximate performance time

  • 5:50pm - Parents may check student out at this time if not stay for full event.

  • 7:00pm - Load bus to return to WJHS

  • 7:20pm - Unload equipment at WJHS and go home.

  • Bentonville Pride Grand Nationals Send Off Performance

  • 8:00pm

  • Tiger Stadium

  • $1 entrance fee to donate to the Women's Shelter

  • This will be AWESOME and your LAST opportunity to watch the show live in Bentonville. If you are available come support these AWESOME students!!!

  • Students who attend and take a selfie with the band in the background, sends it to me can use this for an entry on their practice record for the week!

  • Wednesday

  • Clarinet sectionals during priority

  • Trombone sectionals after school until 4:30

  • Thursday

  • Euphonium sectionals during Priority

  • Flute Sectionals 3:45-4:30 (Please let me know if you are unable to make the sectional this week due to the change in day)

  • Friday

  • All poinsettia orders are due TODAY! Be sure you have put your orders in this form. You can hold onto the paper form.

  • All-Region Orchestra Clinic for those who earned a chair placement (itinerary coming later this week. Plan to wear a WJHS band shirt today. )

  • Trumpet, French Horn, and Tuba Sectionals 3:45-4:30

  • Saturday

  • All-Region Orchestra Clinic for those who earned a chair placement Dress comfy in the morning and concert black with white top for concert.

  • Concerts begin around 2:00pm at Rogers High School

I hope you all have a band-tastic week!

-Mr. Jones

 
 

We will complete our final fundraiser of the semester this week. We will be selling 6" red poinsettias. All orders are due no later than November 11th so we can get our orders to Westwood Gardens by end of day on the 12th. Poinsettias will be delivered to WJHS on TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30TH and ready to be picked up by the end of the day. The band room will be open until 5:30pm for parents to pick up the orders. ALL ORDERS MUST BE PICKED UP ON THIS DAY.


We only have 275 poinsettias reserved this and need to sell all of them. Please enter all of your orders into this google form so we can track, in real time, poinsettias sold: https://forms.gle/3HXWBJ4BsPtiYu6X6 . This will allow you to keep the order sheets for handout later. Cost of poinsettias are $12. $4.85 of each sale will go to the student's CHARMS account to pay for band related expenses.

 

Here is a fantastic option from Amazon:












 

Instruments go home every single day and that it's vital for student progress to practice no less than 15 minutes per day, 5 days a week. Please help your band student find time at home to practice and beef up their musical muscles! Students are welcome to practice in the band room before school on A days as early as 7:30am (just come knock on the back band room door) and can stay any day there is a scheduled after sectional until 4:30 to practice in a practice room.


HINT: Students have SOMETHING to practice and prepare for every class even if it isn't a playing test. To be successful, students should be practicing regularly.


What a 15 minute practice session should look like:

  • 2 minutes - Long Tones (F-Remington, Scales in whole notes, pg. 7 of Embouchure Boot Camp)

  • 2 minutes - Lip slurs and buzzing for brass instruments. Chromatic scales or finger exercises for woodwinds.

  • 2 minutes - scales for accuracy and increased speed with great tone.

  • 7 minutes - assignment (focus on a small goal to noticeably improve a difficult part)

  • 2 minutes - pick ANYTHING you enjoy playing

For a 30 minute practice session the above times can simply be doubled


If your student is "bored" with what we are currently doing in class and wants more of a challenge, reach out to me and I will get them some more challenging material to work on.


If your student is struggling with what we are doing in class, please reach out as I have many resources available to assist students at all levels.

 

All-Region Sectionals

Modified Schedule this week.

Flutes will be Thursday after school.

Clarinets will be Wednesday during priority time.

Trombones Wednesday after school.

No percussion.


 

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

 

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!


 

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