Overall grades are broken down into the following weighted categories:
Daily (40% of your grade) Each student will begin each rehearsal with a total of 2 daily points. If you are missing your instrument, notebook, tuner, music, or pencil, or if there is a problem in relation to your discipline/attitude, points will be deducted from that daily grade per infraction. It is imperative students are prepared for class with the needed materials every day to ensure consistent growth. A student consistently missing materials will have difficulty keeping up with the pace of the class and further consequences will be explored.
Practice, Testing, and Assignments (45% of your grade) Typically, five to eight individual performance grades will be taken each quarter. These grades will be taken during class time through section tests and outside of class on Smartmusic. Grades will be over music we are performing, scales we are working on, or other classroom material.
SmartMusic will give a score based on rhythm and note accuracy. Final assessment scores will be given by Mrs. Sawyer and also take into consideration quality of sound, tuning, and musicality.
Practice grades will be determined by amount of time spent on practice grids.
You will have written work in our music classes as a means of studying music as an academic pursuit in addition to our performance based studies as well as to reinforce the good writing habits that are so important to all students.
Assignments and assessments are full credit on the date they are due unless the student has an excused absence from school, in which case the student will need to turn in work the following day after the absence. Late work will be given 50% until the end of the quarter at which point the grade will change to a zero.
Concert (15% of your grade) Unexcused absences from a performance will result in a score of zero for the concert portion of your grade. As was pointed out earlier, attendance, preparedness, and active involvement in all of our performances is extremely important. Dress shoes and proper black dress clothes that cover all skin from the waste down are required to receive full credit. Concerts are designed to give students the opportunity to learn proper behaviors expected at live concerts. Failure to stay for the entire concert or disrespect of other performers will result in a lower etiquette grade. Concerts are your chance to relax and enjoy the music that you’ve worked so hard to prepare. Enjoy them!
Points for concerts will be as follows: Promptness: 10% Proper Dress: 30% Etiquette: 60%
CONCERT DRESS Professional dress for our performances is extremely important. We want to present our ensembles not only sounding their best, but looking their best. Therefore, each student is expected to wear the SMS Performance Shirt, black pants or skirt (which must fall below the knee when seated and be worn with black tights) and black dress shoes. No skin should be showing from the waste down. If you are unable to get proper performance dress, you must turn in written permission from a parent or guardian well in advance of the day of the concert. "I don't like dress shoes" in not an appropriate reason for exclusion from the dress code. This permission is not to wear inappropriate attire, but to wear the best clothes you have that most closely adhere to the guidelines. Please plan ahead so this problem doesn’t effect you and your ensemble.
Our concert shirts our printed by K&W Printing. If you need a shirt in the middle of the year please contact them at 686-9191.
Extra Credit
Extra credit can be earned in the following ways:
Concert Attendance Every time you attend a music concert (any style) you will receive at least one star. (Bring in a program, ticket stub, or note from your parents): 5 points- elementary or middle school level music performance at another school or on separate night/time from your own concert 10 Points- high school performance (only one football game can count) 15+ Points - professional, collegiate, or adult group performance
Participation in an Outside Ensemble Credit will be decided by Ms. Sawyer based on hours spent rehearsing and type of ensemble.