Lone Peak High School Choirs, 2017-2018
Lois Johnson (801-610-8810 ext. 737102)
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DISCLOSURE DOCUMENT
There are five choral ensembles at Lone Peak High School, providing a variety of performance opportunities for all students in the school, regardless of prior experience or musical training. All choir classes are full-year courses, and it is expected that students will be enrolled in choir for the entire year.
A Cappella Choir
This auditioned, mixed choir is the largest choral ensemble at Lone Peak. The A Cappella Choir is open to any 11th-or 12th-grade student upon the instructor’s approval through audition. Some of the events the choir is involved in each year are: all of the school concerts, the Madrigal Feaste, Region Solo and Ensemble Festival, Region Large Choir Festival, the State Large Choir Festival if qualified, Commencement Exercises, and a Spring tour. An extremely high level of musical, sight reading, and vocal skill is necessary to enter the A Cappella Choir and to maintain membership in it. In addition, members of the choir are expected to be exemplary students and responsible citizens in our high school community.
Chamber Singers
The Chamber Singers are chosen by audition after membership in the A Cappella Choir is attained. It is a separate class, and students are highly encouraged to be registered concurrently in both the Chamber Singers and the A Cappella Choir. Some of the events the choir is involved in each year are: all of the school concerts, the Madrigal Feaste, Region Solo and Ensemble Festival, Region Chamber Choir Festival, the State Solo and Ensemble Festival if qualified, and possibly, a Spring tour. This group also performs frequently for many school and community events. The high level of citizenship and musicianship necessary to become a member of the Chamber Singers must be maintained, along with a high academic standing, in order to continue as a member of this elite ensemble.
Men’s Chorus and Ladies Chorus
These two separate choirs are for male and female voices respectively, and are open to any male or female student at Lone Peak High School who has auditioned. The choirs perform at all of the concerts at the high school, the Region Choir Festival, and the State Large Choir Festival if qualified. It is through the training in these ensembles that members may be prepared to successfully audition for A Cappella Choir and the Chamber Singers. The primary objectives of the Men’s and Ladies Chorus are to stimulate an interest and appreciation for a variety of music, and to develop strong vocal and musical skills.
Advanced Women’s Ensemble (AWE)
This auditioned choir for ladies is open to any 10th-or 11th-grade female student upon the instructor’s approval through audition. Some of the events the choir is involved in each year are: all of the school concerts, Region Solo and Ensemble Festival, Region Large Choir Festival, the State Large Choir Festival if qualified, and possibly, a Spring tour. An extremely high level of musical, sight reading, and vocal skill is necessary to enter the Advanced Women’s Ensemble and to maintain membership in it. In addition, members of the choir are expected to be exemplary students and responsible citizens in our high school community.
OBJECTIVES, LEARNING OUTCOMES, AND GOALS
Students in all choirs at Lone Peak High School will be participants in a program that has the comprehensive objective of helping students become life-long singers. The curriculum for each choir will address four areas of focus. These include:
•Music Skills (rhythm, terms, musical symbols, scales, keyboard, key signatures, etc.)
•Sight Singing (singing a written melody without first hearing it)
•Diction (correct shaping of vowels, articulation of consonants, etc.)
•Vocal Production (how to sing, what needs to happen to make a good choral sound, etc.)
Learning Outcomes: At the end of this course students should be able to:
•Produce a beautiful singing tone
•Demonstrate productive rehearsal habits and choral performance skills
•Demonstrate notational literacy, sight singing and basic ear training recognition skills
•Evaluate ensemble performances
We will be working on vocal skills, music literacy skills, diction, and sight-singing skills almost on a daily basis. Not only do I want you to be the best singers you can be, but also the very best musicians. Therefore, literacy and sight-singing skills need to be addressed regularly.
It is important for you to understand that being a member of a choir is like being a member of an athletic team. When someone is missing from the “team”, everyone suffers. It is the same for a musical ensemble like choir. A football player may know the plays, but if he hasn’t practiced with the team to execute those plays, the team probably won’t be very good. Likewise, you may know your music and even have it all memorized, but if you don’t practice with the team, we won’t be very successful when the “game” is played. Please make every effort to be in class every day so that we can become perfect as a team. I encourage you to always act in a respectful manner wherever you are. Respect your classmates, respect me, and respect yourself.
MUSIC
All students in all choirs will be assigned a slot number and folder, into which music with the same number will be placed. This is your textbook. Music should be taken home to practice. You will be charged for any music or folder which is missing, on which there is any “doodling”, or which needs to be replaced because of misuse. Please take care of it and repair it as necessary.
DO NOT TAKE MUSIC OUT OF ANY OTHER SLOT EXCEPT THE ONE ASSIGNED TO YOU.
REHEARSAL ROUTINE
Rehearsals are one of the most important activities we do in choir. This is where we really become a choir. Some of our bestlearning and growing moments will come in our rehearsals.
There are several habits and behaviors that, if practiced, will help us have efficient rehearsals and enable us to be the best choir we can be:
•Please be punctual and prepared with all of your music, blank paper, assignments, and a sharpened pencil, and be in your assigned seat with music in hand when the bell rings
•Please take onlyyour music.
•Please leave your backpack (and all contents, including cell phones and homework for other classes) in the front of the room, not near your chair
•Please follow instructions the first time they are given
•Please do not talk to your neighbor during rehearsal
•Please do not eat food, chew gum, or drink liquids (except bottled water).
•Please don’t wear hats in class. This goes for both boys and girls
•Please do not use cell phones, i-pods, or any electronic hand-held devices during class. They should be silent and remain in your backpack while in class.
•Trips to the restroom are limited to 5 minutes max, and you can only leave the room with the hall pass. Only one person with the hall pass leaves at a time
•Most important: come to class regularly and on time. Try to avoid scheduling doctor’s appointments, lunch dates, chats with other teachers, or other activities that take you away from our “team” practice. You are an important part of the team, and we need you here.
ATTENDANCE AND TARDY POLICY
This class follows the Attendance Policy of Lone Peak High School. Students are expected to be on time, and come to class every day. When a student is absent, the parent should contact the LPHS Attendance Office as soon as possible, either by note or by telephone to verify and excuse the absence. Parent notes or telephone calls to me directly will not excuse an absence. Absences can only be excused through the Attendance Office. When a student is absent (either excused or unexcused), no Participation Points will be given for that day (-10 points). When you miss class, you miss important learning that we do in class, and for which you are responsible.
A student will be considered tardy if he/she is not inside the classroom when the tardy bell rings. Students who are tardy are expected to sign in on the “Tardy Sign-In” sheet and to place a check-in slip from the Attendance Office or any note from a teacher or administrator regarding the tardy on the clipboard. Do not clip parent notes to the clipboard, but rather, take the parent note and go to the Attendance Office to check in there with the parent note. A tardy (either excused or unexcused, except when excused by LPHS staff)) will result in the loss of one-half of the Participation Points for the day (-5). Tardies can only be excused through Attendance School. As per school policy, if a student misses more than half of the class period due to either coming late or leaving early, the tardy is recorded as an absence, and will result in the loss of all of the Participation Points for the day (-10).
I do not have any “projects” that can be used to make up for NCs.
ADVISORY TIME
10 minutes will be reserved each class period to help students with assignments, concepts, work missed, or reinforcement/review/application of principles covered in class. Some of that time may be banked and used in a longer period of time. The intent is to help each student gain mastery of the principles and concepts taught in class.
GRADING POLICY
“You can expect your teachers to be explicit and forthright in describing your shortcomings. A teacher who rewards an average performance with a mark of distinction is false to the trust of his or her students. Evaluations are the signposts and milestones on the road of growth. Inaccurate markers can only lead us to a wrong destination or persuade us to rest complacently in the shade of a mediocre valley when we are still a far journey from the summit of excellence.”Dallin H. Oaks
•Performances- (Worth 200 points/performance) Performances are like a final exam for a performing ensemble. All members are expected to be punctual and in complete and correct concert dress upon arrival. The only acceptable excuses for missing a performance are a true family emergency, a family event that has been planned for at least one month, or your own hospitalization. Absences for any other reason will not be excused (including work, church activity, a performance with another performing group, or Driver’s Ed). The points lost because of absence from a performance can be made up through extra credit, but there is a 50-point limit to that. Please refer to the Choir Schedule and plan accordingly. If a student misses more than three class periods during a “Concert Preparation” period, he/she will need to demonstrate his/her knowledge and memorization of the music to me in order to participate in the concert. In the event a student is not qualified to perform in the concert because of absences, the points for the concert can only be earned through “service” at the concert and an in-depth critique of the concert.
•Sectional Rehearsals- (Worth 20 points) (A Cappella Choir and Chamber Choir only) Sectional rehearsals are held before school (7:00am-7:30am) and after school (2:30pm-3:00pm) each week. Students are expected to attend either the morning or afternoon rehearsal for their section. The rehearsals are run by the section leaders for the purpose of working on notes and passing off memorization.
•Exams and announced quizzes, and Skills Objectives- (Worth 20-100 points) Missed exams and announced quizzes must be made up within one week of the absence, and must be done either before or after school. Tests cannot be made up for an unexcused absence or truancy.
•Quizzes- (Worth 5-40 points). Frequent unannounced pop quizzes cover concepts of musical and vocal skills presented in class. Pop quizzes cannot be made up under any circumstances, however, the points lost for the quiz may be made up through extra credit. Quizzes are given immediately after the bell rings.
•Assignments- points vary. Assignments are always due at the beginning of class.
Late assignments need to be turned in before the end of the week when scores are posted to Skyward to still receive full credit. Assignments turned in after being posted to Skyward but within a week will be worth no more than 50% credit. Assignments turned in more than one week after being posted on Skyward will receive no credit.
•Participation Points- (10 points/class period) Points are earned for punctual attendance and courteous, contributive behavior in class. The Participation Points lost are based on the following:
Absence = -10 Tardy = -5 Excused tardy (note from school staff) = -0 Verified truancy (not in class, not checked out, not excused, but seen in school) = -20
Courteous, contributive behavior by every singer in the choir is essential. The student expectations listed above should be carried out by everyone every day. Daily Participation Points can be lost for individuals who cannot manage their behavior in class in a responsible manner. Students who use a cell phone, i-Pod, or digital device in any way in class will lose all Participation Points for the day.
Grades will be determined by the following percentages:
A95 -100B84 - 86C74 - 76D64- 66
A- 90 - 94B- 80 - 83C-70 - 73D-60- 63
B+87 - 89C+77 - 79D+ 67- 69 F59 and below
All grades are updated on the computer by the end of each week.
Makeup work is highly discouraged. Make it a habit to turn in your work on time.
All grades are final at the end of the term and will reflect the grade that you have earned. If you want the “A”, work for it during the entire term, not just the last couple of days.
EXTRA CREDIT
A Maximum of 50 points/term can be earned in Extra Credit. Extra Credit can be earned in the following ways:
•Attend a vocal or choral concert and write a Concert Review. Complete the “Concert Review Form” of the performance to receive credit. See “Concert Review Guidelines” (on the back of the Concert Report Form) for further information. Worth up to10 points
•Perform in a public setting. This may only be a vocal solo, duet, or trio, and can only be performed one time. Complete a “Performance Evaluation Form.” The piece performed can only be performed in one setting to receive the extra credit. Worth 10 points.
•Take private voice or private piano lessons (for at least 2/3 of the quarter). Have your private instructor (not your parent, unless your parent is your private teacher) complete a “Private Teacher’s Report Form.” Worth 20 points.
•Participate regularly (at least 2/3 of the quarter) in another choir (community, church, etc.). Have the choir director (not your parent, unless your parent is your choir director) complete an “Outside Participation Form.” Worth 10 points.
REWARD!!!
STUDENTS WHO HAVE NO ABSENCES OR TARDIES (EXCUSED OR UNEXCUSED) AND HAVE NOT LOST PARTICIPATION POINTS FOR ANY REASON WILL BE AWARDED 30 BONUS POINTS TO BE ADDED TO HIS/HER ACADEMIC GRADE FOR THE QUARTER. THIS IS IN ADDITION TO ANY EXTRA CREDIT EARNED.
ALL TESTS, WRITTEN WORK, AND ANY EXTRA CREDIT MATERIAL MUST BE MADE UP AND/OR TURNED IN BY THE FRIDAY PRECEDING THE LAST WEEK OF EACH QUARTER, OR BY THE DESIGNATED DATE. NO WORK CAN BE TURNED IN OR MADE UP AFTER THAT TIME TO RECEIVE CREDIT. THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
It is expected that all students will demonstrate honesty and academic integrity at all times. In this class, cheating or plagiarizing in any way will not be tolerated.
Cheating is defined as:
•looking at someone else’s test or quiz
•looking at notes or a book during a test or quiz
•talking to other people during a test or quiz, EVEN IF BOTH OF YOU ARE FINISHED WITH THE TEST
•copying from a book or from an internet site without citing the source
•using a cell phone or any other hand-held device in any way during a test or quiz
•plagiarizing any work in any form that is not your own
•“sharing” someone else’s work
•submitting a concert report for an event you did not attend
The penalty for cheating will be a “zero” on the assignment/test/quiz with no opportunity to make it up, and the loss of the privilege of doing extra credit for the quarter. Do your own work. A few points for a grade are not worth sacrificing your honor and your personal integrity.
DIGITAL DEVICES POLICY
As stated in Alpine School District Policy and Lone Peak High School Policy, cell phones and other electronic hand-held digital devices are not to be seen in the classroom under any circumstances. For this class, this includes for the purpose of sending/receiving text messages, I-Pods, I-Pads, e-Readers, or tablets. All cell phones and other digital devices are to be put in your backpack completely out of sight and turned off before you come into the room. If I see your cell phone or any other digital device,you will lose all of your Participation Points for the day. This is your only warning regarding cell phones.
FEES AND COSTS