Welcome to Orchestra!
This handbook is designed to help
answer frequently asked questions
about our KISD fifth grade strings
preparatory program.
Student’s Name: ______
School: ______
Contents:
Pages 1-2-Our first meeting
Page 3-Hints for calling the music company
Page 5-If the instructor needs to be absent
Page 6 - Where we’re all headed – All-State Test Scores!
Page 7 - How to fill in Charms
Page 8 – Fifth Grade Strings Contract
Alicia Eissler- Kuehnle & Strack
E-mail –
Kirk Jones - Benfer & Strack
E-mail –
Klein Preparatory Strings
2014 - 2015
Welcome to the Klein I.S.D. Fifth Grade Preparatory Strings Program! We hope your child will be happy with his or her choice of instrument, and will end up performing in our Orchestra Program for many years to come. We think playing a stringed instrument is fun, as well as being educationally and culturally rewarding. The more your child accomplishes this year, the more likely it is that he or she will be successful in the Intermediate School Orchestra next year. With this in mind, please consider some of our “Secrets for Success.”
Instrument: Each child should play on a well-adjusted, quality instrument that is the correct size for his or her stature. It must also be in extremely good adjustment. Physical considerations may affect instrument choice. Each child should choose an instrument that appeals to personal tastes of sound and feel. How much enjoyment your child can derive from playing has a lot to do with the way he or she experiences the instrument (whether it is comfortable or uncomfortable) so proper selection is extremely important.
In addition to an instrument, each child will need:
1. A portable folding music stand (with a stand case)
2.The music book for their instrument and school as marked below:
Essential Elements 2000, Book 1 (with the orange trim)
3.Violin and Viola players will need a shoulder rest
(We recommend the Super-Kun or Cadenza brand)
4.Cello and Bass players will need an end-pin floor protector
(We recommend the “Roc Stop” or “Slip Stop” brands)
5.A 1”, 3-ring black or white binder, a pencil bag, and pencil are included as
a part
of the $40.00 non-refundable fee we are collecting tonight
6.A soft cotton cleaning cloth (about a foot square)
7.A tote bag is helpful for keeping up with all of the above supplies
8. MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL - PLEASE LABEL EVERYTHING!!!
Both district approved instrument dealers have all equipment information on file and will assure yours is correct. When placing an order be sure to specify the school and string teacher of your child. Students should have all of the above items at all lessons. We have also included some helpful hints for working with the music companies later in this handout.
Please ask your instrument dealer to deliver your child’s instrument and equipment directly to Ms. Eissleror Mr. Jones at Strack Intermediate School. They will check them to make sure they are ready to go home with your child at the appropriate time.
Attendance: To insure that each child is able to keep up with the class, it is important that all students be regular in their attendance of the Preparatory String Classes. A small step forward will be made in each class and frustration occurs when a student has missed important new concepts.
Class Time: Classes will start on Tuesday, Oct. 7 at Benfer and on Wednesday, Oct. 8 at Kuehnle. We will be meeting twice a week until the end of the school year from that point on. Benfer classes will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Kuehnle’s will be on Wednesdays and Fridays. Both school’s classes will meet at the end of the school day and will end promptly at 4:00. Please make the necessary transportation arrangements so that your student may be picked up on time and remain in the program. Class dates will also be included in the calendar on Charms.
Important Fifth Grade Strings dates for you to remember and reserve:
Monday, January 26, 2015 - District Strings Skating Party
Champions Roller Rink 4:30-6:15 PM
Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2015 - Cluster Concert (fee included in $40)
Monday, May 4, 2015 –Klein ISD “String Fling” at KCHS
(fee included in $40)
Monday, May 11, 2015 - “EOY” Party at Itz
Any other special or combined concert dates will be shared well in advance via e-mail and reminders. Please keep your Charms account updated throughout the year.
Daily Practice: All of our students experience success provided they do one simple thing - play their instrument carefully every day possible. Two short ten minute practice sessions each day are great! Progress is made each time the student plays. The more that happens, the more rapid the progress will be.
Finally, a few words of encouragement go a long way. Please remember that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a few small steps.
Helpful Tips for
Your First Contact with the Instrument Company
1. Study the supplied company “Rental” information sheets.
2.Both companies (Fishburn Violin andLisle Violin) are KISD district approved and have a long history of doing reputable and quality business for KISD.
3.Call the company and tell them your child will be starting in the KISD 5th Grade
Preparatory String Program and identify their school and string teacher. They
should have a complete list of the supplies needed for each school.
4.Give the instrument and sizing information at the bottom of this page verbally to
the company representative over the phone.
5.The company will have new equipment for rental or purchase, but they may have
good used instruments/equipment for a lower price. Either is fine, just tell them
your needs.
6.Either company will probably be able to make all arrangements over the phone.
7.For your benefit, the company will deliver the instrument and equipment directly
to the String Teacher who will check it’s condition before giving it to your child.
8.We are asking that all students have their instruments reserved before the first class meeting so that the teachers have a chance to go over all of the instruments
properly and so that we can start actually playing on instruments at our third class
meeting.
Also:Realize that the child will need to pass an in-school equipment care, handling, and basic knowledge test to the satisfaction of the teacher before the instrument is handed over to be taken home. In this way, parents may rest assured that their investment is being handled carefully and wisely by the student from the very beginning.
At school, students will keep instruments in a prescribed area during the regular school
day and are expected to take them home after each lesson day. Do not leave them at
school (they are not school-insured against theft or damage). Besides, the instrument
has to be at home for practice time.
Students are not to touch or take the bow from it’s case until instructed specifically by
the string teacher to do so. Bows are easily ruined and unnecessary expense may result
from improper handling. Bow hair is never to be touched under any circumstances.
Insurance policies are often offered by the music companies and should be considered.
Home-owners policy deductibles are often higher than the price of a student instrument.
This student has been fitted for:
____ Bass:1/81/4½ Other:_____
____ Cello:1/23/44/4 Full Size
____ Viola:13”14”15”Other:______
____ Violin:1/23/44/4 Full Size
Date:Sept. 24, 2014
To:Parents and Students of Fifth Grade String Classes
From:KISD String Teachers
RE:Class Cancellation Procedure (if needed) due to Teacher
Illness/Absence
Dear Parents and Students:
We are very excited about teaching our great fifth graders and we are looking forward to a great year together. The KISD Preparatory String Program is an enriching, successful program, yet it is not a funded program. This means that caring teachers donate time and energy to the benefit of both our students and the future of our KISD string programs.
It also means, however, that no substitutes are hired should a director be away from school or be absent due to illness. In the event of a scheduled conflict, the teacher will provide written notification of a class cancellation in advance in as timely a fashion as is possible. In this event, the written notice will be given to the students with the expectation of it going into their strings notebook and being shared with parents. We suggest that parents periodically ask students about class and physically check their notebooks.
If, because of illness or emergency, a director cannot provide advance notice to the students/parents, the director will call the elementary school office and inform them of the situation. The office will in turn notify the students of the cancellation either through their classroom teacher or through intercom announcements.
Students with before school classes would quietly and efficiently store instruments in the normal manner and then wait in their school’s prescribed area for early arrivals. Students with after-school string classes should be sure to listen carefully to announcements on string class days. If there is a cancellation, they will be notified and should follow either their normal bus schedule OR follow a plan you as parents have specified and explained to them. If they miss the announcement and bus, they may call home from the school office and quietly await parent pick up at a location prescribed by you (or the school office staff). You may wish to instruct your child to wait inside the school near the office or front door of the school.
We appreciate your cooperation and regret that this program does not carry funding for substitute teachers to cover missed classes; however, we do hope that the information above is helpful to you and your child in the event of a planned or emergency cancellation of the strings class at your child’s school.
Musically yours,
Your 5th Grade Preparatory Strings Teachers
How to access parent information
BAND * ORCHESTRA * CHOIR
- Log on to
- Locate the “PARENT/STUDENT LOGIN” section of the web page.
- Login to your child’s program account using the following login:
___StrackOrch______
- This will bring up the main parent page. This will allow you to look at your child’s program’spublic calendar, event list, handouts and other files.
- Clicking on an event on the calendar brings up the details for that event, such as times, attendance requirements and equipment/uniform necessities. Clicking on “event list” puts all of the calendar information in a list form for easy printing.
- Whenyou enter your child’s Klein 6-digit ID NUMBER, another more detailed screen appears with even more options to view your student’s uniform assignments, music assignments, financial records, forms and inventory. Enter your child’s ID FIRST – then you may create your own, unique password by clicking on the “keys icon”, but I suggest you don’t change the password, because if you forget the new one, our only recourse is to reset it to the ID anyway.
- One area in which you can help the director maintain his/her records:
- Student information form – if the director has allowed it, you may help make changes to your child’s student information page (such as updating phone numbers and email addresses if they change) to help the teacher communicate with you more effectively.
- Most importantly, the parent page assists both you and the teacher to communicate with each other.
- Additional information can be found on the Strack Orchestra Website at:
STUDENT & PARENT CONTRACT
Learning to play a musical instrument is a rewarding and fun activity. It does however require commitment on the part of the student to succeed.
To ensure student success, it is important that the student and parent agree to the following:
- To attend each and every class session
- To stay in orchestra for the entire year
- To bring their instrument, music and supplies to each class
- To practice at home
- To participate in all concerts
By signing this document:
“I agree to the above conditions for enrollment into the 2014-2015 Preparatory String Program”
(Please sign below)
Student Name:
Student Signature:______
Instrument Chosen:______
Parent Name:
Parent Signature: ______