To: Parents of 5th grade students Fall 2024

Re: Beginning band

Congratulations!  Your child is starting what may be one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences of their school lives: being a member of the band.  Many of the students in this class will continue playing their instruments through high school and college.  Some will play their entire lives.  They will build more of an appreciation for simple joys in life; music, art and nature's charms around them. The students will of course benefit from the technique of playing an instrument.  They will work on problem solving, teamwork, coordination, thinking skills, self-esteem and many other skills that will help them succeed in life. "Making music makes you smarter".

I am looking forward to this next chapter in teaching your child and working with you. I’ve been teaching band and other music classes for many years and I still enjoy seeing the kids learn and grow. 

It is important for them to get a good start if they are going to benefit from band.  They need to have good instruction, a good instrument and good practice habits.  I will provide the instruction; you and I will work together to help your child learn good practice habits.  We will have a meeting this fall for information about choosing and getting instruments.  In making it possible for your child to play a musical instrument, you are providing the opportunity for self-expression, creativity and achievement.

The classroom rules are very basic:

1. Treat everyone with respect. 

2. Follow directions the first time given. 

3. Get quiet immediately when the teacher wants your attention. 

4. Treat all instruments and equipment properly. 

5. Food and drinks are not allowed. 

The consequences for minor infractions are:

A student gets a strike for each infraction. Three strikes earn them a Timeout. Another strike and they get a TuneUp slip.

There are three main areas of focus for the students to succeed.

Daily Grade - The students are graded on the learning they display every day they are in band class.

Practice Time - The students are required to practice outside of class time on a regular basis. They will not need to keep track of their minutes practicing, but it is still an essential part of learning an instrument. Their diligent practice will show in their playing tests.

Tests - There will be frequent playing tests assigned where the students will record themselves playing a tune and submit it for evaluation by the teacher. Our concerts are major tests as well.

I’ll do everything I can to ensure your child’s success in band.  With your cooperation we can make this a positive learning experience.  To find a list of all music performance dates for the year go to: www.cascade.k12.mt.us and select Activities, then Band. You can see your child’s grades in the Infinite Campus app, and can see assignments and due dates as they come. We will also be using Google Classroom. If you have any questions about this, please call or email me.  There is more info on the back side of this letter. Thank you for your time. Please cut off the form below, sign it, and have your student return it to me by Tuesday, September 10. Your attendance at this meeting is important, so please come if at all possible!

Parent/student meeting:

Mr. Jeff Skogley Tuesday, September 10th, at 6:15 pm

In the Band Room

jeff.skogley@cascade.k12.mt.us

468-9383 ext. 143

______________________________________________________________________________

We have discussed this information about how to be successful in band.

Parent / Guardian Signature:  _______________________________

Student Signature:  _______________________________             

Date: _________________________

We hold a short meeting for beginning band students and their parents each fall (this year it is Tuesday, September 10th, at 6:15 pm).  Part of the presentation will be ways to get an instrument for your child. I am working with the students on a musical profile to help determine which instruments they are best suited to play successfully. I will share that information with you and the students when we complete the process. It will be a week or two before we are ready to get instruments into their hands and begin playing in class.

There are several good ways to get an instrument.  

* The best is to purchase a new instrument, either on a rent-to-own plan or an outright purchase.  There are several advantages to this: the student has a quality instrument that will last many years; with rent-to-own, if the student needs to switch to another instrument they can, with no loss of money already invested; the students are very proud of their instrument and generally take better care of it. 

* Another way to get an instrument for your child is to buy used (want ads, word of mouth or music store).  If a person is careful to get one in good shape that was a good instrument when new, the student can have a good horn for much less money. However, they can't switch instruments as easily and you must be careful to get a quality instrument.

* Often people can borrow an instrument from friends or relatives. Here the initial cost is nothing, but you must be careful of the same pitfalls as other used instruments.

* For those who need more help securing an instrument for their child, the school has instruments available (at no charge for 5th graders).  Here the selection is quite limited and some instruments look bad, but all are in playing condition.

 There are a couple of good places locally to rent or buy instruments.

*Todd’s Music & Sound, 809 1st Ave N, Great Falls, (771-1314) has instruments through Eckroth Music (1-406-587-8007).

*Piccolo's Music in Helena is also a good source for instruments.

Beware of instruments found on the internet or at discount stores.  Some are of such poor quality (sometimes with no brand name) that students will not be likely to succeed. These instruments are of no value to a young musician and can lead to frustration.  If you have questions or need someone to evaluate the quality of a used instrument I'll be glad to help out.  The people at the music stores are also good sources to evaluate the playing condition of instruments.