BIG TREE HIGH SCHOOL

2018-2019 CHOIR
HANDBOOK
 2

Big Tree High School Choir Handbook

Madeleine West – Director
Maddie.west38@gmail.com
Website – https://becomingmswest.weebly.com
Phone Number – (333)333-3333

Welcome to Big Tree High School Choir! We are excited for the coming year and we are
so happy to have you in our choir program. This handbook will give clear guidelines of what is
expected for the upcoming year as far as attendance, concerts, grading, and other policies. I hope
that choir will be a place for your child to develop confidence, work ethic, responsibility,
independence, and teamwork.
Our Choir Program features five different ensembles, including a non-auditioned
Freshmen Women’s group, a Freshmen men’s group, as well as three auditioned choirs. The
auditioned choirs include the Concert Chorale, the Advanced Women’s choir, and the Advanced
Chamber Choir. A few highlights of the upcoming year include our annual choir retreat in
Gatlinburg, Tennessee! All students are invited to participate in this fun weekend trip. Our
additional travel opportunity will include a choral competition in Disney World! The three
auditioned choirs will be competing in this competition for the second year in a row this summer.
We have a busy and exciting year coming up, and I am excited for what this year holds! Please
do not hesitate to contact me through email or my school phone number with any questions or
concern.

Sincerely,

Madeleine West
Big Tree High School Choir Director
 3

CONTACT INFORMATION

If you have concerns about the choir program or your child, please contact me first and
foremost. I can be reached by email at Maddie.west38@gmail.com. If you need to speak
with me and cannot call during that time, please email me and ask for me to call you and I
will do my best to call you after school hours. Additionally, I’ll be utilizing the app
“Remind” this year to aid in communication. Follow the below instructions to get
connected!

Receiving messages via text message

1. Text class code @bthschoir to 81010.
2. Reply to the message from the Remind team with your first and last name, and
you’re in!
Receiving messages via push notification
1. Download the Remind app on your Android or iOS device, or go to rmd.me/a to
install the app.
2. Once you’ve downloaded the app, create a parent account with your email address.
3. Go to the Classes tab, tap the +, and enter our unique class code @bthschoir.

Some information about Remind:

-Your personal contact information is not visible to me or the school.
-I can send announcements to the entire class or direct messages in individual and group
conversations (if the student is over the age of 13).
-I may choose to receive messages on Remind.
-All messages are recorded and easily accessible in case they need to be referenced in the
future.
-Messages from my class will be sent directly to your phone or email account.

CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS

1) Be kind with words/actions.

Choir is a team activity, and as such it requires that we work together. Part of that involves
collaborating and offering constructive criticism and reflecting on our performance. Rude
language/gestures and touching other students’ persons/property will not be tolerated.

2) Phone Free Zone

We have a busy year with several concerts, KMEA assessment, Solo and Ensemble, and
other performance opportunities. It is crucial that every student is participating to their
fullest extent in rehearsal without distractions. I will confiscate any phones I see out in
rehearsal, and they will be returned at the end of class.

3) Stay in assigned seat.

 4

Students are assigned seats based on safety, voice part, and ensemble cohesion. It is
important for students to remain in their seats where they are placed to keep student’s
safe, and instruction moving forward

4) No food/gum/drinks.
Food, gum, and drinks not only serve to distract students from the instruction at hand, but
also can be a major choking hazard while singing. Any food/gum/drinks (besides water)
will be taken and will not be returned.

5) Try your best.

The choir is only as strong as the weakest member, and therefore it is so important for
every student to put forth his or her best effort to learn the material. ALL students are
expected to perform at every concert, and it is important to me that your child feels that he
or she has done his or her best.

CLASSROOM PROCEDURES

 Students are expected to enter the classroom and place their belongings at the front
of the room.
 They will retrieve their binder from their slot on the shelf, make sure they have a
sharpened pencil, and go to their seats.
 I will dismiss students when we have completed our work for the day.

MATERIALS AND CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

Every student will need the following materials in the choir room each day:
 Binder – each student will be provided with a black binder for music ONCE, if the
student loses it, the student is responsible for replacing it
 Pencil with eraser
 All provided music

Classroom management is essential to our success, and there will be times that students
will need a reminder of what the expectations are in the choir room. Below is the order
that I will follow when an expectation is not being met.

1. Verbal warning
2. Administrative Referral

A conference may be called with the parent/guardian for habitually poor behavior to
discuss the continued participation in choir.

FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES
 5

To ensure the success of our choir program, there will be a $30 choir fee each year.
This fee will cover classroom supplies, music for the students, and other choir materials. I
understand this may be a lot of money to pay upfront. If this fee is an issue for you, I would
be happy to set up a payment plan that will work for you. Since this is a required fee, if this
is not paid by the time your student graduates, there will be a hold on their account and
they will not be able to graduate until it is paid.
On top of the annual choir fee, you and your student will also need to invest in a
black concert dress for the women, or a tuxedo for the men. This is a one-time purchase,
and this will be their “uniform” for every performance. Both the dress and the tuxedo are
$80, and will be ordered through the choir program. We have a limited number of dresses
and tuxedos that have been donated by past choir members if the cost is an issue.

CONCERT EXPECTATIONS

Concert Attendance

At least 4 times a year, we will have concert commitments after school. The dates
for these concerts are attached in the calendar portion of the handbook. Although I try my
best to avoid scheduling performances at the same time as many other school activities,
occasionally conflicts arise. It is wonderful that we have so many involved students in the
choir, but we do have to make compromises at times. If a practice or rehearsal is scheduled
as the same time as an event (game, concert, contest) the EVENT takes precedence.
When two practices/rehearsals or events of the same level are scheduled at the
same time, the student may select the event in which he or she participates. The student
should keep in mind that choir is also a class for which they will receive a grade and it
should take precedence over non-graded activities. The student should notify all
teachers/sponsors/coaches at least 2 weeks ahead of time of their choice.
All concerts and events are included in this handbook. Students are responsible for
requesting off of work for concerts. Work is NOT an excuse for missing a concert. In the
event that a student misses a required event for work, or fails to show up to the concert or
notify me of an absence, this will result in a zero in the gradebook, and there will be no
chance to make it up.
In the event that a student does have an EXCUSED absence from a concert (sickness,
emergency, death in the family) you will have the opportunity to perform your part for Ms.
West to make up your grade WITHIN ONE WEEK of the missed concert. THIS MUST BE
STUDENT INITIATED, I WILL NOT HARASS YOU TO COMPLETE YOUR MAKE UP
ASSIGNMENT.

Concert Attire

When performing, it is essential that we look uniform and professional. The Big Tree
High School Music Department requires that all students be dressed in concert black when
performing. This consists of our concert dresses for women, and tuxedos for men. All
 6

students will be required to wear black socks or stocking, and black shoes. All jewelry and
hair accessories will be minimal and professional at all performances. If you are not
meeting the dress code, you will not perform, and you will receive a zero for your concert
grade.

GRADING POLICY

All grades will be calculated as noted below:

Mastery of Standards - 60%

 Performances
 Sight-reading assessments
Progression Toward Standards - 40%
 Class performance
 Participation

Grading scale:
A. 90%-100%
B. 80%-89%
C. 75%-79%
D. 70%-74%
U- below 70%

Extra credit can be earned by: attending after school help sessions, auditioning for All-
County or All-State Choir, participating in All-County or All-State Choir, attending a pre-
approved professional, semi-professional, college or high school concert or recital, and
participating in solo and ensemble. Additional information about extra credit
opportunities will go home periodically throughout the year.

CALENDAR

This section of the handbook will contain a calendar with our required concerts and events.
I have also made a google calendar with all choir events that you can access and add to your
personal google calendar: www.bthchoir.googlecalendar.com

FALL DATES
September 11: School All State Auditions (after school, 10th-12th only)
September 26: State All State Choir auditions
Novermber 13-14: MSU Choral Festival (10th-12th only, by audition)
December 5: Christmas Concert, First Baptist Church @ 7pm

SPRING DATES
February 1: Sweets and Song Concert, BCHS cafeteria @ 6:30pm
February 7-10: All State Choir (by audition)
March 22: District Music Festival, BCHS gym
April 12: KMEA Assessment, time TBA
May 15: Spring Concert, First Baptist Church @ 7pm
 7

Print Student Name: _______________________________________

Students and Parents – read, sign and return to Ms.

West by FRIDAY, AUGUST 18th, 2018.
I, (student name) ______________________, have read and understand the
Big Tree High School Choir Syllabus. I know it is my responsibility
to follow all rules and procedures outlined in this syllabus.

_____________________ ________________________
Student Signature Parent/Guardian Signature

___________________________
Date

Parent/Guardian email(s):__________________________________________

__________________________________________

Parent/Guardian Phone: __________________________________________

I am interested in helping with the following:

____ Chaperone field trips ___ Help with concert setup

___ Fundraising ___ Anything! Give me a call!

8