What an AMAZING CONCERT last night and this morning! Everyone really performed to the best of their ability, looked like they were having fun, and made a wonderful audience for one another! YOU MAKE ME SO PROUD!! I love my job and working with each of you every single day!!!
As my Maternity leave draws near, I am wishing to send home a few helpful reminders:
1. Please encourage your son/daughter to practice at home on occasion so that they can continue to develep and retain the skills they have learned. Often duet books, pop music, or Disney books are a fun way to make practice fun.
2. If you are renting a school instrument, it needs to be returned/re-rented no later than May 26 as I need to have the inventory completed and instruments sent for cleaning.
3. Any original music, band ties, leather folders and other misc. Bayside Band equipment must be returned no later than May 26. I don't have a huge band budget to replace lost/stolen/broken items.
4. For the remainder of May, Band students will be asked to complete a series of assignments to gather additional marks for the upcoming Term 3 report card. If the weather is crummy, we will come inside (instead of PE...if I'm their PE teacher, Mr Timmermans class will still continue as scheduled) to work on playing tests (see the front white board for your list), theory worksheets, clapping/rhythm tests, and collecting practice cards (March-May). Otherwise, on beautiful days, we will be heading outside for PE to complete some track and field events, ultimate frisbee, and softball.
5. My last day at Bayside is May 30 and I will be returning Jan 1, 2015. For the month of June, my replacement will be teaching PE (and ELA to that class) to the Band students to make up for the many days we have spent in the Band room gearing up for the festivals and concerts.
6. Masterclasses have now finished and students are asked to stay behind in USSR to have silent reading. If students arrive in the band room (with permission of their teacher) I will be putting them to work helping with the overall band room cleanup, inventory, packup, and music sorting. Not fun work, but necessary. I encourage students to remain in USSR to read and/or complete core classwork.
7. Whistler final Payment: I should have completed the final tally next week for the final cost of the Whistler trip. I will send home a paper with that amount as soon as possible. We have some money coming in from the Smile Cards which will help cover the final costs.
8. If your son/daughter has not yet signed up for a band/choir/musical theatre/jazz/guitar class for next year at Stelly's (or ?), it is not too late! Don't let your child allow their musical skills to disappear...it'll be something they regret later in life, I promise!! The Stelly's music program will see a new teacher in the Fall as Mrs Galvao's interim position comes to a close (she will likely move into another music position in the district, so we won't lose her talent!), whom will build the program as I have built the Bayside Band Department!