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Mountain Ridge Middle School
Strings Handbook
2015-2016
Under the direction of: Mr. Nathan Rihn
MRMS Phone Number: 304.229.8833
Mountain Ridge Middle School 2771 Gerrardstown Rd
Gerrardstwon, WV 25420
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Table of Contents
Welcome/Welcome Back 3
Philosophy Statement 3
Materials 3
Instruments and Rentals 3
Program Owned Instruments 5
Expectations 6
Discipline 6
Grading 7
Concert and Dress Rehearsal Dates 8
Concert Dress Code 8
Kings Dominion Trip 9
Accounts 9
Fund Raisers 9
Booster Club 9
Important Dates 10
Important Links 11
Remind© 11
Student and Parent Information Sheet 12
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Welcome Welcome to Mountain Ridge Middle School’s Strings Program! I am thrilled to work with each and every one of you. My expectations are high so be prepared to work! This handbook has all of the important information you need to be a successful musician and student. At the end of this handbook is a parent signature page. Fill this out and please return it to me by Friday August 21, 2015.
Philosophy Statement Mountain Ridge Strings aims to create a school environment that promotes excellence in musicianship, rehearsal habits, and concert etiquette to prepare students for high school and youth orchestra programs wherever they may be. A well rounded music education will prepare aspiring musicians to enter the musical field with a solid foundation from which they can build upon. It’s never too early to start teaching the appropriate habits and material.
Materials
On the first day, students are to bring the following:
Two pocket folders (no a three ring binder)
A package of pencils ready for use (sharpened, or mechanical)
Their Instrument (some may not have their instrument just yet. This will be discussed further in the handbook)
Instruments: Renting/Purchasing
We will have an instrument rental night on Tuesday, August 18th at Musselman Middle School from 6:30-8:00 (Get there early!)
Many of you are already renting or have purchased an instrument. For those of you who have not done so may rent from one of following companies: Music and Arts Ellsworth Music 18023 Garland Groh Blvd 217-6 Oak Lee Dr. Hagerstown, MD 21740 Ranson, WV 25438 (301) 733-1441 (304) 728-7060
Shar Music 2465 S. Industrial Ann Arbor, MI 48104 http://www.sharmusic.com/ (Shar is a multi-national corporation that has tremendous customer service. They are very easy to deal with because of their size.)
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These are only a few suggestions. Feel free to shop around and compare prices and services. I have no loyalty to any company, however I try to keep business local. Each company is competitive and each provide their own services in regards to repairs and trade-ins. I encourage you to look at each one and make an informed decision.
IF YOU ARE PLANNING ON PURCHASING AN INSTRUMENT, YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOU
GET! I cannot stress this enough. In fact, I always encourage renting over purchasing for young musicians for the following reasons:
1. Repairs.
Strings instruments tend to break or crack, and let’s be honest, not all students are responsible enough to take care of a stringed instrument. By renting an instrument, almost all repairs are taken care of by professional luthiers with no hassle. Many rental contracts offer a free repair program already included in agreement.
2. Flexible Exchanges. Like clothing, as children grow they need bigger sizes of instruments.
When it’s time to upgrade to a bigger instrument, it’s as simple as exchanging it for a bigger one. You don’t have to put it on ebay, craigslist, etc. It’s just a simple exchange.
3. Easy Turn-In Some students find that playing a violin or viola isn’t quite for them and
they may want to try something else or simply quit (we don’t want that, but it happens). Most rental contracts can be terminated at any time without a long term commitment.
4. You know exactly what you are getting Some parents have fallen victim to the “cheap instrument bought on
Amazon or Ebay for less than $100”. While you are initially saving money by buying a cheap instrument, you will soon realize that it becomes a huge money pit! In addition, the tone of a cheaper instrument will greatly suffer. By renting, you see the instrument before you make the commitment and not a picture on a website. Furthermore, any repairs needed before a commitment are already taken care of. A company would not rent you a bad instrument if they knew you were going to keep coming back for repairs. It hurts the proprietors business and reputation.
I generally recommend purchasing instruments after students have grown into a full size instrument and are certain that their instrument is one that they wish to continue playing. Rent first, buy later! Many rental companies will even credit the money you spent on renting toward your instrument purchase.
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If you are considering buying your student an instrument, please read below for the
positive outcomes of student instrument ownership.
1. Sense of Ownership By purchasing an instrument, it gives the student an incredible sense of
ownership and delight. It really is special! In fact, I remember vividly the first instrument my mom and dad bought me as an early teen. I completely encourage parents of those mature students to purchase their child their instrument, when the time is right. It does require a large financial commitment so there is no need to rush into anything. 2. Student and Parent Commitment
With the purchase of an instrument, the student and the parent are now committed. It also encourages the student to keep the instrument they have chosen and increases their responsibility. It also encourages daily practice, which will advance their musical skills even further. 3. Costs Less over Time
Take this with a grain of salt. When you rent an instrument you are essentially renting to own for the full retail price of the instrument. You might get a better deal on that exact same instrument if you outright buy it. Once again everyone’s financial situation is different and it might be more advantageous for you to buy when you talk dollars and cents. However, I strenuously advise not purchasing a cheap instrument from Craig’s List, eBay, or a local pawn shop. If you are going to purchase, do so from a reputable retailer.
Do not hesitate to ask me any questions about obtaining an instrument for your child!
Program Owned Instruments We do have a number of school owned instruments that are on a first come, first serve basis. If you qualify, your child can receive a school owned instrument at a lower cost. These school owned instruments can be obtained at the instrument rental night. See Mr. Rihn for details.
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Expectations Although we are not a professional sounding orchestra, we surely can rehearse like a professional orchestra. Professional orchestra members are always on time, and respectful of others’ needs while the director is working.
1. Tardiness All students are expected to be in the classroom when the bell rings. Once the bell has
rung, the door will be shut. Anyone who comes in late after the bell without a pass is late and will be given a tardy and a deduction of participation points (see GRADING). Three violations will result in a write up.
2. Bathroom Breaks, Locker Trips, Etc. Students may be allowed to exit the room to use the bathroom, get a drink, or go to their
locker no more than 2 times per week. A student will be given one emergency excusal a year that they may use whenever they need to. I will keep track of who has used their emergency excusal in my planner. In order to be excused, a student must present to me their planner opened to the appropriate date. If a student cannot produce me their planner they will not be excused. Excusals will be given one at a time.
3. School Rules Students are expected to know and follow school rules which can be found in our school
handbook. Violation of those school rules will be dealt with by the administration however they see fit. Our school handbook can be found on the school website. Here is a link to the school handbook. http://berkeleycountyschools.org/Page/6509
4. Mr. Rihn’s Rehearsal Rules My in-class rules and consequences will be introduced and practiced one at a time during
the first two weeks of school. Within that time, the parent or guardian will receive a paper from their student discussing the classroom rules and consequences, therefore I will expect all parents and students understand the rules and consequences.
Discipline All violations of school rules will be dealt with through the administration. All violations of Mr. Rihn’s Classroom rules will be dealt with by me as follows: 1st Infraction: Student will stay after class and together we will discuss the violation and go over the rules again to make sure they are understood (consider this your freebee).
Any Further Infractions: Student will receive an after school detention with me. The student and Mr. Rihn will mutually agree upon a day to serve their 30 minute
detention within one week of the infraction. I will provide a schedule of available times to the student immediately following the infraction. The student will report to my room no later than 3:04pm (the last bell rings at exactly 3:00 giving the student the standard 4 minutes to travel
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from wherever they are to my room). Failure to serve the detention in its entirety will result in an additional detention owed. Failure to serve detentions up to 4 will be reported to administration and given an In-School Suspension worth eight hours. This has been agreed to by Dr. Branch and Mr. Ponton.
Detentions will be 30 minutes of complete silence. The student will and do nothing. They will not talk, they will not do homework, they will not have any electronic devices, they will not put their head down, they will not sleep, they will not eat, and they will certainly not be allowed to leave early. At exactly 3:34, the student will be dismissed and can be picked up in the front of the school.
Although my discipline structure may seem very rigorous, I want my students to learn from their mistakes and not have to see me in another detention. Classroom rehearsal time is extremely precious, thus making following the rules to be important.
Grading Grading is handled by a point based system. Classroom Participation: Simply showing up does not earn you an A. You are expected to “do your job” every day. These are your participation requirements: no tardiness (see EXPECTATIONS above) having his/her folder, pencil and instrument, utilizing said folder and pencil, and participating the entire period. Deductions will be taken from the quarterly 200 point allocation. The deduction values are as follows:
For each time a student is off task, he/she will lose 2 points.
For each time a student is tardy, he/she will lose 2 points.
For each time a student fails to have the appropriate materials (pencil, music folder, theory folder, ect), he/she will lose 2 points.
For each time a student misses class or rehearsal from an unexcused absence he/she will lose 4 points.
For each time a student has a behavior infraction (of both school rules and Mr. Rihn’s rules) he/she will lose 10 points.
Not all deductions will be discussed with the student after the infraction. I expect all students will know the nature of the infraction and can expect to see the deduction from their grade.
Theory Tests: Theory tests will be given twice every quarter and will be based on the material covered. Theory quizzes will always be announced ahead of time. Every Thursday (Theory Thursday), we will spend time covering the theory material. Exams, Performances, and Auditions Every nine weeks we will have a quarter exam covering the key musical concepts that have been discussed up to that point. Each exam will be held at the end of each nine weeks. The first and third quarter exam will double as an audition for chairs while the second and fourth quarter exams will double as your performance.
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Performances and Dress Rehearsals We will have at least two performances a year with a dress rehearsal. Both the dress rehearsal and concerts are mandatory. Each concert is worth 200 points. Failure to show to a dress rehearsal will result in a loss of 75 of the 200 points. Unexcused absences of performances will result in a 0.
Family emergencies arise and sicknesses happen. If a family emergency occurs, a student is excused given that a parent or guardian has contacted me directly (my email is on the front of the handbook as well as the school phone number) before the concert. Students who are sick must provide a doctor’s note. Both parental notification and/or doctor’s notes must be provided to me no later than one week following the day of the concert. Failure to do so will result in a 0. Students will be given an alternative assignment to make up the work from the missed the concert.
Concert and Dress Rehearsal Dates Winter Holiday Concert Dress Rehearsal is Saturday, December 5th; 12:30 pm at Musselman High School Auditorium. Winter Holiday Concert will be Sunday, December 6th; 6:00 pm at Musselman High School Auditorium.
Spring Season Concert Dress Rehearsal will be Friday, May 6; 3:00pm at Musselman High School Auditorium.
Spring Season Concert will be Saturday, May 7th; at 2:00pm at Musselman High School Auditorium.
Concert Dress Code Ladies
Nice dress shirt. No T-Shirts, hoodies, etc. o Winter Holiday Concert wear red, green, white, black, or a combination of
those colors o Spring Season Concert wear spring type colors; blue, green, yellow, etc.
Black Pants. No dresses or skirts.
Dark shoes. No boots, uggs, tennis shoes etc. Gentlemen
Button down or polo shirt. No T-shirts, hoodies, etc. o Winter Holiday Concert wear red, green, white, black, or a combination of
those colors o Spring Season Concert wear spring type colors; blue, green, yellow, etc.
Black Pants. No jeans
Dark Shoes. No boots, tennis shoes, etc.
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King’s Dominion Trip
We will be participating in an judged music festival on Saturday May 28th at King’s Dominion. This is a tremendous opportunity to represent Mountain Ridge and Berkeley County. Only students receiving an A for the school year and having 0 in-school or out-of-school suspensions will be invited to go on the trip. The price of the trip is not yet determined, but students will be given opportunities to raise money throughout the school year.
Accounts Each student will have an account in which they can deposit money earned through fundraising. You may also donate money at any time. This money can be used for adjudicated festivals, strings sanctioned trips, or supplies needed (rosin, strings, tuners, etc.). Any purchases from account money must be approved by me. Accounts will roll over from year to year and follow each student until he/she graduates from high school. Upon graduation, students may elect to transfer funds from their account to a younger sibling or friend in the program. Students who quit the program will forfeit all money in their account to the strings general fund. Students who leave the program and come back will start at a balance of $0 upon their return. Students may ask to check the account balance at any time.
Fund Raisers Throughout the year, we will be having fund raisers to benefit both students’ accounts and the strings general fund. Information on fundraisers will be posted on my page on the schools website. Students are expected to help with fund raisers because it benefits them directly. Keep checking Mr. Rihn’s page for further information on upcoming fund raisers. All of the money raised is spent on the students. So the more you help and the more you participate, the more we can do!
Booster Club Parents who are interested in helping to plan our fund raisers are invited to join our parents group. We meet once a month to discuss fund raising goals. Parents wishing to join our booster club may sign up during orientation. You may also email me expressing your desire to help with our organization.
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Important Dates Dates and times are subject to change.
8/18 Instrument Rental Night at Mussleman Middle School, 6:30-8:00
8/25, 8/26 All County High School Symphony Auditions at Martinsburg South Middle School, 7-8:30
9/3, T-Shirt order forms due.
9/24, 10/1 Middle School Chamber Orchestra Auditions, at Martinsburg South Middle School.
o Audition Requirements are… Scales in D/G/C/F Prepared Piece (something challenging) Sight reading piece.
9/25 Spaghetti Dinner Fund Raiser at Mountain Ridge Middle School 6:00-8:00
10/3 West Virginia String Day (Grades 7-12 at Spring Mills High School. All day event. Registration Deadline is September 11th. Music will be posted September 1st.
https://sites.google.com/site/westvirginiaasta/string-day-1
10/24 Quarter Auction Fund Raiser at Mountain Ridge Middle School, 2:00-5:00
11/1 WVMEA All State Application Due (without late charge). https://sites.google.com/site/westvirginiaallstateorchestra/home
1/9 WVMEA All State Auditions at Bridgeport High School, Bridgeport WV from 10:30-3:00.
2/25-2/27 WVU Honors Orchestra at West Virginia University.
3/10-3/12 WVMEA All State Conference in Charleston WV
5/20 WV Orchestra Festival (Strawberry Festival), Buckhannon WV.
5/28 King’s Dominion Adjudicated Festival.
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Important Links
Mountain Ridge Middle School Strings Page http://berkeleycountyschools.org/Domain/3274
Mountain Ridge Middle School Student Handbook http://berkeleycountyschools.org/Page/6509
West Virginia String Day https://sites.google.com/site/westvirginiaasta/string-day-1
WVMEA All State Information https://sites.google.com/site/westvirginiaallstateorchestra/home
Berkeley County Strings Program http://www.bc-strings.org/
Remind© Remind is a free, safe, and simple messaging tool that helps teacher share important information, updates, and reminders with students and parents. You may subscribe by text, email or using the Remind app. All personal information is kept private. Teachers will never see your phone number, nor will you see theirs. I ask all parents and students to subscribe. See below for instructions
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Student/Parent Information Sheet Please fill out and return by Friday August 21st.
(Please Print Clearly) Student Name______________________ Homeroom Teacher________________ Parent/Guardian Name(s)______________________________________________ Home Address __________________________________ __________________________________ Phone Number_______________________ Email address__________________________________________
Does the Student… (Write y or n) Currently own or rent an instrument______ Take Private Lessons______ Own a cell phone______ Have a medical condition_____If so please briefly explain________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Have or can easily obtain proper concert attire______ Do Any of the Parents or Guardians… (Write y or n) Check email regularly______ Check engrade regularly______ Parents please read and sign below. I, (print name)_______________________, have read all of the procedures, expectations, and discipline practices stated in the handbook, and I agree to all of the terms and conditions that apply. Signature______________________________________ Date________________
