Peanut Butter

If you purchased any peanut butter cookies from our fundraiser last fall, be sure to check out the letter I put on the middle school website. It appears if the peanut butter came from the same source as the salmonella outbreak that has spread throughout the country. In the letter is a list of code numbers to check out on your tub of peanut butter, as well as what to do with the container of dough. If there are any questions, please let me know!

Grades

I am sorry for not getting the grades updated until now. It is amazing how little things here and there can pull away at the available time! Not everything is up to date yet, but a large amount of things have been entered. Hopefully I'll get fully caught up in the next week.

Keep in mind that parent/teacher conferences are coming. It would be great to see a bunch of people!

Solfege

I haven't written about choir activities for a while, and I apologize for that. The second semester started a new project for 7-8 choir. We are working on using solfege to improve our note reading abilities. Solfege, for those not familiar with the term, are syllables that are associated with notes in a scale. Do, Re, Me, Fa, etc. The best example comes from the song from "The Sound of Music"--Do, a deer. A female deer. Re, a drop of golden sun...

Students are working on recognizing these pitches in the key of C and we are singing them on our solfege syllables without the aid of the piano. These are great skills for building aural accuracy! So far, they are doing a wonderful job. I am hoping to stop writing the syllables in soon, so they can just do it by looking at the notes!

Honor Band and Solos

On Tuesday, I was at the Simpson College Honor Band with two students. Honor bands are a great opportunity for students who excel in music to have an opportunity to work on some different music with students from other schools. I nominate several students and I get notified of which students are selected. They receive the music ahead of time and are expected to practice it so as to be prepared for the honor band day. Students then come together and spend several hours that day putting the music together with a guest conductor. It's a great chance to play some good music and meet some new friends.

It is also a refresher for me to go and share struggles/successes with other directors and to meet with old friends whom I haven't seen in a while. It is good to be reminded that we all have the same struggles.

Solo/Ensemble

I received a copy of the schedule for the day at PCM at the honor band, and I will post it on the website later today, along with some other information. As usual, if there are any questions, please don't hesitate to call or email or comment below.

No Jazz Band

Just a quick note--no jazz band Tuesday, Jan. 20th or Wednesday the 21st. Enjoy the extra sleeping time!

Valentine's Food!

Take a moment to check out the info on the band/choir page of the website concerning the Valentine's event put on by the music boosters! They do a great job of supporting what we as directors do for the program! Tickets are on sale now and the proceeds go to a great cause--all the items listed are in great need!

Thanks in advance!


A reminder that I will not be at school on Tuesday this week, as I will be at Simpson College all day for an honor band.

Cold days

I can't remember a "cold" day. Must have been a while since I've seen one of those. Too bad that means one more day to make up in the summer!

It also affects scheduling right now. Solo/Ensemble is coming up quickly and we have 13 events participating, even with the Science Fair conflict. Congrats to those students for stepping up and finding a way to do both. I should get the performance schedule next week--barring more days missed. I will be gone on Tuesday for an honor band at Simpson College. I am hoping that those who have missed lessons (and are doing solos/duets) over the last couple weeks due to my absences and snow/cold can get made up when we get back. I will be working on a schedule.

I will, hopefully, post some links this weekend to the songs we are working on in both band and choir.

Sick Today

I was out sick today, but did make it in to do jazz band this morning. I really appreciate the way they help clean up the elementary music room after rehearsals--especially today. Hopefully the weather will be good tomorrow, as well as my innards! I really don't like to miss classroom time, whether for meetings, illness or anything else. It is important to student learning that the regular teachers are in the classroom. It usually takes quite a bit to knock me out, but as I am sure the kids will tell you, it's pretty obvious when I don't look well. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day!

Concert Recording

As I got really busy on the day of the concert in December, I didn't have enough time to set up a recording device. If anyone has a copy that they would burn for me or a least let me borrow, I would be forever grateful!

Happy New Year! (I thought things were supposed to work better in 2009)

Hope everyone had a great break! I am going to hold off on commenting any more about the noise in the gym during the last concert. Look for a handout and a "soapbox moment" at the next concert!

The date for our solo festival at PCM has somehow ended up as the same as the Science Fair results program. Because of this, I have decided that the solo festival is going to be an optional event. Below, I posted a copy of the note I sent home with 7th and 8th graders today concerning that event. It will also be available on the Band and Choir page of the MS website. Sometimes things happen and we have to make due with the situation as best as we can! If you have any questions or concerns about this, don't hesitate to call or email me.


1-7-09

Every winter, students in the band program work on solo and small group pieces for contest, usually held each February. In the past, this event has fallen on a weekend. This year it was moved to Thursday, February 5th at PCM Middle School. There is a conflict, as this day is also the evening of the science fair awards at CMMS. In prior years, this contest was required. Because of the circumstances with the science fair, I am going to have this contest be optional. Students wanting to participate should notify Mr. Wipperman by Friday, January 9th. There will be times scheduled at PCM from 4-8 PM, and I have been told that the person doing the scheduling that they will make sure that those students participating will have an early time slot. Again, this is going to be an optional event where the school does not provide transportation to the event. If there are any questions, please contact Mr. Wipperman at 363-4282 or bwipperman@mail.colfax-mingo.k12.ia.us.

Thanks!

Mr. Wipperman