Grade Six Honour Band 2012 Honour Band is an enrichment activity that has been offered to Pioneer School

Grade Six students for over twenty years. It has a history of excellence and it will be offered again this year. In the past 20 years, the Grade Six Honour Band from this school has participated in the Red Deer Kiwanis Music Festival and has never received lower than a Superior rating! In the last 18 years, the Pioneer School Honor Band has received the festival scholarship twelve times!! In order to prepare for the festival and other performances there is a workshop planned in addition to the regular rehearsal schedule. Members of the Honour Band are expected to attend Clinics on Campus at Red Deer College on Tuesday, April 17th. Professional musicians from across Alberta will work with the students for the day. A portion of bus costs, clinician fees and RDC rental are covered by Pioneer School and the Band Parents Association. A fee of $70 will be collected to cover workshops, meals and busing for this trip and for the Kiwanis Festival. NO FEE IS DUE AT THIS TIME. A Clinics on Campus permission form will be sent home in March and fees will be collected at that time. Please hand in the fee ($70) with the permission form at that time. The administration and Grade Six teachers at Pioneer School have always supported this activity, and continue to lend their support this year. The teachers accommodate the students who choose to be a part of the Honour Band and this allows the students to be a part of Honour Band without falling behind in the core subject areas. The Honor Band membership in past years has ranged between 80 - 100 students which is the majority in each homeroom. NOTE: There is the expectation that students involved in the Honour Band program keep up with their regular work. If for some reason, a student has fallen behind; their teacher may pull them from the program for a period of time. If it is an extended period, it may result in the student not being able to perform with the group. We encourage all students to keep up with their studies. Any student in Grade Six may sign up for Honour Band. There is no audition or performance standard needed in order to be a part of the group. However, once a student has made the commitment there are expectations that need to be met. Students are expected to have a positive attitude and come to every rehearsal with music prepared. This will require at home practice time. Students are also expected to make a commitment from January to May.

The students who choose to be part of the Honour Band will receive music before Christmas holidays. Sectionals will be scheduled beginning the week of January 12th and rehearsals will begin on Friday, January 27th. Students will rehearse seven times during Period 6 and 7. The schedule is rotated to different days of the cycle so no homeroom will miss the same class more than once in a 4 week period. There is no after school commitment to be made, students are busy enough! Performance commitments include the following dates and students are expected to participate: Clinics on Campus at RDC Red Deer Kiwanis Festival
date TBA)

Tuesday, April 17th Week of April 24th

(performance

Final Band Concert Grade 5 Open House

Tuesday, May 29th at 7pm TBA

The students in the Honour Band program receive a wonderful opportunity to work and achieve excellence as a group. Please fill out the form below and have your child return it to the office by December 20th. If you have any questions, you can reach at school by phone (845-2468) or by email (khastings@wrsd.ca). Forms will be accepted until January 13th. I am really looking forward to working with the 2012 Grade 6 Honour Band!

Ms K. Hastings Pioneer Middle School

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Grade 6 Honour Band Parent Form Student Name ___________________________ Class ______ Phone#____________________ Email ____________________ I support my child making a commitment to the Grade Six Honour Band Program __yes __no I support my child participating in Clinics on Campus at RDC ($70 Fee is due in MARCH) and the Red Deer Kiwanis Festival at RDC. __yes __no Name of Parent/Guardian _____________________________________ Parent/Guardian Signature _____________________________Date ____________________ Comments:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**PLEASE RETURN BY DECEMBER 20th if possible DEADLINE IS JANUARY 13th **