Welcome to Music Exploratory!

Music Safety Protocols

We will be following the recommendations put forth by the Provincial COVID-19 Communicable Disease Guidelines for K-12 Settings and the music specific recommendations in the document
​"Guidance for Music Classes in British Columbia." 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KG2rE1rU-NENxbQsuYN20xnM9TBlNn3Z/view ​
  1. Students will be required to wash their hands or use hand sanitizer upon entering and exiting the music room.
  2. Wearing a non medical mask will be necessary when in the music room.
  3. I will have a mask on and keep a distance of 2 meters with students. I am also using a microphone so I don't have to raise my voice and project more droplets. Students will also be instructed to keep their voices quiet.
  4. Students must maintain social distancing of 6 feet with the teacher and as much distance as possible with their classmates. 
  5. Students will ENTER the music room at the beginning of class through the main classroom doors from the hallway. Students will EXIT the music room through the fire exit leading outside near the basketball courts at the end of class.
  6. Students will be assigned a seating plan that will be distanced as best as possible to fit the room space and classroom make up.
  7. If deemed appropriate, students will be assigned an instrument to use during the term. Students are only permitted to touch their assignment instrument and no other instruments in the room. Any shared instruments will be sanitized before and after each use!                                                                                                                                                    *Use of an instrument is a privilege. Abuse and inappropriate behavior with the instruments may result in the student losing the use of the instrument and doing written music theory assignments instead. It could also incur a repair or replacement cost (up to $190) if deemed applicable. 
  8. Students will be required to bring a Pencil with them to each class. There are no storage options in the music room this year for bags/backpacks. *Bag's carrying Epi pens or other necessary items can be kept neatly at your chair.​

Course Outlines

Grade 6

Welcome!
Music 6 is a beginner/intermediate ukulele course. In this course, students will be learning to play the ukulele, build upon any previous ukulele knowledge, and sing in a fun and supportive atmosphere. This course will provide foundational skills needed for students wishing to pursue Ukulele on their own and continue on in Music 7 in beginner classical guitar next year.

What will I learn:
Students will be able to play and transition between different major, minor and major 7th chords. They will be able to read basic music notation in the treble clef and pick simple melodies using note from the C Pentatonic Scale. They will relate rhythms to different strumming patterns.
​
What will I do:
Class will consist of a combination of warm up activities, ensemble playing and note reading tasks.  We will look at the relationship between different chords and develop strategies and techniques of moving from one chord to another quickly and efficiently. We will discuss strategies for practicing and develop methods to break down complex problems/songs into more manageable chunks. We will also develop basic note reading skills that can be transferred to any future instrument students might choose to play.
​
How will I be assessed:
Learning Maps will be used along with a final letter grade and Work Habit. ​
Work Habit – G/S/N
Along with regular work habit criteria, students will also be observed for demonstrating Social Responsibility. Participation in a musical ensemble takes a certain amount of courage and it is important that EVERYONE respects EVERYONE else. Part of your mark will be based on Social Responsibility within this class. It is important that all students contribute to creating an inviting, comfortable and non-threatening environment in the classroom. Risk taking is part of performance and all students have the right to take risks without fear of ridicule or judgement. Ridicule and judgment will not be tolerated within the classroom and will result in immediate removal from class.
 
*As music is a progressive skill, if students continue to practice and improve upon skills and wish to retest their midterm before the term is finished, they are welcome to book a time with Mrs. McDowell to come in at lunch or afterschool to do this.
**As music is a performing art, one of the skills we will be working on is techniques to overcome performance anxiety. Final Performances must be done in front of the class. Part of music is learning how to be a supportive and respectful audience member. If a student feels they were too nervous and it impacted their performance they are welcome to retest in their group at lunch or after school (By appointment) after they have made a solid attempt in front of the class.
 
What do I need:
You will need to bring a pencil to every class. The school will provide a ukulele for classroom use and Wentworth Music has graciously supplied music folders for students.
​
What is expected of me:
It is expected that students show Respect while in the music room. Respect to other students, Respect to the teacher, and Respect to the instruments and other equipment in the room.
 
Students will see success in this course if they:
  • Attend regularly and come to class on time with their supplies
  • Have an open mind, a positive attitude and a spirit of cooperation
  • Participate fully in all class warm up's and activities
  • Behave in an appropriate and respectful manner
  • Take proper care of their assigned ukulele. 

Grade 7

​Welcome!
Music 7 is a beginner classical guitar course. In this course, students will be learning to play classical style guitar, note reading skills, single note picking, and basic chords.  Students will play and sing in a fun and supportive atmosphere. This course will provide the foundational skills needed for students wishing to pursue guitar on their own and continue on in Guitar 8 next year.
​
What will I learn:
Students will be able to play and transition between open major and minor chords. They will be able to read basic music notation in the treble clef and pick simple melodies on the first 3 strings of the guitar. They will relate rhythms to different strumming patterns.
​
What will I do:
Class will consist of a combination of warm up activities, ensemble playing and note reading tasks.  We will look at the relationship between different chords and develop strategies and techniques of moving from one chord to another quickly and efficiently. We will discuss strategies for practicing and develop methods to break down complex problems/songs into more manageable chunks. We will also develop basic note reading skills that can be transferred to any future instrument students might choose to play. 
​
How will I be assessed:
Learning Maps will be used along with a final letter grade and Work Habit. ​
Work Habit – G/S/N
Along with regular work habit criteria, students will also be observed for demonstrating Social Responsibility. Participation in a musical ensemble takes a certain amount of courage and it is important that EVERYONE respects EVERYONE else. Part of your mark will be based on Social Responsibility within this class. It is important that all students contribute to creating an inviting, comfortable and non-threatening environment in the classroom. Risk taking is part of performance and all students have the right to take risks without fear of ridicule or judgement. Ridicule and judgment will not be tolerated within the classroom and will result in immediate removal from class. 
​
*As music is a progressive skill, if students continue to practice and improve upon skills and wish to retest their midterm before the term is finished, they are welcome to book a time with Mrs. McDowell to come in at lunch or afterschool to do this.
**As music is a performing art, one of the skills we will be working on is techniques to overcome performance anxiety. Final Performances must be done in front of the class. Part of music is learning how to be a supportive and respectful audience member. If a student feels they were too nervous and it impacted their performance they are welcome to retest in their group at lunch or after school (By appointment) after they have made a solid attempt in front of the class.
 
What do I need:
You will need to bring a pencil to every class. The school will provide a guitar for classroom use and Wentworth Music has graciously supplied music folders for students.
​
What is expected of me:
It is expected that students show Respect while in the music room. Respect to other students, Respect to the teacher, and Respect to the instruments and other equipment in the room.
​
Students will see success in this course if they:
  • Attend regularly and come to class on time with their supplies
  • Have an open mind, a positive attitude and a spirit of cooperation
  • Participate fully in all class warm up's and activities
  • Behave in an appropriate and respectful manner
  • Take proper care of their assigned guitar. 

Grade 8

Welcome!
Music 8 is a continuation of the grade 7 exploratory guitar course. This year, students will build upon their note reading skills, melody picking, and basic chord strumming while also diving deeper into chord progressions, song writing and looking into the history of blues music and its influence in today's popular music. Students will play and sing in a fun and supportive atmosphere. This course will provide the foundational skills needed for students wishing to pursue guitar on their own or continue on in a Guitar Ensemble course at RSS next year. 
​
What will I learn:
Students will be able to play and transition between open major and minor chords. They will be able to read music notation in the treble clef including ledger lines and pick melodies using all 6 strings of the guitar. They will relate rhythms to different strumming patterns. Students will also learn to analyze 12 bar blues chord progressions and how to write song lyrics using the blues formula.  
​
What will I do:
Class will consist of a combination of warm up activities, ensemble playing and note reading tasks.  We will analyze blues songs and look at chord progressions as well as lyric analysis and storytelling. Students will write their own blues songs and perform them in groups for their peers. 

How will I be assessed:
Learning Maps will be used along with a final letter grade and Work Habit. 
Learning Map coming soon!



​
Work Habit – G/S/N 
Along with regular work habit criteria, students will also be observed for demonstrating Social Responsibility. Participation in a musical ensemble takes a certain amount of courage and it is important that EVERYONE respects EVERYONE else. Part of your mark will be based on Social Responsibility within this class. It is important that all students contribute to creating an inviting, comfortable and non-threatening environment in the classroom. Risk taking is part of performance and all students have the right to take risks without fear of ridicule or judgement. Ridicule and judgment will not be tolerated within the classroom and will result in immediate removal from class.  
​
*As music is a progressive skill, if students continue to practice and improve upon skills and wish to retest their midterm before the term is finished, they are welcome to book a time with Mrs. McDowell to come in at lunch or after school to do this. 
**As music is a performing art, one of the skills we will be working on is techniques to overcome performance anxiety. Final Performances must be done in front of the class. Part of music is learning how to be a supportive and respectful audience member. If a student feels they were too nervous and it impacted their performance they are welcome to retest in their group at lunch or after school (By appointment) after they have made a solid attempt in front of the class. 
 
What do I need:
You will need to bring a pencil to every class. The school will provide a guitar for classroom use and Wentworth Music has graciously supplied music folders for students.
​
What is expected of me:
It is expected that students show Respect while in the music room. Respect to other students, Respect to the teacher, and Respect to the instruments and other equipment in the room.
​
Students will see success in this course if they:
  • Attend regularly and come to class on time with their supplies
  • Have an open mind, a positive attitude and a spirit of cooperation
  • Participate fully in all class warm up's and activities
  • Behave in an appropriate and respectful manner
  • Take proper care of their assigned guitar. 
Attention Parents, Guardians & Students:
The use of our school district's ukulele's and guitars is a privilege. Abuse and inappropriate behavior with the instruments may result in the student losing the use of the instrument and doing written music theory assignments instead. It could also incur a repair or replacement cost (up to $190) if deemed applicable. 
All Music Exploratory Students:
Will be connected to a Google Classroom.
Resources from class will be posted if students wish to engage in extra home practice with a personal instrument
​or try some extensions.

Google Classroom Codes:
Gr 6 - Section 2 - Miles/Power/Harris = 6A - Google Class code: coming soon!
Gr 6 - Section 6 - Hayhurst/Holt = 6B - Google Class code: coming soon!

Gr 7 - Section 2 - Nuessler/Selkirk = 7A - Google Class code: coming soon!
Gr 7 - Section 6 - Sides/Peters = 7B - Google Class code: coming soon!

Gr 8 - Section 2 - Parker/Ward = 8A - Google Class code: coming soon!
Gr 8 - Section 6 - Zimmermann/Cadman = 8B - Google Class code: coming soon!

How to Join Google Classroom:

Step 1: Sign in to Google using your  first.last.stu@learn.sd23.bc.ca account

If students have not used this account yet this year, your password should be the same as your network login at school. (The password you use to sign in to laptops)

If you are still unable to log in, email me to reset your password.
Step 2: Click on the rubics cube icon in the top right corner and click on "Google Classroom"
Step 3: Once in Google Classroom, Click on the + sign and Join Class using the class code provided above.
Step 4: Complete the first introductory assignments to show me you have logged on to the classroom and can navigate it!
Optional Step 5: If you are using a phone/tablet device for most of their work, I highly recommend downloading the FREE Google Classroom App from the app store. 
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