Middle School Band Handbook

MMS Instrumental Handbook 2021-2022
Mr. Joel Van Peursem
Welcome to Middle School band! I am super excited to have you in band this year
and I can’t wait to get to know you more and to make music together. Please read
through the following handbook and sign with your parent or guardian at the end!
Concert Dates:
The following are our symphonic band concert dates, locations, and times. Please get these on
your calendar immediately as attendance is required for all of these. It is vital that each student
shows up for these concerts.
November 2, 2021 @ 7 p.m. PAC (Beginning, 6th, 7th, and 8th)
February 15, 2022 @ 7 p.m. PAC (6th, 7th, and 8th)
April 12, 2022 @ 6:30 p.m. PAC (6th, 7th, 8th, Jazz, and Drumline)
Lessons:
Each week you will be required to come to a band lesson. This will help us have more
individualized instruction on your music and will really help everyone improve on their
instruments. Lessons don’t start until after Labor Day and I will be making the schedule in the
next few weeks.
Lesson attendance is required and a huge part of your grade for band. If the time that I schedule
does not work for you, please let me know as soon as possible. I will be doing makeup lessons
for students that have to be gone due to other activities or having a test in the class that your
lesson normally is in. It is the student’s responsibility to let me know a day in advance on a
lesson that they will have to make up.
At each lesson, I will also be giving out a practice log that has the days of the week on it. Each
student is required to practice at least 100 minutes each week. That seems like a lot of time but if
you spread out that time over the week, it is not so much at all.
Grading:
Your grade for band is based on three very important things.
First concert attendance. Concerts are a way that we can show parents and other community
members what we have been working on, and we need everyone there. Concert attendance will
be either a 100% or a 0% with the only exception coming from myself. It also requires a
parent/guardian letter explaining why the student will be missing that concert. This must be done
well in advance of the concert.
The second grade is lesson attendance. This will be on a scale of 100 points. 100 meaning you
show up to your lesson and are attentive. Points may be taken away for unexcused absences from
lessons that are not made up or for misbehavior in the lesson. If you miss a lesson without a
warning, you will also lose points.
Your final grade in band will be lesson preparation. If you show up to your lesson well prepared
on the material that was assigned from the previous lesson and have completed the 100 minute
minimum with the parent/guardian signature on your practice chart, you will receive 100%.
Points will be deducted if no practice time was spent and/or lesson was not prepared.
These three scores will average and become your final band grade.
Extra Band Opportunities:
Jazz Band: Jazz band will be starting up in November of this year. Jazz band is open to any 6th,
7th, or 8th grader. Jazz band instrumentation includes: piano, bass, guitar, trap set, auxiliary
percussion, trumpets, trombones, and saxophones. Students will be placed in jazz band from an
audition that will happen at the end of October or beginning of November. More information will
be coming at a later date. The jazz band will perform at the last concert, two out of town
competitions, and the Palace City Jazz Festival here in Mitchell.
Drumline: Middle school drumline will start up in November. Drumline is open to any 6th, 7th,
or 8th grade band member and will also be selected from an audition. More information will
come at a later date.
All-State Jazz Band and All-State Band: These both are an amazing opportunity, and I hope a
lot of students will consider auditioning for these ensembles. These ensembles are made up from
middle school students across the state which will get together for two and half days and rehearse
and put on a concert. It is a true honor to be selected to one of these groups. Auditions for these
are a tape audition that will take place in December. I will take care of doing the recordings and
submitting them to the state. If you have any questions about All-State Band or Jazz Band, you
can look on the band website or ask me for more information and audition materials. More
information will come out later also.
Communication:
I will be communicating with parents through the Remind system, so please if you have not
downloaded and signed up for the app do this as soon as you can, parents. Directions on how to
find my class are below.
Thank you all for being a part of the middle school band this year. I am super excited for this
school year! If you have any questions and concerns after reading through this please don’t
hesitate to ask.
Thanks again,
Mr. Van Peursem
[email protected]
Office: 605-995-7631
http://mmsbandvp.weebly.com
I have read through this handbook and am responsible for knowing everything in it.
Student Signature: __________________________________
Parent Signature:__________________________________________
Date: _______________________________________

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MMS Instrumental Handbook 2021-2022

Mr. Joel Van Peursem

November 2, 2021 @ 7 p.m. PAC (Beginning, 6th, 7th, and 8th)

February 15, 2022 @ 7 p.m. PAC (6th, 7th, and 8th)

Extra Band Opportunities:

Student Signature: __________________________________

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