Syllabus for Intermediate Chorus 2019-2020

Banneker High School

Course Title
Beginning Chorus

Instructor and Contact Information

Dr. Ogletree ogletreed@fultonschools.org (470) 254-3549

Office Hours
10:00 – 11:00 “B” Days

Course Description
Chorus is a performance organization that incorporates the study of musical styles, genres, and
choral techniques for the purpose of aesthetic value and artistic choral singing in a variety of
languages including but not restricted to English. This is a year-long class and requires full year
participation. There will be mandatory after school rehearsals and concerts that convene in the
afternoon and sometimes evening hours. Concert attendance and performance are not optional.
They are required.

Textbook

There will be a variety of instructional materials utilized in this class including the Glencoe
Music Series, octavos, Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA) sight reading material,
sight reading books, a variety of sheet music and literature from the standard vocal repertoire,
local vocal arrangements, and published choral works and rubrics approved by Music Educators
National Conference (MENC), GMEA, and the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA).
We will also use Successful Performing by Nancy Telfer, One-Minute Theory by Slabbinck and
Slabbinck, and Successful Sight Singing by Nancy Telfer.
Textbooks are not issued to students. They are to remain in the classroom. Students are to retrieve
and return all textbooks and music to their proper places at the beginning and end of each class
period. This is the student’s responsibility. Extra care must be given to care for all materials.

Pacing
Ongoing

Units and Major Topics

Major units include music symbols, notation, rhythm, music vocabulary, scales, key signatures,
dynamics, intervals, chords, melody, form, harmony, history, culture, creating music,
improvisation, sight reading, vocal tone production, and listening to and evaluating performances.

CHORAL STANDARDS
Standards Mastery Framework

The Banneker High School Choral Program exposes students to lesson content based on
prioritized standards selected by the Fulton County School District. Students will experience a
viable curriculum to deepen personalized learning. The course content will include four general
areas regarding Standards. They are Performing, Responding, Connecting, and Creating.

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Georgia Best
Employability Skills Curriculum

All students enrolled in the Banneker High School choral classes will learn employability skills
and complete the associated tests with the curriculum. The courses are grade level specific. By
the end of the curriculum, students are expected to be competent in the skills that Georgia
employers look for in potential candidates they hire. Students will engage in the study of these
skills weekly if not daily.

Units and Major Topics

Students will study tone, pitch, rhythm, ensemble techniques, diction, phrasing, interpretation,
sight singing, ear training, and decorum. The fundamentals of music including lines and spaces,
accidentals, major scales, key signatures, and tonality will be studied. Students will gain
knowledge specific to performance practices of several historical periods. Music Theory will be
included in the curriculum.

Goals
The goals of this class are to aid students in developing skills relative to the study of languages;
support students in practicing the communicative and artistic music skills of reading, composing,
performing, and listening at the highest level possible; help each student develop an awareness of
the Arts as part of his or her total education and lifestyle; aid students in realizing the
actualization of vocational goals by developing occupational competencies and awareness in the
various fields of music; assist students academically through learning musical content, success
processes, and life skills; assist each student in developing self-discipline through the
development of rehearsal and performance skills- thus increasing self-esteem; and help students
develop a life-long relationship with the Arts. This course is designed to encourage proper
singing and good musicianship through the rehearsal and performance of selected music. Ear
training, sight-singing, tone production, breathing techniques, and style will be employed through
the use of vocal exercises and choral repertoire.

Materials
Students need to purchase a 3-ring binder to collect handouts and write notes that are generated
from lessons taught in class. Bring a pencil and your notebook to class each period.

Class Expectations
 Students must arrive to class on time
 Students must be on task the entire class period
 Students must follow teacher expectations concerning beginning class procedures
 Touch equipment only when instructed to do so
 No gum or food/candy is allowed in the classroom or lab
 Only bottled water (no flavored water) is permitted in class only with teacher permission
 Bring all class materials (notebook, textbook/workbook, pencil (not pen) to class daily.
To arrive without your class materials leads to a lowered grade.
 Be proactive about keeping clean the area around your seat/work area, classroom, and
locker
 Return all materials, equipment, and furniture to original or expected location before
leaving class

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  Electronic devices should remain unused, unseen, and not heard during instructional time
unless part of the class procedures
 Students are expected to support the learning environment by remaining quiet at zero
level voice during the delivery of the instruction.
 Upon entering the classroom, immediately engage in the daily sponge activity
 Whenever new concepts are introduced and explained, students must engage to
understand this information fully. Students are encouraged to ask for assistance when
needed.
 Students will be granted 3 passes for the semester for restroom, nurse, and etc. Use
wisely and only when necessary.
 Demonstrate good posture at all times. When sitting, both feet should be flat on the floor;
and your backs should be straight and your shoulders back-feet should be shoulder width
apart and one foot should be slightly in front of the other.
 When other groups or sections of the chorus are working as a section, listen and observe
at zero level voice. You can learn much from each other during the process. Listen and
observe at all times.
 Do not interrupt instruction. Raise your hand to ask or make a relevant question or
comment
 Remain in your seat unless instructed to move
 Remain vocally and bodily silent at all times
 Remain awake in class at all times

Classroom Management Plan

1. Respect learning. Respect yourself. Respect Others.
2. Bring Materials to Class Daily (Binder, paper, and a pencil)
3. Participate in Your Education and Work hard to understand content
4. Report to Class on Time
5. Remain on task always and drink only water (No flavored water or soft drinks)
6. Respect the learning environment and process

Tardy Policy
Students must arrive to class on time daily.

Restroom/Nurse Passes
Students are expected to remain in class during instructional time. Should the need arise to leave
class for the restroom or nurse, the student has a total of 3 passes per semester. Once used, no
more passes will be granted. Unused passes will result in a grade of 100 for a test grade at the end
of the semester.

Discipline Documentation
A discipline log will be maintained on each student’s behavior.

TIERS OF BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT (Restroom, Tardy, and Discipline)

 1st, 2nd, and 3rd infraction - Verbal Warning

 4th infraction - Phone call home
 5th infraction – Teacher detention and phone call home

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Community Norms
The respectful Trojan demonstrates integrity by:
 Being Prepared (Be ready)
 Being Positive (Have a positive mindset)
 Being Professional (Maintain professional behavior)
 Being Proactive (Take initiative and find solutions)
 Being Persistent (Work hard and don’t give up)
Academic Integrity
All students are expected to adhere to an honor code of ethical conduct relating to academics.
Students are to do their best work at all times; and, they are not to engage in cheating practices.
Occurrences relating to academic integrity will result in a grade of “0” and parent contact.
Evaluation
Authentic performance assessments will be conducted using a variety of methods including
technology such as NoteFlight, SmartMusic, Finale, Aurelia, Musition, and Essentials of Music
Theory. Authentic performance assessments of singing will be conducted through a variety of
methods including sight singing, dictation, rhythm, vocabulary, theory, singing tests, and written
tests manually or through technological means. Assessments will include individual and group
performance.
Students are expected to gain competency in all fundamental aspects of the choral singing
including history, aesthetics, theory, genre, vocabulary, skills, and performance.
Activities and experiences that result in summative grading will be evaluated at the concerts.
In addition, 25% of Progress Reporting will be demonstrated and evaluated at the various
concerts. 75% of the Progress Report grade comes from classwork.
Homework 5%
Progress Reporting 40%
Formative 15%
Summative 20%
Final Exam 20%
Sight reading, part singing, and repertoire checks result in Progress Reporting grades.

Late Assignments: Late assignments will result in grade being lowered. Late assignments will
not receive full credit, and they must be submitted within the time periods that the teacher deems
reasonable.
Make-up Work
When a student has an excused absence, the student will be allowed one extra day above the
number of days the student was absent in order to make up the missed work. In other words, if a
student is absent for 2 days, the student will have 3 days to make up the assignments. If a student
is absent for three days, the student will have four days to make up the assignment.
Online Classroom
Assignments are posted on the class website. When students are absent from class or school, they
should log in to the website to view the assignment and complete it before returning to school.
When possible, submit the assignment online. When absent, do your best to keep up with the
class to minimize the possibility of falling behind in the class. Details on how to access and
navigate the website will be explained in class.

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Literacy
Our department supports literacy throughout the course through reading and writing.

Other information and pertinent documents are available on the choral music website at any time
to stay abreast of relevant information and performances. The website for the Banneker Choral
Music Program is located as follows: bhsvocal.weebly.com and bannekerchorus@gmail.com.

Tri-M Music Honor Society

The Tri-M Music Honor Society is an organization sponsored by the Fine Arts Program based on
scholarship, leadership, and community service. Students can be considered for membership by
their music instructor after one semester or enrollment in a music class. Demonstrated
commitment, scholarship, and leadership is a requirement. Candidates must have also
demonstrated character (examples include respect, responsibility, trustworthiness, fairness,
caring, and citizenship). More information relating to the Tri-M Music Honor Society is located
on the following website: bhsvocal.weebly.com and bannekerchorus@gmail.com.

Tutorial
Students are provided with opportunities to receive tutorial help if needed. Tutorial is available on
Tuesdays after school from 4:0 – 5:00. It is the responsibility of the student to request tutorial
assistance when needed.

Recovery
The intent of the Recovery Policy is to assist students by providing adequate opportunities to
master course objectives in order to eliminate preventable failures. The Recovery Policy for this
course is as follows:
1. Opportunities designed to allow students to recover from a low or failing cumulative
grade will be allowed when all work required to date has been completed and the student
has demonstrated a legitimate effort to meet all course requirements including attendance.
Students should contact the teacher concerning recovery opportunities. Teachers are
expected to establish a reasonable time period for recovery work to be completed during
the semester.
All recovery work must be directly related to course objectives and must be completed
ten school days prior to the end of the semester.
2. Teachers will determine when and how students with extenuating circumstances may
improve their grades.
Please note: If your average is low and you wish to improve it, you must first have completed all
class work, homework, assignments, projects and tests, as well as show a legitimate effort in
meeting class requirements including attendance. It is your responsibility to contact the teacher
well before the end of the semester concerning academic assistance opportunities.

Teacher Conference and Contact Information

Conferences can be scheduled through the counseling center. Conferences will be scheduled so
that all of the teachers of the student may be present. This is done because of the structure of our
school into Smaller Learning Academies. Students and parents may contact me via
ogletreed@fultonschools.org . I may also be reached at 470-254-3549. Please do not hesitate to
contact me if the need arises.

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I have read the course information and understand the
expectations of me as outlined in both the Course Syllabus (6
pages total) provided by the teacher, Dr. Ogletree.

________________________________________________________________________
Print Student Name Date Signed

____________________________________________________
Student Signature
I have read the course information and understand the
expectations of my son or daughter as outlined in the Course
Syllabus (6 pages total) provided by the teacher, Dr. Ogletree.

________________________________________________________________________
Print Parent/Guardian Name Date Signed

____________________________________________________
Parent/Guardian Signature