BENTON‌‌MIDDLE‌‌SCHOOL‌  ‌
Visual‌a‌ nd‌P
‌ erforming‌A
‌ rts‌M
‌ agnet‌  ‌
  ‌ ‌
  ‌ ‌

‌15709‌‌E.‌‌Olive‌‌Branch‌‌Dr.,‌‌La‌‌Mirada,‌‌CA‌‌90638‌‌|‌‌(562)‌‌943-1553‌‌|‌‌Fax:‌‌(562)‌‌947-3861‌‌|‌‌www.bentonms.org‌  ‌
Dear‌‌Parent‌‌or‌‌Guardian:‌  ‌
 ‌
Hello!‌‌My‌‌name‌‌is‌‌Geoffrey‌‌D.‌‌Summers‌‌and‌‌I‌‌am‌‌the‌‌Instrumental‌‌Music‌‌Director‌‌at‌‌Benton‌‌Middle‌‌School.‌‌ 
I‌‌am‌‌honored‌‌to‌‌have‌‌the‌‌opportunity‌‌to‌‌be‌‌your‌‌child’s‌‌band‌‌or‌‌orchestra‌‌teacher‌‌this‌‌coming‌‌school‌‌year!‌‌ 
In‌‌band‌‌or‌‌orchestra,‌‌through‌‌learning‌‌to‌‌play‌‌a‌‌new‌‌musical‌‌instrument,‌‌your‌‌child‌‌will‌‌learn‌‌patience,‌‌ 
teamwork,‌‌responsibility,‌‌listening‌‌skills,‌‌diligence,‌‌self-confidence‌‌and‌‌so‌‌much‌‌more.‌‌Most‌‌importantly,‌‌ 
students‌‌will‌‌have‌f‌ un‌w ‌ hile‌‌learning‌‌to‌‌love‌‌and‌‌appreciate‌‌music!‌  ‌
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I‌‌am‌‌a‌‌firm‌‌believer‌‌that‌‌hard‌‌work‌‌and‌‌dedication‌‌are‌‌more‌‌important‌‌than‌‌talent.‌‌Someone‌‌with‌‌less‌‌ 
talent‌‌who‌‌works‌‌hard,‌‌practices‌‌regularly,‌‌and‌‌truly‌‌wants‌‌to‌‌be‌‌the‌‌best‌‌they‌‌can‌‌be‌‌will‌‌always‌‌ 
outperform‌‌someone‌‌with‌‌more‌‌talent‌‌who‌‌lacks‌‌dedication‌‌and‌‌who‌‌does‌‌not‌‌practice‌‌regularly.‌‌With‌‌hard‌‌ 
work,‌‌perseverance,‌‌and‌‌a‌‌little‌‌guidance‌‌from‌‌their‌‌teachers,‌‌parents,‌‌and‌‌peers,‌a ‌ nyone‌‌‌can‌‌become‌‌an‌‌ 
accomplished‌‌musician!‌  ‌
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There‌‌is‌‌a‌‌lot‌‌of‌‌crucial‌‌information‌‌below.‌‌Please‌‌set‌‌aside‌‌some‌‌time‌‌with‌‌your‌‌student‌‌to‌‌go‌‌over‌‌ 
everything‌‌this‌‌week.‌  ‌
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All‌‌students‌‌who‌‌are‌‌new‌‌to‌‌Benton's‌‌music‌‌department‌‌‌should‌‌visit‌‌the‌N ‌ ew‌‌Students‌‌page‌‌‌on‌‌ 
my‌‌website‌‌and‌‌must‌r‌ egister‌‌with‌‌the‌‌music‌‌department‌.‌‌This‌‌includes‌‌all‌‌6th‌‌graders‌‌as‌‌well‌‌as‌‌ 
Los‌‌Coyotes‌‌and‌‌out-of-district‌‌transfers.‌‌Scan‌‌the‌‌QR‌‌codes‌‌below‌‌or‌‌click‌‌the‌‌links‌‌above.‌‌This‌‌ 
should‌‌take‌‌about‌‌5-10‌‌minutes.‌  ‌
 ‌
New‌‌Music‌‌Student‌‌Information:‌  ‌ New‌‌Music‌‌Student‌‌Registration‌‌(r‌ equired!‌):‌ 

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Returning‌‌students‌‌‌who‌‌have‌‌been‌‌in‌‌my‌‌class(es)‌‌before‌‌do‌n ‌ ot‌‌‌need‌‌to‌‌register,‌‌but‌‌if‌‌they‌‌would‌‌ 
like‌‌to‌‌borrow‌‌an‌‌instrument‌‌from‌‌school‌‌please‌‌sign‌‌the‌i‌ nstrument‌‌loan‌‌contract‌‌‌by‌‌visiting‌‌the‌‌ 
link‌‌or‌‌scanning‌‌the‌‌QR‌‌code‌‌below.‌  ‌

Instrument‌‌Loan‌‌Contract‌‌(r‌ eturning‌‌‌students‌‌only)‌: ‌ ‌

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BENTON‌‌MIDDLE‌‌SCHOOL‌  ‌
Visual‌a‌ nd‌P
‌ erforming‌A
‌ rts‌M
‌ agnet‌  ‌
  ‌ ‌
  ‌ ‌

‌15709‌‌E.‌‌Olive‌‌Branch‌‌Dr.,‌‌La‌‌Mirada,‌‌CA‌‌90638‌‌|‌‌(562)‌‌943-1553‌‌|‌‌Fax:‌‌(562)‌‌947-3861‌‌|‌‌www.bentonms.org‌  ‌
 ‌
Class‌‌Website‌:‌‌Please‌‌bookmark‌M ‌ rSummersMusic.weebly.com‌‌‌where‌‌you‌‌can‌‌review‌‌the‌‌syllabus,‌‌ 
homework‌‌/‌‌practice‌‌assignments,‌‌important‌‌dates,‌‌and‌‌other‌‌pertinent‌‌information.‌  ‌
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Covid-19‌‌Protocols‌:‌‌Wind‌‌band‌‌rehearsals‌‌will‌‌be‌‌conducted‌‌outdoors.‌‌Masks‌‌are‌‌required‌‌while‌‌indoors.‌‌ 
Proper‌‌safety‌‌precautions‌‌will‌‌be‌‌taken‌‌according‌‌to‌‌CDC‌‌and‌‌NMEA‌‌guidelines.‌‌You‌‌can‌‌find‌‌additional‌‌ 
information‌‌about‌‌Covid-19‌‌protocols‌‌for‌‌Band‌‌&‌‌Orchestra‌‌on‌‌my‌‌website,‌‌including‌‌suggestions‌‌for‌‌ 
specially-designed‌‌musician‌‌face‌‌masks‌‌and‌‌bell‌‌covers‌‌for‌‌wind‌‌instruments.‌  ‌
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Mutes‌:‌‌You‌‌may‌‌find‌‌that‌‌a‌‌mute‌‌is‌‌beneficial‌‌for‌‌your‌‌student’s‌‌home‌‌practice‌‌sessions.‌‌You‌‌can‌‌find‌‌ 
information‌‌about‌‌practice‌‌mutes‌‌on‌‌my‌‌website.‌  ‌
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More‌‌Information‌‌About‌‌Band‌‌&‌‌Orchestra‌:‌‌Check‌‌out‌B ‌ ePartofTheMusic.org‌‌‌for‌‌videos‌‌about‌‌Band,‌‌ 
Orchestra,‌‌and‌‌all‌‌the‌‌different‌‌instruments‌‌your‌‌child‌‌can‌‌learn‌‌at‌‌Benton,‌‌especially‌‌if‌‌they‌‌are‌‌not‌‌sure‌‌ 
what‌‌instrument‌‌they‌‌want‌‌to‌‌play‌‌yet!‌‌See‌‌reverse‌‌of‌‌this‌‌letter‌‌for‌‌additional‌‌info.‌  ‌
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Musically,‌  ‌

  ‌
Geoffrey‌‌D.‌‌Summers‌  ‌
Instrumental‌‌Music‌‌Director‌  ‌
Benton‌‌Middle‌‌School‌  ‌
Visual‌‌&‌‌Performing‌‌Arts‌‌Magnet‌  ‌
 ‌
gsummers@nlmusd.org‌  ‌
(323)‌‌380-9501‌  ‌

 ‌