Oak Knoll Choir

Dear Parents/Guardians,

I would first like to take a moment and introduce myself, my name is Mr. Graff
and I am your childs music teacher at Oak Knoll Elementary School. I am very excited
to teach your child music. I am a graduate of Rowan University and hold a BA in
Education and a BM in Music Education.

You are receiving this letter because during music class your child has indicated
an interest in joining the Oak Knoll Choir. The Oak Knoll Choir is an additional
responsibility taken on by your student. The manner in which Choir works is, once a
week on Wednesday all Choir members meet in the auditorium, during the WIN period,
to rehearse.

Since this is an extra responsibility taken on by the student, students MUST

maintain high academic standards in their class and MUST be current with any and all
homework/classwork assignments. Failure to maintain these standards may result in a
temporary halt in participation until standards are met. Sustained or habitual failure to
meet these requirements may result in being dismissed from the program. In addition,
behavior in and outside of Choir is also an important factor in a students ability to
participate. If a student needs to be spoken to twice in the same rehearsal they will be
sent back to their class. If the same behavior continues the next week, the student will be
dismissed from the Choir program and not able to participate in any activities. Any and
all temporary halts, suspensions, or dismissals are at the sole discretion of Mr. Graff.

In order for students to succeed in the Oak Knoll Choir Program they must always
be prepared for rehearsal. This means that on every Wednesday students need to have
their music folder in which they have put their choir music. Being prepared for rehearsal
also means that students must practice their music that has been covered in rehearsals.

To assist in this, the link below will take you to my school website, in the Choir
section you will find a dropbox link (you may have to download dropbox, however it is
free). This will contain all of the materials your child needs to succeed and practice. In
the folder there will be video files of the songs we are performing that show their music.
The files come in whole piece, individual parts, and accompaniment tracks. I recommend
downloading all of them this way you student can practice their part separately, practice
with the other parts, and practice with only the accompaniment. The more your student
practices outside of choir the better the entire choir program will be. Please encourage
your student to practice regularly. Five to Ten minutes, which translates to approximately
two or three of our songs, a night will tremendously aid your child in having the best
choir experience possible. There is enough material so your child can rotate what they
practice so it does not become repetitive.

http://monroetwp.oncoursesystems.com/websites/13243019

Accompanying this letter you will find the first of many flyers home about
performances. Your child will be putting a lot of time and effort in participating in this
program. Our performance dates are as follows:

Winter Concert Monday December 19th @ 7PM

Spring Concert Thursday May 18th @ 6:30PM

Please fill out the left side of the ticket on the flyer and send it back to school
with your child, you may keep the right side as a reminder about the winter Choir
Concert. I am also asking that you fill out your childs shirt size on the left side of the
ticket, this is for the choir shirt your child will receive, shirts are adult sizes. The choir
shirt will be part of the concert attire.

Next, you will find the districts photo/talent release form for students. Reflection
and critique are two of the best ways to learn and improve as a musician. The choir
program utilizes audio/video recording for educational purposes. Occasionally in
rehearsal students will make audio/video recordings of themselves. This allows students
the opportunity to hear/see themself perform. This is an invaluable learning tool, for
learning and understanding abstract musical concepts, such as, tone quality, intonation,
diction, phrasing, etc. Also, any performances/concerts students participate in will be
recorded for educational and archival purposes. Please sign and return the districts
photo/talent release form for students as soon as possible.

The last page you have received is the Oak Knoll Music pledge. This pledge is
for your child to read and sign. With this pledge we can make the Oak Knoll Choir
Program a huge success.

Lastly, I would like to say that I am really excited to be teaching your child music
and develop them as singers. Please sign and return the Student Information form,
Photo/Talent Release Form, and the Oak Knoll Music Pledge as soon as possible. If you
have any questions or concerns feel free to contact me by email. My email address is
wgraff@monroetwp.k12.nj.us.

Sincerely,
Mr. Graff
Music Teacher
Oak Knoll Elementary School