Important things to know from the RCHS Orchestra Handbook ALL CONCERTS ARE MANDATORY! ● A schedule of performances is on the back of this page. Required concerts are in bold and underlined. Please be sure to check the schedule and let the director know as soon as possible of any possible conflicts (out-of-town, family weddings, etc.) If you know you are not able to attend a concert, please let Mrs. McCollum know AS SOON AS YOU KNOW OF THE CONFLICT. ● Family birthdays, too much homework, or an activity outside of school (boy scouts, sports, etc.) will not be considered excused absences. ● If you are working, please give the schedule to your employer so they can schedule around your performance. By law your employer is required to give you time off for school business (with enough notice). Please do not wait until the week of the concert to tell your employer. “I had to work” will not be considered an excused absence from a concert. If you need help getting time off from your employer, please let me know and I will contact them on your behalf. ● If an illness or other emergency occurs on the night of the concert, you must bring a signed, written explanation (or email from your parent) of your absence the first day you return to school after the performance. ● I will work with any and all of the above circumstances to determine whether the absences are excused. Unexcused absences from concerts cannot be made up. Excused absences will be assigned a research paper. Details will be provided by the director as needed. Performance Attire Appropriate dress is required for all concerts. Students must wear their orchestra dress or tuxedo to every concert unless stated otherwise. If you are not dressed appropriately, the director reserves the right to sit you out of the concert or deduct points from your concert grade. Freshman and new members- We will be ordering the dress and tuxes for you to buy in the upcoming weeks. ○ Ladies: Black Orchestra Dress, black, closed toe dress shoes (no flip-flops or sandals) –Chamber- Gold Sash ($5 rental fee) ○ Men: Black jacket, black pants, tux shirt, black cummerbund, black bow tie, black socks, black dress shoes. - Chamber- Black tux shirt, gold bow tie and vest ($15 rental fee) Communication and Responsibility In order to make students accountable for their education I would prefer that students speak with me first about absences make up work, grades and other issues. While it’s great to have parent involvement at school, we also need to ensure that students take ownership and responsibility for their education. School-Owned Music The music we will be using in class will be original parts. This music is very expensive to replace. Students will be given music to use while we rehearse pieces for the concert. Each student will be responsible for that music until it is returned. If music is returned with excessive damage or is not returned at all, students will be responsible for paying to replace their part. The typical cost to replace a single part is $2-$4. Chair Auditions Chair auditions will be held at the discretion of the director. The purpose of chair tryouts is to find a fair and consistent manner in which to seat students in order and in sections. A scoring sheet is available to help the student determine the areas in which they need to improve and the areas in which they have performed well. As the director, Mrs. McCollum reserves the right to change seating assignments at any time for any reason. Absences from Class Any absence from class (excused or unexcused) will be put in as a “zero.” Orchestra is a performance class, and missing a rehearsal means missing instruction and rehearsal time with the ensemble. EXCUSED absences can be made up within a week by doing the “Excused Absence Make-Up” form that can be found on the RCHS Orchestra website. You can also come in before school, during Access, or after school to make up that time.