welcome to band 2020!
Click the red button below for all back to school information and registration links
Current News/ Upcoming Events
6th Grade Families,
Thank you for your patience as we have worked to find new and inventive ways to place our 6th grade band students on instruments. With the safety of everyone in mind, what we have done in the past will not work right now. We are trying our very best to gather all of the information we can about each incoming student to help them choose an instrument that they will be most successful with.
This year, instrument selection will be a two step process:
Step 1 – Student Info and Instrument Survey
All 6th grade band members will need to sit down with a parent/guardian and complete the survey linked below. Many of you completed a survey at the end of last school year but this is a different survey with more detailed questions. Near the end of the survey, there is a video demonstrating all of the instruments available in the SMS Band. We ask you to please watch the entire video with your student before they begin making their preliminary choices.
Access the survey by going to this link:https://tinyurl.com/2020SMSBandInstrumentSelection
Step 2 – Student/Parent Band Director Zoom (Google Meet up) Meeting
After completing the survey, please go to the Sign Up Genius link below to sign up for a virtual appointment with the band directors. Mr. Scott and I will introduce ourselves and then talk with your student about their instrument preferences. We will go through their survey answers with them and then check for things including checking facial and embouchure structure and some rhythmic/pulse exercises. This will help us with guide them through selecting an instrument.
Access the signup genius at this link. Please be sure you have completed the above survey first!
https://tinyurl.com/2020InstrumentZoomMeetings
Zoom Meetings
When it is time for your student’s meeting, click the following link (or use the Zoom meeting information). The password is panthers. Students do not need an account, but they will need to have the Zoom software or app downloaded to a computer, phone, or tablet. At least one parent/guardian should attend the meeting along with the student.
Please plan on joining the meeting 5 minutes early in case you have any connection issues. When you join the meeting, you will first be placed in a virtual waiting room until the current student has finished. Please be flexible as some students may need more time than others.
Meeting Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8785732672?pwd=Q3RVOVE5NWhWbitOdWFkbkFUTXV4UT09
Meeting ID: 878 573 2672
Password: panthers
Students Interested in Percussion
Percussion is an extremely popular class at SMS and there are always more interested students than the limited class size allows for. Students interested in trying percussion will also choose a Woodwind or Brass Instrument as another option. Once we have completed all of the virtual meetings, Mr. Scott and I will review our notes and place these students in either the percussion class or their Woodwind/Brass Instrument choice.
Please remember that EVERY instrument is important and necessary for the band to be successful. Like any sports team, we need each position filled in order to have a complete team. We will begin with students “first choice” of instrument and then go through the other instruments until we find the best one or two.
All of the information we collect in this survey and during the virtual meetings will be kept private and confidential. Our only goal is to find out as much we can so we can find an instrument best suited for your child!
Finally, we have a small favor to ask. The contact information we have for everyone is what we received back in January. I am sure some emails are incorrect or have changed. If you know of anyone attending Schimelpfenig this year (either in person or virtually) that is also signed up for band, could you please pass this email along to them?
We cannot thank you all enough for being patient with us as we navigate the beginning of this school year. We look forward to seeing you soon!
Thank you for your patience as we have worked to find new and inventive ways to place our 6th grade band students on instruments. With the safety of everyone in mind, what we have done in the past will not work right now. We are trying our very best to gather all of the information we can about each incoming student to help them choose an instrument that they will be most successful with.
This year, instrument selection will be a two step process:
Step 1 – Student Info and Instrument Survey
All 6th grade band members will need to sit down with a parent/guardian and complete the survey linked below. Many of you completed a survey at the end of last school year but this is a different survey with more detailed questions. Near the end of the survey, there is a video demonstrating all of the instruments available in the SMS Band. We ask you to please watch the entire video with your student before they begin making their preliminary choices.
Access the survey by going to this link:https://tinyurl.com/2020SMSBandInstrumentSelection
Step 2 – Student/Parent Band Director Zoom (Google Meet up) Meeting
After completing the survey, please go to the Sign Up Genius link below to sign up for a virtual appointment with the band directors. Mr. Scott and I will introduce ourselves and then talk with your student about their instrument preferences. We will go through their survey answers with them and then check for things including checking facial and embouchure structure and some rhythmic/pulse exercises. This will help us with guide them through selecting an instrument.
Access the signup genius at this link. Please be sure you have completed the above survey first!
https://tinyurl.com/2020InstrumentZoomMeetings
Zoom Meetings
When it is time for your student’s meeting, click the following link (or use the Zoom meeting information). The password is panthers. Students do not need an account, but they will need to have the Zoom software or app downloaded to a computer, phone, or tablet. At least one parent/guardian should attend the meeting along with the student.
Please plan on joining the meeting 5 minutes early in case you have any connection issues. When you join the meeting, you will first be placed in a virtual waiting room until the current student has finished. Please be flexible as some students may need more time than others.
Meeting Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8785732672?pwd=Q3RVOVE5NWhWbitOdWFkbkFUTXV4UT09
Meeting ID: 878 573 2672
Password: panthers
Students Interested in Percussion
Percussion is an extremely popular class at SMS and there are always more interested students than the limited class size allows for. Students interested in trying percussion will also choose a Woodwind or Brass Instrument as another option. Once we have completed all of the virtual meetings, Mr. Scott and I will review our notes and place these students in either the percussion class or their Woodwind/Brass Instrument choice.
Please remember that EVERY instrument is important and necessary for the band to be successful. Like any sports team, we need each position filled in order to have a complete team. We will begin with students “first choice” of instrument and then go through the other instruments until we find the best one or two.
All of the information we collect in this survey and during the virtual meetings will be kept private and confidential. Our only goal is to find out as much we can so we can find an instrument best suited for your child!
Finally, we have a small favor to ask. The contact information we have for everyone is what we received back in January. I am sure some emails are incorrect or have changed. If you know of anyone attending Schimelpfenig this year (either in person or virtually) that is also signed up for band, could you please pass this email along to them?
We cannot thank you all enough for being patient with us as we navigate the beginning of this school year. We look forward to seeing you soon!
Hello Band Families!
We received a small amount of info from the district today and wanted to pass that along to you. Whether your student is a returning 7th or 8th grade band member, or an incoming 6th grader who has not chosen an instrument yet, please know we will do everything we can to make sure band is a great experience as we start the school year in August. I know there will be many changes, and school is going to be very different when we return, but Mr. Scott and I will do our very best to make sure the SMS Band is an amazing and worthwhile experience for our students!
From PISD Fine Arts Dept:
· The current plan for the upcoming school year is Plano ISD will offer band for grades 6-12 in-school and online.
· There are no plans that would cause a student to need to drop band or orchestra.
· We do not know exactly what online learning will look like yet, but we are planning for that work to be as close to in-school curriculum as possible.
Incoming SMS 6th Graders:
Please do not be stressed about not having chosen instruments yet. The district is working on a plan to help students select instruments and we will communicate that to you as soon as we know. Whether you will be learning at home, or at school, we will be sure to make it a fun and exciting activity. You are going to have a blast!
Returning 7/8 Grade Band Members:
If your child is a returning band member, please encourage them to get their instruments out and practice some. It has been a long time since we last had a class together and any amount of practice and playing their instrument will help them be ready for when we are together again!
I look forward to one day seeing all of our students again and meeting our new sixth graders. I know Mr. Scott is looking forward to finally meeting everyone and being a part of our SMS Band family this Fall as well! I am sorry we do not have more info for you at this time. Hopefully, we will hear more from the district soon so we can help you to prepare for the coming school year. We will communicate to you everything we learn as soon as we can, but please feel free to ask questions as needed. We’re here to help.
Stay safe and well!
Ben Altom
We received a small amount of info from the district today and wanted to pass that along to you. Whether your student is a returning 7th or 8th grade band member, or an incoming 6th grader who has not chosen an instrument yet, please know we will do everything we can to make sure band is a great experience as we start the school year in August. I know there will be many changes, and school is going to be very different when we return, but Mr. Scott and I will do our very best to make sure the SMS Band is an amazing and worthwhile experience for our students!
From PISD Fine Arts Dept:
· The current plan for the upcoming school year is Plano ISD will offer band for grades 6-12 in-school and online.
· There are no plans that would cause a student to need to drop band or orchestra.
· We do not know exactly what online learning will look like yet, but we are planning for that work to be as close to in-school curriculum as possible.
Incoming SMS 6th Graders:
Please do not be stressed about not having chosen instruments yet. The district is working on a plan to help students select instruments and we will communicate that to you as soon as we know. Whether you will be learning at home, or at school, we will be sure to make it a fun and exciting activity. You are going to have a blast!
Returning 7/8 Grade Band Members:
If your child is a returning band member, please encourage them to get their instruments out and practice some. It has been a long time since we last had a class together and any amount of practice and playing their instrument will help them be ready for when we are together again!
I look forward to one day seeing all of our students again and meeting our new sixth graders. I know Mr. Scott is looking forward to finally meeting everyone and being a part of our SMS Band family this Fall as well! I am sorry we do not have more info for you at this time. Hopefully, we will hear more from the district soon so we can help you to prepare for the coming school year. We will communicate to you everything we learn as soon as we can, but please feel free to ask questions as needed. We’re here to help.
Stay safe and well!
Ben Altom
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Schimelpfenig MS Band
2400 Maumelle Dr. Plano, TX 75023 469-752-6551 |
