General information that applies to all students and parents can be found towards the top of every newsletter, while information specific to your child's ensemble can be found in that particular section by scrolling down. Feel free to contact a director if you have any questions and our contact information is at the bottom of this newsletter.

In the Belton MS Band, we form a partnership between teacher and student where both share responsibility in their musical development. Our team of teachers include middle school directors, private lesson instructors, high school directors, and even hired clinicians, masterclass teachers, and adjudicators. We also strive to communicate and produce strong partnerships with parents since their support is vital in their student's growth.

To that end, we as the teaching team provide Introduction, Comprehension, and Demonstration to students for their instruction. However, each student has a responsibility as well to facilitate Repetition in the form of practicing daily for at least 25 minutes, 5 days per week.

This means that instruments go home everyday to practice the concepts, patterns, and music that we go over daily in class. This leads to student Mastery of their music and ultimately of their instrument. Students have homework everyday in Band as they practice their instrument in preparation for performances and to continue their musical growth. Reach out to a director if you would like more information on how to better help and support the musical growth of your student.

If your student has their own personal device (such as a cell phone or tablet), we highly recommend they download the Tonal Energy app (TE Tuner) found at this link: https://www.tonalenergy.com/te-mobile.

This app costs between $4-5 and does not require a subscription or wi-fi (or network) to be used. This is the same app many musicians use since it works both as a tuner and a metronome, and is highly beneficial for all our students when they practice. Reach out to a director if you have any questions or if your student needs help getting it set up.

If they don't have their own personal device, there are free websites listed in the Band Schoology Group your student can access under "Free Online Practice Guides" that include metronomes and tuners.

We want to interact with you on social media, so be sure to Like, Follow, and Subscribe on all of the following platforms you use:

• YouTube Channel
• Parent Square Group
• Facebook Page
• Instagram Account
• Band Website
• Google Photos Album
• SoundCloud Channel
• Smore Newsletters

Click on this link to sign up to become a district volunteer and complete the background check. Even if you have done this before, this process must be repeated every school year: Parent Chaperone Sign-Up. Please sign up for volunteer opportunities on your CutTime MagicLink.

Click here to see the Calendar page of our website to find all of the current events, including special rehearsals, contests, and performances for the whole school year. We provide this so you can plan your family's activities. Remember, performances are a required part of our curriculum, so please contact a director ASAP for any conflicts. Be sure to view the List of Band Events that can be found clicking on the link.

Both Woodwind and Brass students have received their individual pass-offs that must be completed by Friday, December 6 in order to be eligible to participate in the Holiday Concert on Tuesday, December 17 in the Belton HS PAC.

These pass-offs replace practice records that were used in years' past, and students can pass off their music before school starting at 7:30am, after school until 4:30pm, and during 6th period Tiger Time with a pass obtained beforehand.

Ask your student to show you these pass-offs at home when practicing and help us ensure that are working on correct rhythm, correct notes & fingerings, as well as correct articulation. Due dates for all 3 songs have been communicated to students, and are listed on their pass-off sheet, in Schoology, and in Skyward. Contact your child's director if you have any questions.

Coming up the morning of Monday, December 2 all Jazz Band members will walk over to Belton High School for a group rehearsal with the South Belton Jazz Band and the High School Jazz Bands. This is to be adequately prepared for our finale at Jazz Holiday Concert on Tuesday, December 3.

Students will be excused from class, but are still required to make up missed work. Please note this is the day we come back to school from Thanksgiving Break.

Email: beltonmsband@gmail.com

Website: beltonmsband.org
Call/Text: 254-262-3050

Address: 1704 Sparta Road, Belton, TX, USA

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