Nottingham Alternative Education Center

You auditioned and have been selected to be part of a very special group at Nottingham Middle School. I started Honors Choir in 2009 with the hopes of attracting motivated students that were willing to dedicate themselves not only to vocal development, but also to academics. Honors Choir at NMS is not a UIL sponsored activity nor is it part of the daily curriculum of 6th grade choir. As a teacher I do not receive any sort of stipend for the extra hours that I put into it. I do however receive great rewards as I am able to lead an exceptional group of students that have the desire to be a part of this choir. We are given permission to go on extra field trips during the year and I started taking them to an invitational competition two years ago where we scored Division 1 both years, the highest score given. Although I loved receiving the trophies and high scores I feel it is more about the experience of preparing musical selections, competing in front of judges that give vocal and written critiques, and preparing them for the rigors of Jr. high and high school extracurricular activities. To reward their hard work I take them to Kemah at the end of the school year where they sing in the pavilion and then are able to spend the rest of their time enjoying the rides and games. It has been a great motivating factor in keeping these students on the academic track of maintaining all A’s and B’s in all classes, and also in their daily conduct of being respectful to teachers, staff, and each other. With these high expectations come strict rules and expectations. Carefully read through these rules together and if they are agreeable to you and your child please sign and return this form to me no later than the next scheduled practice. I look forward to this year’s NMS Honors Choir.

1. I agree to attend all rehearsals and will always be on time and will always be picked up on time. Rehearsal schedule is every Thursday from 2:45pm until 4pm. I agree that I will be picked up on time. If I am late being picked up 3 times I will not be able to participate in Honors Choir any more. If extra rehearsals are required I agree to attend those as well. If for any reason I cannot attend a rehearsal because of illness or an emergency the choir director will be contacted before or immediately after a rehearsal. If I miss 3 rehearsals that have not been excused I will not be able to participate in Honors Choir. An example of this would be just not showing up at all with no contact between parent and teacher. If the choir teacher is absent on a Thursday there will not be practice that day. If we have extra rehearsals I will be given one week advance notice of this. The only reason we may have extra rehearsals is for final preparations of a show or contest. If there is a conflict of time between choir and other activities then the student will need to make a choice as to which one they will participate in. I only have them once a week for an hour and fifteen minutes. This sounds very rigorous, but it will prepare them for the upper grades where there are many more choices of activities and programs that they will have to choose between.
2. I agree to the costs of Honors Choir. Costs include the purchase of a t-shirt which will be between $15 and $20 because we are a smaller group. It also costs approximately $30 per student to compete and when we go on field trips there is the cost of lunch and snacks. If we decide to wear a type of uniform for competition that will be extra as well. (Parents… Please do not let the costs deter you. If you have any difficulties in this area please make arrangements to see the choir director privately.)
3. I agree to have my pictures and/or videos taken and understand that they may be placed on Choir’s FB account, Dayton ISD’s web pages, and possibly in the newspapers.
4. I agree to maintain all A’s and B’s in all classes. My grades will be checked every nine weeks and if I have anything below an 80 in any of my classes I will be put on probation until the next progress report, which would be three weeks later. If I do not have all A’s and B’s at that time then I will not be able to participate in Honors Choir for the rest of the year.
5. I will always have the best behavior at school. If I am placed in ISS for any reason then I will not be allowed to participate in Honors Choir for the remainder of the school year. If I misbehave during Honors Choir rehearsals and/or activities then the choir director has the right to suspend or release me from Honors Choir depending on the severity or frequency of the misbehavior. The Dayton ISD student code of conduct will be the guidelines for assessing any misbehaviors. As an Honors Choir participant I will be respectful of my director and other Honors Choir members. I will not criticize others. I will respect the decisions and critiques of the director.
6. No other students are allowed in Honors Choir practices.