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Instrumental and Ensemble Policy

1. Instrumental & Vocal Attendance

1.1
Students enrolled in Government Instrumental Lessons are required to attend their lesson every week. Even though the Instrumental Lessons cannot appear on the student’s regular timetable, they are no less important than any other subject lesson. Failure to attend an instrumental lesson is classed as truancy.

1.2
In Term 1 of the school year, Temporary Instrumental Timetables are displayed in the window of the Performing Arts Centre until about Week 4. Once class groups have been established, permanent rotating Instrumental Timetables are produced and distributed to the students by the Instrumental Staff. Copies of these are always on display in the window of the Performing Arts Centre. These timetables will cover either a term or a semester at a time.

1.3
(a) Students must carefully check the Assessment Outlines given to them by their various subject teachers to identify any clash with their Instrumental Lessons.
(b) In the event of a clash, the first step is for the student to request that they (or the entire class) be allowed to do their class assessment at an alternative time.
(c) If this is not possible, the student must speak to their instrumental teacher and try to plan an alternative lesson time for their group (a swap).

2. Instrumental & Vocal Assessment

All assessment for Government Instrumental Lessons is undertaken by the teachers from the School of Instrumental Music and is co-ordinated by the Teacher in Charge of Music. Reporting is each semester and will appear along with reports from all other subject areas.

3. Instrumental Practice Journal

Please bear in mind the School of Instrumental Music Policy that parents first means of communication with the Instrumental teachers is via the Practice Journal. Students should fill in the Practice Journal, have a parent sign it and bring it to every lesson.

4. Ensemble Eligibility

4.1
Lower School Students (Years 8, 9, 10) are only eligible to be members of an Applecross SHS Music Department Ensemble whilst they are enrolled in Class Music.

4.2
Class Music students who learn an instrument privately are eligible to be members of an Applecross SHS Music Department Ensemble given that:
a) they provide a letter from their instrumental teacher to indicate that tuition is ongoing.
b) they meet all the same attendance requirements of Government Instrumental students.

4.3
Class Music students will be auditioned where and when necessary to determine appropriate ensemble placement (with the exception of students already in the Senior Concert Band, the Scimitar String Orchestra and the Classic Guitar Ensemble).

4.4
Students who complete the Lower School Class Music course are invited to participate in their relevant ensemble throughout Years 11 and 12. These students must commit to full membership for at least one school year (i.e. not withdraw from their ensemble part-way through the year). Upper school students who elect to participate will be subject to the same attendance policy as compulsory students.

5. Ensemble Attendance

5.1
Attendance at rehearsals is compulsory for all students enrolled in Class and Instrumental music units. The weekly Ensemble Rehearsal is a timetabled lesson (off the gridline) in the same way as, for example, a Maths or English class. Ensemble is part of the Instrumental Assessment. Failure to attend an ensemble rehearsal is classed as truancy.

5.2
Where a student is absent from a rehearsal only (not the whole school day), a letter of explanation from the student’s parent/guardian is legally required. This must be given to the ensemble conductor at the earliest opportunity.

5.3
Where a student has been absent from school on the day of a rehearsal it will not be necessary to provide a separate note for the Ensemble Conductor in addition to the one required by the Care Group teacher. However, the student must communicate with the Ensemble Conductor regarding such an absence.

5.4
In exceptional circumstances, students may be excused from rehearsal by presenting a note signed and dated by a parent or guardian in advance of that rehearsal. Routine medical and dental appointments are not considered an exception, so please make every effort to make these appointments at other times. A telephone call is a suitable substitute for a note.

5.5
Requests made by a student to absent themselves or to leave a rehearsal early will not be accepted unless the parent provides a note in advance or collects their child personally from the rehearsal. This is a legal duty-of-care requirement.

5.6
Attendance at all scheduled performances (concerts, festivals, etc.) is compulsory. With respect to performances, in the event of sudden illness, parents are asked to contact the student’s Ensemble Conductor For contact details, see the pages earlier in this Handbook headed Applecross SHS Music Department Staff.

6. Ensemble Assessment

All students participating in Applecross SHS Music Department ensembles (both Government & privately taught) will be assessed and awarded a certificate with one of the following: Certificate of Outstanding Achievement, Certificate of Achievement & Certificate of Participation.

7. Chamber Choir

7.1
Generally, all students at Applecross SHS will be eligible to audition for the Chamber Choir.

7.2
All previous members will be eligible to continue without audition.

7.3
Choir attendance policy is the same as for all other Music Department Ensembles (see Section 5 above).

8. Jazz Band (extracurricular ensemble)

The school provides resources and staffing for the Jazz Band as an extension and encouragement for enrolled music students. Generally, the Jazz Band will only draw students from the Senior Ensembles. Any student not meeting the eligibility requirements for the main ensembles will be unable to participate in the Jazz Band. Exceptions to this policy may be made at the discretion of the Teacher in Charge of Music in consultation with the Jazz Band conductor.

• IMPORTANT NEWS
• P&C Meeting
  

  Next meeting will be held on Monday 20th May @ 7.30pm in the staffroom.

  Access from Links Rd.

  All new parents are encouraged to attend.

• School Calendar
  

  The 2013 Calendar of Events can be found in the NEWS tab.

• Term Dates
  

  Term 2 concludes for students on Friday 5th July. Term 3 commences for students on Tuesday 23rd July.

• Uniform Shop
  

  In Terms 2 & 3 the shop is open each Monday 1pm to 4pm, and Wednesday 8am to 11.30am.

• Car Parking
  

  Due to the building project the main car park is now out of use. Parents are asked to drop off & pick up either on Ardessie St or Links Rd. The front driveway is NOT a kiss & drive zone.