The Start of Strings!

Strings has kicked off. I am so excited to work with all of the students. This week, we started with a review of things they did last year. There were a lot of new sign-ups and I tried to get everything started as quickly as possible. If you are still working on getting an instrument, that is okay! This year, my hope is that we can raise the bar for learning and professionalism when we play.

Practice Logs

As I am sure many have seen, there is a weekly practice log that I am asking all of the students to fill out. I will tell them every week what I would like them to practice. My hope is that students can find at least 15 minutes per day for at least 5 days a week to practice. Those 15 minutes do no need to be all at once, it can be split up at any time of the day. Any day that a student practices for at least 15 mins/day will gain 1 point. (see section below on school points)

I am also asking that a parent or guardian signs this sheet before they turn it in for class.

School Points

In an effort to spark an excitement to practice and encourage good lesson habits, I have tried to adopt a version of the “Harry Potter House Points System.” The “houses” are set as their schools.

There are many ways for students to earn points. The easiest way is by turning in their signed practice sheet. They will get points for any day they practice 15 mins or more.

• 15 Mins= 1 Point

• 20 Mins= 2 Points

• 30 Mins= 3 Points etc.

Other ways to get points:

• Excellence in class

• Having required materials for random materials checks.

I will also take points if we are being distractions during class.

At the end of every month, the school with the highest points will win a prize.

At the end of the school year, the school with the highest points were told they would win a party.

I will also be periodically awarding prizes to students who consistently have high practicing times. This will be assessed by who has the most points for practicing.

Final Words

I hope to make it so that the students are more than ready by the time they reach the middle school and can play with confidence and skill that exceeds the expectations for young musicians of their age. I will try to have a newsletter out every month. As we have started strings in earnest, please allow for at least 24 hours for me to respond to an email. I was able to answer almost right away in most cases, however, my class load is much higher now.

Thank you all so much! Please let me know if you have any questions!

Mr. Callahan