San Luis High School

Band
2019-2020 School Year

Mr. Vega
Dear Students,

My name is Mr. Vega and I am the new band director at San Luis High School. I am extremely excited to
start working with all of you and to create some great music together. I recently graduated from the University of
Arizona with a Bachelor’s degree in music education. Being a percussionist, I was involved in many different
percussion ensembles at the UA, everything from marching band to electronic percussion ensembles and from
marimba bands to wind ensembles.

My goal for this music program is to always practice excellence, in all that we do. Music is an
extraordinary art form that requires lots of dedication and passion, otherwise it just becomes organized sounds
with no meaning. Music requires the best of us in all aspects, inside and outside of the practice room. I hope to be
able to create a class environment in which hard work is the standard, so that not only our music is affected by it
but also all of our work outside of music.

Although reaching perfection is impossible, if we strive for it we will become excellent. I think that music
education goes beyond a person mastering an instrument, but it teaches the students important life skills that will
set him/her up for success in other areas of life. Great music cannot be achieved without hard work, determination,
and dedication. As students go through the music education programs provided in schools, these life skills they
learn become a habit and excellence becomes a must.

I already have very exciting plans for this upcoming year. We are doing a Pirates of the Caribbean show for
our marching band, which should be the envy of the rest of the schools! We will be playing great music by classic
composers like Holst and Bach as well as contemporary composers like John Mackey and Robert W. Smith. I will
also continue the winter drumline program that has become a tradition in this school.

I am very happy to be here and I am grateful for the opportunity given to me to teach all of you wonderful
students. I firmly believe that we are all equals as human beings, and no one can stop you from reaching your
goals. I will make sure to provide all of my students with the opportunity to practice excellence every day in class.

Best,

Mr. Vega
 Attendance Policies
i. Attendance is mandatory for all performances. Concerts/performances are worth 20 points
each and those students who fail to show up will receive a 0/20 as a grade.
(Excused absences only include family emergencies or illness, in which cases the student’s
parent must contact me via email or phone in order to verify this.)

Grading Policies
i. Grades are based mainly on concert/performance attendance, practice checks/quizzes, and
regular class attendance.
ii. All performances are mandatory! Unless there is a family emergency, if a student fails to attend a
performance he/she will receive a 0 as a grade for that performance date.
iii. There will be several practice checks/quizzes on a sections of a song to ensure students are
keeping up with class expectations in practicing outside of class. Students will know with at least
one week in advance whenever a practice check/quiz will happen. These will be one on one, the
student playing the selected section of a piece for the teacher.
iv. Students receive 5 participation points each day. Students may lose participation points by
forgetting their instrument at home, being disruptive in class, or refusing to participate in class
activities/assignments.

• Concert/performance attendance – 60%

• Practice Checks/Quizzes – 30%
• Class attendance and participation – 10%

Calendar of Events

1. August 1st to 10th – Band Camp

2. August 24th Home game
3. September 1st Away game
4. September 8th Home game
5. September 15th Away game
6. September 22nd Home game
7. September 29th Away Game
8. October 5th Homecoming
9. October 20th Senior Night
10. December 17th Holiday Concert (freshmen beginning band, intermediate band, and advanced
band.)
 Performance Attire

i. Marching Band: All students must wear their full marching band uniform at all
times during a performance. The only exception would be while in the stands at
which point students may remove their jackets and shakos.
Underneath the band uniform students must a black t-shirt (no tank tops) and
shorts of their choosing. Students should also always wear black socks long enough
so that no skin is shown during performances.
ii. Concert Band: Concert dress is all black. Students may choose between black pants
or skirt with a button up black shirt or black dress. Skirts and dresses should be at
least 1 inch below the knee. All clothes should be plain black with no logos or
designs.

Ensemble Offerings

Ensembles offered: Marching Band, Concert Band, Jazz Band, and Percussion Ensemble.

Marching Band: This ensemble mainly focuses on performing during Friday night football games as
well as marching a couple of parades each year. Marching Band runs from the beginning of the school
year to early November.
Concert Band: This ensemble begins right after marching band ends in early November and goes on
until the end of the school year. Concert Band gives 3 concerts each year: Christmas Concert, Winter
Concert, and a Spring Concert.
Jazz Band: Jazz Band runs year long, providing students for opportunities to learn more about jazz
music and improvisation. Jazz Band gives four concerts through-out the school year: Fall, Christmas,
Winter, and Spring concerts.
Percussion Ensemble: Percussion Ensemble runs year-long as well. It is not required for students to
have percussion experience/knowledge in order to participate in this ensemble. Students are
accommodated based on their playing ability and desire to improve. This is an ensemble that performs
music using all kinds of percussion instruments.

Offerings and Opportunities

i. Various performances opportunities (Football games, concerts, school assemblies, city parades)
ii. A strong musical background which will be essential for those students seeking to pursue a career in
music.
iii. Developing performance skills in your own instrument which can lead to college scholarships.
 San Luis High School Code of Conduct
i. Treat other as you would like to be treated.
ii. Be on time and prepared with necessary materials.
iii. Respect and obey any instructions given by any staff personnel on campus.
iv. Cellphones must be turned off when at school.
v. No gum is allowed on campus

Code of Conduct
i. Speaker courtesy.
ii. Take care of your instruments, especially if you are borrowing an instrument from the school.
iii. Always be on time, prepared, and ready to create wonderful music. Failure to do this might affect your
participation grade.
iv. Have fun!

InTASC and NETS

This classroom follows the InTASC and NETS Standards in addition to the national and state
standards for music education. The InTASC standards ensure that teaching strategies used in this
room maximize the students’ learning. The InTASC Standards are the following:
InTASC Standard #1: Learner Development
InTASC Standard #2: Learning Differences
InTASC Standard #3: Learning Environments
InTASC Standard #4: Content Knowledge
InTASC Standard #5: Application of Content
InTASC Standards#6: Assessment
InTASC Standard #7: Planning for Instruction
InTASC Standad #8: Instructional Strategies
InTASC Standard #9: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice
InTASC Standard #10: Leadership and Collaboration

With the way technology is advancing, the NETS (National Educational Technology Standards)
make sure that teachers make use of technological resources available to them in order to ensure
students’ learning.
 Contact Information

i. If you need to contact me you get reach me at danielvega261996@gmail.com or call my office

number at 520-621-2126.

Financial Obligations
i. There is a $70 fee in order to be part of any of the bands (freshmen beginning band, intermediate
band, and advanced band). This fee helps us repair instruments, pay for transportation, and even buy
instruments. If you need to borrow an instrument from the school, this fee will also cover for that.
However, if you own a personal instrument and are planning to use it for this class, your fee will only
be $35.

Agreement Form
I have read and understood the requirements of this class and I agree to the terms indicated in this
handbook. I have read through all of the required performance dates and I will mark them on my calendar since I
understand they are a very important part of my grade. I understand the code of conduct and agree to follow it,
stay on task, and always try my best to be excellent.

Student Name _______________________ Parent/Guardian Name ____________________

Student Signature _____________________ Parent/Guardian Signature __________________