Category: Class Newsletter

Hello! Please check out some important information below!

Grading Policy Reminders

General Grading Guidelines – ACS Band Students will be graded on the following scale: 

Class Participation (30%) – 6 points per class (graded weekly for a total of 12 points except when classes only meet once due to school schedule). Points are broken down as follows:

Bringing instrument to class — 2 pts

Bringing band binder to class — 2 pts

Classroom behavior (i.e. following instructions, staying on task) – 2 pts

Formative Assessment (30%) – Homework Assignments (via Teams, Seesaw, or in class), Quizzes (written, playing, or digital)

Playing / Written Tests and Performance Attendance (40%) – Evaluation of music performance, performance attendance (i.e. Christmas Program), and accuracy/completion of written or playing tests.

Other Notes:

1. Written work may be corrected for full credit. It is the student’s responsibility to return corrected work so the grade may be changed.

2. Missed performances/playing tests will need to be made-up at a time outside of class. Email Mrs. Creech at ccreech@assumption.school to set up an appointment.

3. Though students share music stands in class, ALL students need to bring their band binder for written/daily work.

Order of Sharps/Flats

Last week, we introduced the topic of key signatures via the order of sharps and flats. Check out the video below for a great explanation!

Order of Sharps – F C G D A E B

You can use a mnemonic device to remember the order of sharps!

Example: Fluffy Cats Go Down Alleys Eating Burritos

Order of Flats – B E A D G C F

You can use a mnemonic device to remember the order of flats!

Example: BEADGCF can be broken up into the word “BEAD” and the math term “Greatest Common Factor.”

We will continue our lesson this week with a review of the order of sharps and flats as well as practice drawing 1-3 flats or 1-3 sharps in a key signature.

Image Source: https://mymusictheory.com/more-music-theory-topics/key-signatures-chart/

Good evening, ACS Band families!

From today on, I will be posting our weekly newsletter to the band website. I will include a link in our email group for easy access!

Our 1st year band students have been working towards mastering their first 5 notes! They have been tasked with applying these first 5 notes to their “Foundation Warm-Ups Set #1.” The video below is a “play-along” practice video to assist students.

This and other practice videos may be found here: Warm-Up Play Along Tracks

2nd and 3rd year students have been working on their “Pep Tunes” as well as their one-octave chromatic scale found in their “Framework Fundamentals” exercise. This exercise starts at time stamp 3:29.

This and other practice videos may be found here: Warm-Up Play Along Tracks

Homework Assignments

It has been 2 weeks since I assigned our first music theory worksheets through Teams; with this, I have changed “M’s” (“Missing”) to zeroes (0s) so students may see where their grade stands. “E’s (“Exempt”) do not affect students’ grades, so no action is needed.

There is no penalty for late work, but in order to keep students accountable, I will stick with this system of changing M’s to zeroes every 2 weeks or so!

**If students would like hard copies of their homework, please have them email Mrs. Creech at ccreech@assumption. I will be printing off students’ missing assignments to distribute tomorrow (9/26). **

**If students would like help accessing Teams, please have them speak with their Homeroom teacher, as I will not have an adequate amount of time in class to do so.**

Practice & Pep Band

Ideally, students should practice at least 5-10 minutes a night to maintain the skills we go over in class. Repetition and thoughtful practice are the keys to success in life and in band! Students should practice with a metronome, and brass players could greatly benefit from a tuner to ensure they are playing the accurate notes (each fingering/slide position has different, achievable notes).

Students can access a free, online tuner and metronome here: Metronome/Tuner

We have been working on a few songs in class, including “Hot Cross Buns,” “We Will Rock You,” “Seven Nation Army,” and “The Hey! Song.” We will add “Mary Had a Little Lamb” to this list tomorrow! I have uploaded practice tracks students can use at home if they choose! I have them sorted by instrument:

Flute Practice Tracks

Clarinet Practice Tracks

Trumpet Practice Tracks

Trombone Practice Tracks

Percussion Practice Tracks – **Coming Soon**

Pep Band – Starting October 2025!!

Only a few students have expressed interest in performing in our new ACS Pep Band! We can certainly make a pep band with a small group, but we could definitely use more students! I do not have concrete details yet because I do not have athletic schedules.

I will say that the coaches and staff are excited to hear our band students add more “pep” to an already exciting home game experience! Any and all students can sign up for Pep Band, even if they just started learning to play! There is a place for everyone!

My goal is for the band to become a fixture to the school community and give students an experience they can remember once they leave Assumption for high school. I pray our Pep Band can be the start of bigger and better things for our ACS Eagle Band!

If you have questions about Pep Band or anything mentioned in our newsletter, please reach out to Mrs. Creech at ccreech@assumption.school .

Thank you and stay musical!!