Beautiful ceilings in the Cultural Center and replenishing our food source at Hard Rock. Of course, group singing is always a must!
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LHS Bands are working the Dr. Menghini at the Vandercook College Of Music. Having a great time so far!   A beautiful day completed in Chicago! The day was filled with laughter, energy and excitement as these students practiced life skills and learned interesting things at the museum. a busy day, but worth every moment. Until tomorrow...  Great scavenger hunt and beautiful water towers! Winners announced at breakfast.   A better group shot will be posted later. We just left Paw Paw in which we stretched our legs and filled our bellies. I spotted many with a sugar refill. Bless those chaperones! Next stop is the Museum of Science and Industry!  On our way to explore the Windy City! Stay tuned for our travel updates... I have always been passionate about music and teaching. As of late, the focus has been on the teaching and engaging the student. Perhaps, this is because it is a hot topic in the media and in teacher development the last few years as our youth are entranced with technology. This past December I attended the Midwest Music Clinic in Chicago, IL. I was exposed to several ideas to bring to our program such as the Leadership Symposium and rehearsing without a conductor. The students seem to like it and I am enjoying their exploration of music and leadership.
Last week, a student enrolled in yearbook, asked me to write a paragraph about the bands. How do I encapsulate what band (music) is in one paragraph? I finally came up with the following: Band classes are more than the music and playing your instrument. Through musicianship we discover our team. Our team is focused on bettering ourselves by making connections between music, emotions and interpretation. Our team develops life skills such as time management, peer to peer leadership, building relationships, compromise, building the neurological pathways in our brains, exploration through travel and fun. The band strives for the highest level of success by working together and supporting each other as students improve their craft of playing musical instruments. Rehearsing your students has been an exceptional experience lately. The energy I feel from the music and watching students push themselves to new limits is exhilarating. The best adrenaline rush ever! It's not all roses, as some students are not buying in, but I do feel more students than ever are playing better music. As a result, the atmosphere is more supportive and the morale higher. Music is important to us as a world. There is so much to explore in this discipline of the arts. I do believe that those involved in music build stronger brains for their academics and hearts for their human development. Students that are involved in music, their school and/or athletics are people the have a strong foundation for the building blocks of a successful and happy life. I really do love teaching your students at Lincoln! The high school has much potential walking through the walls, entering classrooms and sitting before the LHS staff. Over the years many articles have crossed before my eyes about parent involvement and how important the partnership between home and school is key to the success of the students. Attending school events, athletic events, communicating with teachers, booster clubs and talking with your students about the importance of their education and goal setting.
Tomorrow is Capsule Night at LHS from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. I hope each LHS family is able to attend and visit your child's classroom. Teachers do love the opportunity to meet the parents as well. Don't sweat if you cannot make the event due to work. Send a group email to your student's teachers introducing yourself, the best way to contact yourself for future communication and that you are looking forward to supporting the education process. Lincoln is on the path of rising to the top. Through guidance there have been many initiatives in motion to raise student achievement. The top schools in the country (and world) have amazing partnerships between school and home. Lincoln High School can as well! I am excited to travel this path with your family through these next four glorious years. Let's work together and continue to build a better Lincoln for your family and the future. As I look to begin my 13th year in the classroom I am more excited than ever. The summer activities have energized my teaching and I see so much potential for the best LHS Band ever. This isn't to say everything will be peachy, but there is a strong foundation and momentum to move forward. Here are some things to help you navigate the band policies throughout the year:
1) Attendance at band events is crucial. Students involved in other LHS activities must be proactive, creative and communicate conflicts ahead of time. The band handbook states 2 weeks notice so that teacher/coaches can resolve these conflicts. Not communicating only hurts the student and both teams. 2) Concert Band is 1st hour this year! Students must be diligent in showing up on time for their education. This applies for each class the student is enrolled. 3) The band is only as successful as the amount of effort applied by the entire team. Directors, Students and Parents comprise this team. Without all of these components working together the effort is a ton of work done by a few people. Dig in, volunteer and most importantly encourage your student to stay actively involved with the band and school. 4) Involvement in your band and school builds success, achievement, pride and tradition. I am a huge supporter of the great things that happen at Lincoln and can happen at Lincoln when the community is supportive. Great schools have supportive parents. No matter what your student says, get involved! Email their teachers, bookmark their web sites, check Power School regularly, attend conferences, volunteer, attend school events, hold your student accountable for their work. Have a successful year and I cannot wait to work with each student and their family. Do not be a stranger as I want to know the parents as well as their student. This partnership between classroom and family began a while ago and I look forward to working with you to strengthen the bond that will ensure success of your student not only in my classroom, but at Lincoln High School. Ms. Schwegler |
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