Nicole M. Greggs, NBCT/ Musical Director
Plantation Park Elementary School
875 SW 54^th Avenue Plantation, FL 33317
Telephone (754) 323-7150 | Fax (754) 323-7190 | Cell (954) 868-5515
Email- nicole.greggs@browardschools.com
Website: Www.Musicmakerscamp/plantation-park-singers.com

Section I. What is Chorus? And…Why Sing?

The Plantation Park Singers Chorus is a fun, honorary academic enrichment program that teaches the whole child life skills through beautiful singing.

Music runs through our blood: no heartbeat= no life. The study of music speeds human development & maturity. Singing cultivates patterning & language skills, reinforces math knowledge, improves memory, & teaches social & expressive skills which cannot be learned in any other way. Long‐term study of music results in increased standardized test scores, lower dropout rates, & higher academic achievement than that of students who do not study music. Singing stimulates both sides of the brain, whereas reading activates only the left hemisphere. Thus, the more you sing, the smarter you are!

All children can learn to sing, just as all children can learn to read. The PPE choral music program challenges children to develop individual & corporate scholarship, leadership, character, musicianship, & desire to serve others. Choristers will:

work to master posture, breathing, tone quality, intonation, diction, expression, blend, stage presence, music theory, & part singing;
develop teamwork, problem‐solving skills, & compassion through group singing & service projects;
experience & broaden their world by singing a wide variety of musical styles;
exercise critical thinking skills by linking reading social studies, history, geography, mathematics, & language arts to music under study;
share the joy & satisfaction of performing music well;
develop a lifelong love of singing/music that will sustain them throughout their lifetime.

Successful accomplishment of these goals results in increased self-confidence, greater sensitivity toward others, broader understanding of the world, & lifelong mental health.

Section II. Registering for Chorus

Registration is by invitation only and is completed online by clicking here. Online registration must be done in order to attend our first rehearsal in September.

Parents of choristers are strongly encouraged to attend monthly PPSBA meetings to stay in touch with Chorus news. Parents or their designees can learn how the Chorus is run, including time & financial commitments; choose a mentor/mentee family; submit their “fair share” registration donations of $20 per child and uniform rental donations of $25/ child; volunteer for various tasks throughout the school year; & to ask questions.

What is a “Fair Share” Registration Donation? Each chorus student is asked to donate a $25 “Fair Share” Registration Donation by Oct. 1 annually (or the first school day thereafter). The term “Fair Share” means that the choir’s total annual expenses are added up and divided by the expected number of participants. Donations cover the cost of the Chorus T‐shirt, sheet music, costumes, props, sound equipment, incentives, awards, and other consumable items. Financial assistance is available; submit the PPSBA Financial Assistance Application with your required documents for consideration by 10/1. The PPSBA Board will approve or deny applications as soon as possible, usually within 2 weeks of submission.

Section III. Chorister & Parent Responsibilities

A: Attendance and Academic Progress

1. Mandatory Rehearsals. Being in chorus is an honor; therefore, attendance & good behavior at all rehearsals & performances is mandatory. Absences, tardies, or early departures are excused in cases of illness, death in the family, occasional lack of transportation, or prearranged family event only. Non‐emergency appointments for doctors/ dentists should be scheduled on non‐chorus days. Absences for non-emergency appointments will not be excused unless the appointment was made well in advance of Chorus schedule distribution.

2. Excused Late Arrivals. Safety Patrols are to come to rehearsal immediately after post‐ no later than 2:25pm for Kindergarten patrol. JCC children are to check in with JCC, eat their snack, & be in rehearsal on time (2:20).

3. Excusals. Absences, tardies, or early departures are marked excused only when a note or email explaining the reason for the absence & signed by the parent is received by Mrs. Greggs within 2 rehearsals of the absence. If the reason given is not listed above, the absence will not be excused, even with the note. Grace may be extended upon request.

4. End-of-the-year awards depend heavily upon strong attendance. See Student Achievement & Awards for more information.

5. Academic Progress. 3rd grade students must be on grade level in both reading and math based on end-of-2nd-grade standardized tests in order to be eligible for Chorus. 4th and 5th grade students must score 3 or better in both reading and math to be eligible for Chorus. In addition, students who receive D, F, or 3 grades on their report card while in Chorus are placed on academic probation. Mrs. Greggs works closely with classroom teachers and the school Literacy Coach when inviting potential choristers, and also monitors students’ academic progress throughout the year. Grades and academic progress are considered when deciding an individual’s performance trip eligibility.

6. Probation & Suspension. Children should see Mrs. Greggs if they can no longer participate in Chorus for whatever reason, and parents should supply a note or email explaining the reason for cessation. Otherwise, three unexcused absences will result in removal from Chorus. Five or more excused absences MAY result in suspension of performance privileges. Report card grades of D, F, or 3 will result in academic or behavioral probation. See POINT SYSTEM in the Awards section for complete details. For extenuating circumstances, please see Mrs. Greggs. If a child cannot continue in choir for some reason, the Chorus T‐shirt remains the property of the child. The Chorus notebook & its contents, however, & any borrowed/rented uniform items, must be returned ASAP.

B: Uniforms & Uniform Bank

Plantation Park Singers members need to acquire both FORMAL & INFORMAL Chorus uniforms. In order to present a completely uniform appearance, formal uniform items from past years may need to be replaced. Please click here to see Uniform Information.

Purchase or borrowing of the correct uniform items is required for participation in every Chorus event.
Uniform checks (25 points per check) are scheduled periodically to ensure children are appropriately dressed.
If your child contributed last year’s owned uniform to the Plantation Park Singers Uniform Bank, he or she will have first choice in finding a newer uniform from the bank this year.
Remaining uniform bank items become part of the Margie Dellerson Chorus Scholarship Fund & will be distributed yearly to help keep the cost of Chorus participation down.
Bowties & cummerbunds are loaned to all male Choristers before performances & collected after each event. The number on the bowtie matches the number of your child’s chorus folder. Bowties & cummerbunds should not be taken home without permission of the Booster Association &/or of Mrs. Greggs.
Lost uniform items become the financial responsibility of the Chorister.
Any outstanding chorus fees owed may prevent your child from participating in certain school field trips.
Uniform rental donations or financial aid applications are due by Oct. 1 annually.

C: Music, At-Home Practice, & Musicianship Tests

1. Chorus Folders & Agendas. Each student is loaned a numbered folder with music. Music & folders are property of the Chorus & should be treated as textbooks. Students may write on music in pencil only. All music & folders should be kept in good condition (dry, unwrinkled, unfolded, unripped, & unscribbled upon). Students should bring their chorus folder and PPE Agenda book to every rehearsal unless otherwise directed by Mrs. Greggs. Forgetting the chorus folder results in loss of points (see Point System in Awards Section), but reduced points is better than no points for an unexcused absence.

2. Pencils. Students should keep a pencil in the chorus folder to mark notes in their music during rehearsals. Pen is not permitted. Children are not to write on page protectors. (Suggestion- insert a zippered pencil pouch in the chorus folder with 6 sharpened pencils… your child will never be unprepared).

3. Canvas Practice. Choristers are strongly encouraged to practice their music outside of rehearsals at least once a week by accessing their Chorus Canvas course. Recordings, videos, and notices will be available through Canvas. Parents may choose to observe this course to make sure they receive all important information.

4. Music Return & Textbook Fees. Periodically students will be asked to return memorized music. Lost or damaged music and/or folders will result in textbook fees. Once music has been collected and checked in, each chorister will receive a letter indicating what fees are owed, if any. Fees are to be paid promptly. Failure to pay fees may result in not being permitted to attend performances or certain general school field trips.

5. Musicianship Tests. To help students become the best musicians they can be, music theory is taught to all singers. Each year, choristers take leveled musicianship tests to measure their understanding of concepts taught in chorus. Study materials for each level are found in the Chorus Canvas course. Students who pass any level musicianship test with 90% or better will progress to the next level. Those who do not score at least 90% will retake the current level test until they achieve at least 90%. All choristers who pass musicianship tests with 90% or higher will receive free ice cream passes at time of passage and Mastery Certificates at the awards ceremony in May. Tests are meant to challenge students to reach excellence; therefore, the Level 1 test measures Gr. 3-5 Florida Music NGSSS standards; level 2 tests Gr. 6-8 NGSSS standards & Gr. 7 All-State Chorus Musicianship content; level 3 tests Gr. 9 All-State Chorus Musicianship content; level 4 tests Advanced Placement music theory; level 5 consists of conducting independently; and level 6 is completion of a 16-32 bar original composition, hand- or computer-written.

D: Chorus Procedures

1. Schedules & Announcements. The PPE Chorus schedule is available online here in your child’s Canvas Chorus course, is posted in the PPE Chorus parents ClassDojo Class Story. The schedule is updated often and should be checked regularly. Parents, please Check your ClassDojo app and/or our PPE Chorus Facebook page for the latest information. Students should also check the Chorus Bulletin Board and listen to WOWL for daily announcements.

2. No Phone use. Students are not permitted to use the school office or music room phone or classroom phones to notify parents of chorus rehearsals. Please check your schedule often and plan ahead to get any reports or projects finished before concert weeks. Also, children are not permitted to use personal cell phones during chorus rehearsals for text messaging, games, etc. Phones seen out during rehearsals without teacher permission will be confiscated.

3. Arrival/Rehearsal Beginnings. Students leave book bags in the main hallway under their teacher’s name, then eat their snack and use restrooms until 2:25pm. Students will enter the music room in groups depending on where they sit. Team captains will pass out their assigned 4 chorus folders. Students should have their chorus folder, pencil, & agenda for every rehearsal unless told otherwise. When Mrs. Greggs begins warm‐ups, all talking stops.

4. Minimize rehearsal interruptions. Use rest rooms and get drinks before rehearsal begins. Leaving rehearsal once practice starts, especially without permission, will result in loss of points and an immediate message home. Leaving early or coming late without a teacher/parent note will also result in loss of points (see Point System in Awards Section).

5. Classroom management plan. TRIBES AGREEMENTS are followed during chorus. These are: ACTIVE LISTENING, MUTUAL RESPECT, PARTICIPATION/ RIGHT TO PASS, APPRECIATIONS, & NO PUT‐DOWNS. Consequences are: 1st offense= warning. 2nd offense= nametag/badge taken, half of daily points earned; 3rd offense= removed from rehearsal/call or note home, change of seat; 4th offense= suspension of performance privileges, and/or removal from Chorus. Rewards are: thrones, warm‐up leader, free ice cream passes, 1st to leave, playing instruments, treats, prizes, miscellaneous. A seating chart will be used during all rehearsals for attendance purposes.

6. Dismissal. After rehearsals, all students exit the SOUTH MAIN hallway and are picked up at the FRONT of the school, unless they attend JCC. THE FRONT OF THE SCHOOL IS THE ONLY ACCEPTABLE PICKUP LOCATION FOR CAR RIDERS. For their own safety & security, children are not permitted to go to another area of the school or off campus to be picked up. Students are to go directly home. Parents picking up children by car must do so promptly at the end of rehearsal. Adult supervision is provided for 15 minutes after rehearsal ends, after which time child will wait in the hallway by the front office entrance. Everyone gets one emergency incident (no point loss), but students picked up late 3 times will be regretfully removed from Chorus.

7. Solo Auditions. Students who wish to sing or play instruments alone are required to audition by appointment with Mrs. Greggs, usually in late October, early December, early February, and April. Before the auditions, students should choose a song appropriate to the event; practice and memorize it; add movements if appropriate, and come prepared with a background track either on a thumb drive or as a preselected YouTube link. Students needing help with selecting an appropriate song should see Mrs. Greggs WELL IN ADVANCE of auditions in order to prepare adequately. (Auditions are not the time to ask which song to sing.) Auditions are scored as follows:
1= NOT READY: thanks for trying;
2= NEEDS WORK: sometimes sings or plays in tune/ correctly, but needs a lot of work;
3= ACCURATE: sings or plays song mostly in tune, but lacks personality, confidence, or pizzazz;
4= STARTING TO SHINE: sings or plays well, 100% in tune, with significant personality, confidence, or pizzazz;
5= BROADWAY-BOUND: sings or plays well in tune, is highly entertaining, with appropriate movements, skill, confidence, and style for the selected piece.
Mrs. Greggs will select soloists from top-scoring auditioners.

E: Plantation Park Singers Booster Association (PPSBA)

PPSBA is the Chorus’s parent support group & the backbone of our children’s success! Every caregiver of a chorister is a member. WE NEED YOUR HELP! PPSBA helps to arrange non‐musical aspects of the chorus such as office work, rehearsal supervision, fundraising, costumes, videography, program book, stage preparation, chaperoning, refreshments, awards, party planning, photography, etc. Meeting dates are listed on the Chorus Calendar. PLEASE donate a minimum of 2 hours of volunteer time over the course of the year. It doesn’t have to be a big deal: help after a concert putting things away or organizing cummerbunds & bowties; type a program book; size uniforms; collect & check music; or serve refreshments at the Sing‐a‐Thon or spring concert. There are lots of other ways to help! Check the PPSBA page on the Chorus website www.musicmakerscamp.com for a list of our current needs. Your input and help are always welcome!

Since you never know when you might volunteer, all chorus parents should complete the Broward County Public Schools’ online volunteer/mentor registration as soon as possible. Those wishing to chaperone an out‐of‐county trip must have level 2 clearance (fingerprinting). Volunteers cannot assist until their application has been approved. Even if you volunteer at home, your hours can be counted if you register by clicking the above link. (If you volunteer at more than one school or for more than one organization, you need only complete the online application once.) Thanks for your cooperation with this. If you find you simply don’t have the time to volunteer, consider giving a donation of $30 cash or more in lieu of your time. All donations are tax deductible. Please help us continue to provide music education of the highest quality by participating in PPSBA!

F: Fundraising

Chorus is financially self‐sufficient; while we are permitted to use school facilities & resources, we receive no monetary support from the school & Mrs. Greggs receives no compensation for her time. Therefore, all chorus students are strongly encouraged to help with fundraising. PPSBA raises money toward the purchase of music, accompanists, clinicians, sound equipment, technology, costumes, sets, awards, trips, prizes, etc., all of which directly benefit choristers & the general music program. Students who do not participate will be asked to pay the full price for any trips they attend, while students who do participate will receive credit toward any chorus trip expenses. Proceeds from each fundraising activity will be designated in 1 of 3 ways: for the individual’s benefit, for the general chorus fund, or a percentage to each category. This will be clearly noted in the informational letter for each event. Student accounts may be used to pay for uniforms and trip expenses. COLLECTION OF MONIES. Mrs. Greggs does not handle any funds belonging to Chorus unless they are for a school trip. Any PPSBA Fundraising or uniform payments should be made to the locked drop box on Mrs. Greggs’ Music Office door (not directly to her), or to a PPSBA Officer.

Section IV. Student Achievement, Awards & Point System

Student achievement is tracked through the point system outlined below. Choristers must maintain at least 85% of the current possible point total to remain in good standing. If a student’s point total falls below 85%, he/she will be placed on probation (which means: the student is still in Chorus attending rehearsals, but must bring up his/her grade(s) by the next report card or be suspended (no longer in Chorus). Any student receiving a ‘D’, ‘F’ or ‘3’ on their academic report card will also be placed on Chorus probation. The music director reserves the right to make additions/ deletions to/from this system as appropriate to obtain the most accurate possible representation of student progress. Year‐end awardees will be selected by the music director. Point system data will be considered, but other factors such as attitude, effort, improvement, & character are also important.

PLANTATION PARK SINGERS POINT SYSTEM

At the final concert of the year, the following awards are presented:

First, Second, & Third Year Achievement Awards‐ for students who successfully complete their 1st, 2nd, or 3rd year of Chorus;
Outstanding Attendance Awards‐ for students who have perfect, or 4 or fewer excused absences, for all mandatory events during the school year;
Outstanding Leadership Award‐ for students who serve as outstanding leaders in chorus (officers or section leaders);
Outstanding Responsibility & Behavior Award‐ for students whose end‐of‐the‐year overall chorus point percentage is 95% or better and whose behavior is exemplary;
Musicianship Test Certificates‐ for students who achieve 90% or better on tests;
All-State participants- recognition of those selected for the Florida Elementary All-State Chorus;
Most Outstanding 3rd, 4th, & 5th‐Grade Awards‐ for two students in each grade & in each choir who best exemplify scholarship, leadership, character, dedication, musical talent, & enthusiasm;
Most Improved Chorister‐ for one student per choir who demonstrates exemplary improvement in attitude, maturity, and/or vocal ability over the course of the school year;
Most Outstanding Overall Chorister‐ for one student who best exemplifies musical talent, academic achievement, dedication to music, excellence in behavior, and leadership;
Certificate of Appreciation‐ for parents and faculty who contribute to the choral music program during the school year

ITEM/ EVENT	POINTS
PERFORMANCE: Performance/ Sing-a-Thon (PER DAY)	+30 (0 if unexcused absence)
REHEARSAL: perfect day	+10 (0 if unexcused absence)
REHEARSAL: no pencil and/or agenda (or no recorder, when counted)	+9
REHEARSAL: leaving for bathroom (supposed to go before 2:25pm)	+8
REHEARSAL: present/no notebook	+7
REHEARSAL: Late pick-up (except 1st incident), Tardy to/leaving early from	+6
REHEARSAL: talking/ off task	+5 (+1 if severe)
REHEARSAL: present but forgot to take nametag/badge	+3
REHEARSAL/PERFORMANCE: excused absence (notes due by 2nd rehearsal after absence)	Ex (event not counted)
RESPONSIBILITY: Required forms/monies in on time (per incident)	+ 5 per form (0 if late/never returned)
RESPONSIBILITY: Prepared on Uniform Check Day	+25 or portion thereof
EXTRA CREDIT/ SCHOLARSHIP: “A” Honor Roll	+25
EXTRA CREDIT/ SCHOLARSHIP: “A/B” or “B” Honor Roll	+20
EXTRA CREDIT: Voluntary music ensemble (orchestra, church/temple choir, etc.) or private music lessons (must complete during this school year & turn in program)	+ 5 per ensemble per school year

EXTRA CREDIT/RESPONSIBILITY: Sing-a-Thon: pledge goal or fundraising goal met	+5
EXTRA CREDIT/ LEADERSHIP: Voluntary vocal solo/ announcer/ special part	+3 per event
EXTRA CREDIT/ LEADERSHIP: Helps Mrs. Greggs after rehearsal	+1 per day
EXTRA CREDIT/ LEADERSHIP: chorus officer, section leader, or leadership team	+5 per quarter
PPSBA Meeting- parent in attendance (not counted for grade)	+1 per meeting
PPSBA- parent volunteers in rehearsal OR chaperones trip (not counted for grade)	+3 per day
PPSBA- parent volunteers (daytime/home/elsewhere) (not counted for grade)	+3 per task

Section VI. Audience Concert Etiquette‐ 5 Rules of Thumb

1. Be courteous to those around you; avoid talking during performances.

2. Remain seated during the concert’s entirety. If you must get up, do so only during a break in the program, such as at the end of a song or group of songs.

3. Return to your seat only at the next program break or intermission.

4. Avoid eating and drinking during the performance.

5. Applaud appropriately at the end of a musical selection only. Wait for the conductor’s arms to rest at his/her sides to show that the piece has ended. Foot stamping, booing, whistling, yelling, and pounding on chairs are unacceptable. Clapping, calling out “Bravo!’, and standing at the end of a performance are appropriate ways to show you liked what you saw & heard.

A side note to parents: Flash photography is hazardous and distracting to children during a performance. Please take pictures only between selections, or use high speed film with no flash. Thank You!

Plantation Park Singers Chorus Handbook