Hershey

Elementary
Band

sub for Mrs. Kaitlin Obielecki

 Thank you so much for taking on the
Hershey Elementary Band!
You will be working with some
wonderful students and I hope you have a rewarding time
teaching them.

This binder is meant as a survival guide for you and I hope that you
find it helpful. Once you are set up with a district email I will share all
of my google docs and spreadsheets that you will need.

My scheduled return date is Monday, March 11th.

If you have questions please don’t hesitate to reach me at:

kobielecki@gmail.com
570.337.4006

Thank you again!

 Important School
Information

In this section you will find:

 Elementary School Information & Duties
 Music Department Information
 Music Company Information
 School Calendar
 About My Classroom
 Elementary School Information

Your classroom extension is 5099

Your direct supervisor is Assistant Principal, Mrs. Anna Gawel

agawel@hershey.k12.pa.us
The head principal is Mrs. Jackie Castleman
jcastleman@hershey.k12.pa.us

The front office secretary is Mrs. Donna Solimeo

dsolimeo@hershey.k12.pa.us
ext. 5300

To call a teacher classroom you dial 50 – then their room number

(the classroom/teacher list is in this section)

Your report time is 8:15am and the day is over at 3:50pm – after
the “all clear announcement” over the loud speaker

EVERY Tuesday you have PLC/Curriculum meetings at 7:45am

Faculty Meetings are held at 8:00am on the last Wednesday of

every month

Be sure to check the Obielecki (Daneker) mailbox in the mail room

every day.

To see the nurse – students must fill out a nurse form, found
behind the third rolling white board from the left.
 Elementary School Duties

You have a morning duty everyday EXCEPT Thursday.

At 8:30am (when first bell rings) you should be in the hallway

ready to greet students. Your duty spot is at the end of the 1st fourth
grade hallway (turn right before the cafeterias), before the 2nd
grade hallway starts (near the bathrooms) . It is a cross-section
hallway.

At 8:40am (when the second bell rings) move to the cafeteria to

help with breakfast duty. At 8:45 students will stand to participate
in the pledge of allegiance and National Anthem. Students must
finish up and leave after the anthem.

Mrs. Crystal Paukovitch & Mrs. Tani Miller have breakfast duty
with you.

You will not have duty on Thursdays since it is a

Large Group Band day.
 Music Department Information

Hershey Elementary School –

 Mrs. Michelle Kisner – K-3 general music (room 3) ext. 5003
• mkisner@hershey.k12.pa.us
 Mrs. Brandy Ruff – 4/5 general music and chorus (room 3)
• bruff@hershey.k12.pa.us
 Mrs. Tani Miller – 4/5 Orchestra (room 1) ext. 5001
• tamiller@hershey.k12.pa.us
Hershey Middle School –
 Mr. Rich Miller – 6-8 Band and general music ext. 4210
• rmiller@hershey.k12.pa.us
 Mr. Greg Woodbridge– 6-8 orchestra
• gwoodbridge@hershey.k12.pa.us
 Mr. Joe Farrell – 6-8 Chorus
• jfarrell@hershey.k12.pa.us
 Mr. John Gabriele – 6-8 general music
• jgabriele@hershey.k12.pa.us
Hershey Middle School –
 Mr. Jonathon Pinkerton– 9-12 Band and music theory ext. 1012
• jpinkerton@hershey.k12.pa.us
 Mr. Greg Woodbridge– 9-12 Orchestra
• gwoodbridge@hershey.k12.pa.us
 Mr. Joe Farrell – 9-12 Chorus. ext. 1010
• jfarrell@hershey.k12.pa.us

Our department head is Mr. Joe Farrell. We meet as a

department monthly. You will receive information through
email from Joe about upcoming meetings.
 Music Company Information

As a district, we work with Lōser’s Music and Menchey Music for

our instrument rentals and repairs.
Lōser’s Music
losers@lmf.net - www.losersmusic.com - 717-272-0381
Our reps name is Lisa and she generally visits on Tuesday mornings around 9:00am. If
a student rents from Lōser’s and needs a repair, they should first have a parent contact
Lōser’s and set up a pickup. Lisa will pick up the instrument and may drop off a loaner.
When it is repaired she will drop it off to you at the school to give to the student.
Families an also purchase supplies that will be dropped off by Lisa at her week visits.

Menchey’s Music
bschool@mencheymusic.com - www.mencheymusic.com - 717-637-8383

Our reps name is Bill School and he generally visits on Wednesday afternoons around
11:00am. If a student rents from Menchey’s and needs a repair, they should first have a
parent contact Menchey’s and set up a pickup. Bill will pick up the instrument and may
drop off a loaner. When it is repaired he will drop it off to you at the school to give to
the student. Families an also purchase supplies that will be dropped off by Bill at his
week visits.

If you have a school district instrument that needs immediate repair (can
not wait until I get back), please send it with Bill School to Menchey Music.
He will email a quote to repair the instrument and you will fill out the
purchase order (shared through google docs). Send the PO and quote to Joe
Farrell (jfarrell@hershey.k12.pa.us) and he will forward it to the
appropriate person.
 School Calendar

Hershey Elementary School runs on a 6 day cycle. Please consult

the desk calendar to see what number day is currently is. You will
need to pencil in number days starting in January.

If we miss school for a holiday, have an in-service day, or call off

school for a snow day, we skip that number day. It is important to
only pencil in number days, because they can (and will) change
with snow days.

Please watch local news for closings and delays if you are not added
to the DTSD automated call list.

Please see the school calendar attached for the entire year, but here
are important school days:

• Holiday Break – December 24th-January 2nd

• Teacher Work Day/In-service – January 21st
• 2-hour delay start for students (teacher Professional development) –
January 22nd
• Teacher In-service – February 15th
• No School – February 18th
 About My Classroom

The Band Room is also known as MPR2.

At my desk you will find stationary items. There is a flipping document holder that included lesson
schedules, classroom info, and other important documents. Class Lists, the Daily Sub folder, and
signed paperwork are found on the table beside my desk.

Students will store their instruments in the room in the tall cabinets. They are labeled with the
instrument and grade level. Extra school district instruments are also found in the tall cabinets.

Large instruments (tubas and baritones) are stored on and under the long table near the extra chairs.
Extra school district instruments (including percussion) are found in the large storage with the
Gryffindor banner on it. If you ever need to pack up everything for an event, all percussion
equipment goes into this storage area.

There are 6 shelves behind rolling white boards. Starting from the right they have in them:
1. reference books
2. personal items (napkins, mugs) and extra stationary items
3. Chorus space
4. items regularly used for band – nurse pad, dry erase markers, screw drivers, originals of the
band music, headset for microphone, small ipad
5. extra reeds, mouthpieces, cleaner, repair items, and extra forms that are used regularly.
6. lesson and jazz method books – teacher manuals

The cabinets below the rolling white boards are filled with office supplies (extra paper, folders, paper
cutter, large three hole punch, etc.)

There is a storage closet near your teacher desk that is used by orchestra to store cellos. Orchestra
students will need to regularly access this cabinet. Please do not block it.

MPR2 is also shared with Chorus. Chorus rehearsals happen on Thursdays from 12:05-12:45 and are
lead by Mrs. Brandy Ruff.

To put down the projector screen there is a small silver box located under the gray exit sign near the
“band mail” entrance. Flip open the box (it does not need a key) and push the switch down to lower
the screen, up to raise the screen.
Remotes for the projector and apple TV are in the top desk drawer (under the desk calendar) of my
desk. Please make sure they are stored there. The apple TV name is ES-MPR2.
 Concert & Event
Information

In this section you will find:

 Santa’s Pancake Breakfast
 Winter Concert
 Sing-a-long
 4th grade Informance
 County Band
 Star Spangled Banner at the Hershey
Bears
 Santa’s Pancake Breakfast

On Saturday, December 8th there will be a Pancake Breakfast with Santa

sponsored by the High School Band Boosters. I hope to be at this event, but
just incase, I would love for you to be there.

The breakfast is held in the MPR1 and cafeterias of the Elementary School.
It runs from 8am-11am. Our only responsibility that morning is helping
performers and being a public figure. It’s a super fun event.

Small groups/solos perform throughout the event. Incase I am not able to

prepare students for this event you can find Christmas books in the filing
cabinet in the percussion section. There is also a lot of music to be found
online (noteflight is a good place to start). Please choose small groups, or
soloists that can handle performing alone and can be there that morning.
You will need approx. 6 small group/soloists. You can choose them by
lesson group or last year I had the percussion section play a piece they
learned in sectionals.

The whole jazz band will perform at this event. I will make the appropriate
paperwork available through google docs.

Please coordinate with Jonathon Pinkerton

(jpinkerton@hershey.k12.pa.us) to create a performance schedule.

If I am not in school after thanksgiving break we will need help selling

tickets at the elementary school. I will supply you with all of the appropriate
forms and documents through google docs. Your contact people will be
Darlene Helmick, event coordinator (717-318-9471
DHelmick@selectmedical.com) and Jan Yun, treasurer
(dereksmom@verizon.net).
 Winter Concert

MONDAY, DECEMBER 10, 7pm at the HHS Auditorium

I’m not gonna lie, this is a crazy day. Please rely on Tani, and Jonathon to help you
through. I will make the appropriate concert flyers available to your through google
docs.

In preparation for this day you will need two parent volunteers and place a work order
to have large instrument (tubas, baritones, french horns) sent to the high school. A
roster of students will need to be sent to the nurse for any medications needed that
day. I will hopefully have all of this done for you!

You will meet the 5th grade band in MPR2 at 12:05 (after their lunch). After attendance
you will walk the students to the high school, with the chaperones, for a dress
rehearsal. You have dress rehearsal on stage until 1:45. At that time students will pack
up their instruments and leave them at the high school for the concert that night. You
must wait for the chorus and Brandy to arrive before you leave because students in
chorus will stay behind for that rehearsal. Once chorus arrives, walk the remaining
students back to the elementary school and have them return to class.

Jazz Band will not have a dress rehearsal (the pancake breakfast counts as their dress
rehearsal)

Report time for the concert is 6:40 and students will meet in the high school band
room. Concert dress is black and white. When students arrive have them put together
their instrument in the auditorium and then close their case and leave it in an orderly
fashion against the auditorium wall. Only their instrument and music come with them
to warm-up.

Concert order will be Orchestra, Chorus, Jazz Band, then Concert Band. Students will
sit quietly in the audience with their instrument while the other group perform.
Students in chorus will place their instrument on top of their case on the floor in the
auditorium until it is band’s turn to perform.

The concert lasts approx. 1.5 hours.

 Winter Concert (cont.)

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11th at the HHS Auditorium

The day after the concert we do two in school concerts for the elementary school.

The schedule for this day is forth coming and will hopefully be in the binder by the
time I am gone. If not, please coordinate with Tani and Brandy.

There will be a morning concert and an afternoon concert.

You will need to choose 3 concert band songs and 1 jazz band song to do for these
concerts. The concerts must move quickly and there is often not time for the entire
thing.

In the past we have changed the concert order for these concerts to try to keep stage
reset time to a minimum. In the past, for the first concert it went band first (reverse
order since the stage was already set for band from the night before) and then regular
order in the afternoon. It all depends on what the stage is being used for when we are
not there, i.e. high school band and orchestra rehearsals.

There are usually not chaperones for these concerts and they are weather permitting
given that the entire elementary school walks to the high school.
 Elementary Holiday Sing-a-long

The Elementary Holiday Sing-a-long is usually run by myself, Michelle

Kisner (also on maternity leave) and Brandy Ruff. This year, Brandy will
take the lead and you will help.

The sing-a-long will be on December 21st, the last day before break, in
MPR1. There is a google slide presentation of all the songs that I will make
available to you.

Here is the schedule below. Make sure you have a bottle of water with you,
it’s A LOT of singing!

8:50-9:30 ½ 2nd grade and all of 4th grade

9:32-10:12 ½ 3rd grade and all of AM kindergarten
10:14-10:54 ½ 3rd grade and all of 1st grade
10:56-11:25 ½ 2nd grade and all of 5th grade
 4th grade Informance

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11th @ 6pm - Elementary MPR1

An informance is an informative performance put on to show 4th grade

parents what we’ve been working on.

Two weeks before this informance you will need to send home flyers
(provided through google docs) and put in a work order to have 200 chairs
set up in the MPR1 for the audience. You will need to talk to Tani about
tearing down the orchestra set up so that you can put up the band set up.
This event will be crowded.

In the past, we have played short songs (informance order shared through
google docs), parents have conducted, played our first year tunes, and
parents played instruments. Small spray bottles can be found on the shelf
behind the rolling cabinets.

Please watch the video below of last years informance to see what we did.
This can be your event, so add what you like. Parents love this event and I
treat it very informally.

2018 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Da8yj52F_g
2017 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgnNPeFcv-Y

The snow date for this event is Wednesday, February 13th

 5th grade County Band

2019 DCMEA County Band @ Susquehanna Township School District

Every year, 5th graders have the opportunity to participate in Dauphin County Band.
For this event you will work in close collaboration with Rich Miller, the middle school
band director (rmiller@hershey.k12.pa.us).

Once I receive the email that county band registration is starting you will need to print
out interest forms (available in google docs) and hand them to the 5th grade students.
After they are returned, you will receive a google doc through email where you will
submit your top choices from the interest form. The organizers will get back to you
about who was chosen (it’s a round robin process). Usually, around 6 students are
chosen.

After you know how many students will be involved, the organizers will send you their
music folders which will include medical forms and ticket order forms. You will need
to submit a payment form for registration and buses to the district office (in google
docs). Rich Miller will help you with this.

For rehearsals, you will meet the students in the parking lot between the elementary
school and the middle school. You will ride the bus with them, Rich Miller, and 6th
graders to the rehearsals and back. For the concert, the students will ride the bus
there, but you will follow in your car because students will leave with their parents
after the concert.

The schedule:

February 5th – Rehearsal 6:30-8:30 @ Susquehanna Township HS

February 14th – Rehearsal 6:30—8:30 @ Susquehanna Township HS
February 16th – Rehearsal 8am @ Susquehanna Township HS – Lunch at STHS
Concert at 2:00
 Star Spangled Banner at Hershey Bears

Every year the 5th grade plays the National Anthem for a Hershey Bears game. This
years game is Saturday March 30th. Students will play the National Anthem from
memory and stay to watch the game.

It will be your responsibility to prepare students for this performance. The National
Anthem will already be in their Spring Music packet. Please work on this at every
rehearsal and sectional. It will need to be memorized. All informational flyers will be
available through google docs.

You will also need to sell tickets to the game. Tickets can be sold to student’s families
and to district employees. I will make last years order form available to you through
google docs. You can send the order form out to the district through email or you can
ask Mrs. Gawel, assistant principal, to email it for you.

Once money is collected you will contact Jan Yun, HHS Band Boosters treasurer
(dereksmom@verizon.net), to give her the money and get a check to give to the
Hershey Bears.

I will be in touch during this process to make sure you are okay. Please know that you
are invited to the game and participate in the event.
 Small Group
Lessons

In this section you will find:

 Information about lessons
 Remind101
 Lesson Schedule
 Small Group Lessons

Small Group Lessons rotate on a 6-day cycle and are ½ hour long. All lessons are
separated by grade level, and most are separated by instrument.

Both 4th grade and 5th grade work out of the Bruce Pearson, Standard of Excellence
Book 1 (the Red Book). 4th grade will use this more.

If a student is missing from a lesson, call their classroom and let the phone ring once.
This will be a cue to the students in the class that someone is missing a lesson without
disrupting the class.

Students are required to turn in practice forms showing their progress. Extra forms
can be picked up in the back of the room near the cello closet and I will make it
available via google docs.
________________________________________

4th grade lessons:

Students are trying to “check off the chart” found in the back of the room. As students
work through the lesson book, if a students can play a coin song from the book by
themselves, and with little help, they can place a sticker on the chart for that song.
There goal is to finish the chart by the end of the year to be invited to a special cupcake
party.

You will need to spend ¾ of each lesson working in the red book. Approx. ¼ of each
lesson can be spent on first year tunes or spring concert music.
___________________________________________

5th grade lessons:

Please use the red book as a resource. I do not use the book as much with 5th grade.
Please also work on the circle of 4ths, major scale sheet, and tuning. I try to choose
concert music that teaches a skill or technique so you can work on concert music in
lessons.
______________________________________
 Remind101

I use an app called Remind101 to communicate with parents via text about
rehearsals without them having my phone number. I will make you an
administrator on the account. Use of Remind101 is recommended, but
completely your choice

There is a 5th grade group and a 4th grade group. You can send reminders
about rehearsals, number days, and any other important information like
due dates. You can also contact an individual parent, or they can contact
you with a question.

Every Sunday evening I send a Remind to 4th grade saying “tomorrow is day
“_” for lessons. The sectional schedule is normal for the week, Mon –
Woodwinds, Tues – Brass, Wed - Perc” and to 5th grade saying “tomorrow is
day “_” for lessons. The sectional schedule is normal for the week, Mon –
Woodwinds, Tues – Brass, Wed – Jazz, Fri - Perc”

On Wednesday evening I send a Remind to both groups saying “tomorrow

is day “_” for lessons and it is large group band day. ALL students need
instruments and music tomorrow”
 Sectionals

In this section you will find:

 Information about sectionals
 Attendance sheets
 Sectionals

Sectionals happen over recess once a week and are mandatory rehearsals. Even if
students don’t have their instrument they are still required to attend. Sectionals do
happen over the students’ recess.

Sectionals are a wonderful opportunity to really dive into problems in the concert
music. I work a lot on articulations, dynamics, and musicality in sectionals. The
expectation is that what they learn in sectionals will transfer to large group band.

If students have a lesson the day before or after sectionals I let them keep their
instrument in their storage cabinet over night instead of taking it home and bringing it
back. It is their choice.

The Sectional schedule is

Monday:
11:30-12:00 – 4th grade woodwinds
12:05-12:35 – 5th grade woodwinds

Tuesday:
11:30-12:00 – 4th grade brass
12:05-12:35 – 5th grade brass

Wednesday:
11:30-12:00 – 4th grade percussion
12:05-12:35 – 5th grade Jazz Band

Friday:
12:05-12:35 – 5th grade Percussion

It is very important that at the end of sectionals that students walk quietly and
respectfully back to their classrooms. It is important that they are promptly back in
class.
 Large Group
Band

In this section you will find:

 Information about large group band
 Attendance sheets
 Large Group Band

Large Group Band happens on Thursdays. It when we all get together to play and work on concert
music. I will allow you to decide how you like run rehearsals. Please put your rehearsal plan on the
board each day so that students know what to prepare.

There are stand signs for each group. I use these stand signs to show students where they sit and
helps me with calling students by name. I also use them to take attendance. I never call roll, I only
look to see who is not in their seat.

I recommend never handing anything out during a rehearsal. Young students are not good at passing
quickly and efficiently. They also struggle with unstructured time. I recommend putting any music or
papers that need handed out on their stand so it is there when they walk in. There are slots for
percussion in the percussion section, under the standards bulletin board.

I use a microphone for large group band to save my voice and so that students can hear me over their
playing. The headset and batteries are found behind the rolling white board shelf, third from the left.
The amp and receiver are always on in the back of the room, you will only need to turn on the pack
for each rehearsal.

I also recommend setting up for large group band on Wednesdays before you leave for the day.

On Thursday mornings, 5th grade students will check in with their homeroom teacher and then
report directly to you. You will do the pledge of allegiance and star spangled banner at the beginning
of band. I NEVER allow students to make “ugly” noises on their instruments before band officially
starts in the morning. 5th grade band runs from 8:45-9:30. It is VERY important that you end
promptly and have students walk silently back to class. I usually walk with them to supervise.

Directly after 5th grade band you will need to collect stand signs and put away stands in every row but
the front one (for lessons). Brandy Ruff will come in to set up for chorus at approx. 11:30. Chorus
runs from 12:05-12:45.

After chorus you will need to reset for 4th grade band and put out the 4th grade band stand signs.

4th grade band runs from 2:45-3:30. It is VERY important that you end promptly and send
students quickly back to class because students will be dismissed to the busses starting at 3:35.

If students have a lesson scheduled during band time on that number day then they will not have
their lesson that day. Full group band will take it’s place.
 Jazz Band

In this section you will find:

 Information about jazz band
 Attendance sheets
 Jazz Band

Jazz Band meets on Wednesdays during the sectional time, 12:05-12:35.

Attendance for Jazz Band is mandatory, especially since the music is only
worked on during this time.

This year I ordered Jazz Method Books (Dean Sorenson) that I have never
used before. Please feel free to use these books; no curriculum has been
developed yet.

Jazz Band will not only be preparing for the Spring Concert, but they will
also be participating in an All-District Concert on Tuesday, April 9th. At that
concert they will be playing their concert pieces along with a group song
with the middle and high school jazz bands. That song is 25 or 6 to 4.

Jazz Band is only for 5th grade students. There is a small level of set up with
the piano, amps, and the drum set. Students should be able to do this, but
anything you do ahead of time will save you time during rehearsal.
 Concert Scores -
Winter

In this section you will find:

 Concert Scores for the winter concert
 These are in Concert order
 Concert Scores -
Spring

In this section you will find:

 Concert Scores for the spring concert
 Concert order has not been decided yet.
 Jazz Scores -
Winter

In this section you will find:

 Concert Scores for the winter concert
 These are in Concert order
 Jazz Scores -
Spring

In this section you will find:

 Concert Scores for the spring concert
 Concert order has not been decided yet.
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for your large bins and containers, desks, folders, etc.