Electives Begin in 4th Grade
In addition to their general music class, students in 4th grade begin instruction on a musical instrument! NCSA supplies these instruments during the school year at no charge, and it is our hope that students will continue playing through middle school and beyond!
Students going into 4th grade have the opportunity to choose between trumpet, trombone, clarinet, fiddle, and flute. For 5th graders we also offer cello as an option. We ask each student to pick three instruments that they are most interested in. Your student will be placed into one of these three choices. We will do our best to place them in their first choice, but we can only guarantee that they will be given one of their three choices.
4th and 5th graders also participate in Dance, Choir, and Drama electives each week.
Middle School Electives Explained
For parents with students going into 6th grade, electives can seem like a big step, one they may not understand thoroughly unless they’ve had an older student go through NCSA. Here’s a run down of what we offer and how students are placed in their electives.
WHAT WE OFFER:
All 6th-8th graders have electives every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. There are three 40-minute periods from 1:05–3:15 with 5 minute passing periods in between. These electives include all of our music electives as well as dance, drama, movement, and visual art classes. Students who regularly participate in sports, swimming, gymnastics or other physical activities outside of school may opt out of taking a movement or dance class with parent permission.
7th and 8th graders have one additional elective class on Monday and Wednesday afternoons from 2:00-3:15. These electives may include dance, drama, outdoor education, gardening, and various visual art classes.
HOW STUDENTS ARE PLACED:
6th–8th Tuesday/Thursday Electives: Before the school year is out we ask students to fill out a simple questionnaire about what electives they are interested in taking the following year. Students already taking music electives may be invited to join or stay in one of our performing groups (Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band, Jr. Jazz, Guitar Ensemble, and Little River or Whitewater String Band). Students may opt to join the Choir, or start an additional musical instrument, such as piano, guitar, bass guitar, or cello. Once we have students placed in the appropriate level music class we fill in the rest of their schedule with other classes that they are interested in. We let each student know what music class they will be in before school is out for the summer (or a note is mailed with the final report card). They find out the rest of their schedule when school begins in the fall. These electives go all year.
7th–8th Monday/Wednesday Electives: On the very first day of school 7th and 8th graders receive a list of all the electives being offered that semester. Each student fills out their form with a first, second, and third choice. Based on their choices students are placed in classes before electives begin the following week. Class lists are posted by lunchtime the day electives begin. For the second semester students are given another opportunity to choose a new class for the term.
Please feel free to contact Jody Deaderick, Arts Director, or Gabriel Clark, Music Teacher, with any questions about electives or music classes.
Thank you!