MESSAGES for ALL STUDENTS
FROM MR. NORRIS
6/2/2020
Mr. Norris Summer Plans
[email protected]
https://johnsonbrockmusic.weebly.com
402 616-6957
Office Hours
Mr. Norris will be in his office at school on Mondays and Tuesdays from around 10 AM to 1 PM. You may call, text, email, zoom, etc. during these times with very little scheduling necessary. Whether you have musical needs or just want to chat, this is a great time for that. Mr. Norris misses you.
Private Lessons via Zoom
Private lessons, vocal or instrumental, may be scheduled with Mr. Norris on an individual basis. This is for grades 6-12, not including incoming 5th graders. See below for 5th grade details. It would be ideal to have all lessons on the Mondays and Tuesdays that he is in the office. Email, call, or text Mr. Norris to schedule a time. If these days do not work for you, other options may be available.
Band Camp/Parades
Because of the pandemic, at this time (6/2/2020) we have not received any information regarding parades. While the dates for the band camp are on the school calendar, those are there in the hope that we are able to safely and legally gather to prepare for our parades. We do not expect to have much information until possibly as late as mid-July, so be mindful of the calendar and our current news. All efforts will be made to contact and include 7th-12th grade band members. STAY TUNED
Incoming 5th Grade Band Instrument Testing
Mr. Norris has purchased wind instrument try-out kits for students to use. These kits are safe to wash with soap and water, and will allow incoming band students to see which instruments may suit them the best. As always, Mr. Norris would prefer students play whatever instrument they would like, though he will also have veto power in case we have too many on a single instrument. He will gladly have a conversation with parents and their students via a scheduled Zoom or otherwise about instrument selection. The sooner we have an idea of what your student would like to play, the sooner we can get him or her into that instrument.
. If you have already decided on what you would like to play, AND have made arrangements for an instrument you can use, then please let Mr. Norris know ASAP so we can start planning for next year.
The school does not have nearly enough instruments to loan to all students, so making your own arrangements for instrument purchase or rental is very important. For the next two years, and hopefully longer, you will be playing an instrument, and it’s best to have one that is your very own.
Schmitt’s music has an excellent rental program, and I encourage parents and students to look into this “Better-Than-Rent” program and give them a call with any questions. Likewise, if there are any other concerns that Mr. Norris can answer, he can be reached via email or by phone. Mr. Norris would like to make it clear that he supports Schmitt’s Music’s rental program simply because it is really good. He does not receive any kickbacks etc. The direct website for the rental plan is https://www.schmittmusic.com/better-than-rent-instrument-trial-purchase-plan/ .
3/6/2020
Hi there, everybody. I hope all of you and your families are as healthy and happy as possible during our school closing. I miss seeing all of you! I did not realize how important every single one of you are to me and how much fun I have at school. Even though I have been so grateful to all of you for your friendship, this global shutdown has really made me realize how much I take for granted. So know that I love you all very much and that you will always have a friend in me, if you want one. :)
This site is meant to be a place where you can go, regardless of your grade, and find something musical to do during our time out of school. Some of the assignments you will have may need you to check out links on your pages, so it is nice to have a place to keep all of these resources (at least for me). Keep in mind that this will be a regularly updated site, with links and messages for you as our weeks of school go on, and even beyond! I hope you are able to stay in touch with me and let me know how things are going in your at-home world.
If you're like me, it is really tough to sit down and get to work on serious work stuff instead of ...well, anything else, if I'm honest. So believe me--I get it, kiddos. It might be a real struggle for some of us to motivate ourselves to keep learning (and teaching!) through our shutdown. But here's what I want you to remember: I always tell you to be honest with yourself, right? It's a hard skill to master, but super important. Especially right now. Not only do we need to be honest with ourselves about our music practice during this (and any) time, but right now we also need to honestly realize the responsibilities we have as learners in other classes as well. I am proud to be a JB Eagle for a lot of reasons, but mostly because of YOU, my students. All of you are such decent people, you know how to do the right thing, and it shows. Now is the time to prove it, not just to the world, but to yourselves.
Lastly, a message for everyone, regardless of age. From young to old, we are all experiencing something very new, and very disruptive. It is affecting families quite differently, and we are all presented with unique challenges during this unprecedented period. Try to remember that we are all in this together, and we need the support of our families, neighbors, and communities more than ever. I urge you to reach out to each other, connect with each other, and fill your lives with a spirit of service that will extend beyond our crisis. One day, we will be back to a version of normal, don't worry. But with luck, we will have learned how to be more helpful and serve one another in our daily lives, and that is something I look forward to.
Be well, and take good care of yourselves and each other.
Mr. Norris
Mr. Norris Summer Plans
[email protected]
https://johnsonbrockmusic.weebly.com
402 616-6957
Office Hours
Mr. Norris will be in his office at school on Mondays and Tuesdays from around 10 AM to 1 PM. You may call, text, email, zoom, etc. during these times with very little scheduling necessary. Whether you have musical needs or just want to chat, this is a great time for that. Mr. Norris misses you.
Private Lessons via Zoom
Private lessons, vocal or instrumental, may be scheduled with Mr. Norris on an individual basis. This is for grades 6-12, not including incoming 5th graders. See below for 5th grade details. It would be ideal to have all lessons on the Mondays and Tuesdays that he is in the office. Email, call, or text Mr. Norris to schedule a time. If these days do not work for you, other options may be available.
Band Camp/Parades
Because of the pandemic, at this time (6/2/2020) we have not received any information regarding parades. While the dates for the band camp are on the school calendar, those are there in the hope that we are able to safely and legally gather to prepare for our parades. We do not expect to have much information until possibly as late as mid-July, so be mindful of the calendar and our current news. All efforts will be made to contact and include 7th-12th grade band members. STAY TUNED
Incoming 5th Grade Band Instrument Testing
Mr. Norris has purchased wind instrument try-out kits for students to use. These kits are safe to wash with soap and water, and will allow incoming band students to see which instruments may suit them the best. As always, Mr. Norris would prefer students play whatever instrument they would like, though he will also have veto power in case we have too many on a single instrument. He will gladly have a conversation with parents and their students via a scheduled Zoom or otherwise about instrument selection. The sooner we have an idea of what your student would like to play, the sooner we can get him or her into that instrument.
. If you have already decided on what you would like to play, AND have made arrangements for an instrument you can use, then please let Mr. Norris know ASAP so we can start planning for next year.
The school does not have nearly enough instruments to loan to all students, so making your own arrangements for instrument purchase or rental is very important. For the next two years, and hopefully longer, you will be playing an instrument, and it’s best to have one that is your very own.
Schmitt’s music has an excellent rental program, and I encourage parents and students to look into this “Better-Than-Rent” program and give them a call with any questions. Likewise, if there are any other concerns that Mr. Norris can answer, he can be reached via email or by phone. Mr. Norris would like to make it clear that he supports Schmitt’s Music’s rental program simply because it is really good. He does not receive any kickbacks etc. The direct website for the rental plan is https://www.schmittmusic.com/better-than-rent-instrument-trial-purchase-plan/ .
3/6/2020
Hi there, everybody. I hope all of you and your families are as healthy and happy as possible during our school closing. I miss seeing all of you! I did not realize how important every single one of you are to me and how much fun I have at school. Even though I have been so grateful to all of you for your friendship, this global shutdown has really made me realize how much I take for granted. So know that I love you all very much and that you will always have a friend in me, if you want one. :)
This site is meant to be a place where you can go, regardless of your grade, and find something musical to do during our time out of school. Some of the assignments you will have may need you to check out links on your pages, so it is nice to have a place to keep all of these resources (at least for me). Keep in mind that this will be a regularly updated site, with links and messages for you as our weeks of school go on, and even beyond! I hope you are able to stay in touch with me and let me know how things are going in your at-home world.
If you're like me, it is really tough to sit down and get to work on serious work stuff instead of ...well, anything else, if I'm honest. So believe me--I get it, kiddos. It might be a real struggle for some of us to motivate ourselves to keep learning (and teaching!) through our shutdown. But here's what I want you to remember: I always tell you to be honest with yourself, right? It's a hard skill to master, but super important. Especially right now. Not only do we need to be honest with ourselves about our music practice during this (and any) time, but right now we also need to honestly realize the responsibilities we have as learners in other classes as well. I am proud to be a JB Eagle for a lot of reasons, but mostly because of YOU, my students. All of you are such decent people, you know how to do the right thing, and it shows. Now is the time to prove it, not just to the world, but to yourselves.
Lastly, a message for everyone, regardless of age. From young to old, we are all experiencing something very new, and very disruptive. It is affecting families quite differently, and we are all presented with unique challenges during this unprecedented period. Try to remember that we are all in this together, and we need the support of our families, neighbors, and communities more than ever. I urge you to reach out to each other, connect with each other, and fill your lives with a spirit of service that will extend beyond our crisis. One day, we will be back to a version of normal, don't worry. But with luck, we will have learned how to be more helpful and serve one another in our daily lives, and that is something I look forward to.
Be well, and take good care of yourselves and each other.
Mr. Norris