NYCSD Elementary Band Notes
November '20
Welcome!
SmartMusic
Every Band student will need a SmartMusic account if they do not already have one! Students must sign up for this account at home!! We will use SmartMusic in lessons as a replacement for our book (students can still use their book at home). If you have not already, please visit https://www.smartmusic.com/ and sign up for a FREE account as soon as possible. I recommend writing down the login info and putting it in your child's case.
Do not use the student's northernpolarbears email to sign up. SmartMusic will ask you to verify the email, and we cannot receive emails on the students' northernpolarbears account. Please use a personal email.
You can find tutorials about SmartMusic on my website here (including how to sign up). The tutorials are a little old, so things might look a little bit different, but most of the information is still correct! And of course, if you have any questions, please feel free to email me.
Thank you to those who have already signed up! Level 2 has already started using SmartMusic in lessons, and Level 1 is about to start in a week or so.
SeeSaw
On a Computer:
- First go to www.northernpolarbears.com
- Under "For Students" click on "ClassLink"
- Click on "Sign in with Google"
- Your child will then enter their login info
- Once you are logged into ClassLink, scroll down until you find SeeSaw
- Click on the SeeSaw button
- ClassLink should automatically open and log you into SeeSaw!
On a Mobile Device:
- You will first need to download the ClassLink Class app***.
- Using your device's browser (chrome, safari, etc.), go to www.northernpolarbears.com
- Under "For Students" click on "ClassLink"
- Click on "Sign in with Google"
- Your child will then enter their login info
- Once you are logged into ClassLink, scroll down until you find SeeSaw
- Click on the SeeSaw button
- ClassLink will then automatically open the SeeSaw Class app and log you into SeeSaw!
***For students to do their work, they must use the SeeSaw Class app. The ClassLink Family app is only for families, not for students, so the students won't be able to do their activities on the Family app. Parents and guardians are more than welcome to have the SeeSaw Family app on their device in order to see their child's work on SeeSaw! However if the child is using the device to do their work, they will also need the Class app.
Once you are on SeeSaw...
- In the top left corner, it should say your child's name. If you click on their name, it will open a list of their classes.
- Click on "Instrumental Music I" - you'll know it's the correct one if the icon is a Saxophone.
- If you'd like to find something specific - such as our practice log, a link to SmartMusic, or a specific exercise I've uploaded - you'll need to use the folders. All the way on the right side of the screen should be a folder icon - click on the folder icon. Scroll down the list until you find the folder you are looking for.
- If your child would like to complete an activity - towards the right side of the screen, click where it says "Activities" (in between "Journal" and "Inbox"). Instructions for each activity are included.
Please please please reach out if you have any questions!!! I am new to SeeSaw this year as well, and so many of you have already helped me out by asking specific questions, which have allowed me to make this list of steps above. :)
Practicing Expectations
The best strategy that I recommend is sitting down with your child and working together on creating a practice schedule that you both agree on. Kids LOVE having agency in creating their own practice schedule, and are more likely to stick with it if they help to create it.
I've had a few kids tell me lately that they've forgotten to practice, so they might just need some more gentle reminders. I've also included a link directly below about developing a practice routine that will offer some more tips.
Additionally, please help your child remember that they are to be filling out one Practice Log per cycle. I have gone over this several times with Level 2, but it might be new to Level 1. They are welcome to fill out more than one log per cycle if that is what they prefer. Thank you to those who have already helped their kids with it! You can find a link on my website, as well as in SeeSaw.