Frequently Asked Questions

	FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What the heck is UIL? Many parents ask this question - and here is our answer: UIL stands for University Interscholastic League. They are the governing board for ALL activities that are "official" in Texas Public Schools. (check out their website here). They basically run all competitions that occur during the year at the Middle and High School level, including (but not limited to) athletic events, marching band contests, debates, one-act play competitions, and (most importantly!!) orchestra contests. A UIL sanctioned event has LOTS of rules and regulations that go along with competing - rules on students' eligibility (whether they are passing their classes), rules on the amount of time spent practicing, etc. Our UIL event occurs once a year at the Concert and Sight-reading Contest. It is the music world's version of the TAKS test - scores are very important to us. There are two parts to this contest - the Concert and the Sight-reading. The concert portion is first and we play 3 pieces that showcase our abilities on a grand stage, dressed in uniform. A panel of 3 judges listens to us play, and gives us a rating. The ratings range from a I to a V. A I (known as a Superior Rating, or a "one" is practically perfect, and a V (a.k.a "Poor") is very terrible. Right after our stage performance, we move into another room for the Sight-reading portion of the contest. The director has 7 minutes to teach a piece of music to their group without the kids making a single sound. After the instructional time is up, the director cannot talk and must conduct the piece of music without the orchestra falling apart. Another panel of judges gives us another set of ratings (using the same scale). If an orchestra gets Is on both sections, they receive what is called a Sweepstakes Trophy - the most coveted trophy in ALL of public school music programs. If they receive a I in one part but not the other, you still receive a Superior plaque - a little smaller, but still very very cool. The Ted Polk Symphonic Orchestra received a I from every single judge last year - the absolute best that can be done. There are no first place trophies - this competition is a competition against a standard of excellence. UIL is a stressful time for students and especially directors - and lots of extra rehearsals and hard work are put into doing well at this contest. We believe that if you are doing the right things all year, the trophies will come as their reward.
My child says that he can practice before and after school...is this true? YES!! This is especially nice for kids whose parents must drop them off early/late due to work schedules and kids that don't have an instrument at home. This time can count on their practice card. They must be actually practicing in a practice room, and stay on task.
What is the Orchestra Uniform? In the fall, the orchestra uniform consists of the blue orchestra polo shirt, khaki pants, and nice shoes (no tennis shoes or flip flops allowed!). In the spring semester, formal uniforms are distributed to the 7th and 8th graders. A tux shirt is required, everything else is provided. The 6th grade orchestra uniform is the same all year.
Should I buy an instrument right away? Not necessarily!!!!! Read our section on buying an instrument here.
Why does my child have such a low grade on his/her progress report/report card? Chances are that if your child is doing poorly, it has to do with not turning in signed practice cards when the are due (every Monday). If your child is a 7th or 8th grader, it also might be because they have not been attending sectionals on a regular basis! If you would like, we can email you a copy of the grades that are in the grade book. Just send us an email!
Why do you have sectionals every week? Sectionals are highly specialized rehearsals in which we discuss in detail the things that are tricky for a particular section. This avoids the entire orchestra sitting around while we fix a very particular problem that only applies to a small section. These are required for all 7th and 8th graders. Having them once a week gets kids into the habit of showing up, and makes for better rehearsals during class time.
I got a automated message about my child having a zero? What does this mean? And what can they do to raise their grade? It means that your child 1) didn't turn in his/her practice card. We do not accept late practice cards or unsigned practice cards. The directors firmly believe that this builds students' responsibility and accountability. If they forget, it is very sad, but we still do not accept late practice cards. The good news is that the zero is easily made up for by practicing extra minutes the next week. If they practice 100 extra minutes, they have essentially replaced their zero (average 200 and a 0 together, and you will get 100).