TO: WONDER WGN MEMBERS
MEMO: WGN CLASS NOTES: 2025/09/09
DATE: Tuesday, September 9, 2025
Below are notes to help each family prepare for their time at Wonder, including details for all students, music students, and class-specific notes. We’ve also included a short note to help students understand the goal or what we’re working toward during the course of the year.
To print, click on the Memo Title to view the View PDF & Print link above the selected memo. To save paper and ink, we suggest selecting the following options when printing: double-sided and 2-pages per side. You can also copy/paste relevant sections, then print.
MEMORY VERSES (SEE ALL)
- Scripture of the Month: Psalms 71:17-18 – God, You have taught me from my youth. Until now, I have declared your wonders. Yes, even when I am old and gray-haired, God, don’t forsake me, until I have declared your strength to the next generation, your might to everyone who is to come. – Psalms 71:17-18
- Character Scripture:
- Proverbs 2:1-5 – My child, if you receive my words, and store up my commands within you, by making your ear attentive to wisdom, and by turning your heart to understanding…Then you will understand how to fear the LORD, and you will discover knowledge about God. – Proverbs 2:1-5 NET (New English Translation)
- Isaiah 28:23 – Listen, and hear my voice! Listen attentively, and hear my word! – Isaiah 28:23 LEB (Lexham English Bible)
- Proverbs 4:20-22 – My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. Proverbs 4:20-22 ESV (English Standard Version)
- Matthew 7:24 – Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on a rock. – Matthew 7:24 World English Bible (WEB)
- 1 John 3:11 – For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. – 1 John 3:11 New King James Version (NKJV)
ALL ATTENDEES (CLARIFICATIONS)
- 1st Day Preparation: Please review the first Class Notes for a complete list of needed items. Below, we’ve only included updates.
- Binder (Update): One binder may be enough to use for all classes but will require pocket dividers for the number of classes.
- Music Bag: A music bag is NOT a backpack but rather a tote designated for music-related items. Black canvas totes with a zipper work best because they are usually sturdy enough to protect supplies and hide stains. New Music Makers students will be provided a bag.
- Music Stand: Be sure you have the correct music stand.
ALL PERFORMANCE ENSEMBLES
PRACTICE MAKES PERMANENT AND PRIVATE LESSONS
We cannot emphasize enough the importance of maintaining the skills you’ve already learned, especially our Prelude musicians. Please be sure to practice regularly. As Dr. Andrew has wisely noted, practice makes permanent.
Returning students are expected to, at the very least, maintain the same level of skill the class reached at the end of the year. If you plan to continue with the same instrument, we suggest keeping your instrument rental active and pursuing summer private lessons with one of our coaches. It’s very easy for beginner instrument players to loose proper technique and form without practicing on a regular basis.
Practice Tips for Focused Practice
- Practice! Practice DAILY so you don’t forget what you learned!
- Stay hydrated
- Always pay attention to healthy posture and good breathing (don’t forget body and finger stretches)
- Work on the scales and arpeggios you know
- Practice with a metronome
- Practice rhythm and note reading (strings have the I can read music books)
- Work on Etude / Technique books (for upper ensembles)
- Continue to REVIEW the repertoire you learned this year
- Learn more pieces in your method books (strings can watch coaching videos)
- Listen to the repertoire in your method book
- Take private lessons during the summer, even if it is sporadically.
ALL ENSEMBLES (BAND/ORCHESTRA/DRUMLINE, BUCKETLINE, FLAGS/RECORDER/CHOIR)
- Still missing items? Contact our vendors and they’ll deliver them to Wonder when items are ready or you can pick them up on the first day of class. [LINK]
- First Music Assignment: Anatomy of Your Instrument & Rhythms
- Come prepared to class by reviewing the Instrument Guide for instrument specific needs [LINK]
- Read Focused Practice Guide: https://letswonder.org/focused-practice/
- Practice Plan (written assignments to be turned in to Welcome Table upon arrival)
- When are you going to practice? Give specific times and days.
- When are you going to do passive listening of an hour per day?
- Do you have your practice space set up?
- Can you easily access videos and listening assignments?
- Is your metronome, tuner, stand, mirror easily accessible?
- Are your supplies in the space and easily accessed?
- Anatomy of Your Instrument
- Beginners: Do a little research and see if you can come to the first day of class with a little information about the parts of your instrument.
- Experienced: It’s always good to review the anatomy of your instrument.
- Voice: Your an instrument too! Learn a little about your voice and the parts of your voice. This site is a good place to start (https://www.singwise.com/articles/anatomy-of-the-voice)
- Watch Video & Learn/Practice Rhythms and Names (clapping) (5min/5days): (https://photos.app.goo.gl/nrxnCqvWbuBghF7x5)
- Huckleberry Jello
- Gooseberry, Gooseberry
- Pineapple, Pineapple
- Huckleberry, Huckleberry
- Jello (shh) lo
- Beginners Instruments: While we wait for the first day of class, it’s important that you become familiar with your instrument, but don’t play your instrument (unless your coach gave you specific instructions). We don’t want you to develop improper habits before we ever really start. So, your first assignment is to learn the parts of your instrument and practice clapping rhythms. Spend about 5-minutes a day (1 or 2 times a day) clapping and saying the rhythm nicknames above. Watch the video above.
- Returners: It’s also always good to practice your rhythms. We know many of you already know the proper names for the rhythm types, but you may be less familiar with nicknames we use. Please make sure you are familiar with them so you can be helpful to newer students when needed…and so you will know what terms mean if they are used in class. Review basic rhythms, but feel free to practice your own while using the nicknames above.
- Listen: If you have your method books, start listening to the music. If you don’t, just enjoy listening to some instrumental classical and/or jazz.
MUSIC FOUNDATIONS
- No notes for this week.
BEGINNER PIANO
- See ‘ALL ENSEMBLES’ notes above
BUCKELINE, DRUMLINE & FLAGS
- See ‘ALL ENSEMBLES’ notes above
PRELUDE BAND (Beginner Instrument Class Students)
- See ‘ALL ENSEMBLES’ notes above
TRAINING & MIDPOINT BAND (2nd Year Students or Above)
- See ‘ALL ENSEMBLES’ notes above
PRELUDE ORCHESTRA (Beginner Students)
- See ‘ALL ENSEMBLES’ notes above
TRAINING, MIDPOINT ORCHESTRA, & CONCERT ORCHESTRA (2nd Year Students or above)
- See ‘ALL ENSEMBLES’ notes above
RECORDERS 1 & 2
- See ‘ALL ENSEMBLES’ notes above
- Returning recorder students, please bring your instrument and Book 1.
JUNIOR/SENIOR CHOIR (YOUTH CHOIR)
- See ‘ALL ENSEMBLES’ notes above
PRIME CHOIR
- See ‘ALL ENSEMBLES’ notes above
SIGNS AND WONDERS: ASL SIGNING CHOIR
- We have a few potential people to lead this class. We will plan to make updates next week if we find someone or if we change the class to spanish.
DANCE
- No notes for this week.
GUIDED PE
- No notes for this week.
ART (DRAWING & WATERCOLOR)
- Returning students, please bring your art bags and materials.
ART (TEXTILES – NEEDLE PUNCH)
- No notes for this week.
ART (PHOTOGRAPHY)
- No notes for this week.
THEATER
- No notes for this week.
- History II: The Early Church and Middle Ages: Covers the period from c. AD 33 to 1600 AD
MUSIC MAKERS 1 & 2
- Returning students, please bring their bags and binders the first day.
LITTLE MOVERS, LITTLE SHAKERS, & LITTLE CYCLES
- No notes for this week.
DISCOVERY
- Please take your child to the restroom BEFORE class and wait with them during the first day of class.
- Please be sure to check-out your child in every day, according to their schedule.
- Checkout may happen in the same arrival room, outside, or in the dance room, depending on when your child is scheduled to leave. We will let you know where on the first day.
DANCE FOR DISCOVERY STUDENTS
- No notes for this week.
PLAYROOM WITH GUIDE FOR STAFF AND HELPING HANDS
- Please be sure to check-out your child in every day, according to their schedule.
PLAYROOM WITH PARENT
- No notes for this week.
LAB
- We are moving forward with the Berean Builders curriculum. Please order it as soon as you are able and begin the reading so you are prepared for the labs.
- Reading Schedule: LINK (Please view the suggested reading schedule and read week 1 & 2 before the next class.)
- We will follow the suggested reading schedule and will create a lab that will focus on a specific area of study.
- Text: Berean Builders Discovering Design with Chemistry
COMPUTER SCIENCE (STANDARD APPLICATION & EMBEDDED PROGRAMMING)
- No notes for this week.
- Computer Science Intro: Standard Application [prerequisite; offered every year]
- Computer Science: Fundamentals of Embedded Programming [2025-2026 Focus]
JUNIOR HELPER
- No notes for this week.
STUDY HALL
- No notes for this week.