YES Guidelines

Eligibility

The Youth Ensemble of Strings (YES) Orchestra is an all-school string orchestra for students in grades five through eight. Auditions are required. YES is an extension of the instrumental music program of the Lincoln Public Schools. Students must participate in the instrumental music program at their school to remain eligible. All students in YES must be enrolled in the Lincoln Public School District. Students who are homeschooled may audition for an LPS All-City Music Ensemble, but must be enrolled and participate in their LPS school orchestra. The following is a list of what that might look like for a student enrolling at each grade level: 
 
5th grade: Students participate in…
-One 30-40 minute small group lesson (during school) each week.
-One full group rehearsal (before or after school) each week.
-Schedules vary by school. 

6th grade: 
-Some schools use the same structure as 5th grade lessons.
-Others use an x/y schedule, meaning the student would have class every other school day, during the school day. 
-Schedules vary by school.
 
7th/8th grade: 
-Classes meet daily at a scheduled time during the school day. 
-Scheduled class time varies by school. 

*Beginning January 2025, LPS music extension programs will no longer be able to accept students that are not enrolled in LPS

Absences & Tardies

Absences

  1. Acceptance into YES is a privilege and a responsibility. Since rehearsals are only once a week, students are expected to attend and participate for the full length of each rehearsal and performance.
  2. One of the YES directors must approve all non-emergency absences. These absences must be presented to the YES director for approval no later than two weeks prior to the anticipated absence. Requests for non-emergency absences must be reported by e-mail to the director. Absences that are not approved may be grounds for dismissal from the orchestra. (rneely@lps.org, ahegert@lps.org)
  3. Emergency absences must be reported to the director by 3:30 on the day of the missed rehearsal. An e-mail message must be sent to the director to report the reason for the absence – this must be done before the next rehearsal. Examples of emergency absences include illness, injury, dire family emergency, or emergencies beyond the control of the student. NOTE to Parents: if you can’t get your child to the rehearsal then please do everything you can to make other arrangements for your child’s participation in the rehearsal.
  4. Except for extreme circumstances, students missing more than two rehearsals for a concert will not be eligible to perform in that concert.
  5. Students may be excused from a rehearsal early to participate in other school performances as long as the YES Director is notified in advance of that rehearsal – not at the beginning of the rehearsal.
  6. Students may not miss any of the last three rehearsals before the concert.

Tardies

  1. YES members must be seated in their assigned seat five minutes prior to rehearsal time (4:25) or be counted tardy. Students are expected to notify the YES Director when such tardies might occur consistently.
  2. Two tardies will be equivalent to one unexcused absence.

Inclement Weather

Rehearsal will automatically be canceled if LPS is canceled due to bad weather. If inclement weather occurs during the afternoon, log on to the YES website (http://yes.lps.org) or contact the Director to receive information about the rehearsal.

Music

Each musician will be issued a folder. All music distributed should be kept in the folder. The student is responsible for the music, the folder, and to bring a pencil to every rehearsal. NO markings shall be made in pen! Music will be collected at the end of each concert. For original pieces of music that are not returned, a fee of $10 per piece ($30 maximum) will be assessed.

Additional Expectations

  1. Rehearsals and performances will be conducted in a professional manner. Students are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times. Always show respect and consideration for the conductor, coaches, and all other members of the orchestra.
  2. Gum chewing, talking and disruptive behavior during rehearsals or performances will not be tolerated and may constitute reason for dismissal.
  3. Cell phone use during the rehearsal will NOT be tolerated. Phones are expected be kept in the student’s instrument case during rehearsal. If observed using phones (or smart watches for communication), the student will be asked to place the device in a hanging organizer in the room. If the same student is found using a device in a future rehearsal, the parent or guardian will need to see Ms. Neely or Mr. Hegert to retrieve the device after rehearsal.
  4. Transportation to and from all rehearsals and performances is the responsibility of the parent or guardian. If a parent/guardian is not able to get the student to rehearsal, then other arrangements should be made.