Newsletter #1 (9/14/10)

***Save the Date***
Thur 9/16 - Symphony starts at 4pm
Week of 9/20 - Sectionals Start this week
Mon 9/20 - 7pm Mandatory Parent Meeting, Chicago Trip info, College Night
Sun 9/26 - Entertainment Book Sale over (money or books returned to school Monday 9/27)
Mon 9/18 - 5pm Sinfonietta and Titan Strings provide Potluck for St. Olaf's Concert
Mon 10/18 - 7pm St. Olaf's Symphony Performance (free concert for students and parents!)
Tue 10/26 - Fall Gala Concert - All Students (7pm at West Auditorium)

Contained within:

1) Welcome to newsletter emails, especially new parents and students
2) September 20th is a very important meeting - all parents and students should attend!
3) Entertainment Book sale is in progress - have you sold your books?
4) Music Day thank you!
5) Supplies for orchestra classes are due 9/17 - explanation
6) Reminder - Fair Use Fee ($40) is due this week

1) A warm welcome to returning students and parents, and a hello to those new to the newsletter. This newsletter is intended to help students and parents up-to-date with all things related to the orchestra program at West. There are many deadlines, concert dates, special events, volunteer requests and thank yous, and opportunities (concerts, etc...) that will be shared in this format. The newsletters will come somewhat weekly and will always be posted on the blog. They come as both HTML and as plain text (so please view it in HTML for it to look the cleanest). It is my (Ms. S) expectation that students and parents are reading these messages, though students are usually told all the information in class. I do post the newsletter in the class in case any students are having computer issues - but, then again, there are school-use computers that all students may use and hopefully they will be checking the blog frequently. If anyone ever has any announcements to be made, please email Ms. S or orchestra parent booster president Karen Tatman (music@team-tnt.com). Parent feedback is welcome.

2) September 20 is our annual mandatory parent meeting at 7pm in the Auditorium at West. This meeting is run by both the parent booster organization and Ms. S - we will be going over classroom-related content (like grades, attendance at sectionals and rehearsals) and orchestra booster business. All parents of students in the orchestra program are requested to attend - students may attend as well.

Following the parent meeting, we will have a presentation of the Chicago trip information. Who's eligible to attend, what is the trip agenda, how much does it cost, what is the fund-raising plan, what about scholarships, when are the deadlines for deposits and when is the final withdrawal deadline, what rehearsals do I have to attend to get ready for the trip? These questions and more will be answered Monday the 20th.

Following the trip meeting, we will have a quick college information night. Ms S will have some materials for anyone interested in finding out more about music schools, scholarship possibilities for playing at college, and we will talk about writing 'the letter' to a professor at a college.

Thank you, in advance, for clearing your calendar next Monday evening at 7pm.

3) One of our most popular fund-raisers, Entertainment Books, is ongoing. Students may have 5 books at a time to sell - we have both greater OR and Portland area books. The books are $25 - students will receive $7-10 (depending on how many books are sold all together in the music department) to their student account. These books 'pay for themselves' quickly - you may check out books at the parent meeting, and students may check out books during lunches and after school. The fund-raiser is over September 26 - on the 27th students need to turn in money or books to the orchestra room. Thank you to Beth Zukowski for coordinating the fund-raiser!

4) Thanks again to students, parent drivers, Karen Tatman and the band parents who dedicated hours of time to Music Day. Funds received on Music Day are used throughout the year. This was a successful year - and I'm so appreciative of West Salem's community spirit of giving! Music Day is always the first Saturday after school starts. Our next big booster general fund fund-raiser will be the Titan Auction in November.

5) The first week of school, students were given a list of supplies needed for the orchestra room: A 1" binder (to be kept in the room), page protectors and separators (if interested), a pack of pencils (to be given to Ms S) and a few books for home practice (these books need to come to class and then go home with students for home practice). Students can bring materials in as they are received and will be checked off on a supply list. I understand that some students may have ordered materials that are either on their way or are backordered - that's fine. Once they arrive, bring them in to be checked off. If there is financial difficulty with purchasing these books or supplies, please contact Ms S directly.

6) Please remember to have students bring $40 (cash or check made out to WSHS) to Jolie Gilman, the bookkeeper at West. This is for the Fair Use Fee due annually for the orchestras. Students wishing to 'waiver' out of this fee can ask Ms. Gilman for a waiver request. Notes will be coming home later next week for students who have not yet paid or requested a waiver.

Thanks for reading all the way down to the end of the newsletter... looking forward to seeing you Monday :)
~Ms S.
"It's always a great day to be in Titan Orchestra."