Once again....if your child doesn't know if he or she is in honors orchestra....they are not. Please read the WHOLE thing. There has been too much...."you never told us." I am uncomfortable sending back emails with the original message highlighted.

So many concerts....different for every building so here are the only 2 which pertain to Honors ORCHESTRA
First.....please scroll for "Second"
Friday May 17th.....the long awaited competition trip to Six Flags.  We leave Plattekill at 5;45 am.  The school WILL NOT be open.  All instruments must go home on Thursday.  There will not be extras.   I am not lugging anything other than a heavy keyboard and some tubas.  Remember, the point is to PLAY before you play. All students received a printed itinerary. They also received green honors t shirts, which they must wear with black bottoms for performance.  No personalizations, tying, fraying, beating for the competition.  At the park they may change into shorts or something comfortable....but the t shirt stays on, making them easily identifiable by our group.
Thank you for your patience.  Some of this info was behind a password-protected wall.  It has been breached ;-)
MUSIC IN THE PARKS ITINERARY   MAY 17th , 2013
5:45 AM  (Yes, the morning!) Arrival at Plattekill Elementary.
IMPORTANT: Chaperones may not park in the school lot.  You MUST go behind the church…back by the Sunday School—not up by the church.  No exceptions.
6:00  AM Depart for Westfield South Middle School
    This is the performance Location
    30 West Silver Street, Westfield, MA 01085
arrival between 8:30-9. Unload buses.  Chaperones must escort students to the bathrooms.   Band students should disembark first.  Orchestra students who are in band should be tuned first and find a “buddy” to hold instrument and music.
9:15 Honors band warm-up.
9:40 Honors Band Performance
9:40  Honors orchestra warm-up (Obviously minus band doublers! They will  
  rejoin ASAP)
10:05  Honors orchestra performance
10:30 Board Buses for Six Flags NE
DAY AT THE PARK! WHEE! STUDENTS WILL RECEIVE A VOUCHER FOR ONE MEAL.  IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THEY SAVE THIS FOR DINNER.  IT HAS BEEN PAST EXPERIENCE THAT IF THEY USE IT IMMEDIATELY, THEY WILL SPEND ANY POCKET MONEY ON SOUVENIRS AND GAMES, LEAVING THEM WITH NOTHING FOR DINNER!
8:00  Meet by Carousel near entrance for departure
11 Return half-asleep to PLATTEKILL.  Students will be asked to give a call to parents as we approach NBG-BEACON bridge. While we know most will have phones, it is not suggested that they bring them into the park as they are prohibited on many rides as they constitute a hazard.  It is unfair to chaperones to hold them responsible for pricey gadgets (keeping them off the rides too!)  If you don’t absolutely need it, leave it on the bus.  There were no available pack mules for this trip;-)

SECOND

What is NYSSMA Majors?  DIdn’t they already go to NYSSMA?
NYSSMA Majors is an ENSEMBLE festival. Ensembles consist of more than one person. The NYSSMA festival you may have attended already was for solo (by yourself)  evaluations.
The Honors groups must perform 3 approved  pieces at a level appropriate  for  their ability. They are evaluated by certified  adjudicators-meaning respected people who have taught for a long time. (Although we always refer to them as judges, the difference is an adjudicator makes decisions based on educational requirements.) Consider it State Testing- but a whole lot more fun ;-) !
The Honors Orchestra  will be performing for the final time on Thursday May 23, 2013.
Dress is concert black and white. (Solid White tops- Solid black on the bottom.  Please don’t try to show how “unique” you are with footwear….we are going for a unified appearance.)
Since it is a THURSDAY,  they take the earlier bus, like on a rehearsal day, but must  remember to get off at the High School. The driver should pull up to the auditorium before letting them  off the bus.  THey  can be driven to the high school but please be there at 7:30 for a quick tuning and serious warm-up.

Chaperone Guidlelines for Friday
GUIDELINES FOR PARENT/TEACHER CHAPERONES

  Thank you for volunteering your services to Plattekill Elementary School as a chaperone.  Please review the guidelines listed below.  Your understanding of this information as well as your ability to follow these procedures will help assure a safe and orderly trip.

1.   Parents of pre-school children and/or children not in the participating group may not bring these children with them.
2.   Keep the students assigned to you with you at all times.
3.   Do not allow students assigned to you to switch groups, unless you have been directed to do so by the teacher-in-charge.
4.   Make sure students assigned to you remain seated in their bus seat.
5.   Make sure students assigned to you are not shouting out of open windows or putting anything out of the windows.
6.   Check to see that the students assigned to you have kept the bus clean.  Make sure all of the garbage has been picked up and thrown in the garbage disposal provided.
7.   Keep voice levels down at all times.
8.   Please follow the time schedules provided.
9.   Please refrain from smoking on the trip.
10.    Please provide a positive example at all times for the students assigned to you and dress in an appropriate manner.
11.    Parent chaperones are directly responsible to the teacher chaperones and to the teacher-in-charge.  Parent chaperones who feel unable to comply with these rules will be asked to leave the bus; if this is not complied with, the teacher-in-charge will direct the driver to return the bus and all students on it back to school.
12.    No student is allowed to leave the field trip with anyone but a  parent without written consent of a parent.
13.    Under no circumstances are chaperones to touch a student unless it is an emergency situation.  Please contact the classroom teacher as soon as possible if the need arises.
14.    We ask that all parent/teacher chaperones dress appropriately at all functions that you are supervising.
15.    Please park in the church’s parking lot in the back by the CCD building. This will keep our parking lot open for visitors and the church’s parking lot open for parishioners or a funeral at the church. It will also prevent blocking Fr. John in or blocking the church dumpster.  Thank you.

In case you are wondering why  I keep adding to this site without taking off the old stuff, it's so I have proof of communication.  Usually, the items on here also go home on paper in student backpacks, get emailed through "School Tool" (If you do not get things through email, please contact the office manager at your child's school.  There is not a correct address on file.  Or-one sweetie said mom complained she doesn't get my emails or letters.  I asked her what mom's email was and she replied, "It doesn't matter, she doesn't check it. <slaps head>) It is announced in school at rehearsals and on morning and afternoon announcements, and placed on the "Wallkill Wire Choir" Facbook  Page."  I have had to bite my tongue many, many, many times in the past week, and let folks be verbally unkind within earshot, insisting I never sent home info. Please remember that music teachers have keen hearing.

THESE POSTINGS ARE FOR THE  ORCHESTRA ...meaning they have to bring their STRINGED instrument.  There are other concerts on other days for other groups.  I will not be posting about them!

Artists and Aliens concert:  THIS THURSDAY, MAY 9TH at the HIGH SCHOOL.  REPORT TIME 7PM-ALL STUDENTS

HONORS ORCHESTRA (THATS THE TUES. MORNING  grade 6 -and SOME 5th grade GROUP ONLY) If your child doesn't know what honors orchestra is....they are not in it!  YOUR TRIP TO SIX FLAGS NEW ENGLAND IS MAY 17th.  I WILL BE SENDING HOME PAPERS SHORTLY WITH EXACT TIMES.  WE LEAVE AS THE CHICKENS ARE WAKING UP

HONORS ORCHESTRA---EVEN MORE IMPORTANT.  THERE ARE REHEARSALS RIGHT THROUGH UNTIL MAY 21ST AND NYSSMA MAJORS ON MAY 23RD. YOU WILL TAKE THE SAME EARLY BUS AS USUAL, BUT GET OFF AT THE HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM. WE WARM UP AT 7:30 AND PLAY AT 8.  THEN YOU TAKE A SHUTTLE BACK TO YOUR HOME SCHOOL. IT WOULD BE EXTREMELY RUDE TO GO TO THE AMUSEMENT PARK AND NOT SHOW UP FOR THIS IMPORTANT JUDGED EVENT.  I GUARANTEE THAT WILL BE THE END OF YOUR HONORS ORCHESTRA DAYS, AND IF MOVING ON, REMEMBER, YOUR REPUTATION FOLLOWS.

THERE IS NO HONORS ORCHESTRA APRIL 30th due to the large rehearsal the night before.  Please do not drop children off!

CRUNCH TIME :-) WHEEEEEEE! PLEASE READ THROUGH THIS ENTIRE PAGE. ONE OR MORE ITEMS HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH EVERY STUDENT! Keep scrolling for NYSSMA!

There IS Honors Orchestra on Tues, April 23!

During Testing there are still school-based orchestra rehearsals, so students are expected to come with their instruments!

ALL ALL ALL ALL STUDENTS: (REMEMBER, THESE EVENTS CONTRIBUTE TO YOUR GRADE)

APRIL 29TH:  REHEARSAL IN OSTRANDER'S GYM.

6:30-8. ORGANIZING 200 STUDENTS TO PLAY AT THE SAME TIME IS A HUUUUUGE UNDERTAKING.  PLEASE ARRIVE ON TIME AND READY TO PLAY. I WILL DO AS LITTLE TUNING AS NECESSARY IN ORDER TO KEEP THIS REHEARSAL MOVING. REMEMBER THERE IS NO "i" IN ENSEMBLE.

MAY 9TH---ALIENS AND ARTISTS CONCERT.   OUR FINAL LARGE CONCERT OF THE YEAR OCCURS AT THE CLOSE OF THE DISTRICT WIDE ART SHOW.  PLEASE COME EARLY TO BROWSE, AND THEN MEET ME IN THE BAND ROOM AT 7 PM FOR A TUNING.

DRESS FOR THE CONCERT IS OTHER WORLDLY. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BUY STAR WARS OR STAR TREK  COSTUMES!   ALUMINUM FOIL HATS ARE PERFECTLY. BE SILLY, BE CREATIVE, HAVE FUN, BUT MAKE SURE YOU ARE NOT BLOCKING OTHER STUDENTS OR COVERING YOUR HANDS/ FACES.

NYSSMA _APRIL 26-27!

They should have brought you home this paper with their individual times and a cute little violin-playing  bug!!. I'm attaching a spreadsheet with everybody's time and room. IF you have no clue what I'm typing about, then your child is not involved!

Wallkill Wire Choir

Elementary Orchestras of the Wallkill CSD

Edie Duncan- director

eduncan@wallkillcsd.k12.ny.us

______________________________________ performance time is scheduled for

_________________________ on  Friday, April 26 or Saturday, April 27, in room S___.

Don’t forget LEGAL music, instrument, bow, rosin, shoulder rests, rock stops for cellos, etc. Parents may sit in if it is okay with their performer, BUT must leave during sight-reading portion. 

No gum, sloppy attire, or slouching allowed.  Only cello players should sit.  NO LONG -NAILED MANICURES, either.  (I’ll tell you more about that some time J and gross everyone out.)

NYSSMA BUSING   April 26-27

ROMBOUT MS-BEACON

Friday, April 26, 2013

Bus #1:-- To be taken ONLY by students with solo times between 4-6pm

2:20 bus departs Ostrander to Beacon

2:20 shuttle departs from Plattekill for Leptondale

2:40 bus departs from Leptondale for Beacon

Departs from Beacon at 6 pm

Bus #1 Returns to PLATTEKILL ONLY around 6:30 

________________________________________________________________________

Bus #2:--To be taken ONLY by students with solo times between 6-9pm

5:45 bus departs from Ostrander ONLY to Beacon  (arrives @Rombout @ 6:15)

Departs from Beacon @9 PM

Bus #2 Returns to Ostrander ONLY around 9:30pm

_____________________________________________________________________________

Saturday, April 27, 2013

THERE IS NO BUSING!!! 

***If you are being driven you should plan on arriving 45 minutes before your scheduled time.  That leaves time to have form checked/stamped, a little warm-up, and time to find room.

You must let me know whether your child is riding the bus or being driven ASAP.   It makes a difference in the number of buses and keeps us from calling out the dogs to look for children!

NYSSMA PERFORMANCE TIMES