Link to Falcon Choirs News to Note 9/15/22 Document

Hello Falcon Choir Parents!

 

We had a wonderful 1^st Week of School in the Flacon Choir Classes. We learned about what to expect this year in choir and class routines for success. We stretched together for increased control of vocal production and sang together while also applying motor skills for creation of neurological pathways. This activates the right side of our brain that studies have shown is necessary for full effectiveness of the left side of our brains. We also began active listening activities for one of the songs all the choirs will sing together for the Fall Concert. Also, we spent some time with a getting to know you activity to make our teamwork as a musical ensemble effective and uplifting. In Advanced choir we also began reviewing our music reading skills from previous years and started the selection process for the “Gig Groups” they will be performing in for the first Advanced Choir Advisory Showcase of the year. And all while having a great deal of fun together! In my opinion, there is nothing better than this. Choir is just awesome!!

 

Here is a link to the video we watched in class about what amazing things members of the Falcon Choirs will be a part of this year and each year they participate. I think you’ll enjoy it.

Falcon Choirs Intro Video Link

 

Please “note” that my WCSD Website is a wonderful resource for both parents and choir students. On it is found recordings of our concert songs for home practicing, current information about the Falcon Choir Council events, details about upcoming concert events, these News to Note messages, and make-up assignments. One of the most important pages on my website is the Choir Calendar. It is up to date with all of the important choir events for the year. Please get these dates in your calendars so you won’t accidentally plan other events at the same time as our concerts, showcases or Festivals. My website is easy to find with just a Google search of my name: Janet Orton. Here is a link to the calendar page of my website. Falcon Choir Calendar link

 

A few very important events are coming up quickly:

 

1. Tuesday, 8/23/22 at 2:00-2:45pm - Choir Council Meetings begin – These meetings are open to any Falcon choir student.
2. Thursday 8/25/22 at 6:30pm – Informational Meeting for parents and students about this year’s 8^th grade MHMS Choir/Band trip to Disneyland. Although attendance at this meeting is not mandatory for students to participate in this awesome music enrichment trip, it is highly recommended. **
3. Friday 8/26/22 – First payment for the 8^th Grade Disneyland trip is due.
4. Tuesday, 8/30/22 – Music Department ZBEST Fundraiser begins
5. Thursday, 9/22/22 – Falcon Choirs Fall Concert! 5pm-choir performers call time / 6:30pm-concert begins

 

**This Disneyland trip together with the great friends that are made in choir together is a highlight of a child’s middle school experience! Not only do the 8^th grade choir students get to enjoy the rides and attractions at Disneyland and California Adventure together, but they will get to participate in a Disney Performing Arts workshop, where they get to record Disney songs with Disney performers and other Disney professionals, in a special studio backstage of the Disneyland Resort. It is a thrilling experience!

 

As do nearly all of the teachers here at MHMS, I send most of my communications to students and parents not on paper, but through the Infinite Campus (IC) message system. It will be most effective for you if you set up your IC account to receive these messages directly to your preferred email address. That way you will receive messages almost immediately to your devices when they are sent by a teacher. Please reach out if you need help adjusting your account settings for this purpose.

 

Because my website and our class MS Teams module hold so many resources, students have the most success in my class if they can have access to my website and MS Teams at home when needed. Please let me know if you child doesn’t have a way to access my website or their class Team at home, so I can work to provide them with what they will be missing without this resource whenever possible.

 

There is so much goodness going on here in the Falcon Choirs because. . .

 

Falcon Choirs Change the World with Music!

 

Thanks for being a part of this amazing experience.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Ms. Janet Orton

Director of Choirs

Marce Herz Middle School

Janet.orton@washoeschools.net

 

 

Hello Falcon Choir students and parents!

Wow! Quarter 4 is beginning in just a few days! Amazing that we have made it through 3/4 of the year already. This is what we have to look forward to this last Quarter:

• CELEBRATIONS - First, we are starting off the Quarter with Celebrations for the Beginning & Intermediate Choirs for their Quarter 3 Concerts. During class on our first day back (Monday 3/28) the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th period choir classes will be having their celebrations with food and fun. We need your help with the food. Please sign-up by going to the link below for your period.
• 1st Period Sign-up:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040948ADAF28A1FF2-fall8
• 2nd Period Sign-up:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040948ADAF28A1FF2-fall10
• 3rd Period Sign-up:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040948ADAF28A1FF2-fall9
• 5th Period Sign-up:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040948ADAF28A1FF2-fall7
• 6th Period Sign-up:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040948ADAF28A1FF2-fall6
• Because the Advanced Choir is starting their Quarter off with an awesome opportunity to perform together with the UNR Choirs, their Concert Celebrations will be on Friday, April 8th. Advanced parents, look for a separate email for sign-ups in the near future.
• FALCON CHOIR COUNCIL CORNER: 
• The Falcon Choir Council meets on Tuesdays after school. ALL CHOIR STUDENTS ARE WELCOME!
• On March 5th we had a wonderful outing to Descendants the Musical performed by Reed High School. Thanks to those students that came and those parents that supported us. :-)
• Save the Date!! On April 22nd from 6:00-7:30pm the Choir Council is planning a Choir BINGO NIGHT! This is not a fundraiser, just an event to get choir students together to play games and have fun. This event will be free to attend, but we will need help with snack donations, gifts cards for the prizes, and chaperones. The Falcon Choir Council will be sending out an email soon with sign-ups for this needed help.
• QUARTER 4 CONCERT EVENTS - The end of the year concerts are filled with music chosen by the choir students themselves. Before the break they submitted songs and completed survey forms to choice which songs their choir would be singing. 
• Full detailed itineraries for these events are on Mrs. O’s website on both the “Choir Concerts & Events Information” tab and the “Falcon Choir Calendar” tab. Look specifically for these important end of the year concert rehearsals & performances:
• Tuesday 5/17 - Choir Advisory Student Recital
• Friday 5/20 - Intermediate Choir Spring Concert After-school Rehearsal
• Tuesday 5/24 - Advanced Choir Spring Concert After-school Rehearsal
• Tuesday 5/24 - Beginning Choir Spring Concert Dress-Rehearsal
• Tuesday 5/24 - Spring Concerts for all Choirs
• CHOIR/VOCAL/PIANO TUTORING - Individual tutoring is now available with Mrs. O free of charge through a grant the school received. In these tutoring sessions students can get help with advancing the learning of their choir music, music reading skills, vocal techniques, solo opportunities, and even piano skills. The choice of what they would like to work on during the sessions is up to them! Tutoring sessions will be before school, after school, and during lunch. To reserve a tutoring session with Mrs. O, students will use the sign-up sheets posted in the classroom. Parents are also welcome to Mrs. O about available tutoring appointment times for their child. I hope you take advantage of this opportunity for your growing musicians to have the equivalent of private voice/piano lessons free of charge while this grant is in effect the remainder of the school year.

 

As always, I am so grateful for your support. Your help is invaluable in accomplishing our mission.

Falcon Choirs Change the World with Music!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Janet Orton

MHMS Director of Choirs

Hello again, Falcon Choir students and parents!

Quarter 3 is rolling along like a rock song! :-) We have some very exciting events coming up in the next few weeks.

• The Choir Council has planned another enriching outing to see Descendants the Musical. Get the deets and registration form on Mrs. Orton’s website under the Choir Council Corner tab. Registration forms were due Tuesday 2/22. Mrs. O will accept late registration forms and payments until the end of the school day on Thursday 2/24, so don’t miss out!
• We are excited for our upcoming Quarter 3 concerts and festivals! Full detailed itineraries for these events are on Mrs. O’s website on both the “Choir Concerts & Events Information” tab and the “Falcon Choir Calendar” tab. Look specifically for these important upcoming event items:
  • Beginning Choirs - 2/28 after-school rehearsal, 3/1 Zone Concert and 3/2 UNR Festival Field trip. Permission slips for the 3/2 field trip will be coming home this Wednesday & Thursday and need to be return no later than Monday 2/28. Chaperones are also needed for the 3/2 Field Trip. Please sign-up to help here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040948ADAF28A1FF2-6thgrade1
  • Intermediate Choirs - 2/25 after-school rehearsal and 3/1 Zone Concert
  • Advanced Choirs - 3/1 after-school rehearsal, 3/1 Zone Concert, 3/28 after-school rehearsal, and 3/29 Concert at UNR.
  • Also, you can look ahead on the Concert & Events Schedule document and the Falcon Choir Calendar on my website for the rehearsal and performance events through to the end of the year.

• Individual Choir & Voice Tutoring and Enrichment Instruction is now available with Mrs. O through a grant the school received. I will have a sign-up sheet in my classroom with before school, after school, and lunch time tutoring appointment times for students to sign-up for. Parents can also email Mrs. O about available tutoring appointment times as well. I hope you take advantage of this opportunity for your growing musicians to have the equivalent to private voice/music lessons with Mrs. O, at the school, free of charge.

It is amazing how much these young musicians have grown in their skills this year! It is wonderful to work with them everyday making music together and making sure that . . .

Falcon Choirs Change the World with Music!

Thank you for all of your support to make this happen!

 

Sincerely,

Mrs. Orton

MHMS Director of Choirs

Falcon Choir News to Note

December 1, 2021 Edition

 

Hello MHMS Falcon Choir Parents!

This 1^st semester of the school year is wrapping up and it is getting so exciting!

• The Falcon Advanced Choir had a choral outreach event at Galena high school where they sang for Dr. Torkelson, the head of the Choral & Vocal departments at UNR, and have been invited to sing as a guest choir at a future UNR Choir Concert.
• The Falcon Choir council had a fun activity at Urban air that 50 choir students were able to participate in. Thanks to everyone who helped make this happen.
• The next Falcon Choir Council Caroling outing at GSR is already planned for Dec. 11^th. Flyers are going out to students and information can also be found on Mrs. O’s website.
• Then Falcon Choir council also selected their leadership; voting on a President, Vice President and Secretary. These selected students are already taking responsibility and stepping up to the plate for enriching activities for our choir students.
• All the choir classes have made serious progress on their music reading and interval singing skills. Many students have learned aspects of rhythm reading and intervals that they have never learned before, yet they are mastering them right along with students that have previous experience. It’s awesome.
• All choir classes have been working hard on mastering the songs for our upcoming Winter Concert. You should be hearing your child practicing 15-20 minutes a day on memorizing their parts for these songs by using the resources on Mrs. O’s website. Mastery checks are happening all throughout this week. Encourage them to prepare for these by singing for you or other family members.
• Intermediate Choir (1^st & 5^th Period) has a mandatory Winter Concert Rehearsal this Friday, Dec. 3^rd from 2:00-4:00pm here at Marce Herz. This is the only time these classes will have a chance to practice together with the accompanist prior to the Winter Concert. To donate snacks for this rehearsal, please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040948ADAF28A1FF2-intermediate1
• The Winter Choir Concert Performances for all choirs are on Thursday, December 9^th.
  • The Beginning Choir’s (2^nd, 3^rd & 6^th Period) Performance is at 5:30pm following their 4:15-5:15pm rehearsal. Due to this rehearsal, the cafeteria will not be open for audience seating until 5:15pm. Both the 5:30pm Performance and the 4:15-5:15pm Rehearsal are mandatory, graded events.
  • The Advanced Choir & Intermediate Choir’s Performance is at 7:00pm. The Warm-up for this performance starts at 6:15pm in Mrs. O’s choir room before moving to the stage. Due to this warm-up, the cafeteria will not be open for audience seating until 6:45pm. This concert warm-up and performance are mandatory, graded events.
  • The Advanced Choir has their Winter Concert Rehearsal right after school from 2:00-3:30pm on this same performance day, Thursday, Dec. 9^th. Again, this is a mandatory, graded event.
• Winter Concert Decorating Help Needed!
  • I am looking for a parent to orchestrate the decorating of our stage for our Winter Concert. My vision is natural winter deco such as pine, holly, poinsettias, garland, snowflakes, etc. If you would be willing to help head this venture or just help out, please email me. Hopefully we can create a small committee of helpers to make our winter concert extra special!
• One of our Falcon Choir parents has already volunteered to organize a hot cocoa bar for the Winter concert class celebrations on Dec. 15^th & 16^th. Please keep a look-out for an email with sign-ups to donate items for this.

 

As always, thank you for your support of these awesome young musicians and me as our Falcon Choirs continue on our journey to CHANGE THE WORLD WITH MUSIC!

 

Janet Orton

MHMS Director of Choirs

Link to Falcon Choirs News to Note PDF

Link to: Falcon Choir News to Note 8_15_21 Edition Doc