CHOIR PARENTS!

Fall General Choir Boosters Meeting

TONIGHT | 6:30-7:00p | OE Choir Room (412)

FREE COOKIES, COFFEE and information about one of the MOST AWESOME high school choral programs on the planet!  How could you turn that down?!

If you are a parent of an Olathe East choir student you are automatically a member of the Olathe East Choir Boosters (congrats!).  All parents are encouraged this short but important meeting.  We only have two General Choir Boosters Meetings each year--you can do it! 

See you tonight in the choir room!

Cates

PS--Tonight feel free to use the main entrances to the building OR we will have the back door to the choir room (in the back of the building - marked "Y")

Clarification/Reminder

I hope everyone is having a great Weekend!  Two items regarding yes

Fridays eNote: one clarification and one addition.

Get out and enjoy the fall weather (after you practice your music)!

Peace.

Cates

CLARIFICATION: USING CHARMS STUDENT ACCOUNT FUNDS

The eNote mentioned that students could use money in their individual student choir account to pay for their Tshirt.  This is accurate.  However, at this point charms won't allow payment to be made from funds in a student account without the charge being made to the student account first.  Short version of that:  if you would like to make a payment via your choir account email boosters treasurers Kristin & John Howell krhowell@everestkc.net and the transfer will be made.

GENERAL CHOIR BOOSTERS MEETING TUESDAY

All OE Choir parents are encouraged to attend our first of two yearly Choir Boosters General Meetings this Tuesday , September 24 at 6:30p in the choir room. We will work to keep the meeting to 30-45 min.  This meeting is a great way for new choir parents to plug in  to leadership roles or simply get more information about Choir Booster support. For more information contact Boosters President Johnna Meyer: Johanna.meyer@royals.com.

Update: 9.20.13

13.14 CHOIR SHIRTS

We are currently accepting orders for 13.14 OE Choir Tshirts (see above).  Shirts are $6.00.  Students and/or parents interested in ordering a tshirt may submit their name and size by CLICKING HERE.  Choose to log-in as a student and enter room number: oechoirs.  You will then be asked to enter your first and last name and tshirt size.

There are two options to pay for the shirt:

• Send a check (made payable to OE Choir Boosters--with student name in the memo) or cash to school.
• Log-in to www.charmsoffice.com, click on the online store icon and pay online (.18 handling fee).
• Log-in to www.charmsoffice.com and make a payment using funds in a students choir account.

9TH GRADE CHOIRS STUDENTS: KMEA HONOR CHOIR

OE 9th grade choir students will have the opportunity to audition for the KMEA Middle Level Honor Choir, the All-State Choir experience open to our freshmen. The festival takes place in Wichita on February 28^th, 2014, as part of the Kansas Music Educators Convention.  The best 6th-9th grade singers in the state of Kansas will be participating in this festival. 

Students will prepare audition materials in class.  Each  student must pay $5.00 for the audition (a KMEA requirement).  If accepted, there is an additional fee of $50 per student which covers their T-shirt, lunch, rehearsal CD, and other festival expenses.  OE will cover the $50 fee for any of our students who are accepted.  $5.00 payment maybe submitted via cash or check (made payable to OE Choir Boosters with student name in the memo) or by submitting a payment on www.charmsoffice.com.  

Once the 160 voice choir has been selected, the list of those students will be posted on the KMEA website (www.ksmea.org) by Nov. 8^th.

CONCERT ATTIRE

All concert attire forms have been processed.  Charges should be reflected on individual student accounts in Charms.  Payment is due August 30 and may be submitted by cash or check (made payable to OE Choir Boosters with student name in the memo) or online by logging into www.charmsoffice.com.

Women who do not need any alterations to their dress should take the dress home.  Alterations will be made over the next two weeks.  Men's tuxes and blazers will also be arriving in the next two weeks.

If you chose not to order character shoes through the choir department you are welcome to purchase those from any vendor.  Locally we recommend:  

Degage Dancewear

10350 Metcalf Ave.

Overland Park, KS

(913)381-8492

Update: 9.5.13

OE Choir Students & Parents:

We are off to an outstanding start to our year!  Thank you to the students and parents who attended our All-Choir Ice Cream Social and to the booster parents who helped plan and serve at the event--particularly Karen Eisele.

As the newness of the year wears off we are going to begin discussing our goals, both individually and as a group.  Be thinking about what your goals are for yourself and your choir.

Enjoy the rest of your shortened week!

Peace.
Cates

CONCERT ATTIRE
Concert Attire Forms  have been passed out in class.  CLICK HERE for a form. Students should:

• Print their name and hour clearly
• Circle the item(s) they need according to the printed description
• Receive an invoice for concert attire items via email through charms. 
• Log in to charms and submit payment online OR by check with the student name and "concert attire" clearly printed in the memo

Payment due by: September 30

Please contact Cates (dcatesoe@olatheschools.org) if you need additional payment arrangements.

MISSING ASSIGNMENTS
Mid-Term Grades will be submitted next week.  Outside of weekly participation we have a few other assignments that will appear on progress reports:

• Get Connected (Charms, Blog and Text Subscription)--60 Points
• District Substance Abuse Policy Form--20 Points

If you haven't taken care of these important items please do so ASAP.

MEASURING FOR TUXES AND BLAZERS
Men's Wearhouse will be here on the following days to measure men during class:

Monday, September 9
Chorale
Eastmen

Friday, September 13
Madrigal Singers

IMPORTANT:  if you miss the measurement at school you must go to the Men's Wearhouse (13540 S Alden St, Olathe, KS 66062)

'MERICA DAY CHOIR FLASH MOB!
Next Wednesday is 'Merica Day--for Homecoming Spirit Days.  In honor of this day all choir members are invited to meet in the north end of the commons at 7:45a to sing the Star Spangled Banner at 7:50a.  Students will not be excused from being tardy to 1st hour--we should be finished singing at 7:51a which will allow you 9 min. to get to class. :-)

Important Choir Assignments

Two important choir assignments due this Wednesday/Thursday:

1.  SUBSTANCE ABUSE FORM.  CLICK HERE to download the district Substance Abuse Policy form.  This form is due on Wednesday or Thursday (depending on when your class meets).

2.  ENOTE VERIFICATION: PRINT this eNote update and fill-in the information below:

________________________________
Print Student Name

VERIFICATION
We have subscribed to the Hawk Choir eNote:


________________________________
Student Signature

________________________________
Parent Signature

Welcome Back!

OE Choir Students & Parents:

Welcome back to what I know will be an outstanding school year!  If you are new to choir this is the first Hawk Choir eNote our Olathe East Choir blog.  Please scan each update you receive for information regarding your/your child's ensemble.

Mrs. Holthus, Ms. Willbanks and I are looking forward to an awesome year of music making!

Peace.
Cates

FIRST CHOIR ASSIGNMENT DUE TOMORROW
Our first choir assignment for 60 points is due tomorrow, Wednesday, August 21 (Thursday for students who don't have class tomorrow).  The assignment is in three parts: Updating Charms and Subscriptions to OE Choir Texts and the Hawk Choir eNote. Please complete this important (and easy) assignment ASAP!

For a copy of the assignment CLICK HERE.

ALL-CHOIR ICE CREAM SOCIAL
The All-Choir Ice Cream Social is next Tuesday, August 27, at 6:30p in the OE Commons.  All choir students and their families are welcome.  Please CLICK HERE to RSVP by Friday, August 23.

NYC TRIP MEETING
There will be a quick meeting for those students/parents going on the New York Trip immediately following the Ice Cream Social on Tuesday, August 27.  We will be discussing or rooming assignments and sight-seeing/Broadway show options.  

CHOIR HANDBOOK
All choir students received a copy of this year's Choir Handbook.  If you didn't receive a copy or would like another CLICK HERE.

Over the next several updates we will review a few important points addressed in the choir handbook:
Choir is a performance based class--choir grades are based on a student's participation and engagement in daily rehearsals and scheduled performances/events.  Events on the choir schedule are required unless otherwise specified   They are our equivalent to tests and quizzes.  Conflicts will arise, however, they must be communicated as soon as possible.

13.14 CHOIR CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Our current Choir Calendar of Events was passed out in class and is also on the last page of the Choir Handbook.  Please note that all dates are subject to change.  Should a date change take place we will send notification via the Hawk Choir eNote.  Our most current calendar is housed on the choir website: www.oechoirs.org.

Orange & Blue Revue/Banquet

ORANGE & BLUE REVUE TICKETS

Tickets are $5.  To purchase a ticket in advance CLICK HERE.  While we will have a print out of online ticket sales bringing your receipt won't hurt.  Tickets will be reserved under your name at Will Call.  Tickets may also be purchased from Mrs. Holthus or Cates.

CHOIR AWARDS BANQUET

The Choir Awards Banquet starts at 5p on May 10 before the 7:30p performance of Orange & Blue Revue.  Dinner reservation deadline is May 7.  CLICK HERE to make reservations.  While we will have a print out of online reservations bringing your receipt won't hurt.

SHOW SHIRTS
To purchase your show shirt CLICK HERE.  Shirts are $9.

13.14 CLASS SCHEDULES
Many students saw their "proposed class schedule" on Wednesday.  If your choirs were inaccurate we will make the necessary changes.