Tuesday, December 20, 2011

SMS Choir Update: WINTER BREAK!


SMS Choir Students & Parents,

Its hard to believe that I'm grading finals!  This semester has flown by!  Kicking off the semester with the Choir Picnic and performances at the Jewish Community Center, then to the Fall Concert with our alumni, then Cabaret, next hosting the All-District Choir Festival, then Heritage Singers performing with Kenny Rogers, and finally an OUTSTANDING Holiday concert--we have been busy but, we have been AWESOME!

In addition to our Holiday concert we also collected to help SMS families in need this holiday season.  This year we had more struggling families than ever (32 families, 10 of them homeless).  I'm proud to announce that our daily collection, combined with some very generous donations from our audience at the concert, resulted in a donation total of over $2400!  We were able to help each SMS family!  Thank you for showing so much care for your fellow Raiders!

Finally, thank you for all of your hard work and dedication to making SMS Choir one of the best high school choir programs out there!  I hope Winter Break gives you a chance to sleep-in and spend time with family and friends.  Happy Hanukkah to those families who begin celebrating tonight!  Happy Holidays to all of you!

Looking forward to great second semester!

Peace.
Cates

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Congrats SMS All-State Choir members!

Congrats to:
Sarah Stevens
Nico Caruso
Will Cockriel

For making to 2011/12 Kansas All-State Choir. For a complete list visit: www.ksmea.org.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Holiday Concert

Sing in the season with SMS Choirs in their annual holiday celebration!

7:00p Concert

6:15p student call time (students must arrive on time to receive full credit)

Reminder:
Concerts are not optional. Conflicts must be approved in advance as excused to receive a make-up assignment. Our performances are out "unit tests" and are integral to success in choir. Conflicts like work, no ride, I forgot etc are I excused. No make up will be given.

What to wear:
1st act: normal concert dress
2nd act: holiday wear. No jeans, no tennis shoes, bight, cheery and festive.

There will be a reception following the concert with visit from Santa AND frosty!

Friday, December 9, 2011

Choir Update: December 9, 2011

A CAPPELLA TRIP DEPOSIT DUE TODAY
The $100 deposit for the A Cappella Choir St. Louis trip is due today.  If you did not submit your payment at school or mail to Tom Heathcote you may also pay online via PayPal.  Our PayPal currently reads "choir patrons" however you may still submit your payment online.  To pay using PayPal: CLICK HERE.  If you would like go on the trip but aren't prepared to make the inital deposit at this time you may add yourself later, however, you will owe the total due to that point.

HOLIDAY DECORATING THIS SUNDAY
This Sunday from 3-5p we will "deck" the auditorium for our Holiday concert.  Please come and help decorate.  If you have: duct tape, staple guns, extension chords, artificial christmas trees you aren't using this year, clear lights (not LED) and hot glue guns--bring them.  Items that you'd like returned should be marked with your name.  Enter through the back door to the band room.  WE NEED YOUR HELP!  This activity is worth CHOIR LETTER POINTS.

REQUIRED HOLIDAY DRESS REHEARSAL MONDAY
We have a required (150 point) dress rehersal for our holiday concert on Monday from 3-5 in the auditorium.  This dress rehersal is for ALL CHOIRS.

HOLIDAY 2011: A Celebration of Traditions and Cultures
Our annual holiday concert this Tuesday, December 13, at 7:00p in the auditorium.  Admission is FREE.  Friends and family are welcome!  There will be a reception following the concert complete with a visit from Santa!

Choir info
  • Call time: 6:15p (in concert attaire--ready to warm-up).
  • What to wear:  choirs will wear normal concert attaire for the first half of the concert.  The second half students should wear "festive holiday wear"--no jeans, no tennis shoes, no shirts with logos (think Gap/Old Navy Holiday commercial minus the jeans).  Scarves and fun hats are good!  Nothing that lights up or jingles. 
  • This concert is required for ALL CHOIRS (200 points).  Conflicts should have been communicated in advance.  Student must be in attendance for the entire concert for receive full credit.

SWEET DEAL FUNDRAISER
The turn in date for the SWEET DEAL fundraiser is Monday, December 12.  After students turn in their money they will be issued their $10 Three Women and an Oven coupons.  Students should deliver coupons the week of December 12.  Money earned from this fundraiser will be applied to individual student choir accounts.

Reminder:
Students are selling $10 coupons to 3 Women and an Oven Bakery.  They collect the money ahead of time and log their customer name phone and email on their sales log.  Studnets will then turn in the money and sales log to Cates who will then issue their coupons for delivery.

IMPORTANT:  CHOIR ADOPT-A-FAMILY
After Thanksgiving Break choirs have been collecting each day for our annual choir adopt a family program.  Each choir is assigned a Shawnee Mission South family in need this holiday season.  The counseling center works to find these families and determine their "list."  Sadly this year there are 10 families who are homeless and even more in need.  We have agreed to do everything we can to see that each family in need at SMS gets something from our efforts.  At the holiday concert we will be collecting to help our SMS families.  Please share with anyone you may invite to the concert incase they would like to give.  (checks payable to SMS CHOIR)

WHAT'S NEXT
  • Sunday, December 11 - HOLIDAY DECORATING - Auditorium - 3-5p
  • Monday, Decmeber 12 - HOLIDAY DRESS REHERSAL - Auditorium 3-5p (required - All Choirs - 150points)
  • Tuesday, December 13 - HOLIDAY 2011 - Auditorium - 7p concert - 6:15p Call (required - all choirs - 200 points)


Thursday, December 1, 2011

SMS Choir Update: December 2

WE NEED YOUR HELP WITH THE ALL-DISTRICT CHORAL FESTIVAL
Each year SM South hosts the Northeast Kansas All-District Choral Festival.  The festival includes hosting rehearsals and performances for over 700 students and over 1000 parents and partrons.  The festival is THIS SATURDAY and we are looking for student and parents voluenteers.  If you are available on Saturday please sign-up in the choir room or email Kaye Heathcote: tomheathcote@gmail.com.

HERITAGE SINGERS TO PERFORM WITH KENNY ROGERS
This Sunday evening our very own Heritage Singers will perform with recording artist Kenny Rogers!  The concert takes place at the Midland Theatre in downtown Kansas City and is part of Rogers' Christmas Tour.  If you'd like to purchase tickets visit CLICK HERE.

"A SWEET DEAL" FUNDRAISER
Before Thanksgiving Break we kicked of "A Sweet Deal" , a fundraider designed to help A Cappella Choir raise funds for their April trip to St. Louis and to help other choir students raise funds for their individual choir accounts (these funds can be used to pay for choir related items--tshirts, ties, character shoes etc).  Students will be selling $10 coupons to 3 Women and an Oven, a local bakery.  Students will collect the money for each coupon ahead of time, log their sale on the sales log provided.  By December 12, students will turn in their money and forms. Students will deliver coupons the week of December 12.