MRHS Orchestra Newsletter

The holiday season is finally here, I hope you all had an amazing and magical break! Only three more weeks until we have two more weeks off...

We are excited to bring you an incredible Winter Concert featuring MRHS Orchestras, MRJH Orchestras, MRHS Symphony Orchestra and both JH and HS Mariachi ensembles! Please stay plugged in; save this link for future refrence. Communicate with Directors through your required student ensemble Remind code when conflicts arise.

Events

• Thursday, 12/5 Mariachi Winter Social, 4-5:30pm (White Elephant only for students who paid $15 fee)
• Thursday, 12/12 Orchestra Winter Concert 6pm Call Time, 7pm HS Start (MRJH will start at 6pm. Parents, please wait in the lobby until their portion is over around 6:45pm - thanks!)
• Friday, 12/13 Orchestra Winter Social 3-4:30pm
• Friday, 12/13 and Saturday, 12/14 All-Region Orchestra Concert and Clinic! Paetow HS
• Monday, 12/16 Sinfonia at Methodist West Hospital Lobby 3:45pm Call Time, 4pm Start
• Bring a stand, Orch t-shirt, jeans and holiday spirit on top (hats, accessories, etc...)

Sinfonia

• Monday, 12/2 3-4:30pm
• Monday, 12/9 3-4:30pm
• Thursday, 12/12 5:30pm Concert Call Time w/MRJH 8th graders

Camerata

• (CANCELLED) Wednesday, 12/4 3:45-4:30pm
• Wednesday, 12/11 3:45-4:30pm

Chamber Purple

• (CANCELLED) Wednesday, 12/4 3-3:45pm
• Wednesday, 12/11 3-3:45pm

Musical

• Thursday, 12/5 3-4pm Band Hall
• Tuesday, 12/10 3-4pm Band Hall

Our Winter Concert is Thursday, 12/12 at 7pm in the MRHS PAC! This is a joint concert with MRJH Orchestras, and those students will begin at 6pm in the PAC. Parents, please wait to enter the PAC until JH students are done performing.

Call time for Camerata, Chamber Purple and Chamber White is 6pm in the Orchestra room. Sinfonia call time is 5:30pm.

Student attire is their formal picture day clothing. They can wear holiday spirit items on top of their formal attire if they'd like. I'm OK with holiday appropriate hats, lights on stands and instruments, students wrapping their instrument and bows in wrapping paper, etc...

I hope to see you all there! Please come introduce yourself and say hello after the concert.

UIL Solo and Ensemble deadline for forms and fees is Friday, 12/6. Hard deadline!

Contest Date and Location: Saturday, 2/1 at Katy High School, times are TBD and will be announced two weeks prior to the Contest.

We have great pianists to play with students this year! All students in Sinfonia and Camerata should enter into at least one entry. Chamber Purple and Chamber White are highly encouraged to sign up as well. I look at student involvement in Solo and Ensemble when deciding student ensemble placement for the following school year.

Every student in the program is currently working on a solo chosen for them in October with the inention that they will enter into the Contest!

Fees can be paid on the online store, or through check to MRHSO or cash.

Contest Entry Fee - $12 per event

Pianist Fee - $60 per event - will get two after school rehearsals with the pianist and Contest performance

Links:

Online Entry Form

Payment Contract

Online Store for payments

Orchestra and Band students are planning on going to Andretti Indoor Karting and Games Friday, 2/28/25 from 6-9pm. Students are to provide their own transportation to and from the event.

Tickets are available to purchase on the online website store or can be paid with cash or check to MRHSO (put into the safe and clearly labeled at school). They are $45 for the package that includes: a go kart race, a game of laser tag, 3 hours of arcade play and our pizza bar (3 slices per person, a house salad, chocolate chip cookies, and beverages). For an additional $7 per student, the ticket will also include a virtual reality game.

Fees to attend

$45 Andretti's Package

$7 VR Add On (optional)

The deadline to purchase tickets is Friday, 12/13

Required Google Form if going to event!

Parents are required to fill out this online waiver if your student is under 18 yrs old

Online Waiver

Andretti Package

VR Game add on

Final Exam Schedule

Per Katy ISD policy, students not exempting their final exam will need to attend their scheduled Orchestra class final exam time.

Final exams are due Friday, 12/6. Students have a Module in Canvas where they can submit the second half of their solo.

Administration has asked for a list of students with unpaid fees. I gave them the list of our students from Orchestra. Students should pay off all fees by the end of this semester.

Students with unpaid Course and Instrument fees are on the MRHS Holds List and will not be able to exempt their final exams. "Fair Share" Holds will happen later on in the school year during the spring semester, please do not wait to pay!

Once the payments are made we will take your student off the Holds List. Please DO NOT wait until the last minute to make these payments.

Progress Report 3 is out, please look at your student's grades. We have many "M" missing grades. I changed the Sight Reading Quiz to a Major Grade. I need every students in the program to use that software and get assessed so I can see their music literacy level.

Please reach out to me if you have any questions.

Fees

As an organization we have over $10,000 in unpaid fees. Parents, please try your best to make all payments by the last day of this semester Friday, 12/20.

Our Orchestra program relies heavily on our Course Fees, Instrument Usage Fees, and Booster "Fair Share"; we need these fees to help your student get the best music education possible!

Please take pride in your MRHS Orchestra program and pay your fees in whole. Thank you parents! I appreciate you.

Questions about Booster "Fair Share" should go to Ms. Hickerson,

please contact her only during business hours

Questions about Course Fee and Instrument Usage (Cello and Bass only) should go to MRHS Fine Arts Clerk, Ms. Zavala

Instructions on how to pay your Fees.

Donation Letter

Please help out your Orchestra and Mariachi students by asking local businesses for donations to the program using this letter and donation link!

We did not hit our fundaraising goals this semester and need your help!

I purchased every student in the program a Sight Reading Factory subscription through our Course fee account.

Students now have unlimited practice sessions! They should be logging in everyday for 10-15 minutes to practice their sight reading on their KISD Chromebook.

Sight reading is your student's music literacy, it is the ability to look at a note or rhythm and play it on their instrument. Many student's struggle in this area, and it is a skill that has little to do with playing their instrument. I promise, if your student spends time on this daily; their skill level will improve drastically! They will be able to read Orchestra and solo music at a more rapid pace.

I will be tracking assignments in Sight Reading Factory for student UIL participation in March and April. I can also login to student accounts to see the frequency of their individual practice.

We have two socials coming up soon!

Please sign up to bring candy, chips or a food item (something that can be refrigerated or non-persihable or a drink) if you are coming to a social.

Sign Up Genius Link

For the Mariachi Social please don't forget to pay Mr. Roca the White Elephant fee before Friday!!

• Mariachi social is this Friday, 12/6 3-5:30pm
• Orchestra Social is Friday, 12/13 3-4:30pm

Sinfonia will perform holiday tunes in the lobby of Houston Methodist West Hospital on Monday, 12/16 at 4pm. Call time is 3:45pm in the lobby to set up. Students will need to bring their own wire stand and provide their own transportation.

Students should wear jeans, orchestra t-shirt and sneakers. They can wear holiday items on top of their clothing if they would like. This is a volunteer performance and students can log this in for Mav hours, NHS, etc...

All-Region Orchestra Concert and Clinic is Friday and Saturday 12/13-12/14 at Paetow High School.

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We have three All-Region Orchestra students this year:

10th grader Joaquin Franco-Pineda

11th grader Isaac Hall

12th grader Nico Abanilla

Please come out to watch these students perform Saturday, 12/13 in the PHS PAC for a free concert at 5:15pm.

Clinician: David DeVoto

Program:

March of the Priests from “Athalie” by Felix Mendelssohn

City Trees by Michael Markowski

Symphony No. 8 in G Major, Op. 88, Mvt. IV. Allegro ma non troppo by Antonin Dvorak

Mariachi is excited to perform at the Winter Concert on December the 12th at 7:00 pm tentative call time is 5:30 for sound check.

We had a very successful spirit night at restaurant El Asador where the students played for one hour and a half for the first time, all students had a great time and were really happy.

Private lessons still open for all students that want to develop and be considered for the advanced group and advanced students to prepare for UIL . Our amazing teachers offer lessons for Guitar, vihuela, guitarron, violin and trumpet, if you are interested please contact me.

Mariachi Luna de Jalisco continues to perform for the community.

Here is the link to follow all upcoming events

Parents please monitor that students practice daily and memorize their music, after the Thanksgiving break, we only have two more rehearsals until the concert.

Attendance is the main factor as we only meet once a week.

Winter concert songs:

Vaquilla/Pantera

El caballito

Cielito lindo

Torito Bravo

Si nos dejan

El jarabe tapatio

Luna de Jalisco

Costumbres

El siete mares

Thank you for supporting Mariachi, see you all at the Winter concert!

We want your student to stay involved in Orchestra and Katy ISD Fine Arts all four years. Katy ISD Fine Arts is dedicated to lifelong enagement for our students.

Please read this article!