Dear Families,
This is our home stretch! The end of the year is nearly upon us, and with it brings some really fun celebrations as well as looking at our year in review. A new class of sixth grade students is preparing to enter into our program over the summer, and we will say goodbye to the largest group of seniors that I have had the pleasure of working with during my time here at Highland. I encourage you to spread the word about our Donor Drive to finish raising enough scholarship money so that our Boosters can award all seven of these seniors a scholarship to help steady their future plans.
I look forward to seeing everyone at our first ever Awards Cookout! We are taking the "Banquet" on the road to Main Square, where we can relax and have a great time socializing with some burgers and hot dogs. This will allow us all to enjoy the event while ensuring we do not help the spread of COVID-19. This event is FREE to all of our orchestra families and it is the one time of year that we are able to acknowledge our students' continued hard work and determination. Please RSVP today at https://forms.gle/eC7K9GmwHmdnk2QV7
As always, if you have any questions at all about upcoming programs or your child's progress please don't hesitate to email me directly at bleonard@highland.k12.in.us.
Musically Yours,
Benjamin Leonard-White
P.S. Make sure to sign up for the Parent Remind if you have not already: www.remind.com/join/786h37d. Please talk to your other orchestra family friends about this bulletin to make sure they are receiving our important communications!
Still Searching for Donors!
We have entered a stretch goal of $8,000 to help fund our senior orchestra scholarships and we need your help! Please spread the word to local businesses and donors to contribute to our scholarship fund.
Sponsors & Advertisers will be thanked in all of our 2021-2022 season publicity as well as our final concert this May and any summer camp performances if received before 5/13. Ads are being loaded onto our website, highlandorchestra.org, for the same season + 1 duration. More information about this drive will be going out soon, but you can always find our current progress at:
https://secure.givelively.org/donate/highland-orchestra-boosters-inc/scholarship-drive-2021
RSVP to the Awards Cookout today!
Grilling will start as close to 6:00 p.m. as possible, and awards will follow once we are all "settled in" on the lawn: somewhere between 6:30-7:00 p.m. Feel free to bring a frisbee or other lawn game for your family to enjoy or share with others!
Charms Account Access
Once you log in, you are able to manage your student's financial statements and payments as well as finding Handouts, announcements, and calendars of events (with any needed volunteers.) These online accounts will be the primary way to request a student account transfer to any orchestra fees due.
SCRIP Fundraising
The Boosters are currently searching for a SCRIP fundraiser coordinator. SCRIP is a gift card fundraising option available to our families through the orchestra boosters. With each purchase of gift cards - some of which are to places we each use everyday - families are able to save percentages of purchases to their students' accounts.
If you are interested, please reach out to our Booster President Lesley Johnson (lesley.johnson1@yahoo.com) or Mr. LW.
Booster Meeting Schedule
You may join our upcoming Meets at https://meet.google.com/itw-axpi-mcq or by phone at +1 216-930-7683 PIN: 481 987 536#
Our final booster meeting for the year is May 17
Midwest Music Camp - U of Kansas
2021 VMMC IS FREE!
Monday, June 14 – Wednesday, June 16
As we are still coping with the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Kansas Midwestern Music Camp will continue its summer camp tradition this year with another remote learning experience. We are preparing an outstanding lineup of artists and educators to work with students through a variety offerings. Thanks to Meyer Music and Band of Angels, we are able to offer this year’s Virtual Midwestern Music Camp again for FREE!
Eligibility
Virtual MMC is open to band and orchestra students entering grade 7 through rising college freshman.
Instruments offered are flute, oboe, bassoon, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, horn, trombone, euphonium, tuba, percussion, violin, viola, cello, string bass, and harp.
How it works
Students participate in a variety of sessions, ranging from 10-30 minutes, with a mix of live events via the free-to-download Zoom platform and pre-recorded original content.
Session options will be shared with registered students and parents the weekend of June 12.
Sessions will run between 10am and 5pm Central Time from Monday, June 14 through Wednesday, June 16.
Virtual MMC will offer a variety of original content ranging from the instrument-specific to topics of interest to all student musicians.
Earn a Free T-shirt!
Registered students who complete the camp will receive a 2021 Virtual MMC t-shirt, sticker and downloadable certificate of completion.
Private lesson Option
Students and parents may opt for an optional 30-minute private lesson with the instrumental faculty. A private lesson is $30 with payments made via the registration page. Our instrumental faculty will email students and parents to set up a time for the lesson.
Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp
Back in 1966, Blue Lake was founded on the principle of supporting arts educators and school arts programs by providing quality, intensive, summer enrichment programs that send students back to school motivated and ready to lead in their programs. We are well aware that the pandemic has dealt a serious blow to school arts programs across the country. More than ever, students need a fun, motivating, and nurturing environment where they can refocus on their art. At Blue Lake in summer '21, we are ready to provide those opportunities to our young musicians, artists, dancers, and actors.
Of course, the health and safety of those within Blue Lake's camp community has always been our administration's top priority. With that in mind, we have developed outstanding plans for summer camp '21 that deliver quality arts programs for our campers while setting a high standard for COVID-19 mitigation and safety within our campus environment. Every decision has been made with care and the goal of providing the very best of Blue Lake to our campers. Please take time to review our website at www.bluelake.org, where you will find '21 camp dates, program information, and Blue Lake's commitment to COVID-Careful Planning.
We look forward to seeing your program represented at Blue Lake this summer!
Sincerely,
Heidi Stansell
Interim President
Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp
Students Apply Online: https://bluelake.org/summercamp/scholarships/ where students will find an online application to complete independently. Both Merit and Financial Need scholarships are available for 2021.
What are the camp dates for 2021?
Session 1 June 23 – July 4
Session 2 July 7 – July 18
Session 3 July 21 – August 1
Session 4 August 4 – August 15
Will Blue Lake offer the same programs? Blue Lake will be offering all programs during the summer of '21. However, due to guidelines in place for summer camps, some program elements may be adjusted or temporarily suspended in order to effectively follow those guidelines. For more information on Blue Lake's '21 programs, visit our Programs.
Who is making these decisions? Blue Lake's administrative team monitors recommendations from the professional camping community to determine best practice for the preservation of health and safety within Blue Lake operations. In doing so, the administrative team continues to consult with medical professionals, follow official guidance, adjust camp protocol with a focus on health, plan appropriate student programs and activities, and maintain transparent communication with our Blue Lake community.
Blue Lake's Covid-19 Faculty Arts Advisory Council endeavors to survey the range of research related to Covid-19 and the arts, education, and performance. Research and outcomes for each discipline are reviewed for inclusion in planning for Blue Lake's camp life, instructional program, and performance schedules for the summer 2021.
About Us
Email: highlandschoolorchestra@gmail.com
Website: www.highlandorchestra.org
Phone: (219) 237-8442
Facebook: facebook.com/highlandorchestra