MRHS Orchestra Newsletter

Welcome all new incoming 9th graders, we are very excited to have you in the program next school year. Congratulations everyone on your auditions; this year student auditions were quite competitive.

Please don't forget to join your ensemble Remind, this is the my preferred way to communicate with students and parents! Remind is required for students and parents.

Text your student's Remind handle to 81010:

Sinfonia- @sinf2026
Camerata- @cam2026
Chamber Purple- @chambp26
Chamber White- @chambw26

My email is gabriellkatz@katyisd.org if you have any questions over the summer, I will be checking email.

Parents - we need your help next school year! We cannot run a successful program without your help. We have several vacancies on our Booster Club Board and always need Parent Volunteers for events. Please email me if you can help serve next school year and be a part of something special!

Please don't forget to upgrade your instrument over the summer break with your rental shop! Junior high quality instruments are not the same in high school. As your student develops they need upgraded instruments and sized instruments to keep up with their progress. Summer is a great time to have a shop put on new strings, bow rehair, purchase rosin and portable music stand for home practice!

MRHS Orchestra will collaborate with MRJH and MDJH to perform the national anthem on Wednesday, 9/3 at 7pm for a Space Cowboys game! The Space Cowboys are the minor league team for the Astros.

This is not a required event but open to all students in the MRHS Orchestra program who can perform and memorize the national anthem. After purchasing a ticket for your student, parents can purchase as many tickets as they would like for family and friends!

You can purchase tickets here through this secure link, tickets cost $16.27:

https://www.gofevo.com/event/Mortonranch3

If you plan on performing at the game please make sure you memorize the national anthem over the summer break. Click here for parts.

Only national anthem student performers and directors are allowed on the field. We need to make sure that all students are respectful when out on the field.

MRHS Orchestra will provide a bus to and from the event for students (students only...), for those who purchased a ticket.

The deadline to purchase tickets is Wednesday, August 27th.

We are looking forward to meeting all of our incoming 9th graders on Tuesday, August 12th from 10am-12pm in the Orchestra room! We would like for both students and parents to come in that day! Our Booster Club will be there to meet and greet with parents.

All 10th-12th grade students are welcome to come in from 1-3pm only for locker sign out, please make sure to enter through the back Fine Arts door and only enter the building from 1-3pm.

MRHS Orchestra will host private lessons on Mondays starting August 18th!

Lesson teacher time slots are first come, first served by turning in your lesson contract at the beginning of the school year. Lessons begin at 3pm and the last lesson time is 7:30pm on Mondays only, they are 30 minute blocks of time. There are no in person makeup lessons with teachers, although some of the faculty will have online makeup lessons.

Please fill out this form if you want to sign up for lessons for the KISD Private Lesson program for the 2025-26 school year: https://forms.gle/9vBE9XyuKd5ebdty7

Once I set your student up with a lesson teacher you will coordinate all details including payments directly with your private lesson teacher. Lessons are generally $24-$30 for a 30 minute lesson. Teachers have different rates depending on experience.

You can look at private lessons as an investment into your student's future, we have many seniors graduating with big financial scholarships to College or University for simply participating in Orchestra UIL for all four years at MRHS.

Also, this will help your student with technique and music literacy for auditioning into higher groups, UIL Solo and Ensemble, and All-Region Orchestra. Both UIL Solo and Ensemble and All-Region are pathways to being an All-State Orchestra student at high school in Texas.

If your student is looking to get a head start with lessons over the summer please contact Sam's Strings or Katy Violin Shop - they both have lesson studios and offer lessons over the summer!

Incoming 9th graders -

Please look through the Orchestra Website: www.mrhso.org

Here you will find:

• Rosters
• Calendars
• Mariachi information
• Online Store

All your 2025-26 Calendars are here:

https://www.mrhso.org/calendar.html