October is already here and we can't believe it!
Musical Theatre
Musical Theatre classes are working hard on their first song "Get on your Feet" from the Broadway Musical "On your Feet", based on the life of Gloria and Emilio Estafan. Students are catching on to choreography quickly as we are halfway through our number, I hope to be putting everything together in the next couple of weeks and students can start making recordings. We will record audio at home and choreography around the school. Keep an eye on Parent Square as I will be sending home some helpful tips for them to record successfully!
Musical Theatre Shirts - I have some musical theatre shirts available to buy for $10 if you are interested please see Miss Valley.
~ Miss Valley
Choir
Choir has completed their first song in class and should be working on recordings at home! Please check Parent Square for the helpful hints for recording successfully! If you do not see it please let me know and I will send it out again! At this time our video will be made up of memories and photos that remind us of this song. Once the video is complete I will be sending out the link so parents can have a listen.
Honor Choir/ All State
Unfortunately our NZNMEA Honor Choir has been canceled for the year. I have still sent home audition material as we will use that for our All State auditions this year. The All State board has decided to have a virtual concert this year so our students will be participating in a Virtual choir if they make it in to the group. More information will come home soon about this process.
Choir Shirts - We have some choir shirts available to buy for $10. If you are interested please see Miss Valley.
Hello CMS Band Families!
Can you believe we are almost a quarter of the way through the school year already? At this point, students in Band have completed our first unit on different aspects of Sound. We are now studying Articulation - how individual notes are played, however we are hoping to move away from lecture style Band and back into playing!
In order to play our instruments we must wear specialized face masks and cover our instruments in order to significantly reduce aerosol particles. We will also be rehearsing outdoors, so please dress appropriately as the colder months get closer! Prototypes of these musician masks have been made and are ready to be produced en masse. If you would like to volunteer to sew masks and/or instrument covers, please contact Mrs. V at sreynolds@carson.k12.nv.us. I know the students and I are all very excited to be playing instruments again!
I have one final note I'd like to share with Band families. I understand Smart Music can be a very frustrating program. To help combat the technical difficulties and the extremely harsh grading practices, I have decided to grade Smart Music assignments very generously. No assignment will receive less than a 70% as long as students are making an effort. Please encourage your band student to practice efficiently and then submit their best take - even if it is riddled with red notes!
I really appreciate all the things families do to help our students succeed. Thank you for your continued support and encouragement!
Mrs. V
Dear CMS Orchestras-
We continue to make progress in the classroom and from home. Thank you for being in touch about any questions or concerns you might have. In the Hybrid model we have to be careful to make frequent contact in order to ensure success. Parents, please check in with your child and make sure they are up-to-date on assignments. I am proud to be seeing a lot of resilient effort coming from my students, and I want every student to reach the expectation that they complete every assignment.
Students now have permission to rehearse and perform after school, which means that we can combine cohorts and livestream a performance of the pieces we are working on. Dates and times for this will be announced via ParentSquare soon.
I continue to remind students in class that the SmartMusic auto-grader can be a very harsh and unrealistic program. Students know that I go in and listen to every recording that receives a 79% or lower. Hopefully, this alleviates unnecessary stress and anxiety. Keep encouraging your children to keep up with their assignments and practice their performance pieces at home. Together, we can make excellent music happen!
Sincere regards,
Dr. Fox