Updates 25/26

🎶 Update 5 - December 5, 2025

Dear Parents and Students,

It’s time for our first school concert!  The concert is scheduled for Thursday, December 11 at 7:00 PM in the Hope Middle School Cafeteria.  Our 6th Grade Chorus and 7th & 8th Grade Chorus will be performing.  The length of the concert will be approximately 45 minutes.  The chorus students will meet at 6:45 in their assigned areas.  Please be on time so we can warm up and make final adjustments!  Two important announcements regarding the concert.

1. Parking is available in both the front and the back of the school.

2. There will be a limited amount of seating available.  We will bring out and move as many chairs as we can, but you may wish to bring your own folding chair as a back-up just in case.  

Since performing is important to a student’s education, the concert is not optional and is an integral part of the learning process.  This is a graded activity and your child has worked very hard to make a fine performance.  The ensemble experience is not the same even if one singer is missing (and a whole lot more fun when everyone is there!)  Please review with your child the proper concert etiquette that is expected at this and all performances.

Concert attire is black pants, black shoes, and a holiday shirt or a solid colored shirt!   Students with long hair are requested to wear their hair away from their faces and no large jewelry will be allowed, only stud earrings.  We will be singing in close proximity to each other so students should not wear perfume or cologne due to asthma and allergies.  Students should not have gum or cell phones with them at the concert.  

I have enjoyed teaching your child this year and we are looking forward to a great concert.  Thank you for your support of the Hope Middle School Music Department.

Update 1 - September 2, 2025

Thank you for completing the Google Form on my website to receive updates. I’m looking forward to a fantastic year with our chorus students. They are already sounding great, and I’m so proud of them! Look for periodic email updates from me throughout the year—we have a very busy and exciting choral program.

♪♫ Chorus Website

I’ll be making an effort this year to keep my website updated as a "one-stop shop" for all things chorus-related. You can check www.hopechorus.com for up-to-date information about our program.  

♪♫ Grades

Students will receive a weekly grade based on the skills we learn and demonstrate in class. If a student is absent, their grade is not affected and will be based solely on their demonstration when present.

Grading breakdown:

•  Classwork – 50%

•  Quizzes – 20%

•  Tests – 30%

I’m still working on syncing Canvas with Infinite Campus—please give me another week or so. But don’t worry—every single student currently has a great grade!

♪♫ Greenville Choral Society

In addition to teaching at Hope, I also conduct the Greenville Choral Society Youth Chorale, a community choir for students in grades 4–12. Many Hope students participate each year!

If your child—or someone you know—is interested, visit:
www.greenvillechoralsociety.com/join
Or feel free to reply to this email with questions. There's also a group for adult singers if you're interested!

♪♫ NC Honors Chorus Auditions

I’ve shared details with our 7th and 8th graders about auditioning for the NC Middle School Honors Chorus—the highest choral honor for middle school singers in our state.

 Audition piece: “Hallelujah, Amen” by Handel (available from me)

 Auditions: Campbell University

 Field trip date: Wednesday, October 1

 Deadline to register: Thursday, September 4

Selected students will perform in Winston-Salem at the NC Music Educators Association conference in November. This is an amazing opportunity to sing with top students from across the state!

♪♫ NC Sings!

The NC Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) invites conductors to bring students to participate in NC Sings!, held on Saturday, October 11, 2025, at Queens University in Charlotte.

 No preparation required—music will be learned on-site

 Cost: $40 (payable to Hope Middle School)

 Families are responsible for their own travel, lodging, and registration

 Deadline to turn in forms and payment: Wednesday, September 10

I'll be attending the conference and would love for some Hope students to join me. If you're interested, I’ll share a letter and required forms with you.

♪♫ Supply List

Thank you for hunting down the ½" black binders—I know they’re tricky to find! If you haven’t been able to get one yet, no worries—I have a few extras.

Please also send:

 A pencil pouch

 A couple of pencils

 Two colored highlighters

 Some dividers (optional, but helpful)

You can find the supply list by clicking here.

♪♫ Discount Card Fundraiser

We’re kicking off a fun and easy online fundraiser with Team Butter—no more physical cards to lose!

 Download the Team Butter app

 Set up your personalized fundraising page

 Start sharing with friends and family!

 Campaign dates: September 2 – September 16

 Fundraiser registration link: Click here

Let’s reach our goal together!

♪♫ Concert Attire

We’ll begin selling our concert polos soon (same design as last year). Keep an eye out for an email when they're available on SchoolCash Online.

Students will also need:

 Black dress pants

 Black dress shoes

Full details are available​ by clicking here.

​♪♫ Amazon Wishlist & Thank You!

​My Amazon wishlist! 

A huge thank you to those who have already supported our program by purchasing items from our Amazon Wishlist. Your generosity means so much!

♪♫ Concerts Dates

Please mark your calendars now:

 Thursday, December 11, 2025 @ 7:00 PM

 Thursday, May 14, 2026 @ 7:00 PM