Note to girls (Clarification - updated 12/29/09):  If you are in Recorder Ensemble but not in Chorus, you can choose to wear navy slacks instead of a navy skirt.  If you choose to wear slacks instead of a skirt, please follow the formal concert outfit for boys (listed below).

• Cheatham Hill Recorder Ensemble T-Shirt - Note:  No other shirts should be visible while wearing this shirt for performance.
• Nice blue jeans (no holes)
• Belt
• Sneakers

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December 3, 2009

Tomorrow is our Georgia Aquarium performance.  We will leave as soon as the busses arrive, hopefully as close to 9:15 as possible.  Please remember that parents may meet us there or follow the busses from the school to the Aquarium.  The busses will drop us off, then proceed to the parking on Ivan Allen at the World Congress Center.  I am not familiar with the parking situation there, but I believe when my family went, we were able to park closer to the Aquarium.  Be prepared to pay for parking, as I don't know what you will find when you get there.

The Aquarium opens at 10:00.  We hope to arrive as close to the opening as possible with the bus situation.  Unless I hear differently today from my contact at the Aquarium, we will gather at the ticketing area.  If you have prepaid through the school, I will be paying for your ticket when we arrive.  If you have not prepaid, you can go through the ticket line and get your ticket.

Each student is assigned to a chaperone group based on their performance situation.  Some students are playing in the recorder ensemble, some are singing, and some are doing both.  The chaperones will be responsible for getting their group to the performance area at the designated time.  If you are planning to go to the Aquarium but are not a designated chaperone, we ask that you leave your child with their group.  You are welcome to tour the Aquarium with your child's group, but please remember that your child's chaperone will have instructions for the day for your child.

Some parents may choose to stay longer at the Aquarium.  If you are planning to do this and would like for your child to stay with you and not return to the school, you must sign them out at the Aquarium.  A Cheatham Hill staff member will have sign out sheets for you to do this.

All students must have a sack lunch for the trip.  Please ask your child if they signed up for a lunch.  If your child has pre-ordered their lunch from the school, they will pick it up before we leave.  If not, they need to bring a sack lunch from home.  We have asked all the students to make sure their name is on their lunch (and drink, if it needs to be placed in a cooler).  EVERYTHING THEY BRING FOR LUNCH MUST BE DISPOSABLE!  Please leave the lunch boxes, thermos bottles, flatware (unless disposable), etc. at home.

Students need to wear their navy/white formal performance outfit to school (see note above about Formal Performance Outfit).  After they check in with their homeroom teacher, they will go to Ms. Lucas or Mrs. Gordon's room for their bow tie.  We would like for the students to wear a santa hat, elf hat, reindeer antlers, etc.  If you have one at home, please make sure your child brings it to wear.  Be SURE your child's name is in it.  I have a few santa hats and some antlers at school.

We have spoken with the students about appropriate behavior while at the Aquarium, reminding them that they represent themselves, their families, Cheatham Hill, and Cobb County while they are there.  A reminder from you would also be helpful - thanks! 

The Recorder Ensemble will perform at 11:30 and the Chorus will sing at 12:00.  The last song for the Recorder Ensemble and the first song for the chorus will be performed by both groups, so there will be a brief overlap.

Our estimated time of departure from the Aquarium will be 1:00 so we can return in time for dismissal.

Dessert Theater is Tuesday evening next week (12/8).  At this exact moment (subject to change at any moment) I have one table left for reservation.

Dessert Theater will begin at 7:00 PM.  The doors will open at 6:30 PM for families to fill their plates with delicious desserts and settle in for an enjoyable evening of holiday entertainment!  Please note:  chorus and recorder ensemble members should NOT take desserts before the performance.  They will be given an opportunity to hit the dessert table immediately following the performance.

Each family is asked to provide a finger dessert for the table.  Desserts should be brought to school Tuesday morning and put on the stage.  If you use a plate or container that needs to be returned to you, please make sure you have it marked with your name.  Any that are not picked up at the end of Dessert Theater will be available for you to pick up in the music room on Wednesday.

We will be decorating for Dessert Theater beginning at 2:15 on Tuesday.  Many hands make light work!  If you can assist with decorating, please send me an e-mail.

For decorating, we will need pine, holly, magnolia, etc. clippings.  If you can provide these, please put them in a garbage bag and have your child put them on the stage Tuesday morning.

Immediately following Dessert Theater, we will need everyone to assist with clean-up.  This can be done very quickly if everyone helps.

We also need 2-4 volunteers to take table cloths home to wash.  If you can volunteer for this, please send me an e-mail.

For Dessert Theater, please have your child wear their formal performance outfit.

On Wednesday, December 9th at 8:30 AM we will be presenting the chorus and recorder ensemble to the school in an assembly.  Performers should wear jeans and their recorder ensemble T-shirt.

I THINK I have remembered everything; if not, I will follow up with an additional newsflash.  Please e-mail me if there is something I have not included.

As always, thank you for your support of music education for your child!

I have been working on the chaperone list for the Aquarium trip.  The following parents will be chaperones:

Ellen Adair

Christina Samples

Debbie Engelstad

Kathy Graham

Annette Lindler

Deborah Mouton-Miller

Lajuana Norfleet

Beth Parker

Denise Penland

Mr. Rich

Dan Snyder

Tina Soullier

Cheryl Sutherland

Melanie Sweet

Karen Vallese

Lauren Wood-Viscardi

Aprile Whitesell

Deborah Witkowski

Spring Wright

Aisha Wallace-Wyche

Roshanda Young

If you are chaperoning, please look for the payment envelope coming home to you by way of your child, to cover the cost of admission for all the chaperones ($8).  Chaperones will need to provide their own transportation.  You are welcome to follow the bus or meet us there.  Your child will need to ride the bus.

Be sure you have your white/navy formal performance outfit for the Aquarium performance. 

Please remember that auditions for solo and small group acts for Dessert Theater will be held this week on Thursday at 2:30 in the lunchroom.  Students attending ASP will be dismissed to ASP as soon as their audition is done.  Art club students will be dismissed to art club.  All other students will need to be picked up immediately following the audition. Please plan to pick up your child in the carpool lane.

Reservation forms for reserved tables for Dessert Theater will be going home today.  If you need another copy, you can download one on the "forms and other documents to download" link on this webpage.

PLEASE make sure your child is practicing the music for Recorder Ensemble.  I have reminded the students that those students who don't know their music will not be able to play on the songs they don't know. 

Students wanting to participate in Recorder Ensemble must have their blue belt in Recorder Karate by

the end of October.