Orchestra Gum Policy

Dear Eisenhower Parents and Students,

Students have not been allowed to chew gum in orchestra all year.  Students recently have been repeatedly chewing gum and requiring that I take time out of rehearsal to ask them to get rid of it.

Starting Monday, April 23rd, students who are caught chewing gum after tuning will be required to do an assignment or lose their participation points for the day.

Chewing gum in any music setting is unsanitary, distracting and unprofessional and as I have noticed some students chewing gum at performances as well, this is a small but important issue that needs to have more discipline.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Thank you always for your support!

Mrs. Martin ~ amandamartin@sd54.org, (847) 357-2186

Orchestra Tour Congratulations

Congratulations to the Eisenhower Orchestra for a wonderful tour!  The junior high students should be very proud as I am of their hard work and their great behavior while visiting schools in our community.  The elementary students seemed to really enjoy the performances of all the pieces and the instrument demonstrations.

A special thank you to the parents who volunteered to chaperone the trip!

Eisenhower JH Orchestra Tour 2012

The Eisenhower Orchestra will be going on tour to some of the elementary schools in the area on Thursday, April 5th, 2012.  We will be visiting Armstrong, Churchill and MacArthur school with a break for lunch at Garibaldi’s Italian Eatery in Hoffman Estates.  The students are excited to go back to their former schools to see their teachers and former classmates as well as perform some great pieces for them.  Field trip forms were passed out last Friday and are due Monday, March 19th.  Click here to download a permission slip form for the field trip.

Elementary Final Concert

5^th/6^th Grade Band/Orchestra Concert – Thursday, March 22 (7:00 PM)

The 5^th and 6^th Grade Bands/Orchestras will be playing a concert for family and friends on Thursday, March 22.

These are the details:

Date:           Thursday, March 22, 2012

Place:          Eisenhower Junior High gym

Time:           Concert starts at 7:00 P.M.

Arrival:       Orchestra – 6:30 P.M.; Band – 6:45 P.M.

Dress:         White tops and black bottoms, black shoes

Bring:         Instrument, music, and music stand

Enjoy a Dairy Queen Blizzard after the concert!

Dairy Queen Blizzards will be sold after the concert for $3.50 each.  Funds raised by this event will directly benefit band/orchestra students at Eisenhower and its feeder schools through the purchase of equipment and supplies for the band/orchestra program.

We are looking forward to a great concert.  If you have any questions, please contact us.

Sincerely,

Mr. Boekenhauer (markboekenhauer@sd54.org; 847-357-2189)

Mrs. Martin (amandamartin@sd54.org; 847-357-2186)

Mrs. Spees (janetspees@sd54.org; 847-357-2193)

After School Rehearsals (Elementary Only)

After school rehearsals are coming to an end already!  Here are the end dates for the two groups…

5th grade’s last rehearsal is Tuesday, March 20th

6th grade’s last rehearsals is Thursday, March 22nd

Important~ IN SCHOOL LESSONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE REST OF THE YEAR!

Orchestra Festival- January 26th, Junior High Information

Dear Eisenhower Orchestra Parents and Students,

The District 54/211 Orchestra Festival will be held at Hoffman Estates High School on

Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.  Please note the following rehearsal and concert schedule:

Rehearsal:      Thursday, January 26 at Hoffman Estates High School

 10:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Students will be transported to HEHS by the school bus.  All students will eat lunch at Eisenhower after the rehearsal.

7^th gr. Orchestra students will be bussed back to Eisenhower at 11:15 a.m.

Students will leave their instruments at HEHS after the rehearsal in a locked room.

(This will help with tuning before the concert.)

Cello students:  you will use your home cellos for this concert.  Bring them to Eisenhower on Monday, Jan. 23.

Concert:          Thursday, January 26 at Hoffman Estates High School

1100 W. Higgins Road, Hoffman Estates,IL

Students are to meet at HEHS at 6:30 p.m. for tuning.

Enter the building by going down the stairs north of the main entrance.

Concert attire:    white shirt/black pants (black shoes if possible)

Concert will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the main gym.

This concert will feature orchestra students in 5^th grade through high school.  The younger students remind us of where we were and the older students give us an idea of what the future holds.  The junior high is preparing some exciting music and they are looking forward to performing for you.

The students are receiving a permission slip this week that they must return in order to participate in the rehearsal during school.  The permission slip is due Tuesday, January 17, 2012.  Click here to download a new permission slip.  If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at Eisenhower (847-357-2186).  See you on Thursday, January 26th!

Orchestra Festival- January 26th, 6th Grade Information

Information for 6th Grade Parents/Students,

Rehearsal:  Thursday, January 26 at Hoffman Estates High School

1100 W. Higgins Road, Hoffman Estates, IL

4:30 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.

Enter the building by going down the stairs by the gym/pool (north of the main entrance.)  Please bring a wire music stand from home.

Use a permanent marker to write your name on both parts of the stand.

Students will leave their instruments on their performance chairs along with their music on their music stands.
The instruments will be safe and this will save time with tuning.  Cases will be stored in the cafeteria.

Concert: Thursday, January 26 at Hoffman Estates High School

1100 W. Higgins Road, Hoffman Estates, IL

Students are to be in their concert seats at 6:40 p.m.

Enter the building by going down the stairs north of the main entrance.

Coats (and cases) will be stored in the Cafeteria

Concert attire:  white shirt and black pants

Concert will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the gym.

Songs:  Dragon Slayer

Batman Meets Bowman

Celtica (Soloist Bianca Saputra)

Orchestra Festival- Thursday, January 26th, 5th Grade Information

Information for 5th Parents/Students,

Rehearsal:      Thursday, January 26 at Hoffman Estates HS

1100 W. Higgins Road, Hoffman Estates, IL

3:30 p.m. –4:15 p.m.

Enter the building by going down the stairs by the gym/pool (north of the main entrance.)  Please bring a wire music stand from home. Use a permanent marker to write your name on both parts of the stand.

Students will leave their instruments on their performance chairs along with their music on their music stands.
The instruments will be safe and this will save time with tuning.

Concert: Thursday, January 26 at Hoffman Estates High School

1100 W. Higgins Road, Hoffman Estates, IL

Students are to be in their concert seats at 6:40 p.m.

Enter the building by going down the stairs north of the main entrance.

Coats and cases will be stored in the cafeteria

Concert attire:  white shirt and black pants

Concert will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the gym.

SONGS:

Boil Them Cabbage, pg. 7:  First time
pizzicato, Second time arco (bow)

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, pg. 10

Jingle Bells, pg. 11

Mary Had a Little Lamb, pg. 16

French Folk Song, a separate sheet

Winter Concert

Eisenhower’s Winter Concert will be Wednesday, December 7th, at 7pm at Eisenhower Jr. High. 

Orchestra students are to arrive at 6:15 to be tuned and should wear their Ike music t-shirt and black pants.

The following day, the students will be performing at an all-school assembly and should wear their Ike music shirt and jeans to school.

The students have worked very hard and are excited to shown what they have learned.

1st Trimester Scale Test Approaching!

The Eisenhower 7th and 8th graders will be having their first “test” of the trimester the week of October 31st.

Students will be asked to play the D, G, and C major scales.

7th graders must play one octave from memory.

8th graders should perform two octave scales.

In addition to a performance test, the students must complete a written test on what each scale has unique to itself.

Parents can expect to hear some solid practicing on these scales for their test!

~ Mrs. Martin