Walsh Middle School Choirs

December Choir Dates .....

Holiday Concert and Field Trips are upon us. Please see that these very important dates are added to your calendar. This is an overview of each and every choir's responsibilities for the season. Please take care to read each item in reference to which choir pertains to your child.

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DECEMBER

Friday, 12th(6th) Elem Holiday Tour- 7:35am-2:30pm Cactus Ranch, Old Town & Chandler Oaks

Monday, 15th(all) Mandatory Dress Rehearsal 3:30-4pm Walsh MS Cafeteria

(all) Holiday Concert –7pm Bethany United Methodist Church

Thurs,18th (7th & 8th choirs) Holiday Performance Field Trip 10am- 2pm State Capitol Rotunda

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Friday, Dec 12th - *Members of 6th grade Wildcat Choirwill perform a Holiday Tour, along with the band and orchestra, for the Elementary Schools. Due to busing issues, the choir students will need to meet in the Cactus Ranch Elementary Music Room at 7:30am. It is important that students be on time, seeing that the performance begins at 8am. We will have just enough time to warm up and find our places on the risers. Please let me know immediately if there are problems with transportation so that I can help to arrange rides for students who need them. We will then go by bus to Old Town to perform at 9am. Students will be taken to Gattiland for lunch. I will collect $7.00 cash from each choir member and pay the restaurant upon our arrival. Students may bring extra money for games, etc, if they so choose. We will leave the restaurant at 12:30pm and arrive at Chandler Oaks Elem for our last performance at 1pm. All students will arrive back to Walsh at 2:30pm. Choir students are to wear their choir shirts with blue jeans for the performance. A permission slip will go home Monday, Dec 8th for the field trip on that Friday.

Monday, Dec 15th- *All Choirs

Holiday Concert- Rehearsal and Performance (both graded)

*All Choirs will be required to attend a mandatory rehearsal in the Walsh Cafeteria from 3:30- 4pm.

*All Choirs will present a Holiday Concert at 7pm at Bethany United Methodist Church which is located at 10010 Anderson Mill Road-Austin, TX 78750 (.5 mile west on Anderson Mill exit on Hwy 183)

6th grade Wildcat Choir will meet in the Church Choir room at 6:15pm

Men’s Chorus and Concert Choirwill need to meet in the Church Sanctuary at 6:25pm

Bella Vocewill meet in the Sanctuary Choir Loft at 6:30pm.

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Choirs are to wear the following for the Holiday Concert on Monday, Dec 17th-

6th grade- Choir shirt, blue jeans, closed toe shoes

Bella Voce and Concert Choir -Formal black dress, black dress shoes, off-black stockings

Men’s Chorus- Black dress shirt, green neck tie, black dress pants, black dress shoes and black socks

*All Choir students must attend all scheduled rehearsals and performances to fulfill their performance grade, per the choir handbook. Please contact the choir office ASAP should a student be unable to attend any of the above choir commitments.

Parents- All choir students have been told that they must be passing all classes, have no missing assignments from any classes, and not have any behavioral issues (detentions, ISS, referrals, etc) to be eligible to attend field trips. Any student unable to attend will remain on campus and complete their regular class schedule.

Please know that your child’s teachers have been made aware that they will not be in class due to field trips.Walsh teachers have been given permission to hold those students who are either failing a class or missing work.- Once I get final word from teachers, you will be notified if your child will not be attending the field trips.

Thursday, Dec 18th-*Bella Voce, Men’s Chorus, and Concert Choir will perform their holiday music in the rotunda of the Texas State Capitol. All students will wear their formal concert attire for the performance. Choir students will be excused from 3rd – 7th period for the field trip. We will rehearse in the choir room before loading busses at 10:30am and heading downtown to the Capitol for set up and performance at 12 noon. After the performance, students will load busses and travel back north to have lunch at Gattiland. Students will need $7.00 cash for lunch. Please do not send a check- cash only. They may turn in $7.00 cash with their permission slip or bring it with them the day of the field trip. The choirs will return to campus at approximately 2:30pm, in time to attend 8th period and catch bus rides home or attend after school activities. A detail letter with attached permission slip we be sent home the week of Capitol performance.

Holiday Performance in the Rotunda

Texas State Capitol Field Trip

Thursday, Dec 18th- 10am- 2pm

Performance at 12 noon

Bella Voce, Men’s Chorus, and Concert Choir

The 7th and 8th grade Choirs will be performing their holiday music in the rotunda of Texas State Capitol on Thursday, Dec18th. Choir students will be excused from 3rd –7th period for the field trip. We will rehearse in the choir room before loading busses at 10:30am and heading downtown to the Capitol for set up and performance at 12 noon. After the performance, students will load busses and travel back north to have lunch at Gattiland. Students will need $7.00 cash for lunch. Please do not send acheck- cash only. They may turn in $7.00 cash with their permission slip or bring it with them the day of the field trip. The choirs will return to campus at approximately 2:30pm, in time to attend 8th periodand catch bus rides home or attend after school activities.

All choir members are to wear their formal concert uniform for the performance in the rotunda.

(Bella Voce and Concert Choir -Formal black dress, black dress shoes, off-black stockings

Men’s Chorus- Black dress shirt, green neck tie, black dress pants, black dress shoes and black socks) They may bring a bag with casual clothes to change into after the performance. Please make sure to write names on bags, especially for after they have changed, because all bags with uniforms in them will look alike!

I would love to have at least 6 chaperones come and spend the day with us. From supervising on busses, organizing students for the performance, and accompanying us to the restaurant, your help would be greatly appreciated. Please email me at or write that you are interested in chaperoning on the bottom of the permission slip if you would be willing to volunteer your time ….you get a great performance out of the deal!

FYI- With the acoustics of the rotunda, this performance is especially beautiful! If parents or relatives work around the downtown area or can make it to the capitol, I would definitely encourage everyone to stop by for the performance…amazing!

Please sign and return this permission slip to choir office by Monday, Dec 15th.

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______has my permission to attend the 7th and 8th grade Walsh Choir field trip to perform holiday music in the rotunda of the Texas State Capitol on Thursday, Dec 18th. I am aware that my child will need $7.00 cash for lunch and that they are to wear their formal concert uniform for the performance. This permission slip with my signature, along with the RRISD Medical Release form that is on file in the choir office, gives RRISD employees permission to provide my child medical assistance should it be needed.

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Parent Signature Phone Number in case of Emergency