Dear 2nd- 5th grade parents,

This fall marks the second year for the Highland Ranch Elementary School Chorus (4 th and 5th graders) and the start of Music in the Morning for 2nd and 3rd grade students. The chorus will meet for approximately one hour from 2-3 PM on Thursday afternoon while Music in the Morning will meet for ½ hour before school on Thursdays.

Permission slips are available on the school website. These 2 activities are designed with slightly different goals. The chorus is a performing group. While skills such as matching pitch, singing in parts and rudimentary music reading will be taught, the primary benefit to your child is learning to present in front of people. Standing in front of an audience with dignity and confidence is a life skill necessary in many professions. It is never too early to start developing this skill.

In contrast, Music in the Morning will be taught as a general music course. The focus will revolve around music instruction. We will use American folk music whenever possible to familiarize the children with that cultural tradition. While the chorus will sing in public at least 2-3X per semester the younger children will probably not sing publically until spring. Parents will be advised of performance dates well in advance.

These groups will be directed by Tom Burkey, a Highland Ranch parent who initially trained as a public school music teacher. He has previously conducted bands, student choruses and church choirs. Participation will be free as we have a donation to cover start up music expenses.

We plan to fund the continuing operation of these music groups through a school garage sale tentatively scheduled for Saturday November 5 th at Highland Ranch. Please start saving items appropriate for this garage sale. Considering that there are zero school funds available for choral music at the elementary level in the Poway District, it is vital that we make the garage sale successful. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

One final request. We are looking for a pianist to accompany the chorus in performance. This would involve joining the kids for the last 2 or 3 practices before each performance and the performance itself.

The music is challenging and you will need the skill level necessary to accompany a good church choir to be successful. Unfortunately, just for style points, we can’t afford to pay you! It should be a great year with the kids. If you have questions, please contact Tom by either email or phone.

Tom Burkey 858 521-8414
highlandranchchorus@hotmail.com

Permission Slips (please download & printout):

• Chorus Permission Slip
• Morning Permission Slip