Mrs. Braner's Chorus Blog

January Update

2012-01-11T13:57:00.000-08:00

Hello!

Our first day of choir for the new year is tomorrow. It is frequently hard to wake up on time after a long break from choir so I thank you for trying to arrive by 7:50.

There have been two changes to the upcoming schedule. I will be attending a music education conference on January 26th and choir will be cancelled for that day.

We have also recieved confirmation that we will sing at a Cougars game on Friday, May 4th. Please add this date to your calendar. We will be singing during the seventh inning stretch. This is an optional performance. Ticket information will be sent out to the whole school through the PTA and all choir members will need a ticket. I will go over the details as the date gets closer.

For a quick reference, I have included a schedule of practices, concerts, and events below.

January 12th - Normal Practice
January 19th - Normal Practice
January 26th - NO CHOIR
February 2nd - Normal Practice
February 9th - Normal Practice
February 16th - Normal Practice
February 23rd - Normal Practice
March 1st - Normal Practice
March 8th - Normal Practice
March 15th - Normal Practice
March 22nd - Normal Practice
March 29th - No School/No Choir
April 5th - Normal Practice
April 10th - Choir Pizza Party
April 12th - Normal Practice
April 12th - Choir Concert
April 19th - Normal Practice
April 26th - Normal Practice
May 3rd - Normal Practice
May 4th - Normal Practice
May 10th - Normal Practice
May 17th - Last Morning Choir Practice
May 19th - Fine Arts Festival

Have a great day!

Mrs. Maggie Braner

Concert and Pizza Party

2011-11-15T15:41:00.000-08:00

Hello Choir Parents,

Choir is going great this year! The kids are working hard and learning a lot about performing the music. There has been excellent attendance so far!  I thank you for your diligence in getting the students on time to choir each week. With only three more practices before the concert, it is now the most crucial time for the kids to be at choir. We have a pizza party and a concert coming up very quickly so please look below for the details.

Pizza Party – Tuesday 11/29/11:5:30-7:30 starting in the MPR
Pepperoni, Sausage, and Cheese pizzas
A $1 donation would be appreciated but is not required
Bring your own drink and you may send in extra drinks
Due to food allergies, please do not send in any additional food

I need a few volunteers to help serve pizza and clean up. Please email me or call me to let me know you will be helping.

Concert – Thursday 12/1/11:
Students need to arrive prior to 6:15
Wearing their concert uniform:
   Choir polo shirt (tucked in)
   Black or khaki pants or skirt (knee length or longer)
   Hair should be kept out of the eyes
Choir members go to the MPR
Friends and family go to the Gym
The concert will start promptly at 6:30

On another note, the choir shirts should be in any day now. I will send them home as soon as they arrive. If you already had a choir shirt, now would be a good time to check that the shirt fits.

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Mrs. Braner

New School Year 8-29-11

2011-08-29T09:22:00.001-07:00

Hello New Choir Parents!

I look forward to this year. It looks like we will have a great group and will have an excellent year. If you have questions, please ask them.

I did make a mistake on the original handout. I accidentally wrote the forms were due in August and our first practice was also in August. I meant to say September. The forms are due September 13th and the first practice is September 22nd.

Students should be dropped off at door 2.

Thanks!

Mrs. Maggie Braner

Choir Party and Cougars Game

2011-05-23T09:41:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

Even though choir has technically ended there are two more events happening.

First will be the Cougars Game. If you bought tickets through the PTA, they will be arriving this week. Included should be a note containing the following information:

Choir Members!

Meet Mrs. Braner, Ms. McShea, and Mrs. Plass at the customer service booth at the middle of the 6th inning when the Cougars go up to bat.

We will be leaving the customer service booth at the beginning of the 7th inning to sing during the 7th inning stretch. Choir members will be responsible for finding their way back to their seats.

I do not care what choir members wear before we sing, but on the field they need their choir shirt and no hats or sun glasses will be allowed.

I have also attached notes to my bulletin board for students to take home if they did not order tickets but are still going.

Students attending the game will practice one more time during the school day with me before the game. I do not know who will be attending so please be sure to talk with your child about if they will be attending.

For the last choir event at Brooks, we will have a party after school on Tuesday the 31st. It will start immediately after school and conclude at 4:40. Please send in a note for a change of dismissal. I will provide popsicles. If anyone wants to send in water or juice boxes, that would be greatly appreciated. Send them to the office with a note stating choir party. We will also be joined by Mrs. McCoy, the choir director from Granger, for a part of the time.

Feel free to send in sidewalk chalk, sports gear, etc as there will be a bit of time the students will be able to choose their activity.

Mrs. Braner

IMPORTANT - COUGARS GAME

2011-05-02T09:38:00.000-07:00

Attached to the email I sent are ticket order forms in both English and Spanish. If you are like me and have not ordered the tickets yet, we have kindly been given a small window of opportunity to do so. Please have orders in to the school by 3:00 pm tomorrow May 3rd. The game is May 28th. We will be singing during the 7th inning stretch.

Reminder...Fine Arts Festival on May 14th. We perform at 2:00 and need to be practicing at 1:00 in the band room at Metea.

Only two more choir practices left!

Hurry up if you need to order tickets!

- Mrs. Braner

PS - Tickets cost the same at the door for the game but the PTA uses the money earned to fund many wonderful things at Brooks. Buy your tickets through the PTA please.

Fine Arts Festival

2011-04-15T14:26:00.000-07:00

Hello! The Fine Arts Festival schedule has been finalized. We arrive in the band room at 1:00pm and perform at 2:00pm in the auditorium. I have attached to the EMAIL two schedules. One is the original one and the other I created to be easier to read. Please let me know if you have questions. For those of you not as familiar with Metea, the auditorium can be accessed by the doors near Eola road. The band room is in the south west corner near Eola road. The art work will be displayed through the school but mostly in the common area near the gym which is further away from Eola road. Please let me know if you have questions. Mrs. Maggie Braner

This week reminder

2011-03-22T14:16:00.000-07:00

Hello!

The choir concert was great! Thank you all for coming.

Just a quick reminder:
Instead of practice this week we will be watching part of a music at choir practice.

I will see everyone again after break!

Maggie Braner

Upcoming Events

2011-03-09T15:12:00.000-08:00

Hello!

Both choirs are sounding great and I am really looking forward to our concert. It will be very exciting to hear how well we perform our challenging music.

Say, Hey descant only - On Monday, March 14th from after school to 4:30 is our final practice.
On Tuesday, March 15th from 5:45 to 6:15, I will have pepperoni, sausage, and cheese pizza for the choir. Students need to bring a drink. I have had two parents volunteer to help with serving and cleaning up but I would appreciate another person or two. Also, a $1 donation would be appreciated but not required. We will then practice from 6:15-7:20.
On Wednesday, March 16th from after school to 4:30 is our regular after school choir practice.
On Thursday, March 17th from 8:00 to 8:50 is our regular before school choir practice.
On Thursday, March 17th our concert starts at 6:30. Choir members need to arrive between 6:00 and 6:10 ready to practice in their concert uniform (nice pants and the choir shirt). The concert will be approximately 30 minutes long.
The following week, March 21st through March 25th (the same week as the Talent and Tell Show), there will be no regular choir practice. No students need to be there but any students that show up will be shown clips from one of my favorite musicals.
April 6th and 7th, our regular choir practices start again. We will only have 6 practices to learn our music for the Fine Arts Festival so it is very important all students attend when possible.
May 14th is the Fine Arts Festival. More information will come when it is made available to us.
May 28th is when we will sing at the Kane County Cougars game. More information will come when it is made available to us.

And finally... I found a fun website the kids might enjoy. http://www.classicsforkids.com/

Take Care!
Mrs. Maggie Braner

Upcoming Concert and Practices

2011-02-09T15:10:00.001-08:00

Hello Choir Parents,

Please pay attention to the following dates carefully. They should already be marked on your calendar. The Fine Arts Festival was changed from its original date so double check that you have the correct date. The last date on this page is new so please write that down as well.

Have a great day!
` Mrs. Maggie Braner
630-375-3232
Maggie_Braner@ipsd.org

Wednesday March 2nd 6:00-7:20pm
Mandatory choir practice with both choirs

Tuesday March 15th 5:45-6:15pm
Cheese, sausage, and pepperoni pizzas
A $1 donation would be appreciated but not required
Bring your own drink

I will need a few volunteers to help me serve pizza and clean up. Please email or call me to let me know you will be helping.

ALSO Tuesday March 15th 6:15-7:20pm
Mandatory choir practice with both choirs

Thursday March 17th 6:30pm
Spring Choir Concert
Students need to be in concert attire
Students need to arrive dressed and ready to warm up at 6:10

Saturday May 14th – Time TBD
Fine Arts Festival
Students need to be in concert attire

Saturday May 28th
Optional performance at the Kane County Cougars game
Details coming later
Singing during the 7th inning stretch

2010-12-08T06:54:00.001-08:00

Hello,

I am looking forward to our next concert. The selections include beautiful art songs, foreign languages, and some pop culture. Preparing for our next concert will be a blast!

I hope everyone received a paper handout last week detailing our next concerts, our extra practices, and the new attendance policy. If you have not received one, please contact me immediately. All choir members received one at our last practice and absent members received one in their classroom with their name written on it.

Please note, there WILL be choir the first day back from break.

Have a great day!

Mrs. Braner

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Pizza Party and Choncert Reminder

2010-11-15T10:38:00.000-08:00

No regular choir practices this week.

Pizza – Tuesday 11/16/10:
5:45-6:15 in the MPR
Pepperoni, Sausage, and Cheese pizzas
A $1 donation would be appreciated but is not required
Bring your own drink

I need a few volunteers to help serve pizza and clean up. Please email me or call me to let me know you will be helping.

Practice – ALSO Tuesday 11/16/10:
Starts promptly at 6:15 on the stage
Ends at 7:20

If a choir member will not be at the practice, I need an email, phone call, or note sent in.

Concert – Wednesday 11/17/10:
Students need to arrive prior to 6:15
Wearing their concert uniform:
Choir polo shirt (tucked in)
Contact me ASAP if you still do not have a choir shirt
Black or khaki pants or skirt (knee length or longer)
Hair should be kept out of the eyes
Choir members go to the MPR
Friends and family go to the Gym
The concert will start at 6:30

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Mrs. Maggie Braner
Maggie_Braner@ipsd.org
630-375-3232
www.mrsbraner.blogspot.com

PS - Choir practices will resume as normal in December.

NO CHOIR

2010-11-09T17:42:00.000-08:00

There will be no after school choir on Wednesday November 10th. I am sick and will not be in the building. Please send a note in to school with your child changing dismissal plans.

Shirts and Extra Practices

2010-10-20T14:47:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

Choir is going well and I already feel the concert coming up! The concert is November 17th ( a Wednesday) at 6:30 pm. We will have two evening practices for both choirs:

November 3rd 6:00-7:20
November 16th 6:00-7:20

One of these practices will include food of sorts (pizza, pasta, desserts, etc.) but I have not determined which one.

It is important that students are at these practices for the following reasons:

We are able to practice as a full choir
The accompanist will be there
We will be practicing on the stage

Please make arrangements for your child to be at these practices.

Shirts will be ordered Thursday afternoon. Please have the forms turned in on Thursday. If you need a new form, print one from the previous post.

Have a great afternoon!

Mrs. Braner

Choir Shirt Orders

2010-10-15T14:11:00.001-07:00

Hello!

The choir shirt order forms are done and sent home. If one did not make it to you, you can request a new one is sent home or you can view the form by following the link:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/18y-k9kZg3Nd4IEQZ2J2wlUjQ0MccpNULdBDu50H71MI/edit?hl=en&authkey=CKnirfIJ

Remember, all memebers need a polo shirt. It may be from any of the previous three years. If you have a neighbor who is willing to let you borrow the shirt for the year, please feel free to do so.

Forms are due on or before October 21st.

Funway, Choir Shirts, and October 13th

2010-10-05T14:17:00.000-07:00

Funway

I personally had a great time at Funway. I had not roller skated in a long time and it was cool to see the kids having so much fun. I've added a few pictures of people that attended. I apologize that none are of skating but the camera on my phone is not good enough for that and I did not check the battery on my digital camera. I've learned my lesson.

Choir Shirts

I have really good news! My dilligence has paid off and I have found multiple companies quoting me with better prices on the embroidered shirts. I am waiting for a few more quotes to come in but I will be sending home order forms to choir members on the 14th with finalized prices. Previously, the lowest quote was $15 per shirt but I can guarantee $14 now and might even have one near $12. I also want to take this moment to clarify something. The money earned from the fundraiser is to help offset the cost of shirts for families who cannot afford a shirt.

October 13th

Wednesday, October 13th is a half day of school. As it does not end at the normal time and I have meetings all afternoon, there is no afternoon choir. There is still choir on Thursday the 14th for all morning choir members as Thursday is a normal school day.

As usual, let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I have been very busy this year and appreciate the patience you have given me when I do not respond within a day.

Have a great day!

Mrs. Braner

Apologies and Fundraiser

2010-09-29T18:14:00.001-07:00

Hello!

First, I deeply apologize I did not send a second email sooner. As I was updating the list I accidentally deleted the whole thing. It made it a little complicated as I had already updated many email addresses.

Second, I am sending the email out as a "blind carbon copy" (BCC) which means you should not be able to see any other email address outside of my own. I highly recommend that you add my email address to your contacts as using the BCC option means your spam filter might think I am an unwanted contact.

Third, this weekend is the choir fundraiser. I apologize for short notice (Monday). No one is required to go, but it will be a great time. A handout went home to the oldest and only list on Monday. Forms are due this Thursday which is probably today for most of you reading this. If for some reason you missed the handout, there will be extras in the office all day on Thursday.

I believe next week (if not then certainly the week following) I will have all shirt information available. Those of you who marked you would like to help with the fundraiser for shirts, I will be in contact with you soon.

We have had a great few weeks in choir. Our first day went well learning most of a canon which we will perform at our concert. The second choir practice consisted of learning a sight reading exercise, work on another canon (most likely not to be performed at the concert), and forming a seating chart. The afternoon group was lucky last week as Wednesday I had not fully lost my voice. The morning group, however, had a difficult time hearing me and making forming height-order seating charts is not exactly easy to begin with.

This week in choir, we are working on a canon we started last week, finalizing seating charts, the morning group will get folders, and I am introducing choral works by rote (I sing, they copy) so when they see the choral music next week, it will be a little easier to read.

Choral music is written out with a staff line per part (at this age normally 2) attached to an accompaniment line. It can be overwhelming and the students will need to become accustomed to seeing lines they do not sing. Below shows what one line of choral music might look like.

Thanks for taking the time to stay updated! I'll see most of you on Saturday!

Mrs. Braner

It all starts tomorrow!

2010-09-14T16:57:00.001-07:00

Hello!

I'm really excited (and truthfully a little nervous) about choir starting tomorrow. I'm sure the students feel the same way. What will choir be like? Who will show up? Who will I sit by? Ok, that one is not me...but I know there are new choir members thinking it.

CHOIR SHIRTS AND FUNDRAISER

I thought things would be settled by now, but I am still working out the final details of the fundraiser and shirts. I should have those to you shortly.

AFTERNOON CHOIR REMINDERS

1. Choir is on EVERY Wednesday afternoon.
2. It is in the music room directly after school until 4:30.
3. I will take all of the kids out to the front lot. The ONLY students that will be allowed to walk home from choir will be the students who have given me a note. Even if a house is right behind the school, I need a note as I do not know who normally walks home.
*** NEW ONE***
4. Students are allowed to bring a small snackand/or drink to have between the bell ringing and 3:40. I know most students eat a snack when they get home so I allow it but once 3:40 hits, they do not get to eat or drink anything other than water. Please do not send anything with common allergens.

MORNING CHOIR REMINDERS

1. Choir is on EVERY Thursday morning.
2. We will test to see if we can fit comfortably in the music room starting at 8:00. In the music world, 8:00 means students have had their drink, gone to the bathroom, picked up their folder and set their things down ready to start at 8:00. Occasionally we all run late, but please try to assist your child in arriving early enough to be ready on time.
3. Students should enter in door 2, the Y doors, the doors by the gym. While the main doors are locked at all times, the other doors are open for students to walk in without buzzing the office.
*** NEW ONE***
4. This is an early start for many students. You may send a small snack and/or drink with your child they can have between the end of choir and the official start of the day. Most classroom teachers would allow it in their room, but students can stay in my room for a short amount of time to eat/drink. They can have water at all times. Please do not send anything with common allergens.

Please send me an email or note for any of the following things:

Changing choirs
Walking home after choir
Any time a child misses choir for any reason
Your child had a bad day in choir
You would like to attend a choir practice

I am truly excited for this year. These students are phenomenal musicians and we're going to have a great year! See you soon!

Mrs. Braner

maggie_braner@ipsd.org

Boys Power Sing

2010-09-07T07:57:00.000-07:00

On Saturday September 25th, Young Naperville Singers is hosting a Boys Power Sing. Students that have attended in the past had a great time. The event is open to all boys in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade.

Students will sing, drum, and meet high school boys in choir. The event will end with a small concert. I highly encourage any students who have the time to go but you will need more information which is available in a flyer on the buletin board outside the music room.

In Other News:
We are up to 73 girls and 23 boys. We have surpassed the goal this year for girls but I look forward to every face we add so keep on bringing in those permission slips. Boys, there are many of you interested but feeling too shy to turn in a permission slip without your friends turning in one too. I guarantee, if you decide to turn it in and talk about it with your friends, at least one will decide to join with you.

Chorus Information Night

2010-09-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all of the parents and students who attended last night's meeting. It was nice to see some familiar faces and nice to meet parents I have not seen yet.

Last night's meeting was a wonderful presentation but if you were unable to make it, here are the main things:

Music encorproates science, mathematics, foreign languages, history, and physical education and while we may study music for all of these reasons, the main reason we study music is because music is art.
Students value the experiences they have in music and the opprotunities they can not find other places. It teaches them confidence, trust, and responsibility.
Starting in middle school, band, choir, and orchestra are graded classes.
At the middle school level and high school level, music directors, coaches, and club leaders all work together to allow students to participate in every activity they want.
You can be in both band and choir or orchestra and choir. At the middle school level, they occur at the same time of day. If a student was in band or orchestra and choir, they would spend 2-3 days a week in each class. Students that become "combo" students end up very organized and the music teachers are willing to work with your child to help them become or stay organized.
Music teaches a wide variety of 21st century skills including: communication, collaboration, setting goals, appreciation of diversity, reflection and growth, creativity and independence, and life-long passion.
Communicate with the music teachers, encourage your child, and let your child follow their passions.

Music opens doors that help children pass from school into the world around them - a world of work, culture, intellectual activity, and human involvement. - President Ford

As always, please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I look forward to starting choir on the 15th and 16th!

~Mrs. Braner

New Year

2010-08-24T13:54:00.000-07:00

Welcome to a new school year! I'm incredibly excited to start this year and look forward to choir starting up.

I have sent home packets with the interested fourth and fifth grade students. If anyone needs a replacement copy, there are more outside my room. Hold on to the top page but turn in the second page to the classroom teacher.

My goal this year is to have 60 girls and 40 boys in choir bringing the total to over 100. Based on the number of packets handed out, I believe there could be as many as 80 girls and 50 boys although I have handed out just shy of 200 packets. Wow!

Most of the students know, if we end up with at least 40 boys, we get to sing a song I've been hoping to sing for over a year now. I'm so excited as it looks like we'll get to! Don't worry girls, I'll find an equally awesome song for you to sing!

Please turn in permission slips as soon as possible!

Mrs. Braner