KHS
KINGSBURY HIGH
INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE
SCHOOL
CHOIR HANDBOOK
2022-2023
Donna Holmes-Ross MBA, BS, BA, CLC, Choral Director
School Phone: 901-416-6000 ext. 76707
Email: holmesrossdc@scsk12.org
Kingsbury High InternationalBaccalaureate School
1270 N. Graham
Memphis, TN 38122
VISION STATEMENT
High School Choral Program will be a place of respect, nurture, artistry, excellence, and creativity at the highest levels. Colleagues, parents, Scholars, and the community will join and experience a choral program that inspires and challenges Scholars to reach their greatest potential musically and academically.
MISSION STATEMENT
Middle School Choral Program is to provide a superior choral arts education in which Scholars gain not only musical skills and a life-long appreciation of music, but also develop individual skills and strategies that will help them to be successful in all academic areas and throughout their lives.
PURPOSE
Our rationale for the Kingsbury High School Choral Program is to experience music together as we discover and embrace differences and commonalities between ourselves and of cultures globally.
ENSEMBLES
BEGINNING CHORUS
In Beginning Chorus Scholars learn the basic skills of singing. It is the gateway to every other chorus at Kingsbury High. This ensemble is made up of mostly 9th graders. The fundamentals of singing; breath support, diction, proper vowel formation, ear training, reading music, and performance expectations are reinforced daily. Scholars perform in two concerts per school year. These concerts are held at night and are open to the public. Check the chorus calendar.
CONCERT CHOIR
The Kingsbury High Concert Choir have a great deal of musical experience and are a distinguished group of young ladies and young men that are expected to represent the choral program on and off campus. They continue to develop their individual voices and raise their level of artistry. The performance schedule increases per year and more with the inclusion of school assemblies. Scholars learn the importance of working together for the good of the whole. A desire to refine individual character skills is an important value in this choir.
GOSPEL CHOIR
The Kingsbury High School Gospel Choir enjoys the art and spirit of Gospel songs in rehearsal and in performance in different venues. This choir experience different kinds of sacred song.
GIRLS ENSEMBLE
In Women's Ensemble Scholars continue with ear-training and vocal technique. Scholars are expected to increase their practice time to two and a half hours per week. Scholars who want to excel will need to be consistent in their practice. It is highly competitive.
BOYS ENSEMBLE
Scholars will continue to work on the skills of ear training, vocal technique, and sight-singing. This is a small group of young men that will perform at special times through the school year.
Senar Miller, Principal
Kingsbury High School
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Donna Holmes-Ross MBA, BS, BA, CLC, Choir Director
Dear Scholars,
Hello. I am Mrs. Holmes-Ross, director of the Kingsbury HighSchool Fine Arts Department and director of Choirs. Welcome to the RMS Chorus. This is another great year of singing and performing different genres and styles of music. I would like to take this opportunity to assure you that your best interests are at heart. I want you to look back at your time in the Kingsbury High School Chorus with fond memories, and a sense of accomplishment. I am really looking forward to getting to know each and every one of you, and I believe this year will be the start of something bigger and better to come.
I am relying on your cooperation and good attitude to make this year and future years successful. I will be asking for your professionalism, your maturity, and your best work every day. Welcome to the Kingsbury High School Chorus Family, and I look forward to making music with you.
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Dear Parents,
First and Foremost, THANK YOU for supporting your Scholars’s interest in the choral art thus far. My goal is for your son or daughter to have an encouraging, uplifting, fulfilling, and wholistic experience in the chorus room every single day, as a result of hard work and the camaraderie that I believe will continue increase over time.
Your involvement as a parent is absolutely VITAL to this organization’s growth. I strongly encourage you to attend as many concerts, programs, and meetings that you can. It means a lot to a Scholars to have his or her parent in attendance supporting his or her interests. Parent/Teacher communication is very important to me. My contact number is (901) 402-5066.
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WE NEED YOU
Parental support of our Choral Music program and your monetary donations will increase uniforms, field trips, performances, after-school rehearsals, special projects (theatre musical), and classroom technology that will greatly enhance learning (see me for a list of current needs). We accept donations of any size. Please make checks payable to Kingsbury HighSchool (write choir at the bottom).
Volunteers are to refer to the SCS Volunteer Policy. A background check is mandatory and your application must be done at a SCS computer in any school by way of intranet. This process can be done in our school library during school hours five days a week. See me for more details.
Mrs. Donna Holmes-Ross
Performance Attire
The girls and the boys attire is only $130.00, which includes tax and shipping.
The girls will wear a long, formal dress.
The boys will wear a white tuxedo shirt, black jacket, black pants & tie, and a black vest.
Everyone will wear comfortable, black dress shoes.
No jewelry will be worn with the performance attire (unless I order the same jewelry for all girls).
Chorus Member Expectations
1. Attend every performance – NO EXCEPTIONS.
2. Be present at every rehearsal (or parent verification of your urgent matter).
3. You are the choir. Be on your best conduct at all times –all day long in every class. You represent the Choir and RMS at all times.
4. Perform instructions upon the first request.
5. Talking interrupts the teaching and learning of our songs. When permitted, whisper.
6. Self and peer evaluate after each performance
7. Give 100% effort.
8. Remember all things are possible.
Consequences
1. Verbal warning
2. Teacher/Scholars conference
3. Phone call
4. Parent/Teacher/Scholars conference
5. You will be asked to leave the choir.
NOTE: If a singer is dismissed from the Choir due to misconduct, there will be NO REFUNDS.
Rehearsal Schedule
This year instead of rehearsing on certain days after school each week, I will devise a short rehearsal schedule that is to run a few days before each performance. This scheduling will make Scholars more available to other after-school tutoring and sports schedules.
After School Rehearsal Guidelines
• Attend practice sessions. Singers are being rehearsed and molded on how to sing, properly produce sound, and perform different styles of music in different languages. Singers who want to sharpen the craft of singing can continue as a faithful chorus member, seek enrollment in one of my vocal music classes, obtain private voice lessons, and even continue to practice this fine art in high school. There is no substitute for practice. Singers can one day obtain a music scholarship to college without necessarily majoring in music. Of course, to major in music would be wonderful.
• Parents, please call or text for an approved absence. I included my personal cell phone number because I believe in communication. As things happen that are unavoidable, please communicate. Also please call or text at any time for questions (only adult calls please).
• All Scholars must leave the building at dismissal 2:15 p.m.
• Scholars may re-enter the building at 2:30 with a sponsoring teacher.
• I will meet my Scholars at the backdoor of the CTC Building at 2:30 to rehearse until 4:000 p.m.
• All Scholars re-entering the building to rehearse must be with me at all times under my supervision.
• Scholars that do not re-enter the building with me cannot attend rehearsal unless arrangements of a split time are made. Scholars have been permitted to split their time between two tutoring sessions. In this case, I will personally communicate with the other sponsoring teacher for the split arrangement and send a note on each day this occurs.
• Choir Scholars are dismissed by the cafeteria door (walkers and car riders) . No trips to the locker or anywhere. The whole group would have already had a water/restroombreak.
• Regular school rules also apply during after-school activities. Ex. No fights, no bullying, etc.
• Violation of these guidelines will result in dismissal from the choir and/or a school suspension.
• There will be NO REFUNDS upon dismissal from the school choir for reasons of misconduct.
• I cannot overstress the importance of discipline, and the roleit plays to make a fine choir, and
in the representation of our school. Chorus rehearsal is not a time for laughter, talk, and play. We have to learn many songs and performance etiquette. Sacrifices are being made all around in order to rehearse and prepare for performances. Scholars who cannot conduct themselves as a productive singer cannot remain with the group. All singers who received this handbook have expressed a great interest in being a part of this wonderful experience, and they are greatly wanted in the choir as they show appropriate conduct. Without discipline, we cannot have a choir. Scholars are expected to be on their best behavior at all times, showing self-discipline, good character, and an appreciation for this fine art.
Performances / Performers
It is very important that all singers make each performance. It’s the whole point of the many rehearsals. To attend the performances shows respect for our choir and it’s a rewarding experience for the many rehearsals. Please take pride inattending both the rehearsals and the performances. Performances help to make us so much better as performers (see the performance calendar).
Non-Performers
Non-Performers are Scholars that are also enrolled in my Vocal Music classes but do not perform on stage, field tips, or anywhere else outside the classroom. These classroom performers have to complete equivalent alternate assignments per project/performance. The alternative assignments arecreated to show a different perspective on the music through research, writing, acting, etc to actively learn from each other. The non-performing group may at times create a project on an approved topic.
I extend a ‘Special Thank You’ to the parents and Scholars for your support of our RMS Choral Program.
Mrs. Holmes-Ross
KINGSBURY HIGH SCHOOL
CHOIR HANDBOOK SIGNATURE PAGE
The Kingsbury High Choir Handbook contains important about the Choral program. I have read the Choir Handbook and I understand the contents therein. I understand the importance of my child’s behavior, and his/her attendance in rehearsals and performances. In order to volunteer, I must abide by the Shelby County Schools Volunteer Policy. In the case of a situation that is not addressed in the Handbook, please see Mrs. Holmes-Ross. Moreover, I also understand that there are no refunds for field trips or uniforms if my child is dismissed from the Choir because of misconduct. There are also no refunds in any case for uniforms because each child’s uniform requires alteration (uniforms cannot be returned once altered). Finally, I understand that any information in the Choir Handbook is subject to change at any time and that all changes will be communicated to me.
Date: ______________________________
Scholars Name (printed): _________________________________
Scholars Signature: ______________________________________
Parent Name (printed): __________________________________
Parent Signature: _______________________________________
Parent Phone Number: __________________________________
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