A view of Gatlinburg from a top the Space Needle. Quite windy!
Going up the Space Needle
Inside the caverns! A beautiful hike underneath the mountain. Spectacular formations, enormous rooms and a running river in which we were able to fill our water bottles with spring water. A natural treat for our morning hike!
A beautiful waterfall falling from an open room above us.
Students taking a picture of a salamander we found along the path.
Students taking a picture of a salamander we found along the path. The cell phones add an interesting touch to the picture!
Actually a man made "wishing" well. They built this well as a dam so the path would not flood. They donate the coins to the East Tennessee Children's Hospital...$3,100 last year!
A fern growing in the caverns. As natural as a fern may be it is unnatural to be growing in these caverns. Seeds of fern and moss have traveled on people's shoes and clothes and deposited underground. Some have found the ideal conditions to grow in the glow of the lights throughout the caverns.
Taken from the top! After a long and steep hike we made it. The students certainly burned some energy on this activity. It was wonderful to see them using their phones for pictures of landscape instead of socializing. Though they were excited to load them to the internet they had to wait a couple of hours before the buses had a signal.
A fortunate find. An 18 month old black bear!
Taking one of many breaks up the mountain.
A hike along a portion of the Appalachian Trail.
Dear Parents, At 5:15 we are about 50 minutes south of Lexington, Kentucky. Due to a road closure/accident investigation (helicopter as well) on a mountain road and construction on I-75 we are about 2 hours behind. Our first 60 miles took 2 hours and 45 minutes! Kids have been fantastic and patient! Congratulations to all the LHS Band members on a fantastic performance! Your perseverance is to be commended as I put before you some challenging music. The gratification of conquering a difficult piece is an amazing feeling. I look forward to working with you on some fun music for our last performance of the year. Let's make this next journey a super positive experience for all. :)
Scholarships, awards, trips, band camp, supplies, uniforms, repairs, etc.
The LHS Bands participate in a lot of events throughout our community. The bands require a many things to be successful, such as the items listed above. We have evolved over the years...reaching higher standards of performance with less. The "less" I'm referring to is monetary support. This leads us to fundraising. Many members of our community support our efforts. The band is visible, successful and a draw for our students to stay at Lincoln. Personally, I have viewed us as a diamond in the rough. The under dog. Fighters to better our environment. Let me share my vision with you: Lower your costs of band camp and trips. Increase parent involvement and increase student success. Sounds like a tough job and many of us do not like asking people for money or selling items. However, let's work together to make this easier and fun! The executive board and myself are working to reduce our U of M commitment and increase our fundraising efforts elsewhere. We realize that money raised during concessions versus time is not efficient. A car wash (May) and fall event are being planned to test the waters of student, parent and community support. We will set a fundraising goal. Any excess funds will be a stipend in the students' accounts. The formula is simple: effort = payback. Each student will be asked to contribute their efforts in some way. We have a pool of over 500 people to rally around these events. Our neighboring band programs are able to give back a "stipend" to their band members to significantly lower the cost of their travel. They can generate tens of thousands of dollars through their fundraising efforts. I know we can as well! Good Evening Parents!
I hope everyone is enjoying their day off and staying warm. This does make last minute preparations for students participating in S & E more challenging, but we are up for it! I did prepare students during Thursday's class for this scenario. If your student is participating please read thoroughly. For all other future band events check please refer to the web site. Option A: Band Room will be open Friday from 10:30-12:30 for students to pick up instrument/music, judges' copy of music and if they would like to rehearse or receive coaching. Option B: Band room will be open Saturday from 6:30 a.m. - 7:00 a.m. for instrument pick up. I would not rely on the building being open for other activities. If I hear that the building will be open during other times I will pass that information along. S & E Site: Franklin High School, 31000 Joy Rd, Livonia, MI 48150. Click on this link for directions to Livonia Franklin High School: http://mapq.st/1g6OBt6 Weather: Please allow plenty of time to drive to the event on Saturday. Snow and cold temperatures will play a role in road conditions. Be safe and communicate with your ensemble. Remember: you will be able to play your event. Just check into headquarters if you need to revise your plans due to road conditions. Though this is a last resort! S & E will NOT be canceled! Our best shot at success and a positive experience is if parents and students communicate a clear plan for Saturday. Please nag (since I won't get to!) at your students to use their time Friday to organize for Saturday and that they have communicated with their ensemble members. They have invested so much time and the aim is for their confidence to peak for their performance. The event should be a great experience to reach a new level of musicianship. I have heard many great things this week! Good Luck to all the LHS Band Members on Saturday! Gatlinburg, TN
Dates: May 1-4 Proposed Activities • Dinner at Hard Rock Café • Subway lunch while rafting • Dinner at Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede Dinner & Show • Lunch during your hike • Dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. • Outdoor Rafting Adventure (Wetsuits included) *****Alternative activities planned for those that do not wish to participate in rafting. • Admission to the Titanic Museum • Guided Coach/Walking Tour to the Top of Old Smoky • Performance (location TBD) • Admission to the Gatlinburg Space Needle • Admission to the Forbidden Caverns *********Itinerary is not final and all activities are subject to change. * Approximate cost is $550. Deposit of $250 will be due February 21st (pending board approval) Now is a fantastic opportunity to dry clean your marching uniform and store it until May in a safe place. If you need a refit please stay tuned for these times and dates.
Thank you to Ms. Waldenmyer and band students for a wonderful marching season. The crowd was entertained each game with exciting music and drill. Thank you Liz Williamson and Cam Ferris for working extra hours with the guard and percussion. These sections have covered so much material this season. Thank you Jim Gillespie for your photography and videography. Thank you to every parent that helped with refreshments during 3rd quarter and for Amy Wilhelm for overseeing this aspect of the game. Thank you Sherry Williams for your availability in the uniform room and making sure the band looked great. Thank you to the booster officers for organizing parents to facilitate each game. Cheryl and I cannot do this job with out each of you! We give thanks to everyone that stepped up in any capacity to help behind the scenes and take a little bit off our plate. A band of this capacity is successful because of the team work that takes place between directors, students and parents. Please stay involved and help out in anyway that you can. Ask a director or booster officer if you are not sure. Good Afternoon, This will be my last weekly update as the everyday band director! I want to express to you all that it has been a pleasure and privilege to work with the Lincoln band students over the last few weeks. They have been hard working, willing to adjust to a different voice from the podium and have experienced a very successful season. Our regular marching season comes to an end this evening with our Fall Concert, which in addition to the Marching Band, will feature the Jazz Band. Our varsity football team has also experienced great success this fall, sending Lincoln to the HS playoffs for the 2nd time in school history (previously in 2011) which means an additional performance for the Marching band. The game will beFriday, November 1, but we won't know whether it is home or away until following the end of the regular season on Oct. 25. We are planning an after school rehearsal on Oct. 30 from 3-5 pm. Please add these dates to your calendar. Cheesecake sales begin tonight with audience samples available following the performance. (Students will receive their treat on Thursday.) Please check the website for details on this and U of M concessions. In light of the government shut down, we are taking donations to assist the meal provision at the Lincoln Senior Center. Boosters will have more information at the concer tonight. Thank you for a great fall and I hope to see you all at the performance this evening. Cheryl |
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