SUZUKI STRINGS PARENTS...

... MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!!

Mandatory Parent Meeting - Thursday, January 10th - 8:30 A.M.

The Suzuki Workshop: January 30 - February 1, 2008

The Suzuki Workshop is a three-day event for the benefit of Suzuki Cello and Violin students and their parents. Expert clinicians offer instruction daily to each student during the Workshop. The evening of the third day, all strings students participate in a Workshop Concert.

After the Winter Break, on January 8th, you will receive a detailed handout concerning the Suzuki Workshop and a MANDATORY PARENT MEETING ON JANUARY 10, 2008. This note is to allow you some time to plan in advance how you would like to help out during the Workshop. Enclosed is a Volunteer Sign-Up Sheet where you can indicate your areas of interest.

If you already know where you want to help, please return this information before Winter Break.

The following are suggestions of where your help is needed:

  1.  Parker Elementary is renowned for its hospitality. During the Workshop, parents house the out-of-town clinicians and assist in transporting them to and from the airports. The Committee would appreciate knowing as soon as possible if you would like to have a clinician in your home. This is a wonderful experience for both you and your child!
  1.  Every day for lunch, the Workshop Committee (made up of Suzuki parents) provides lunch for ALL of Parker's faculty and the visiting clinicians. While much of the food is catered, you may be called upon to help serve food or provide a salad, dessert or afternoon snack during the workshop.
  1.  Each day of the workshop, some volunteers will be needed to help children find their clinicians. These volunteers are called "Runners." Each child will be wearing a badge showing his/her destination. These badges are printed, laminated and assembled by parent volunteers.
  1.  Some parents will be needed every day to sit in on their child’s magnet class to help with "crowd control." Clinicians need extra help in maintaining discipline in a large group so that they can concentrate on teaching.
  1.  We will need chaperones to help with rehearsal on Monday morning, January 28 (8:30-11 a.m.).
  1.  Cellos and stools will need to be transported to Willow Meadows Baptist Church on Friday afternoon. We will need several parent volunteers to sign up to help meet this need.
  1.  Finally, during the Friday Night Concert, parents can hand out programs and help with flower sales. The Concert Program will feature ad space which is sold to businesses and parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, etc. Be thinking now about your ad! (i.e., "Way to go, Sue! NOBODY can play Twinkles like you do!") If you already know what you want in your ad, please return it before Winter Break.

The Suzuki Workshop is a wonderful opportunity because of the collaborative efforts of the Parker music faculty and many parent volunteers. This three-day workshop is an invaluable experience for our students and your parental participation is imperative in making this a unique and rewarding event. Please think about how you can contribute, and let us know by filling out and returning the Volunteer Sign-Up Sheet. We look forward to hearing from you.

The Suzuki Committee

Chairpersons: Patricia Leiss 713-551-9623 and Jan Huff 713-723-9020