When and What:

Now: Set up account and add contacts

9/6: Fundraiser opens 

9/8: In-person presentation during class by fundraiser representative. Prizes given to students who have their accounts set up correctly.

9/23: Fundraiser closes

Our fall fundraiser is set to begin on September 6. Students have all received an instruction letter with a QR code for the free Money Dolly app that is needed and some instructions for setting up an account. We are asking that all students have their account set up before Monday, September 8. On 9/8 we will have a presentation from a representative from our fundraising company during class, and students who are correctly set up will receive a prize just for having their account set up.

Students who feel comfortable beginning the fundraiser when it opens on 9/6 are welcome to. One of the great things about this fundraiser is that all of your time commitment is on the front end - setting up your account and loading contacts into your contact list. Once the fundraiser begins, all you have to do is send out the introductory text to your potential supporters and your work is done! Your supporters will receive a few texts throughout the fundraiser with instructions to donate or shop. After the fundraiser is over, they will not continue to receive any sort of communication. Your supporters can support our fundraiser by 1) giving a monetary donation, 2) shopping for items in the fundraiser shop, or 3) purchasing a digital discount card with savings at many local businesses.

Why?

While we do receive a budget from the school district for some basic classroom instructional needs, most of what we spend in every given year comes from fundraising proceeds. Bus transportation to our field trips alone accounts for thousands of dollars of expenses per year. A program of our quality also spends hundreds per year in contest entry fees, clinicians and sectional coaches for contest prep, snacks and food for some after school/evening events, and general classroom supplies and instrument maintenance.

Our students always take their fundraiser participation seriously and our program traditionally raises everything we need for the year during this fundraiser. If this is the case again, we do not need to ask your time to conduct another fundraiser the rest of the year!

How?

Fundraiser Instruction Letter with QR code

Fundraiser Tips and Reminders:

• If you or a supporter prefer not to use the assigned app for our fundraiser, monetary donations are always welcome to be made directly to our orchestra through cash or a check made out to RCMS Orchestra. Any direct donations outside of the app do not count towards prizes at the end of the fundraiser, though, because those are provided by the fundraising company we use. 

• You will need to add your adult contacts to your fundraiser (adult relatives and family friends that might be willing to support your fundraiser). If you join the fundraiser on the student's phone, you can add a parent as a "helper" and they can add contacts to the account from their phone.

• Students who are in 2 fine arts classes are advised to enroll in the fundraiser for the first class they have in their schedule. For example, if a student has art 1st period and orchestra 2nd period, they will enroll in art. If a student has orchestra 3rd period and theatre 5th period, they will enroll in orchestra.

• Make sure you use the QR code for your class and it says the correct class on the home screen in the app. Orchestra, band, choir, theatre and art all have different QR codes.

This week (week of 9/1), the orchestra received our first weekly practice record of the year. We will turn in our weekly practice log each Monday, beginning 9/8, for a grade throughout the year. We ask that students get a parent signature or initials once per week on their log to help ensure accuracy on their reporting since most practice is done at home for most students.

We never want practice logs to be a burden for families. In the early stages of learning an instrument, extrinsic motivation such as logs, grades and rewards, can be important to developing the student's practice habits, organization, and work ethic. Students will also complete a weekly journal entry as a part of their grade. Individual practice is the most important tool for each student's progress and the progress of our group as a whole. We want students to learn to see individual practicing as a commitment to their own growth and also to their team. 

Happy Practicing!

Orchestra Curriculum Documents

New state laws have gone into effect regarding access to curriculum documents. Our campus and district orchestra curriculum resources can be found year-round in our Orchestra Handbook. The Class Description section details the materials that will be used in each level of orchestra class. The Grading Policies section outlines what students will receive grades on in orchestra class, and includes links to the state TEKS for orchestra, as well as a folder of DISD orchestra curriculum documents.

Please let Ms. Harvey (aharvey@dentonisd.org) know of any questions or concerns about materials or curriculum used in the Crownover Orchestra classes. For questions about district-level instructional materials, please reach out to the DISD Fine Arts Office at finearts@dentonisd.org.  

Professional Appointment of former Crownover Orchestra Member:

Crownover Orchestra is thrilled to announce the appointment of former student Christian Luevano to the position of Associate Principal Bass of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Christian attended Crownover from 2015-2018. In his high school career at Guyer, Christian was a 4-year Texas All-State Orchestra member, including multiple 1st-chair placements. In his senior year, the Guyer Orchestra commissioned a piece for Christian to perform from Argentinian composer Andres Martin. Noche de Alebrijes (video below) was premiered by Christian and the GHS Orchestra. After graduating in 2022, Christian accepted a prestigious conservatory placement at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. It is outstanding for Christian to receive such a high-level placement his first round of major professional auditions, especially at such a young age. I know that I will be catching as many DSO performances this year as I can and I hope to see many of our current and former RCMS students there!