Fall Camp 2020

Update as of 7/20/2020:
Based on some new information, I wanted to take a minute and send out an update on our fall camp. At this time, the TSD is not permitting us to attend an “away” camp at any location. That means we will not be having camp at Michindoh this year. CAMP SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST 14, 15, 16 HAS BEEN CANCELED.​ However, there is a strong possibility we will have a small-scale camp at Athens High School during the evening hours in mid-September. Our dates will be determined in early August, when our admin team returns from summer hours and we can properly schedule a set of days. We will need to follow all guidelines set forth for various AHS organizations to protect students, staff, and volunteers. Once we have a better idea of what our camp will look like, I will send a detailed schedule and plan. However, here are the basics that we do know at this time:

• Due to the food and bathroom rules (see below), we will have smaller chunks of time that camp will occur in the evenings. We will not hold camp for more than 4 hours at a time. We are aiming for 3 nights in a row: Thurs/Fri/Sat or Fri/Sat/Sun.
• We will not be permitted to bring any food to camp. Students will not be able to bring their own, and we will not distribute food. This obviously does not pertain to students who have glucose issues and who need food to keep their blood sugar levels balanced. 
• We will not be permitted to use any indoor facility. This includes bathrooms. The bathrooms we are able to use are located in the stadium.
• Everyone attending camp (students, parent volunteers, clinicians) will need to properly (covering nose and mouth) wear a mask at all times. We will have spare masks for those who do not have their own. Anyone refusing to wear a mask will be sent home and will not return to camp. 
  • Finding a mask that your child feels comfortable in is the key. Nobody enjoys wearing the mask, but I have found that a mask I feel comfortable in (ties around the back, doesn’t cut into my eyes, etc.) is much easier to wear, even when my anxiety is high. I encourage all students to take the time to practice wearing it at home so they can be more comfortable wearing it for a few hours.
• Anyone exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, or anyone who has been exposed to someone who has tested positive are asked to stay home and not participate in camp. Your child will still get the camp shirt if they have to leave camp early.
• It’s highly likely that our final concert may look very different this year. This is contingent on government and school district rules. 
• Your child will need to bring everything of their own: instruments, music binders, music stand, rosin, rock stop, shoulder rest, etc. NO ITEMS ARE TO BE SHARED DURING CAMP! 
• Camp will be $50 a person. The money originally allocated for meals will be put towards spare personal protection equipment (PPE) for students and camp staff, cleaning supplies, and hand sanitizer. 
  • We will begin the reimbursement process by early August. If you wish to pull your child from camp and be refunded 100% of what you have paid, please email BOTH Mr. Quinn and the AOPA email account: rquinn@troy.k12.mi.us AND athensorchestra@gmail.com. PLEASE do NOTrequest any reimbursement from PayPal. It opens up a “PayPal transaction case” and charges us a penalty fee for not “fulfilling the order”. We will reimburse you, please email us to do so.

 
All of that said, this comes with a huge disclaimer: this is likely to change, and there is still a possibility it will be canceled altogether. We are simply changing to adapt to our current COVID-19 scenario and it will likely change again in the coming weeks and months. Thank you for your flexibility, support, and understanding. 

REGISTER HERE FOR CAMP

​view our spring concert 2020 Here

Incoming Freshmen:
​Fall 2020!

Please take the survey and join the Remind messages: text "@tahsFRESH" to 81010

Our New Website is here!

Welcome to our new digs! In our new space you can:

• Purchase items online directly in our Store
• Create an account to track your purchases
• Access to our "Members only" area (password is the Orchestra Director's last name, all lowercase).
• Check out our calendar

Click HERE to visit our online store and purchase our items.
​PLEASE NOTE: there will be no purchase of spirit wear items; they cannot be shipped and cannot be picked up at this time due to COVID-19.

Orchestra Summer Hours
Sent to students on 6/10

Greetings,
I hope you’re doing well. I just wanted to give a run-down of the orchestra “summer hours” and procedures:

• I will only check email about once every 7-10 days in the summer. If you email me, you will not get an immediate response. 
• If you feel the need, you may email athensorchestra@gmail.com. Booster parents check that email address and may be able to answer your questions/concerns. 
• All assignments are due today by 3pm to make a seamless transition from Schoology to Powerschools.
• If you turn in any missing assignments after June 15 @ 5pm, you will not receive a grade change until the fall. 
• You may hear from me on a picnic reschedule for July – this is not for certain. It may be on a week day to avoid any potential conflict with graduation parties. 
• All pertinent information is on our website. You should bookmark it: www.athensorchestras.com
• CAMP is on as of right now, but registration ends at the end of June. Please register on our website to reserve your spot. Registration means you have paid at least a $5 deposit to go to camp. All information is on our website. 

 
Thank you for all of your hard work, both students and parents. This was not an easy spring, but we made it. Take time, relax, and recharge. You deserve it! 
All the best!

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May 2021 trip to disney

Greetings,
Now that we have gained a better understanding on COVID-19 (Coronavirus) as it has developed, we have ultimately decided to move the Disney trip to Memorial Day weekend 2021 (5/28-5/31). After speaking with our administration, our travel company, and watching current travel patterns, we feel this is the best way for us to ensure the trip happens without cancelation and allows us to properly fundraise. If we were to continue with the trip in January, we would not have nearly enough time to fundraise as much as we had planned, it would lessen the time frame to make payments on the trip, and there are too many unknown factors about the COVID-19 virus. We know this may come as a disappointment to some; as directors this was a tough decision but we feel that moving the trip later in the year will give us better security and peace of mind with finances and the travel situation. We see the Disney trip as a "light at the end of the tunnel" and a source of joy for many of our families (ourselves included!) and the last thing we want to do is cancel the trip. While we deeply regret continuing to bump things backwards, we feel that this is the best way for our students to travel safely while still having a proper amount of time to fundraise and prepare financially. 

That said, everything about the trip remains the same: the overall cost, inclusions, fundraising plan, etc. We're pushing the entire operation back a few months.

Thank you for your flexibility, understanding, and patience during this time. Stay well and please don't hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions. 

Stay well,

Ryan Quinn, Orchestra, rquinn@troy.k12.mi.us
Adam Cable, Band, acable@troy.k12.mi.us
Adrienne Covian, Choir, acovian@troy.k12.mi.us

Have you heard? The Athens Music Department is traveling to Disney World in May 2021! All info will be here.