Yearly Archives: 2024

Welcome back to orchestra. For our Freshmen, I am so excited to welcome you to the next chapter of your LZHS career. It has been fun to hear about what everyone did for their summers. My family and I had the opportunity to travel to Japan this summer, and we even went to a concert at Suntory Hall in Tokyo. One of my favorite things about travel is to hear new concert halls and it didn’t disappoint.

Plan on a newsletter every month, and occasional email updates with any extra information.

We have some great opportunities this year, beyond our four curricular concerts, both Sinfonietta and Bear Strings have special performances scheduled. This is also an Orchestra Festival, and I can’t wait to have all of the string players in the district together on May 2.

I look forward to seeing all of you at the HOPE meeting on Tuesday, and curriculum night on Wednesday.

Please see below for important beginning of the year information

• Orchestra Shirts and Hoodies: Once again this year we are offering LZHS Orchestra shirts and hoodies. They feature our orchestra logo and are comfortable. It is my goal that we have these shirts to wear for informal concerts, tours, and events. All orders are due by Wednesday, 9/4

• HOPE will have an in-person meeting in the orchestra room on Tuesday, 8/27 at 7PM in the orchestra room. Please enter through door 15. Everyone is invited to attend and learn more about what HOPE will be doing this year. If you would like to learn more about HOPE or support HOPE. Please see their welcome letter.
• The orchestra Picnic will be on Friday September 6^th from 4PM-5:30PM in Breezewald park. Pease signup by Tuesday, 9/5 so that HOPE knows how many hotdogs and veggie burgers to purchase. If you are coming, please consider bringing something to help with the picnic. Please signup and let us know what you are brining.
• Bear Strings starts on Thursday, 8/29 from 3:50-4:45PM. Bear strings is open to all orchestra students and is a non-auditioned ensemble that focuses on pop, and other non-traditional styles of music.
• Parents of freshman boys, and boys who grew: Don’t forget to get your men’s tux shirt. This year it is up to students to purchase their own tux shirts in time for the October concert. A possible shirt is this option from Amazon.
• ILMEA Signup is currently going on. Fill out this form and pay online to sign up.  Sign-up is due by Friday, September 12. All ILMEA participants must participate in at least one help session, or you will not be allowed to participate. I am available to help everyday periods 1, 4, 5, and 7. Orchestra Office hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday
• All Freshmen need to purchase a Sound Innovations Advanced book. I have ordered books already. Please pay Mrs. McLeod $10 through PushCoin or directly at the bookkeeper’s office.

I would encourage you to add the orchestra calendar to your personal calendar. The calendar is will always be the most up to date calendar. Please pay special attention to the four LZHS concert dates for the year.

I hope everyone has a great year, and I hope to see everybody at our first concert on 10/09. Please feel free to reach out to me by email if you have any questions.

Nathan Sackschewsky, LZHS Orchestra Director

As we enter the final stretch of the 2023-24 school year. I would like to pause to thank everyone who has made this year so successful. Thank you to the students who have continuously pushed themselves to make great music, the parents for supporting the process, and our HOPE volunteers for making our extra activities so engaging for our students. Thank you for all you do! We have two final events on the orchestra calendar which provide opportunities to celebrate the year in orchestra and say goodbye to our seniors. Please mark your calendars for the May 14^th concert and May 16^th banquet. Please see below for concert information. I will email out banquet information in a week or so.

News:

May Concert Information:

May Concert: Tuesday, May 14 at 7PM in the PAC

Concert and Philharmonic call time: 5:45

Symphony call time: 6:30

Dress:

Please follow dress code as outlined in the handbook.

 Boys must show up in black pants, tux shirt, black shoes, and socks. We will distribute tux jackets and bow ties before the concert.

Remember that boys must purchase their own black pants and tux shirt.

Girls wear solid black: Girls have the freedom to choose their apparel if sleeves extend below the elbow and skirts or slacks to the ankle, and the midriff must not show while standing or sitting. This may be a long sleeve all black dress or black blouse or sweater and ankle-length skirt. Full black slacks are also appropriate and encouraged for cello players. Girls must also wear black closed-toe dress shoes (not more than 2” heel) and black stockings or hose.

Concert Treat- To celebrate the end of the year we will do post-concert refreshments. It has been a while since we have done them, but HOPE would like to help organize treats this year. We are going to have Sophomores bring some sort of snack or treat and juniors bring something to drink- small water bottles seem to work best, but juice boxes work as well. Please no soda. Please drop treats off in the lobby before the concert. HOPE volunteers will be there to help organize.

Senior Information:

Seniors, we need your information for the concert program. Please take a minute to fill out the senior bio that we will use for the program and banquet slideshow. Please submit your senior bio by Thursday, May 2^nd.

HOPE Program Messages

Dear Orchestra Parents,

This has been an exciting and incredible year. We are proud of our students and we know that you are too. If you would like to include a special message to your student in the May 14^th final concert program of the year, see the attached form.  Price is $10 per dedication.

Thank you,

We look forward to seeing you at the concert.

H.O.P.E. LZHS Orchestra Booster Club

https://forms.gle/9bnm2hZ5RhahTkst8

Tri-M

Lake Zurich’s chapter of Tri-M Music Honor Society is accepting applications for membership next year.

This is a multi-year commitment from when you start until you graduate – fulfilling the requirements gives you the right to your pink cord at graduation…. continuous membership from joining through senior year is required!

The requirements are:

Maintain GPA of 3.0 overall, A average in music courses

Remain off of ineligible list

Regular meeting attendance (once a month)

Usher one 2 hour concert of your peers here at LZ

8 additional hours of service in many forms that are provided or that you can ask about qualifying events

This club represents Lake Zurich High School Music and relies on its membership to carry out that representation in many forms. See Mrs. Conover in PA127 if you have questions!

https://forms.gle/cjMNYmiyScPvVhxS9

Other dates to keep put on your calendar:

4/25-28- Sound of Music Performances

5/5- Jan Sobieski String Quartet Concert (Mr. S’ string quartet) 3PM Grace Lutheran Church-200 N Catherine Ave, La Grange, IL

5/14- 7PM Orchestra Concert

5/16- 5PM Orchestra Banquet at LZHS