djmartin

All State (high school level) Band/Orchestra/Choir/Jazz Band meets Thursday-Saturday, November 20-22. Rehearsals are held on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus for instrumental groups, and at St. Paul UMC for chorus. The performance will be held at the Lied Center on Saturday, November 22.

Ticket orders will be open to the public at 11 a.m. CST on Oct. 27.

For those participating, here’s the schedule for Nov. 20th:

• Bring your luggage, instrument, music, pencils, concert clothes to school on Nov. 20 – we will lock items in dressing rooms until it is time to leave.
• You will be dismissed after 4th hour on Thursday (11:32 A.M)
• Eat lunch after dismissal. (You will be able to get lunch at school or bring a sack lunch)
• Load bus at 12:00 PM
• Leave for Lincoln no later than 12:15 PM
• Unload luggage at Embassy Suites at 1:15 PM
• Have instrumental sectionals/chair placements/choir solo auditions/jazz band rehearsal at 3:00 PM
• Finalize check-in/eat dinner with MNHS Ensembles between 4:30-5:45 PM
• Be prepared to rehearse when the doors open at 6:00 PM for rehearsal (6:30-9:00 PM)
• Return to Embassy Suites by 9:30 p.m.
• Room check is 10:00 p.m.
• Lights out is 10:30 p.m.

Here’s the detailed 2025 ALL-STATE STUDENT SCHEDULE.

Parents will need to arrange transportation home from the final concert. At the conclusion of the concert students should meet their parents at locations that will be announced at rehearsals. Please be in contact with your student to plan your meeting point and departure plan.

Next Football Concessions 10/23!

We appreciate everyone who worked last Friday’s game and all who have signed up to sell concessions at Buell Stadium in 1 week! 

Sign up here!

It’s a MNHS Orchestra tradition to gather at Vala’s to hang out, meet other orchies, and enjoy this Nebraska fall-themed amusement park.

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, Oct. 8, 6-8 p.m. See this doc for more information.

First concert is Thursday, Oct. 2 @7 PM!

This is a required, graded assignment for all MNHS Orchestra students.
Orchestra students report at 6:30 PM for warm-ups; concert should conclude by 8:15 PM.

We do have a concert attire dress code – long-sleeved black dress shirt, black dress slacks, black dress shoes, black dress socks that go to mid-calf. More detailed guidelines may be found in the orchestra handbook. (Students, remember to turn in your concert attire photo in Google Classroom.)

MNOrch concerts are a good time!
Please plan to attend, and invite your neighbors, friends and family as well! Our kids do great work – it will be an evening to remember! Plus, we all bring refreshments for after the concert (please sign up to bring refreshments 🙂

We have our concerts recorded by a professional videographer, who also provides a livestream on YouTube, so friends and family can watch from wherever they may be! (Link will be available soon by email.)

Concert attire guidelines are linked here.

Option 1:
Black, long-sleeved button down dress shirt with a collar
Black necktie
Black belt
Black dress slacks (NOT jeans)
Black dress socks
Black dress shoes

Option 2:
Black, long-sleeved blouse with modest neckline (crew neck or button down dress shirt preferred)
Black dress slacks (NOT leggings, jeans, or yoga pants) – can be slim fit or boot-cut style slacks
Black dress socks or nylons
Black, closed-toed dress shoes

If your child would like to purchase a used, floor-length black dress for concerts, we have some available for $40 each. Please contact Mrs. Martinez if interested.

As a general rule, skirts and dresses are not permitted, as I prefer not to take on the role of monitoring hemlines. However, if you wish to request an exception, the following criteria must be met:1. The skirt or dress must be ankle-length 2. It must have sufficient fabric to allow for wide-stance seating.

Parents, please join me for our organizational meeting Tuesday, Sept. 16, at 7:00 p.m. in MNHS Lecture Hall A
(Lecture Hall A is upstairs – park on the east side of the building and enter through the main doors).

Our main goals are to meet and greet each other as orchestra fans, learn about ways to get involved, and get ready for the September and December concerts.

Can’t make it? Check out these slides for more information!

Orchestra Remind: Students and parents, join this Remind group: remind.com/join/mnhsorch26 The Remind app allows you to send and receive notifications from Mrs. Martinez via text message (or encrypted phone call if your cell provider allows).
You can also text @mnhsorch26 to the number 81010 to join.

Handbook Signature Google Forms – due Aug. 19! – Your child’s first assignment requires parent participation!

Part 1: Students will review the Orchestra Handbook in class on Wednesday, and will have a chance to complete the Student Version of the handbook signature form.

Part 2: Parents and Legal Guardians – please review the handbook, paying special attention to pages 2-7 for concert dates and other important expectations. Once you have the concert dates marked in the family calendar, please complete the Parent Version of the handbook signature form. Once both steps have been completed, the points will go in the gradebook. Please complete both forms by Tuesday, Aug. 19.

School Instrument Rental –
If you are renting a school instrument, please sign and return the contract with the $95 rental fee – thanks!

What’s an Orchestra Letter?
A way to earn a level of distinction through going above and beyond musically and by serving the organization.  Students track their own letter points on this sheet. 

A link to the letter points sheet is also in the navigation at the top of the page: “Resources – Student Resources.”

Students returning to orchestra for 2025-26, join the new Remind group!
The Remind app allows you to send and receive notifications from Mrs. Martinez via text message.

Use this link on a PC: https://www.remind.com/join/mnhsorch26

Use this link for a cell: Text @mnhsorch26 to 81010

Friday, August 22, 3:45-5:45 PM at Cottonwood Park (728 S. 154 St.).

We’ll meet at the pavilion on the east side of the park.
Please bring the snack assigned to your last name:

• A-H = salty snacks,
• J-N = sweet snacks,
• P-Z = drinks (single serve best – think Capri Sun, mini waters, mini soda cans).

Rides need to pick up no later than 5:45 please. 🙂

Camp starts on Monday, July 7 at Millard South High School (14905 Q St.) and meets 6-9 p.m. through Friday, July 11.

Leadership Seminar:

• Begins at 4 PM M-F and from 9 AM-12 PM on Saturday, July 12.
• Students who signed up for Leadership Seminar should plan to arrive at 3:45 p.m. M-F.
• Please bring a check payable to MNHS or cash in the amount of $50 with you on Monday! This will cover your daily seminars and Friday’s dinner.
• Bring a sack lunch for the 5 p.m. dinner break, M-Th.
• Saturday’s seminar is a Summer String Studio, where we teach small group and private lessons and music theory to elementary and middle school students!

All Other Participants:
Please plan to arrive by 5:45 p.m. so we can get you signed in and direct you to your first rehearsal spot!

Everyone:
Students can park/be dropped off on the east side of Millard South High School – enter through the main entrance. Check in at the registration table when you arrive.

Dress code is school-appropriate casual. Wear comfortable shoes as students will be walking and participating in activities that require movement.

Location – Millard South High School, 14905 Q St. (149th and Q). Students will rehearse in the Auditorium and classrooms in the 100’s wing and music wing. NOTE – due to shifting summer projects, locations are subject to change. Changes will be announced if/as needed.

Instrument – Please bring your instrument, bow, rosin, shoulder rest, rock stop, etc! We will provide stands and music.

Music Theory/Composition students – Please bring your charged laptop as well as your instrument.

Schedule – A link to the daily schedule and elective roster is HERE.
We did our best to get everyone placed in the electives they requested. Every student should be listed in 2 electives; 1 in the first elective column, 1 in the second elective column. If this is not the case, please let us know. barom@mpsomaha.org and djmartin@mpsomaha.org!

NO snacks/meals provided – Feel free to send a snack and a fillable bottle of water with your child. Please avoid sending food containing nuts.

Concert!
We close our week of music with a concert at 8:15 PM on Friday, July 11 in the Auditorium! Families, please join us to celebrate our students’ success!

Camp Shirt – Camp shirts will go home Thursday and be worn Friday. If you registered before June 1, we definitely have a shirt for you. If we got your registration late, we may not have been able to get you included in the order; plan to wear a black or dark gray t-shirt on Friday.

If your child isn’t feeling well or has a fever, please keep them home and let us know ASAP by emailing barom@mpsomaha.org and djmartin@mpsomaha.org!

Camp ends at 9:00 p.m; please have rides arranged for timely pick-up!