Dear Choir Parent,

Our big competition is only two weeks away! Saturday, March 21st our students will be meeting at NMS and taking buses over to Goshen Middle School for ISSMA Contest 2026.

Our choirs will be performing 3 competition pieces for 3 judges and will be rated on their note and rhythm accuracy, tone quality, blend, dynamic contrasts, breath control, phrasing, and overall musicianship. It’s been so exciting to watch them as they have really worked to perfect their music in hopes of being the best choirs in their division. ISSMA is an exciting time for our students to show their very best and be rated among all of the other area choirs. They will be shooting for Gold and we would love for our kids to achieve the “With Distinction” Award recognizing their scores as some of the top in the state!

Here are a few details that will help you plan ahead. 

a. We will wear our black and white concert attire. Ties and rosettes will be handed out at GJHS. 

b. All students must travel over together on the bus. If parents wish to bring their child home after ISSMA, students will need to turn in a handwritten note to the chaperone as they board the bus on Saturday or email Mr. Maura and Mr. Norwood ahead of time. Please do not wait until after they sing, it makes things confusing for our chaperones. They must know where each child is before the buses can return to NMS. 

c. Students will board their assigned bus in the NMS front teacher’s parking lot (Door #1). The buses will drop them off in the same parking lot after our performances. 

d. Below you will find the list of times for departure, arrival, performance, and return to NMS. 

e. Please be on time to pick up your child. We will not have access to the building and chaperones will not be able to leave until your child is picked up. 

f. This is a free show open to the public. Warning: if you are late you won’t get in the door. 

Drop Off at NMS	Buses Leave	Arrival at GJHS	Warm-up	Perform	Buses Leave	NMS Pick Up
7th: 1:00pm	1:15pm	1:40pm	2:05pm	2:25pm	2:50pm	3:10-3:15pm
6th: 1:55pm	2:10pm	2:35pm	3:00pm	3:20pm	3:45pm	4:05-4:10pm
8th: 2:40pm	2:55pm	3:20pm	3:45pm	4:05pm	4:20pm	4:40-4:45pm

What our kids should be wearing for ISSMA:

BOYS: Black pants, black socks, black dress shoes (if not dress shoes, all black tennis shoes are acceptable), white long sleeve shirt with a collar. No colored shirts under the white button up please, the stage lights amplify any color under the white tops. A clip-on tie will be given to them when they arrive. 

GIRLS: Black knee length skirt (or longer) or black pants, black dress shoes (if not dress shoes, tennis shoes are acceptable), White blouse with a collar that buttons closed. They will receive a rosette tie to put on when they arrive. No colored shirts under the white blouse please, the stage lights amplify any color under the white tops. Hose or tights are not necessary, but if students choose to wear them, please ensure they are black. Please ensure any shorts worn under skirts do no exceed the length of the skirt.

Chaperones will receive specific instructions. They will ride buses to PHS and return with the kids. They will be taking attendance on the bus and following us throughout the warmup and performance route! These are the chaperones for this competition: 

6^th grade: Andrea Christian, Amber Byers, Heather Wyse, Amanda Turner

7^th Grade: Lauren Walker, Josh Schneider, Jacquelyn Fair (We’d love at least one more chaperone!)

8^th Grade: Jennifer Dickhaut, Chad Dickhaut (We’d love at least two more chaperons!)

Photographers for ISSMA will be taking pictures during the warm up time, and throughout their performance.

Grade 6: Felicia Nolt, Amber Byers 

Grade 7: N/A

Grade 8: Jessica Runions

Locker Decorations: 

6th: Alyssa Yutzy

7th: Misty Stroup (Period 2), N/A (Period 4)

8th: N/A (Period 5), Amanda Turner (Period 6)

If you are able to fill in any of the blanks listed above would you please send Mr. Maura an email or tell your child? Anytime you move 270 middle school students back and forth it helps to have as many adults as we can! 

Singcerely, Mr. Maura and Mr. Norwood maurad@mcsin-k12.org/norwoodc@mcsin-k12.org

Dear Choir Parents,

I know we just finished up Swing Fry, but our Christmas Concert is less than three weeks away! Below you will find some information that will help you and your family plan for the show! The Christmas Concert itself is going to take place at NHS on Saturday, December 6th at 6pm. This year, we are only putting on 1 performance as opposed to 2 separate shows (thank you for your survey feedback over the summer!). Below you will find info about our Tech Rehearsal, Dress Rehearsal and the show itself.

We will be having a mandatory tech rehearsal for all choir students who have special roles in the Christmas concert. This tech rehearsal will take place after school on Tuesday, December 2nd. Students do not need to dress in their outfits for this rehearsal. It will be at the high school so you will pick up your child there. See below for the time and location:

All Students should be picked up  at 5:45 at Door 23 (Back side of NHS closest to US20.  Pool Parking Lot.

Tech Rehearsal, NHS Auditorium, Tuesday, December 2nd

1. Parent Volunteers who signed up for treats please send in treats or water for Tech Rehearsal. Please drop them off December 1st or 2nd.
2. Students will be either walking over to the high school, or riding buses, depending on the weather.  Students should bundle up for the short walk! After the rehearsal students will be dismissed to Door 23 for pickup in hopes of reducing the waiting lines in the parking lot.

We will also be having a mandatory dress rehearsal for all choir students after school on Thursday, December 4th. Students do not need to dress in their outfits for this rehearsal. It will be at the high school so you will pick up your child there. See below for the time and location:

All Students should be picked up at 5:45, 6th Graders at Door 23, 7th Graders at Door 1 and 8th Graders at Door 29 (Back side of NHS closest to US20.  Pool Parking Lot.

Knight Light Students will rehearse until 6:30 p.m.  All Knight Light students should be picked up at Door 23 (Back side of NHS closest to US20.  Pool parking lot. 

Dress Rehearsal, NHS Auditorium, Thursday, December 4th

1. Parent Volunteers who signed up for treats please send in treats or water for Dress Rehearsal. Please drop them off the week of December 1st.
2. Students will be either walking over to the high school, or riding buses, depending on the weather.  Students should bundle up for the short walk! After the rehearsal students will be dismissed to a specific door for pickup in hopes of reducing the waiting lines in the parking lot.

SHOW DAY – SATURDAY DEC 6TH – students should be in the NHS Band room 30 minutes before the show starts:

What our kids should be wearing for their show: (NOT FOR DRESS REHEARSAL)

BOYS: Black pants, black socks, black dress shoes (if not dress shoes, all black tennis shoes are acceptable), white long sleeve shirt with a collar. No colored shirts under the white button up please, the stage lights amplify any color under the white tops. A clip-on tie will be given to them when they arrive. 

GIRLS: Black knee length skirt (or longer) or black pants, black dress shoes (if not dress shoes, tennis shoes are acceptable), White blouse with a collar that buttons closed. They will receive a rosette tie to put on when they arrive. No colored shirts under the white blouse please, the stage lights amplify any color under the white tops. Hose or tights are not necessary, but if students choose to wear them, please ensure they are black. Please ensure any shorts worn under skirts do no exceed the length of the skirt.

VOLUNTEER INFORMATION

• Dress Rehearsal Chaperones will meet Mr. M & Mr. N in the NMS Choir room on Thursday, Dec. 4 at 2:45.  You will be given instructions at that time. You should be finished around 6:00 p.m. A rehearsal outline will be sent home to you with detailed instructions the day before dress rehearsal.
• Chaperones for Christmas Concert Day should meet Mr. Norwood in the choir room at NHS 40 minutes before the performance times listed above. You will be asked to take attendance on the clipboards and assist the kids as they put their ties on ☺.  
• Treats and Water reminders will be phoned/emailed next week. Please drop them off the week of December 1st.
• A complete list of each grade’s parent volunteers (treats, water, dress and show chaperones) may be found on the nmschoir.org website under the Sign-Up Genius page.

        Sincerely, Mr. Maura and Mr. Norwood

   maurad@mcsin-k12.org; norwoodc@mcsin-k12.org

Hi everybody!

Today is the last day to pre-order your swingfry tickets! They will still be available at the door tomorrow, but if you want the discounted price, you will need to order them by 4pm today using the link below.

https://northridgechoirs.ludus.com/index.php

Hello folks,

Mr. Norwood and I wanted to make a post clarifying a few aspects of our dress code for Swingfry. If you have an outfit that adheres to the old dress code, you will find that you are adhering completely to this updated dress code as well, so no need to panic and scramble to find your kids a new outfit! We just wanted to update some of the language and clarify a few things to ensure all our students look and feel their absolute best.

What our kids should be wearing for their show (NOT FOR DRESS REHEARSAL):

BOYS: Black pants, black socks, black dress shoes (if not dress shoes, all black tennis shoes are acceptable), white long sleeve shirt with a collar. No colored shirts under the white button up please, the stage lights amplify any color under the white tops. A clip-on tie will be given to them when they arrive. 

GIRLS: Black knee length skirt (or longer) or black pants, black dress shoes (if not dress shoes, tennis shoes are acceptable), White blouse with a collar that buttons closed. They will receive a rosette tie to put on when they arrive. No colored shirts under the white blouse please, the stage lights amplify any color under the white tops. Hose or tights are not necessary, but if students choose to wear them, please ensure they are black. Please ensure any shorts worn under skirts do no exceed the length of the skirt.

We are so excited to show you all the hard work your students have been putting in! Happy Swingfry!

SINGcerely, Mr. Maura

Hello again choir parents!

I had a few folks reach out after our last post asking where to buy tickets for swingfry, and we unfortunately hadn’t been given the link to purchase them yet. Thankfully, that link was given to us this morning! Please click the link below if you are interested in buying tickets ahead of time! You may still purchase tickets at the door, but there is a discount for buying them through the website. We’re so excited for you to see all the hard work your students have been putting in!

https://northridgechoirs.ludus.com/index.php

Ticket Prices:

$16 Adult Meal/Show  –      $20 at the Door

$10 Child 5-11 Meal/Show  –  $15 at the Door

$10 Performer meal -        $15 at the Door

$8 Show only –             $10 at the Door

SINGcerely,

Mr. Maura

Dear Choir Parents,

SwingFry is less than two weeks away! Below you will find some information that will help you and your family plan for the big event! This is the Annual Northridge Choirs Fundraiser. We will be having a big party over at NHS filled with food and entertainment on Sat. Nov. 15. Dan’s All You Can Eat Chicken and Fish will be served in the cafeteria and every middle school and high school choir will be performing in the auditorium for their scheduled time. Each choir with their specials will have approximately 20 minutes on stage. You may come and go before or after any set of songs.  

Please remember that this is a Fundraiser. Prices are higher than a normal meal price so that we can raise money. Selling tickets for the dinner, selling bake sale items, making money off of the Silent Auction, and funds raised from the concession stand will help us build our MMPA accounts to help us fund NMS and NHS Choir Department needs throughout the year. Please, please, PLEASE invite family and friends to help us raise money for our kids. These links will be found on the Northridgechoirs.com website.  Links for Volunteering Position https://mmpa.membershiptoolkit.com/volunteer/157506 WE ASK THAT ALL CHOIR PARENTS WORK TWO SHIFTS. You will find all kinds of jobs to pick from.  This is a very big party and we cannot do it without everyone’s help! 

Additional links for Bake Sale and Silent Auction Donations can be found there as well.  https://mmpa.membershiptoolkit.com/volunteer/157494 There will also be a link for you to buy your dinner and show tickets. Students don’t need to pay for the shows because they get in free to all of them, (but they will need dinner tickets if eating at the event).

We will be having a mandatory dress rehearsal for all choir students after school on Thursday, November 13. Students do not need to dress in their outfits for this rehearsal. It will be at the high school so you will pick up your child there. See below for the time and location:

6^th graders should be picked up  at 5:15 at Door 23 (Back side of NHS closest to US20.  Pool Parking Lot.

7^th graders should be picked up at 5:30 at Door 1 (Front of NHS in teacher’s parking lot.

8^th graders should be picked up at 5:45  p.m. Door 29 (Back side of NHS Band Parking Lot …which is the side opposite of the Pool Parking area).

Knight Light Students will rehearse until 6:30 p.m.  All Knight Light students should be picked up at Door 23 (Back side of NHS closest to US20.  Pool parking lot. 

Dress Rehearsal, NHS Auditorium, Thursday, November 13

1. Parent Volunteers who signed up for treats please send in treats or water for Dress Rehearsal. Have your child drop them off in the choir room that morning.
2. Students will be either walking over to the high school, or riding buses, depending on the weather.  Students should bundle up for the short walk! After the rehearsal students will be dismissed to a specific door for pickup in hopes of reducing the waiting lines in the parking lot.

SHOW DAY – SATURDAY NOV 15TH students should be in the NHS Band room 30 minutes before their performance times:

3:10 pm – 6th Grade, 3:30 pm – Chamber Lights, 3:50 pm – 7th Grade, 4:10 pm – Varsity Lights, 4:30 pm – 8th Grade, 5:10 pm – Starlights Concert, 5:30 pm -Northern Lights, 6:00 pm-NHS Jazz Band, 6:20 pm – Knight Lights, 6:40 pm – Northern Lights/Starlights  

PLEASE NOTE: 

***Students will be asked to watch at least 2 other choirs perform their set before going home.  Our choirs learn so much by watching other choirs perform! This will help them complete a written critique assignment on Monday.* If you can’t stay for them to watch the two 20 minute performances, we have a make-up assignment that they can be given to complete at home. The groups that they watch are up to you, and your own schedule. We encourage our parents to sit with their children to monitor their behavior and enjoy this experience together. If you are working a volunteer shift or unable to sit with your child we would like our students to sit in the reserved seating made available for them so that they can be monitored. 

What our kids should be wearing for their show: (NOT FOR DRESS REHEARSAL) BOYS: Black pants, black socks, black shoes (may be tennis shoes), white long sleeve shirt with a collar. A clip-on tie will be given to them when they arrive. GIRLS: Black knee length skirt (or longer) or black pants, black dress shoes (no flip flops or tennis shoes), White blouse with a collar that buttons closed. They will receive a rosette tie to put on when they arrive. No colored cami’s or t-shirts under the white shirt please. No biker shorts, or black hose under the skirts. No hose or tights are necessary.

VOLUNTEER INFORMATION

• Dress Rehearsal Chaperones will meet Mr. M & Mr. N in the NMS Choir room on Thursday, Nov. 13 at 2:45.  You will be given instructions at that time. You should be finished around 6:15 p.m. A rehearsal outline will be sent home to you with detailed instructions the day before dress rehearsal.
• Chaperones for SwingFry Concert Day should meet their choir in the bandroom at NHS 40 minutes before the performance times listed above. You will be asked to take attendance on the clipboards and assist the kids as they put their ties on ☺.  
• Treats and Water reminders will be phoned next week. Please drop them off Thursday morning, Nov 13th.
• A complete list of each grade’s parent volunteers (treats, water, dress and show chaperones) may be found on the nmschoir.org website under the Sign-Up Genius page. The NHS sign up for SF Day volunteers is here:  https://mmpa.membershiptoolkit.com/volunteer/157494 
• If you signed up to help out at SwingFry as a server, greeter, etc. Your committee chair should be contacting you with details soon.  (*If you can wear white shirts and black pants as you volunteer, please do.)
• If you signed up to send in Baked Goods for the bake sale you can drop your items off in the high school auditorium lobby on Friday Nov. 14th, from 3:00 – 7:00 or Saturday, Nov. 15th from 10:00 – 2:00 p.m.  

        Sincerely, Mr. Maura and Mr. Norwood

  maurad@mcsin-k12.org; norwoodc@mcsin-k12.org

Hi there! I’m Mr. Maura! I am so excited to be joining NMS Choirs, and I can’t wait to meet all of the students and make some amazing music! I just graduated from Western Michigan University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Choral Music Education in April, so this will be my first year teaching. I have always loved choir, and my experiences both singing in and teaching ensembles throughout college have only further bolstered that love. I am committed to working with Mr. Norwood to ensure the already thriving choir community here at NMS continues to grow and flourish! I cannot wait to meet you all in person. Until then!

-Mr. Maura