Cambridge Orchestra: Day 1

I hope that you are as excited as I am. It is almost time to finally make some string music the Cambridge way. What is the Cambridge way? Well that will be up to you as we work together to make this program a great and significant one for the community and school.

For Monday:

1. Instruments: No instruments please. We will discuss the handbook, grading, calendar, uniforms, and new room.

2. Violin and Viola players: Please bring a spinning combination lock. We will not be using any locks that require a key.

3. Room: This is a no food, drink, gum, and candy room. You may bring bottled water to hydrate.

4. Attire: Spirit wear is recommended is you have some.

5. Pencils: Please bring pencils to write with. This will be a pen free environment.

6. Donations: If you would like to donate some Kleenex, rosin, cleaning cloths, or rock stops that would be wonderful. I will have a box for these donations.

7. Attitude: Yes we know that there are several schedule changes that need to be made and I am asking everyone to be open and patient to these changes. This is a new school and we are all here to help. Thanks in advance for your great energy!!!

Have a great weekend. I can't wait to see everyone on Monday!!!

M. Giel

Classroom Help, Wednesday August 8

Hello Cambridge Orchestra players! I am working as hard as I can to get the room ready for Monday but I am still in need of a few helpers to assist with picture hanging tomorrow at 10:45am. It should take around an hour to complete. If you are interested then please send me an email to let me know. Thanks for your time!

M. Giel
cambridgestrings@gmail.com

Cambridge is Open for Business!

Good evening! It was so great to see and meet so many parents and students today at the open house. I look forward to seeing more people in and out of the school in the upcoming weeks. Below are some updates that will hopefully answer some questions.

1. Emails: Please do not send any emails to my Fulton County Address. I will not be able to access that until August 7. If you have sent me something that I have not replied to, please re-send it to cambridgestrings@gmail.com

2. Booster Club: My plan is to meet with those people interested in beginning the Inaugural Cambridge Orchestra Parent Association after our initial parent meeting which will be on Tuesday August 21st at 7pm in the CHS Theater. I will give out details on this date.

3. Lockers: We will have violin and viola lockers at Cambridge. Please bring a spinning combination lock on the first day of school in order to reserve your instrument locker. These lockers will be free to all orchestra members.

4. School Visits: I will be around Cambridge a lot during the next few weeks. I would ask that if you want to stop by to say hi or see the room to please email me to set up a time. Thanks!

Enjoy the rest of your summer!!! I am so excited for this school year to get started.

M. Giel

Class Placements Coming Soon...

Good evening future Cambridge Orchestra students! I will be finished with my auditions at the end of this week. I will have the class placements posted by next Monday May 21. Thank you to everyone for your patience.

The Cambridge Orchestra program will be offering three levels of orchestra classes next school year. Below are the names of the courses that will be offered in the order of ability:

• Chamber Orchestra
• Philharmonic Orchestra
• Symphonic Orchestra

If you have any new questions please feel free to email Mr. Giel at cambridgestrings@gmail.com

Have a great night!

Online Courses for the Summer

Good evening! For those of you that are planning on taking any summer or online course make sure to sign up before any of the deadlines pass. If you need any further assistance make sure you check with your local school counselor to help you. Below is a link to assist you.

fultonschools.org

Then: Parent Site

Then: Virtual Campus

Welcome to the Cambridge Orchestra Program!

Hello. My name is Michael Giel and I would like to introduce myself as the orchestra director for the Cambridge H.S. Orchestra program. I am very excited to be a part of this community and school for the upcoming school year. Below are some topics the will hopefully answer some of your questions about the orchestra program. I thank you in advance for your patience and support during this transition time for all of us. I am doing all I can to make this experience in orchestra an educational and enriching one.

Will there be auditions for orchestra at Cambridge?

Yes.  If you have already auditioned at Milton, Alpharetta, or Northwestern then you are done. The only students that I will still listen to will be at Hopewell M.S. on April 24. Mrs. Hoebeke has the audition materials for you. These auditions are in place to ensure proper ensemble and instrumentation placement for all classes.

What is the placement audition like?

Hopewell students should see Mrs. Hoebeke for the printed audition materials.

      How long will the placement audition take?

2-3 minutes

Do I need to bring anything with me when I do my placement audition?

Yes.  Please bring have your instrument, bow, and your audition packet from your school teacher.

      Where and when will the placement auditions be?

Hopewell Middle School students will audition:  April 24th (see Mrs. Hoebeke to sign up)

      What kind of orchestra classes will there be next year?

Until we finish placement auditions and scheduling, it’s impossible to have a definite answer.  My plan is that we will offer a range of classes based on ability and experience. These classes will be detailed and sent out to your teachers at Alpharetta, Hopewell, Milton, and Northwestern as soon as the placement auditions are completed.

How do I get in touch with Mr. Giel?
The best way to reach me is via email:  cambridgestrings@gmail.com

I am planning to have a meet and greet sometime in late May to talk about the upcoming school year. Stay posted and be on the lookout for that date and location. Have a great day! Make each day count.