Warsaw Welcomes Orchestras Students

July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.


More music will be flowing through Warsaw Community Schools.

Wednesday afternoon, the school corporation held a welcome reception at Edgewood Middle School for those students and their parents interested in Warsaw’s strings/orchestra or sixth-grade band programs.

The 2012-13 school year will be the first year ever for an orchestra program at WCS, and it’s been almost 20 years since the corporation had a sixth-grade band program.

Director of the orchestra program will be Carolyn Stalcup. From Indianapolis, she taught orchestra for 11-1/2 years at public schools in the Circle City.

Stalcup said students don’t need any experience for the strings program. Anyone can learn to play the violin, viola, cello or string bass.

“We already have 27 students signed up at the high school,” she said. “I hope to get 20 to 30 at each middle school. At the elementary level, anything goes.”

Students rent or lease their instruments.

Orchestra fittings are available for all grades from sixth through 12th grade. The two nights scheduled for orchestra fittings are Monday and Wednesday, 4 to 8 p.m. both nights.

Parents may schedule their student’s own personal fitting time by picking up a fitting night form in the main office, filling it out and returning it to the office; or call or e-mail and schedule a fitting with Lori Owens at 574-371-5037 or [email protected]

At the fitting, students will be able to try playing all the string instruments. Once an instrument has been chosen, Stalcup or a Quinlan & Fabish representative will size the student for that instrument.

After the student has been sized, the instrument rental for the summer orchestra classes will be handled.

Summer beginning orchestra classes start June 6 for students in sixth through eighth grade. Students meet every weekday until June 22. There will be a rehearsal and concert for parents and friends June 22.

There is one orchestra class planned for Edgewood and one for Lakeview this fall. Classes during the school year will be for beginning string students as well as students who already play a string instrument.

Rhonda Helms is a parent of an eighth-grade member of the middle school band. Her daughter, Analiese, plays the flute and violin. This past year, Analiese played with the Symphony of the Lakes.

“She’s excited to see what’s going to happen with the strings program,” said Rhonda.

“I think it’s excellent,” she said of the strings program being added to Warsaw’s curriculum. “I’ve always wondered why Warsaw is such a big school but it hasn’t had a strings program like Goshen. It’s exciting that we’re getting it.”

JoElla Smyth, Edgewood principal, said, “I am really excited to have more opportunities for kids to explore and work on fine arts. I know that when kids pick up an instrument, it helps them in other areas. We have a great new director, and the sixth-grade band will give students an extra year to learn their instrument and it will make all the difference.”

When the performing arts center was built at Warsaw Community High School, Principal Troy Akers said, it was a dream of many people in the community to one day have a high school orchestra. It’s taken some time, but Warsaw went by it the right way, he said.

“The interest is there,” he said. “I’m thrilled we’ll be adding the strings program.”

Next school year, only a few sections will be taught at the high school, he said, but the plan is to grow the program.

Mickey Ratliff, band director, said he was hired in 1993. At that time, it had already been decided that the sixth-grade band program was going to be cut. Over the years, Ratliff said, he’s tried to bring it back.

“I’m really excited to see it happening now,” Ratliff said.

One of the driving forces in getting the strings/orchestra program off the ground was Superintendent Dr. Craig Hintz, according to Chief Academics Officer David Hoffert.

“This is a program that has taken a lot of people to get it off the ground ... but none of it would be possible without the driving force of Dr. Hintz,” Hoffert said.

Hintz told the dozens of people in attendance at the reception to think of the programs as opportunities for their students for next year.

Warsaw Schools has a beautiful PAC that the community has supported. There are many fine arts programs it can host.

“We’ve grown by 180 students since the beginning of the school year,” he said. “Most schools decline in their numbers. I think it is because of the programs we offer.”

This year, Warsaw started offering full-day kindergarten. World languages are being offered at the middle schools, including French, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese. This was the first year for Chinese at the middle and high schools. The high school also has an “unbelieveable” dance studio, Hintz said, and this was the first year for a dance program. Washington Elementary is transforming to a science, technology, engineering and math academy.

“Our other schools are working to put themes together for their schools,” Hintz said. At Eisenhower Elementary, Principal Chris Gensinger is working to make his school into a fine arts academy.

“If you like what you’ve seen and heard tonight, please tell five people,” Hintz suggested.

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More music will be flowing through Warsaw Community Schools.

Wednesday afternoon, the school corporation held a welcome reception at Edgewood Middle School for those students and their parents interested in Warsaw’s strings/orchestra or sixth-grade band programs.

The 2012-13 school year will be the first year ever for an orchestra program at WCS, and it’s been almost 20 years since the corporation had a sixth-grade band program.

Director of the orchestra program will be Carolyn Stalcup. From Indianapolis, she taught orchestra for 11-1/2 years at public schools in the Circle City.

Stalcup said students don’t need any experience for the strings program. Anyone can learn to play the violin, viola, cello or string bass.

“We already have 27 students signed up at the high school,” she said. “I hope to get 20 to 30 at each middle school. At the elementary level, anything goes.”

Students rent or lease their instruments.

Orchestra fittings are available for all grades from sixth through 12th grade. The two nights scheduled for orchestra fittings are Monday and Wednesday, 4 to 8 p.m. both nights.

Parents may schedule their student’s own personal fitting time by picking up a fitting night form in the main office, filling it out and returning it to the office; or call or e-mail and schedule a fitting with Lori Owens at 574-371-5037 or [email protected]

At the fitting, students will be able to try playing all the string instruments. Once an instrument has been chosen, Stalcup or a Quinlan & Fabish representative will size the student for that instrument.

After the student has been sized, the instrument rental for the summer orchestra classes will be handled.

Summer beginning orchestra classes start June 6 for students in sixth through eighth grade. Students meet every weekday until June 22. There will be a rehearsal and concert for parents and friends June 22.

There is one orchestra class planned for Edgewood and one for Lakeview this fall. Classes during the school year will be for beginning string students as well as students who already play a string instrument.

Rhonda Helms is a parent of an eighth-grade member of the middle school band. Her daughter, Analiese, plays the flute and violin. This past year, Analiese played with the Symphony of the Lakes.

“She’s excited to see what’s going to happen with the strings program,” said Rhonda.

“I think it’s excellent,” she said of the strings program being added to Warsaw’s curriculum. “I’ve always wondered why Warsaw is such a big school but it hasn’t had a strings program like Goshen. It’s exciting that we’re getting it.”

JoElla Smyth, Edgewood principal, said, “I am really excited to have more opportunities for kids to explore and work on fine arts. I know that when kids pick up an instrument, it helps them in other areas. We have a great new director, and the sixth-grade band will give students an extra year to learn their instrument and it will make all the difference.”

When the performing arts center was built at Warsaw Community High School, Principal Troy Akers said, it was a dream of many people in the community to one day have a high school orchestra. It’s taken some time, but Warsaw went by it the right way, he said.

“The interest is there,” he said. “I’m thrilled we’ll be adding the strings program.”

Next school year, only a few sections will be taught at the high school, he said, but the plan is to grow the program.

Mickey Ratliff, band director, said he was hired in 1993. At that time, it had already been decided that the sixth-grade band program was going to be cut. Over the years, Ratliff said, he’s tried to bring it back.

“I’m really excited to see it happening now,” Ratliff said.

One of the driving forces in getting the strings/orchestra program off the ground was Superintendent Dr. Craig Hintz, according to Chief Academics Officer David Hoffert.

“This is a program that has taken a lot of people to get it off the ground ... but none of it would be possible without the driving force of Dr. Hintz,” Hoffert said.

Hintz told the dozens of people in attendance at the reception to think of the programs as opportunities for their students for next year.

Warsaw Schools has a beautiful PAC that the community has supported. There are many fine arts programs it can host.

“We’ve grown by 180 students since the beginning of the school year,” he said. “Most schools decline in their numbers. I think it is because of the programs we offer.”

This year, Warsaw started offering full-day kindergarten. World languages are being offered at the middle schools, including French, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese. This was the first year for Chinese at the middle and high schools. The high school also has an “unbelieveable” dance studio, Hintz said, and this was the first year for a dance program. Washington Elementary is transforming to a science, technology, engineering and math academy.

“Our other schools are working to put themes together for their schools,” Hintz said. At Eisenhower Elementary, Principal Chris Gensinger is working to make his school into a fine arts academy.

“If you like what you’ve seen and heard tonight, please tell five people,” Hintz suggested.

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