SCOTLAND UPDATE

JUNE 20, 2013

Hello all and welcome to the first day of summer!  Hope yours has already brought you some fun and relaxation.   It’s time for an update on plans for the Scotland trip.  Here’s the latest!

OUR TRAVELING GROUP

As of today, we are traveling with 40 people – 34 students and 6 adults.  Here is the rundown:

Student	YEAR
Aroche, Simon	16
Baylor, Malcolm	14
Becker, Sarah	16
Bisk, Hannah	16
Caffio-learner, Alexa	15
Castillo, Carlos	15
Cherry, Aysia	16
Cioffi, Marc	14
Cronin, Audrey	16
Curro, Sehee	16
Dorr, Elspeth	17
Feehan, Tomonari	16
Gallagher, Julia	15
Habenstreit, Lily	16
Habenstreit, Noah	14
Haddad, Alexandra	16
Hill, Jordan	16
Holland, Sophie	16
Karn, Bethany (Plungis)* CHAP*	CHAP
Keller, Mae	16
Kibbe, Andrea *CHAP*	CHAP
Kibbe, Sawyer	14
Lambert, Elizabeth	16
Merklein, Carolyn	14
Modica, Josephine	15
Norris, Zachary	14
Smeallie, Peter *STAFF*	STAF
Plungis, Sonja	14
Previti, Rosetta	14
Quintero-Rodriguez, Daniela	16
Regis, Madeline	15
Rexford, Kristina	15
Shaker, Vidya	15
Smeallie, Kyle	14
Smeallie, Lisa* *CHAP	CHAP
Smeallie, Logan *CHAP*	CHAP
Szpak, Leah	15
Thomas, Shalaine	16
Tune, Aman	16
Tune, Leslie *CHAP*	CHAP

If there are any last-second additions before we send the deposit check off next week, I will add them and let you know.

This is a terrific group – and it’s clear that we’ll be working really hard all year to bring in money to help you pay your bills.

I am expecting that we will probably also be traveling with Ms. Mikkelsen, Ms. Berman and Mr. Schneider.

You can expect some additions, and probably deletions, when we get back in the fall and meet new theatre classes and all the incoming freshmen.

SUMMER FUNDRAISING and FIRST COFEEHOUSE PERFORMANCE

                Right now we are working on arranging for a CAR WASH or two over the summer – the Thespian officers are working on the arrangements now.  We hope to hold  one on SATURDAY, JULY 13. We expect all the students who are on the traveling list to participate if they are in town!  As soon as we have any definitive information, we will let you know!

                One of our money raising ideas is to host a series of special performances – some small, some bigger, to attract a varied and diverse audience – all money raised by these performances would go to the trip.  The first will be a COFFEE HOUSE performance of musical theatre material, presented by STAGE members – probably in the little theatre.  The tentative date is FRIDAY, AUGUST 30 – that is the first Friday of the school year and there is no football that night.  This performance will be YOUR CHANCE to help out by performing something – if you don’t perform you will help out in other ways.  Think about what you might want to perform and then email me with info!

IDEAS FOR YOU TO MAKE AND SAVE MONEY FOR THE TRIP

                While we’ll be giving you many chances for fundraising over the year, one of the best ways to fundraise is to work for it!  Have you thought about using any of these activities to build your bank account to help pay for your passage?  Check with your neighbors to see if anyone needs your servces!

·         Babysitting

·         Grass cutting and yard work

·         Dog walking

·         Home maintenance – cleaning, organizing, general help, errands

PROMOTIONAL VIDEO

Would you like to help put together a promotional video to help us raise money for the trip?  If so, please meet me at AEHS at 1:30 on THURSDAY, June 28.  We will capture some video of you talking about what the program and the trip means to you.  Come with ideas!  If you can come and help with the video on June 28, please email me back at einsteinstage@comcast.net and let me know.  If you can’t come then but would still like to help, tell me what time would be better for you.

THERE’S A SURVEY COMING UP!

                Look for an invitation to participate in a survey from surveymonkey.com – it will be for you to give me information about how you would like to contribute as a traveling member of the Scotland team.  I hope to have it up and running by the end of the weekend.

NEXT YEAR’S PERFORMANCE CALENDAR WITH POSSIBLE FUNDRAISING DATES

                Everything here is tentative except the mainstage  performance dates.  We’ll tweak as needed when we move forward into the year. But please put these dates on your calendar!  PAYMENT dates are not listed because you have those dates on a separate sheet.

AUGUST

30           Fri           Musical Theatre Coffee House (Special Performance Series)

SEPTEMBER (product fundraiser this month, TBA)

4              Wed      Fall play auditions begin

27           Fri           Student Talent Showcase –School-wide (Special Performance Series)

OCTOBER

7              Mon      First Run the Diner Night, Silver Diner (Tentative)

14           Mon      One Act Auditions begin (Tentative)

17           Thu        Faculty/Staff/Parent Night (Special Performance Series)

21           Mon      Beginning of Homecoming Week

NOVEMBER  (citrus fruit sale this month)

7              Thu        Fall play opening night

9              Sat          Fall Play
15           Fri           Fall Play

16           Sat          Fall Play

DECEMBER

6              Fri           Winter One Acts (to benefit the trip)

7              Sat          Text Alive Performance (IB theatre classes, AM)

7              Sat          Winter One Acts (to benefit the trip)

13           Fri           Musical Theatre Class holiday themed performance (Special Performance Series)

14           Sat          (Tentative)  Parents night out fundraiser – PACE  - movie and babysitting

16           Mon      Musical auditions begin

JANUARY

4              Sat          STAGE Alumni night performance (Special Performance Series)

17           Fri           MCPS Theatre Festival

24           Fri           MD Thespian Festival, Huntingtown HS

25           Sat          MD Thespian Festival, Huntingtown HS

FEBRUARY (Product fundraiser TBA)

7              Fri           Valentine Theme Performance TBA (Special Performance Series)

28           Fri           Taste of Einstein

MARCH

7              Fri           Outside Group performance TBA (Special Performance Series)

14           Fri           Spring Musical

15           Sat          Spring Musical

21           Fri           Spring Musical

22           Sat          Spring Musical

31           Mon      Work on Scotland Show begins

APRIL  (Product fundraiser TBA)

4              Fri           Coffee House show – perhaps improv-related? (Special Performance Series)

MAY

2              Fri           Musical Theatre Class Spring Show (Special Performance Series)

JUNE

1              Sun        Big Als and Pool Party (Depending on Graduation Date)

6              Fri           Coffee house Show – perhaps featuring Scotland Group (Special Performance Series)

JULY

TBA                        Home performance of Scotland show TBA

We have several other fundraising activities and events that are being developed, and you’ll get info as soon as we have any specifics!

EXPECTATIONS AND LIMITATIONS

                As we embark on this project, there are a few things that we all need to keep in mind as we work through.  Here are some items that come to mind right now.

1.       We will be fundraising all year.  Sometimes teachers get bombarded with requests to buy this and that from kids.  You can expect that we’ll put a process in place for teachers to contribute and purchase items without you having to badger them.

2.       As a member of the Scotland delegation, you will be expected to participate in all fundraising efforts that we put together.  In general, if you don’t participate you won’t receive the monetary benefit when we distribute fundraising profits.

3.       For each fundraiser we have, you will be allowed to WAIVE your personal  fundraising profits and either designate it to another person or to the general fund.

4.       The due dates for your payments are scheduled so we can make our payments on time.  You will be expected to provide the required payment, minus any fundraising money that we have collected on your behalf.  We cannot advance you or loan you any payment money.  Please consult the payment schedule for dates and info about penalties should you withdraw from the project.

5.       As a member of the Scotland delegation, you are expected to participate in and support mainstage productions (fall play, one acts, spring musical) as your available time and demonstrated talent allows.

6.       ACADEMIC ELIGIBILITY  is in play throughout the year.  If you are ineligible for extracurriculars you may not participate in rehearsals, work sessions and performances.  You ARE allowed to participate in fundraising product sales.

7.       CASTING for the Scotland performance show is dependent on THIRD quarter grades – you must be eligible to work on the show as we prep it for Scotland.

Please KEEP all this info to refer to as we go on throughout the year!

Next Update will come as soon as we are firm on the car wash and any other summer activitay.

For your convenience, this memo, and future ones, will be posted on our BLOG at www.einsteinstage.blogspot.com.