High School Musical = Success!

Total Income Earned during our 3 night run = $933.00!!!

What a great contribution to our Theatre Department here at Dixon Middle School!

Please click HERE to see all of our production photos. 

Our Classroom Mini Production

This year my musical theatre students had a GREAT experience performing High School Musical Jr. on the main auditorium stage. After our run however we had to share the space with the other fine art department for their end of year performances and concerts. That left my other theatre classes in need of a performance space; we decided to transform my classroom in our own version of "black box" theatre. It proved to be a very different performance style being right in front of their audience members that the students had an interesting time adjusting to. They did great though and really enjoyed their full week of performing to their friends from other classes. Great job kids!

Between the character history project, costume and set design that you see pictured below, I'd say it was a very educational and enriching experience for the theatre students that they were able to complete independently!

Final HSM Flyer :)

Dear High School Musical Student and Parents:
The performances are finally here! Yeah! I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for working SO HARD to make this production of High School Musical a reality. There have been many hours of rehearsal, frustration and plain old hard work throughout this journey. But we have overcome it all and are finally here ready to showcase and perform all our hard work to our friends and family!

To the leads:

Thank you so much for memorizing your lines and getting to know your characters! That itself is such a huge accomplishment at your age! I am reminded of that as I myself am in the process of memorizing lines for my other class play that we are doing; it is hard! Yet you did it and since you’ve put in the time you haven’t struggled once remembering them! I am so proud!

Thank you for all you your help supplying all of you many costumes! I know its been difficult to collect and bring them all to school but you did it! You look great onstage and I just want to thank you for taking that huge responsibility off of my shoulders I really appreciate it! Thank you for meeting with me privately after school many times in the past 4 months. You truly have been committed and have been one of the most talented casts of leads I have ever worked with in my teaching career. My hat goes off to you! Now go and enjoy the spotlight and all the rewards that have come from all of your hard work and preparation! You deserve it!

To my ensemble, dancers, brainics, jocks, cheerleaders, skaters and tech crew:

Believe it or not we would not be able to have a show without you backing the entire thing up. You also have been there every step of the way giving your heart and soul just like the leads. I know for you that the journey may have been harder and I so appreciate you hanging in there with me. It is hard to come to rehearsal everyday only to have to sit most of the time as scenes that you are not in are rehearsed over and over. Believe me… I’ve been an ensemble more times then I’ve been a lead; been there, done that! It is very difficult. But you didn’t give up! You were supportive, positive, patient and dedicated to this show and there are no words to say to represent that commitment; thank you! You also memorized lines, learned and performed choreography over and over AND brought and supplied your own costumes. Can I ask for a better cast? I don’t think so! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I hope when you all hear the applause and feel the energy from the audience tonight that you will have a moment under the lights where you realize: this has all been worth it! I hope you enjoy performing as much as I do… I hope that you can have a moment onstage tonight where you feel special, like a diva and VERY talented. Because you are!

All my love and support students! I’m so glad I have the special opportunity to be on this journey with you as your teacher! Break a leg tonight on our OPENING NIGHT! And remember to have fun!

“We’re on in this together!”


PARENTS: On Monday May 7^th we will be having our FINAL after school activity from 3:00-4:15. We will be taking our cast pictures in costume in front of the set before we “strike” and take everything down. We will be organizing and taking care of the costumes and sending all clothes back home AND we will be celebrating our successful run as a cast in our final cast party where once we’ve taken pictures and clean up we will go out on the lawn and eat treats and celebrate! Please have your student be in attendance! Thank you always for your support.

HSM Updates!

Dear High School Musical Parents,

I sent home a flyer today with your students advertising the following dates I will need your student after school for mandatory rehearsal. Our show opens for Dixon Middle School students and faculty on April 30^th and to the public on May 2, 3, and 4^th and we are still struggling to get through the show. I am confident with these mandatory rehearsals that we will be able to add costumes, hair, microphones and get as performances ready as we possible can. I ask for you support as many students have been missing after school rehearsals and we’ve missed cues, lines, entrances and exits… which causes all the rest of us to be confused, slow down and not understand what we need to do for our performances next week. It is crunch time. Please watch the blog for further announcements and updates. Thank you so much for you support! 

Easter Egg Hunt Activity

The Friday before Easter weekend my students and I were able to complete a really fun and successful activity: an Easter Egg hunt around the school using eggs, snow, the school secretary, the vice principal and my car to reach their "treasure" which was some really yummy donuts! Here are some pictures and text documenting our fun "free day" activity!

Letter #1: Given after each students was handed an Easter egg to color when they walked into class!

Good morning students!
Welcome to a wonderful day!
A day full of Easter, fun and play!
You'll first need to color your eggs to begin,
put your name on the back so your prize you can win!
When it's all colored and sparkling bright,
I'll go hid the eggs and you can begin your flight!

The students had 10 minutes to go find their small eggs with their names on it AND the big sparking "golden egg" which they could find for a big prize! Once all the students found their eggs, the golden egg or the 10 minutes time had passed they came back to the classroom for another clue.

You found the golden egg! You did it you won!
Now just one more step until our Easter hunts done.
Before YOU are awarded with your big winner's prize,
you must help your classmates win a prize.
Think of a place that is golden too...
a place where Miss Rogers' goes when all her work is through

Now before you go you'll need to find one more thing,to access the reward you'll need to ask "The King"
The king will have something you'll need to unlock
the "treasure" inside that Miss Rogers bought!

Before the students ran out of the classroom to go find "The King" (Principal Sites) I caught them and read them another clue.

I've just been informed the king's fleed away!
He was needed in some country far far away...
But do not worry and don't be distressed
He has left someone in charge, someone SECOND best! 

Now just in case you can't see him he'll wear something bright,
Go on! Start searching! We can't take all night! (Vice Principal Wells)

OR

She works really hard each morning and night
on the computer and phone, sometimes her job just bites! (School Secretary- Maria)

Then the students would go find the principal or talk to the school secretary to get my car keys. They would then go and find my "golden" car and bring back to the classroom the treats that they found. While the students were eating and enjoying their treat I would read the last and final note to the Golden Egg winner.

They found their prize, the class is eating their treats!
Now for YOUR time to be rewarded!
In the back of the room you'll find a locked bin,
open the door and see your prize within.

In the back bin I would have a big package of cookies bought from the store that the student would take home and enjoy. It was a great activity day! I can't wait to do it next year!

HSM After School Rehearsals

Dear parents,

I have decided to have after school rehearsals beginning NEXT MONDAY. The students will stay with me Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday for an extra hour and 15 minutes. They will be free to go after 4:15. Snacks will be provided in the cafeteria for the students after they are released and busses will be here to pick them up and take them home around 4:30-4:45. We simply need the time to rehearse. With spring break coming up and all of the other Dixon Band, Choir, Ballroom activities that are happening we are unable to rehearse on the stage. WE NEED TO MAKE UP THIS TIME. We are not ready or on-track for this show to open April 30^th. 

We need to learn more dances, music, blocking, work on the lighting, add microphones, speed up our transitions and add hair, make-up and costumes. Although all of this is very exciting and a great activity for your students to be apart of; it is all very faced-paced and stressful. We need to start rehearsing after school immediately. THIS IS NOT AN OPINON.Please support me and the commitment you and your student gave me in January. I will see your student Monday after school.

* PS. Students will be allowed to bring snacks and work on their homework during these after school rehearsals. My grades were never better then when I was in a theatre production because I had so many tutors and help! Encourage your student to use his/her time wisely and do their homework while they are waiting for their scenes. 

Rehearsal on Friday!

This Friday the students get out of school at 12:50 because it is the end of the term. Teachers are given the rest of the school day to work on putting student grades into the computer so they can be finalized. We are required to be here until 3:30 pm.

After talking to the Musical Theatre students yesterday in class, we’ve decided to have a rehearsal on Friday from 1:00-3:00 in the Dixon Middle School Auditorium to continue to prepare as the play’s opening date is around the corner. Student will be allowed to bring a SACK LUNCH and enjoy eating it in the auditorium as they wait for their specific scenes to be rehearsed. After 3:00 they will be free to go home and enjoy their weekend J

Now I know this presents a few problems as families are leaving on vacation and buses won’t be provided. All I ask is that you send me an email at andrear@provo.edu telling me the reason why your student won’t be able to attend this rehearsal. If your student is unable to attend please make sure that they practice their lines, lyrics, music and dancing extra hard over the weekend. As long as I hear from you parents; I will be happy.

Otherwise I will be with your student this Friday in rehearsals! Please remind them that they need to dress in costume so I can take their picture for points. Cheerleaders and basketball players just dress like a High School Musical student for participation points!

Thank you for your support parents!