December - 2022

Hello Lightridge Chorus Families, 

Happy Holidays! Your students are excited to share their Winter Concert music and are working hard to perfect their music as we gear up for concert season. It will be a busy season leading up to our performances for you all - so here are some updates and reminders:

Lightridge Singers [Caroling]

Saturday december 3rd [4:30 PM - 6:00 PM]

Lightridge Singers will be singing at the tree lighting for the Westridge Community winter celebration on Saturday, December 3rd. This event is highly encouraged for students who are in the Lightridge Singers ensemble. We have committed to this event and are looking to ensure as many of the ensembles members to attend as possible! The address for the event is 25185 Chaffee Cir, Aldie, VA 20105.

Winter Concert [Rehearsal]

Monday December 5th [4:15 PM - 6:30 PM]

ALL chorus students will be staying after school on Monday, December 5th, for our final rehearsal before our concert. This rehearsal is mandatory for all students. This will be a combined rehearsal with Willard chorus students. It is vital that all students are in attendance so we can run logistics for smooth transitions. Please be prepared to pick up your student from this rehearsal.

Winter Concert

Tuesday december 6th [7:00 PM]

  • 6:00 PM - students meet in the auditorium for call time

  • chorus uniform - black dress or black suit that was sent home with black socks or tights and black flats or black dress shoes

  • holiday accessories - encouraged for all students to wear throughout the concert

  • students must stay for the duration of the concert

Lightridge Singers [School Board Performance]

Tuesday December 13th [6:30 PM - 6:45 PM]

Lightridge Singers has been invited to sing for the School Board at their December 13th meeting. We will depart from Lightridge at 5:30 PM and return around 7:00 PM.

NEW YORK CITY - SPRING TRIP

The information for our spring trip to New York City is finally here! There are many steps to get trips approved and we appreciate your patience. We have a quick deadline for our commitment to the trip and first payment. Here are some overall questions we want to answer to start off: 

  • When is the trip? The dates of the trip will be from Wednesday, March 29th - Saturday, April 1st. Saturday is the first day of Spring Break. Please check to make sure that you cross-reference sports schedules and other schedules prior to registering.

  • How much will the trip cost?

[Monday, December 5th: $200 Deposit]

[Wednesday, January 18th: $600 2nd Payment]

[Wednesday February 15th: estimated $200 final payment]

Please note that the final payment is determined based on the number of students and chaperones who attend the trip. We need 10 - 15 chaperones to attend the trip and 90 students to keep our price to at $1,082 total per person. Chaperones potentially can have a discounted price IF I can gather the number that I need. It is VITAL that we have the chaperones we are needing to ensure the safety of students and keep our ratio small.

  • How many chaperones will be on the trip? What is the ratio? See above. I am looking for a 6-7 students per chaperone ratio.

  • What is the schedule for the trip? There is an attached schedule to the email sent out to families through ParentVUE.

  • This is expensive … why? Yes, trips are expensive! The hotel is in Times Square to ensure the highest level of safety for students. Our bus company is also one of the best rated in the NoVA area. These items are the most expensive, and are vital in creating a piece of mind. Its also for 3 nights.

  • How will I know that my child is safe on the trip? We will have a mandatory student-parent meeting prior to the trip to go over rules and regulations for our trip. Safety is the top priority and we will make sure we do everything we can to keep your student safe. Please reach out to me if you have specific questions regarding this. The travel company we are working with has had many successful trips with different LCPS programs.

  • Is this trip mandatory? This trip is not mandatory, however, trips like this make a huge difference in a student's experience in Lightridge Chorus. We have not attended a trip together as a program since the school's opening. Lightridge Singers attended a trip to James Madison University's Choral Fest in the fall and the experience was vital for their success this year as an ensemble.

  • Will there be fundraising opportunities? Once we have all of the students and chaperones registered, I will begin the process of creating fundraising opportunities to lessen the cost of the trip with the help of our Lightridge Chorus Boosters.

Trip Registration Information

  • REGISTER THROUGH THE KALEIDESCOPE WEBSITE: https://www.wetravel.com/trips/-51860504. Use the discount code REGISTRATION424 online so there is no balance. Payments need to be submitted to Lightridge HS directly at https://lcps.schoolcashonline.com/Fee/Details/9764/371/False/True. The deadline for enrollment and payment is Monday, December 6th at 6:00 pm EST. Since we are working with a travel company, late payments and enrollments will not be accepted.

  • TUTORIAL FOR HOW TO REGISTER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cC8CZAxjpME. Make sure you register for chaperones as well.

  • It is important that all travelers register on the website, as this replaces our paper forms required for liability purposes, cancellation policy acknowledgements, emergency contact information, and allergy information.

  • Travel Protection is an optional extra charge individuals can sign up for on the registration site. This amount SHOULD be paid through the site.

As always, do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions! I look forward to this incredible opportunity and I know it will make such a difference in your student's high school experience! 

Best,

Helai Karim