SMM Youth Scholas, 2020-21: Form A

There are a few openings for our Schola Masterclasses for the Spring 2021 Semester (starting Jan 5th). (Parents of interested students should contact the Director to confirm class opening/s before completing this enrollment form.)

• Masterclass = small group of 12 or fewer students of a similar age and vocal/musical stage of development.
• Small class size allows us to space out in the choir area and is conducive to a focused and personalized learning experience.
• Most of our Masterclasses are for students who are comfortable English readers (age 8/grade 3 and up). We have one junior (preparatory) masterclass for K-2 that is currently full.
• Class sessions are 1 hour/week for grades 2-8 and 75 min for teens. Select days: Tues/Wed afternoon/early evening for lower grades and Sat morning for teens.
• Class placement is at the discretion of the director so that your child(ren) can be in a class most conducive to their development. 
• Each masterclass sings for Mass about once a month (teens can be more frequent). Mass time can vary so flexibility is requested. We will provide the Spring Mass schedule via shared Google calendar and hard copy to students given the first day of class.
• Students receive focused training on liturgical spirituality and music theory alongside preparing sacred music for worship.
• All students will participate in a Spring Concert on Friday, May 21 (5pm arrival) and dress rehearsal the day prior on Thursday, May 20 (evening, TBA).

We are excited to welcome your family!

All choir parents need to be in the CHOIRS Flocknote group in order to receive important communication. If student has his/her own email and wants to also receive Flocknote communication with parental permission, that is also fine.

 Steps to access your Flocknote account:

1.     Go to www.flocknote.com/smarymag

2.     If you have previously completed your account setup with a password, click the blue “Login” button. If you have not yet set up a password, enter your name, email, and phone number and click the green button “Sign me up”.

3.     On the next screen, you will likely see multiple organizations listed. Click “St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church”.

4.     You will be taken to a prompt inviting you to check out groups in this parish, or to a home page where you can click “Groups”.

5.     Scroll down the list to the LITURGY category and find "Choirs", then the green "Join" button.

6.     Find the sub group for your child(ren)'s specific Masterclass(es) and request to join those as well. This is important as most communication is sent to specific classes.

Drop-off/pick-up: I understand that the entrance/exit for choristers will now be the double doors between the Confessional closet and the choir area. (Note: Drive around the church building to the parking area by the dumpster). Arrival for class opens 15 minutes prior to start time and pickup rides should be waiting in the above-mentioned parking area at the time of class dismissal.

Attendance and promptness: I understand that it is not beneficial for my child or for fellow students for him/her to miss without good cause, and that any occasional absences should be communicated with the director in advance. I understand that being ready for class start time/Mass call time includes planning ahead for parking, bathroom, etc and that being present for the full session is what helps my child be able to focus and enjoy the class.

Sickness: If my child runs a fever or shows symptoms of cold/flu, I understand to keep him/her home and will email a notice to smmsacredmusic@gmail.com.

Choir Binders/Folders: I understand that my child will receive a choir binder or folder which he/she is expected to bring to every rehearsal and Mass unless instructed otherwise. We are responsible for keeping the binder/folder and contents in good condition and returning it at the end of the semester. Lost or damaged binder = $30 replacement fee.

Smartphones: To minimize distraction, choristers who have smartphones will be expected to turn them in when entering rehearsal and claim them at the end of rehearsal.

Face coverings: I understand that a face covering or mask is optional per the parents' discretion, and that if my child will wear one, it should be something that doesn't inhibit his/her voice too greatly.

Singers' attitudes:

● I sing for Mass to worship Jesus. The spotlight is on him, not me.
● God deserves our best. I take what I did yesterday, and improve on it today.
● I am a good teammate. I encourage & don't compete with my fellow students.
● I offer the gift of my voice with love and reverence for God and His people.

Save-the-Date: We have reserved the Spring Concert dates (evenings of May 20 & 21) on our calendar since all choristers participate.

General Permission and Liability Release: I hereby give permission for my child(ren) to participate in St. Mary Magdalene Youth Choirs. I hereby release and indemnify Saint Mary Magdalene Roman Catholic Church, its staff, volunteers, and the Diocese of Phoenix from any and all liability arising from claims of any kind whatsoever from my child’s participation in this activity.  I understand that my child(ren) is/are responsible for observing certain regulations and behavioral expectations while taking part in this activity. 

Photo/Video Release: I give permission for my child(ren) to be included in photographs and/or video of the choir and shared publicly via the parish website, social media, newspaper, etc. I understand that choristers in photos are usually not identified by name, and that I would be contacted for separate permission regarding usage that includes identification of subjects.

Enrollment fees help us offset the many costs of offering a quality sacred music program.

SMM Parishioners:

 Non-Parishioners:

 *No child is turned away due to financial hardship. If you are unable to make payment at this time, please contact claire@smarymag.org.

There are some uniform costs in addition to the above (detailed on Form B). This will be a separate online payment.

Click HERE to pay on FaithDirect. Put in Note: "Youth Scholas - [Last name, # of children]".

The information that you provide on this form is confidential and will be received by the St. Mary Magdalene team. We will only use this information for the Sacred Music Program and the promotion of any useful opportunities for all participants who join the program. No information provided to us will be shared to any other parties without consent of the individuals named on this form, unless in the event of an emergency. Should this be the case, then only relevant parties will have details shared with them.