Sweepstakes!

If you see a Broncho Orchestra member, congratulate them! They did a wonderful job yesterday earning their first sweepstakes trophy since 2019! (For those who haven't been in a music program before, a sweepstakes is the award given to programs who receive top ratings - a 1st division - on both stage and sight reading.)

A group of fantastic kids, strings winds and percussion, showed up yesterday and put on a fabulous performance in the OHS PAC! If you didn't get to hear it live, I'm planning on making the recordings available online over spring break.

After their concert they went and sight read and, honestly, blew me away and exceeded my expectations. The students read and gave a performance on a piece they've never seen before after only 8 minutes of practice and once again received top marks.

Then, after getting up early and giving a killer performance, many of these orchestra students stuck around for another 8 hours(!) to help host contest for the region, tearing down and setting up countless chairs and stands, running score sheets and scores, and guiding visitors to our campus. The integrity with which they carried themselves was excellent and, in many ways, more reward than any trophy or rating.

Words can't express how much these musicians have grown this school year. Like I said before, if you see an orchestra member, congratulate them. They've done awesome work.

A special thanks is due to the band staff, Ms. Campos, Mr. Olague, and Mr. Montgomery, who were critically essential in making contest run smoothly, along with Ms. Florance, our harp teacher. Their help, hard work, experience, and professionalism were invaluable.

Also a special thanks is due to our theater teachers, Ms. Lemaster and Ms. Smith, who are critical to success of any event hosted in the OHS PAC. Thank you!

Again, one last congratulations to our students on a wonderfully successful day all around. I hope everyone enjoys a refreshing and relaxing spring break - you've certainly earned it!