May 14th Group Classes

This Saturday, May 14th, is the second-last group class of the term! We're happy to welcome Evelyn Osborne back from Ghana, which means that all ECE classes will be running this Saturday.

Christina Smith, however, will be absent. That means that cello classes, STEP Fiddlers, and Fiddle 4 are all CANCELLED this week. Josh, our administrator, will also be out of town; this means that there won't be anyone at the usual desk by the Choral Room. If you still need an ACSI application, or want to submit your application/payment, please see Evelyn Osborne in Chamber Room 1001 between classes.

ACSI Update

The registration deadline for the Atlantic Canada Suzuki Institute was last week. Thanks to all the families who dropped their applications off. We're very excited for this year's camp, which is only 6.5 weeks away!

If you haven't got your application in yet, it's not too late. PDF versions are available online athttp://suzukinl.ca/acsi.htm - just download them and fill them in on your computer. We ask that you complete one Family Contact form for your family, and one Program Selection form for each student in the family. You can send the form in by email by clicking the "Submit by Email" button on the bottom, or by saving the form and attaching it to a message sent to "step@suzukinl.ca". We've had a few reports of cranky PDF readers - if the software is giving you any trouble, just print it off and bring it in on Saturday. You could also pop it in the mail to STEP, PO Box 23182, Churchill Square, St. John's, NL.

Please remember that applications sent in from now on need to include a late fee! There's a space on the form to indicate if that's the case.

We're now processing your applications and building the camp schedule; you should receive an emailed receipt confirming your family's program choices and payments in the week following Victoria Day.

If you have any ACSI-related questions, please contact Evelyn Osborne, Artistic Director of ACSI, at evelyn_osborne@yahoo.com

Graduation Tape Time!

A reminder to all graduating students: it's time to get your graduation tapes together! They'll need to be handed in by the end of Camp. The required pieces can be found on the website at http:/suzukinl.ca/Graduation_Requirements.pdf. Please check with your teacher first to confirm that you're ready to graduate!

Library Volunteer still needed!

STEP is looking for one parent to volunteer to collect the "orders" for books and music each week before group class. They can then go with Josh to the office on Saturday morning and get the books to pass out to parents while they're passing through for group class. Materials borrowed this way can then be returned at the next group class day. The library volunteer would need to keep track (spreadsheets will be provided!) of what is on loan and to whom. Drop a line to step@suzukinl.ca if you can volunteer; we'd like to get this started as soon as possible - it's a job that will keep going into next year!

Kudos Corner

Congratulations to Emma N for playing through an entire Variation 1 Twinkle in her lesson. Without stopping!

Special thanks to Evan N for being such a good example.

Emily D is on the last piece in book 2. Almost finished...keep up the good work!

Heather Kao

Congratulations to Sophie P who played a beautiful One Two Wait Four with excellent focus in her very first solo concert.

Congratulations to Nicolas P who played a lively and well-polished Down Diddy Up Diddy in his very first solo concert.

Lauren Smee

Congratulations to Julia Bowdring. Julia is the recipient of this years Lady Cove Women's Choir Bursary. Julia was also showcased in the May 7, 2011 "The Weekend Telegram's 20 Questions".

Elizabeth Whelan Hollett

Please write in with notes of appreciation for June's issue of STEP Wise! You can write in if your child/student has worked hard to keep his violin up, or bow straight, or tall cello back. You can write in to thank Mom or Dad for bringing you to a concert, or you can write in to thank a STEP volunteer for their contribution.

Christina Smith, Artistic Director