Final Shows

Cora had her final Show Choir shows this weekend, with the Spring Concert event. The show featured all the choirs' competition sets, plus some "thowback" numbers from comp sets from years past, plus student-initiated numbers, PLUS a tribute to the graduating seniors. 

Here's Cora with her friend Eric, after the show when he was wearing his cap and gown as a graduating senior honoree.

This is Cora's choir doing its throwback number, the Imagine Dragons song "I'm on Top of the World." Cora is the one on one knee in this photo, and, later, she was one member of a trio with a featured singing part of the song.

Here are the rest of the photos from the parent who is a professional and blesses us with her talents!

Show Choir Banquet

Cora had an interesting experience in Show Choir this year. She loved the performing, but there were other aspects she didn't love, and she decided to not continue with it for next year. But, she DID decide to attend the annual year-end banquet. Many families go as well, so I accompanied her. Might be our only high school banquet...

It was fun to have a reason to get dressed up and go to The Odyssey banquet restaurant in Granada Hills. 

Here's Cora with Abby, her choir "big sibling," who happened to be star in many of the top choir's productions. 

These are the Show Choir Theater kids! They're in different choirs, but all were in Gatsby and R&G this year. I was grateful one of Cora's friends shared the photo.
 

Cora will miss Eric next year! He starred in Gatsby, stole scenes in R&G, and was an amazing performer in the Sound Vibes and Unleashed choirs.

After the dinner came awards time, and Cora won one of the awards! She was honored as Hart 'N Soul's Most Improved Singer, as voted on by her peers. Considering she'd had no formal singing training prior to this year, it was sweet to know her fellow singers recognized her improvement.

You can just barely see Cora rushing off the stage after getting her award. She doesn't like this kind of attention!

All in all, it was a lovely evening.

School Stuff

Cora went straight from Rosencrantz craziness to taking an Advanced Placement test in Environmental Science. If she passes the test, she can receive college credit for a science class. It was obviously an intense class, and an intense test. We celebrated Tuesday with a sushi lunch once she'd finished it.

On Friday, Violet had her "Greek Day" at school, where the students take on a famous ancient Greek persona and pretend to be them. While other classes had each student wear a toga, or more traditional ancient Greek attire, Mrs. Fusner allowed her students to be creative. 

Violet had fun putting together her outfit to present Artemis, the goddess of the moon and the hunt. Hence, her bow and her silvery blue accessories and makeup. 
 

And, Aunt Patty had to return to Washington, but Uncle Bill stayed another week! He was able to attend Violet's Open House, and see Cora in a Show Choir competition that, luckily for us, was held at Hart High. Cora ran over to get a photo in her costume after her choir's set was over.

Another parent posted these fabulous photos from the competition. Cora's group won first place for their division!

Weekend Pop Show

Cora's Show Choir presented its Pop Show on Friday and Saturday nights, after a long week of after-school rehearsals. 

Cora's Hart 'n Soul, the intermediate mixed show choir she is in, presented three songs from its set, which features two rival scouting groups.

Also, we're so pleased to announce that Cora will have one of the titular roles in her school's big spring production ! She will be playing Rosencrantz in Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead in late April. For a freshman to get one of the two leads, we are so proud and excited. 

Also over the weekend, Violet and I took Stace to our new hiking spot in Quigley Canyon. It was a gorgeous evening.

 

Show Choir - Elf!

 This weekend, Cora performed with her Show Choir in Holiday House, the annual Christmas performance that is set up as an "open house," where the guests go from room to room at the school, seeing a different part of the story with different performers. This year, they put on the stage musical "Elf."

Cora danced in the finale room. Here, she's wearing a hat and is behind the girl in the brown coat.

And here, she's in lilac, nearly in the center of the photo.

These next photos are from a professional photographer who happens to be a show choir mom! She generously offers her album to the parents for free downloads.

Back to my rather sad phone camera...

Melanie wasn't able to come to Cora's first Show Choir performances in October, but this was an Ellie-friendly event, so it was easier for her to come. We attended the final show of the night, so we had a chance to say hello when it was over.

Here is Cora's performance! I focused on her, so you might not get the whole idea, but you can see our favorite elf.

Show Choir - Hart on Broadway

Cora performed with her Show Choir, Hart 'N Soul, for the first time this weekend, with shows on Friday and Saturday night. Her group did a set of songs from Teen Beach Movie.

Cora's on the far left here...

And she's third from the right, here.
 

Second from right

Second from left.

On Friday, Cora's friends Zach, Connor and Ethan came to watch the show.

And on Saturday, Anna and Cami came to watch, as well.

The top Show Choir, Sound Vibrations, put on a series of songs from The Lion King. It was excellent! I loved the impalas that came our aisle.

It was a long week for Cora, with late rehearsals two days (from 3 until past 9 p.m.) and then the show days were long, too. 

Creative Girls

My creative girls have been at it again. Cora is making dice for D&D, and Violet is making candles. 

To continue candle-making, we visited Bennett's Honey Farm off Highway 126 on Monday after school, to buy beeswax (in the cellophane bag next to the honey we bought). 

Since Liana lives on the way to the honey store, we picked up her and Colleen on the way, for a fun little outing together.

We also bought a bit of honeycomb to try out - interesting experience! It feels like you're back in ancient times, slurping the honey through the waxy comb.

Here's Vi with one lovely candle she poured. 

A fellow mama, Sandy, and I are helping Violet's class as room parents for the final time - how fitting! It's the fourth time our girls have been in class together, and we can help the teacher together. 

One afternoon this week, we were given huge heavy blocks of clay to cut and wrap in plastic wrap, for an upcoming project where the kids will make their own cuneiform clay writing tablets.

On Saturday, Cora took part in a Show Choir fundraiser where younger kids come out for a few hours to learn a song and dance routine.

Cora, circled in red, was with the kids helping the third-, fourth-, and fifth-graders with a dance routine to "Life is a Highway."

We've come full-circle! Here's Cora back at a Show Choir Kids Clinic herself when she was in kindergarten! And look at Ave behind her, the blondie looking up.
 

Meanwhile, Stace took Violet to the archery range with the new bow. Violet is wearing a long skirt and boots she'll wear when she portrays a famous book character/subject at school near Halloween.