23:I[736371,["$2","$3","$4"],"default"] 26:I[27201,["$2","$3"],"IconMark"] 24:Tfd01,FAB Newsletter — Fall 2026

Cedarburg High School Fine Arts Boosters

FAB Newsletter

FALL 2026

A Note From the President

Welcome to another year of CHS Fine Arts!

I’d like to extend a special welcome to new members. Please join us for a meeting, held the second Tuesday of every month in the IMC at 7:00. If you have any questions about FAB or would like to get more involved, please email me at president@chsfab.org.

Read on for updates from all the fine arts departments, and hear from some of the students and teachers who benefited from your generosity. Thank you for making what we do possible!

— FAB President Polly Schmidt

In this edition:

Vocal Music

Grants & Scholarships

Drama Program

Art in the Burg

Instrumental Music

2026–27 Arts Calendar

Vocal Music Program

We had our fall concert, Moving Through Time, on October 18. Congrats to the choir students for this beautiful musical showcase!

Want beautiful flowers to liven your holiday space? We are offering poinsettia plants with a pot cover and care tag, each individually labeled with your name. The colors available are red, white, pink and bluish-purple. The money raised through poinsettia sales helps provide enriching choral opportunities (such as offsetting the cost of Solo and Ensemble), purchase choral literature, offset concert attire replacement and repair costs, and more. Bonus: the poinsettias will festively set the stage for our winter concert on December 16 before you take them home! Order with the Poinsettia Order Form. The deadline to order is Tuesday, December 1.

We’re excited for Marissa, Marin, and Marissa, three of our choral students who headed to Madison the week of October 27 to take part in the WSMA State Honors Choir!

Love to sing? Join us! Alumni, parents and guardians are invited to join choirs in the Cedarburg School District as we perform a world premiere at the Spring Concert on Friday, May 21, 2027 at 7 PM in the CPAC. You do not have to be a professional singer to join us! You will receive music and recordings to help you prepare in advance, and we will hold a few rehearsals leading up to the performance (scheduled at a later date). All participants are required to attend the dress rehearsal on Thursday, May 20 at 6:30 PM in the CPAC. We’d love to have you participate, so spread the word! Sign up to sing with us for our world premiere.

See the 2026–27 Projected Major Singing and Choir Events Calendar.

— Kadie Johnson, Heidi Wheeler, and Mr. Mudra, Director of Choir

Grants & Scholarships

FAB provides scholarships for CHS seniors as well as scholarships for students to attend fine arts camps and honors programs. We are always excited to hear from them about their plans and experiences. Here are a few excerpts from senior scholarship winners:

“I’m very grateful to be able to pursue my passion in the arts in my future. I plan to use my passion in photography and the visual arts to work in the music industry in the future, and I have gained so much valuable knowledge from CHS art classes.”

“It (the scholarship) truly means so much to me, and as someone going to a conservatory next year (Eastman School of Music, Rochester), all the support to lift the financial burden and help me to begin my career as a young artist is so impactful and meaningful. As I develop my compositional and musical skills further, I will forever be grateful for your contribution and for cultivating such a rich fine arts environment at CHS for me to grow up in.”

Here are some experiences shared by those who attended the WSMA State Honors Programs:

“An experience that was impactful was the long hours of rehearsal. This showed me that practicing long hours is possible and I can achieve a lot in a short amount of time.”

“I learned a lot about music theory. For example, I learned about chord extensions. Now that I know this I feel like I can understand vocal parts better and it will help me with playing the piano and guitar.”

Finally, here are excerpts from letters concerning grants to the CHS fine arts departments:

“This donation will contribute to our mission of challenging students to achieve their goals and dreams. It is gestures like yours that separate our district and community from others. On behalf of the students, parents, and staff of the Cedarburg School District, I thank you for your benevolence.” — Jeridon Clark, PhD, Cedarburg School District Superintendent

“Thank you so much for your donation to the visual arts department. With the current price of supplies, that will help offset some of the expenses for supplies we need.”

— FAB President Polly Schmidt

FAB accepts applications for grants and scholarships for students and programs throughout the year, in accordance with our published timelines.

Camp and honors scholarships are accepted year-round.

Apply online at chsfab.org/scholarships

Join the FAB Board!

The FAB board is looking to fill the following roles:

Technical theater liaison
Art in the Burg committee members
Grants & Scholarships committee members

FAB meetings are scheduled for just one hour, once a month!

To learn more, contact us at info@chsfab.org.

CHS Drama Presents: Pride & Prejudice

Experience the wit and timeless charm of Jane Austen’s beloved classic in Jon Jory’s theatrical adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Follow Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy as they navigate first impressions, family expectations, and matters of the heart in a delightful story that reminds us that love often requires looking beyond what we think we know.

November 12–14 at 7:00 PM and November 15 at 2:00 PM, CPAC

Purchase your tickets at cpactickets.com/events.

Save the date! CHS Drama presents the winter musical, Oklahoma!, February 11–14.

Congratulations to Leah Dietz for designing the winning poster for Pride and Prejudice.

Building the set for Pride & Prejudice

Drama cast and crew at the Homecoming Parade

ART IN THE BURG

Submissions for 2027 Art in the Burg are now being accepted!

Help us spread the word as we search for new artists to join our fair this year. Last year we saw close to 800 attendees, with more than 60 artists participating. We hope we can top those numbers this year and raise more funds for the art department!

Show date: Saturday, April 3, 2027
Submissions close: December 1
Artists can apply at chsfab.org/art-in-the-burg/apply.

— Amy Duffey and CJ Wam

Instrumental Music Program

The CHS Marching Bulldogs had a busy fall season that included performances at Germantown Marching Madness, the Waukesha South Invitational, the Mukwonago Invitational, and the WSMA State Marching Band competition. The marching band also performed in the annual homecoming parade and at all of the home football games this season.

The band continued to grow and improve throughout the season, both musically and personally. The clarinets were named section of the marching band season at the annual band banquet.

With the end of the marching season, the Concert and Symphonic Bands have begun working on their winter concert repertoire.

Two band students will be performing in the WSMA State Honors Project this year: Gaia Marshall on flute in the orchestra, and Emery Tipkemper-Wolfe on percussion in the band. All WSMA State Honors Project concerts will be broadcast on PBS Wisconsin on Monday, December 28, 2026 at 8 PM, and on Wisconsin Public Radio at a date to be determined.

Upcoming concerts
Tuesday, December 8, 7 PM — Winter Band Concert, CPAC
Saturday, December 12 — Kapco Kids2Kids Toy Drive (tentative)
Tuesday, January 12, 7 PM — Winter Jazz Ensemble Concert, CPAC

— Jessica Tipkemper, Instrumental Music Liaison, and Andrew Westgate, Director of Bands

The Marching Bulldogs at UW-Whitewater

CHS Art Club making mandalas

Fall Images

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT FAB OR TO CONTACT US

Website: chsfab.org · Email: info@chsfab.org

Mailing address: Cedarburg High School, Attn: Fine Arts Boosters (FAB)
W68 N611 Evergreen Blvd., Cedarburg, WI 53012

2026–27 Arts Calendar

November

November 10, 7:00 PM

FAB Meeting, CHS IMC

November 12–15

Fall Play: Pride and Prejudice, CPAC

December

December 1

Poinsettia orders and Art in the Burg submissions due

December 8, 7:00 PM

FAB Meeting, CHS IMC

December 8, 7:00 PM

Winter Band Concert, CPAC

December 8

Mandatory Parent Meeting for Oklahoma!

December 9

Freshmen Preview

December 12, 5:00 PM

Bethlehem Experience, Christ Church, Mequon

December 16, 7:00 PM

Winter Choir Concert, CPAC

December 17, 6:15–6:45 PM

MSO Caroling, CPAC Lobby

December 28, 8:00 PM

WSMA State Honors concerts on PBS Wisconsin

January

January 12, 7:00 PM

FAB Meeting, CHS IMC

January 12, 7:00 PM

Winter Jazz Ensemble Concert, CPAC

February

February 9, 7:00 PM

FAB Meeting, CHS IMC

February 11–14

Winter Musical: Oklahoma!, CPAC

March

March 9, 7:00 PM

FAB Meeting, CHS IMC

March 13

District Solo & Ensemble, West Bend High School

April

April 3, 10:00 AM

Art in the Burg, CHS Field House

April 13, 7:00 PM

FAB Meeting, CHS IMC

May

May 1

State Solo & Ensemble, Carroll University

May 11, 7:00 PM

FAB Meeting, CHS IMC

May 19, 7:00 PM

CHS Scholarship & Awards Night, CPAC

May 21, 7:00 PM

Spring Choir Concert and Senior Recognition Night, CPAC

June

June 6

CHS Graduation

June 8, 7:00 PM

FAB Meeting and Election, CHS IMC

Always current at chsfab.org/events

Thanks for supporting the CHS Fine Arts Boosters!

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