Goodbye Fitz, Hello Hayek!

Dear Northern Chorus students and families,

I have truly enjoyed serving as your chorus teacher at Northern High for the past three years. You have accepted me into the Northern family and made me feel welcome. I have watched the students grow vocally and musically, and seen their talent blossom on stage and in the classroom. I have been proud to work at Northern High, but am sad to say that I will not be returning to Northern next year. I have accepted a position as the lead music teacher at Sandy Ridge Elementary. This was a very difficult decision for me to make, and I will miss you all terribly.

Sandy Ridge Elementary is a new arts magnet elementary school opening in August. Mr. Colclough is the principal of the new school. There will be a big emphasis on performance, guest artists, field trips and arts integration. I am excited to have the opportunity to explore teaching another age group! You can find out more about Sandy Ridge at http://sandyridge.dpsnc.net.

Mrs. Lindsey Hayek will be the new Northern High Choral Director. She has her Bachelors of Music in Vocal Performance and Masters of Arts in Teaching from UNC-Chapel Hill. She is an outstanding vocalist and pianist, kind and capable. She is very excited to join the Northern family and cannot wait to meet you all. I feel very confident leaving the Northern Chorus in her hands. Please make her feel welcome next year and stay away from the phrase, “But Ms. Fitz used to….” Mrs. Hayek will do things differently, just like I did things differently when I started working at Northern. She has your best interests in mind, so I hope you will make her feel at home. Mrs. Hayek will be sending a letter home in early August introducing herself and announcing the class lists.

I hope you will think of this transition in terms of a new beginning—not like an ending. A new beginning is a wonderful thing! Mrs. Hayek will expose you to new music, new warm-ups, new performance opportunities and a new style of teaching. You will become a better musician because you will get to study with two music teachers—not just one.

You can always email me, find me on facebook, or send me a text (when you’re not in class). I know this chorus will continue to grow and make Durham proud. With the Superior ratings and positive comments from judges all around the state and country, I hope you know what you are capable of! I am so proud of you and cannot wait to see what you do in years to come!
Best of luck. Keep in touch and keep singing!