Tursachan

The Newsletter of the Callanish School of Celtic Arts

Dear Students and Parents,

Welcome back after a very hot summer of dancing! For those of you who weren’t with us, you missed some sweaty lessons! Also, welcome to all the new students and families joining the Callanish School for the first time. A lot is planned for the fall session, so stay tuned for announcements. Remember to look on the designated hand-out table at each location for updated competition entry forms and information about performances.

Mòran Taing,

Maggie Carchrie

Things New People Need to Know . . .

Joy & Mike Pell, Head Parents
(508) 833-1690 ~ mmjpell@cape.com
Joy and Mike help out in every way possible and also act as a liaison between the parents and Maggie. If you have questions about anything, feel free to contact them. They also may be contacting you for help with fundraisers and to let you know about school activities.

Mary Carchrie, Seamstress & School Matriarch
(508) 790-4165 ~ carchrie@capecod.net
Need help with costumes? Maggie's mom can either make your costume or advise you how to do so. Need advice on life as a Highland dance parent? No problem, just ask!

Colleen Anderson, Student Teacher
(508) 385-8572 ~ cgadance@hotmail.com
Colleen assists with many of the Scottish dance classes and also substitutes when Maggie is either sick or away on business. She is one of the most experienced dancers of the school and is training to become a certified instructor.

Highland Light Scottish Society, Inc.
Margaret MacAskill, President
The HLSS sponsors the dance lessons of the Callanish School. Because of their sponsorship, we are able to use both the West Barnstable Community Building and the Yarmouth Congregational Church for lessons. The HLSS also provides assistance for the school by offering scholarships to the children of the Society for use in their Scottish pursuits. All Callanish families are strongly encouraged to become members of this cultural group. Membership dues are $15 each year and application forms are available from Maggie.

Tartan Town
(877) 800-KILT ~ www.tartantown.com
This is where most of our Highland dance merchandise is ordered from. Please check with Maggie before ordering items as Callanish dancers wear specific styles and brands of items. The nicest and least expensive Scottish items around, but may take a while to receive orders.

Highland X-Press
(816) 746-6750 ~ http://members.tripod.com/~highxpress/
Reliable and fast, you can’t go wrong ordering things from Highland X-Press. Great selection of Scottish dance paraphernalia such as trinkets, ghillies, t-shirts, etc. Also a good place to look for used costumes.

Hullachan Pro North America
(970)532-3216 ~ www.hprona.com
Hullachan Pro ghillies are the only ghillies Callanish Dancers wear. However, beginning dancers may purchase James Senior Ghillies from Tartan Town or Highland X-Press. You can also check with Maggie about any used shoes she may have for sale.

Tuition & Other Monies
For students taking lessons in W. Barnstable and Yarmouthport, incoming money should be placed in Maggie’s black file box behind the card with your name on it. This includes tuition and money for CDs, hats, etc. Please don’t hand it directly to her in lessons -- she gets confused and forgets who gave her what!

Hats Are Here!

The Callanish base ball and bucket caps are here! These stylish items will compliment your school t-shirts and warm-up suits. Hats are $15 each and are a fundraiser for the school. Each family is asked to sell 5 hats for the fundraiser.

Gaelic Lessons Slated

Thomas Leigh will be teaching an 8-week course in Scottish Gaelic at the Sandwich Community School on Monday nights from 7-8:30 PM, beginning September 9th. Maggie will have catalogs available in class for anyone interested in signing up.

Celtic Fiddle Lessons Slated

Beginning this month, fiddle lessons will be offered for the first time through the Callanish School. Lissa Schneckenburger, New England Conservatory of Music graduate and winner of numerous Scottish music awards, will be offering private and group lessons at Maggie’s house in Sandwich on Tuesdays. Lessons are for children and adults, beginner to advanced level. A six-week session is planned for the following dates: Sept. 24; Oct. 8, 22; Nov. 5, 19; Dec. 3

Please see Maggie for more details if interested.

Miscellaneous announcements

There are a few extra copies of "Highland Dancer Magazine" available for $5.00 each. See Maggie if interested.

Thanks to Everyone Who Donated to the Baby Center Fundraiser!

Hats Off!

Congratulations to the following dancers who earned medals and Trophies at recent competitions:

Upcoming Events

9 Sept Parents' Meeting, WBCB, 6:00 PM
Pot-luck supper
14-15 Sept New Hampshire Highland Games
5 Oct Goshen, CT Highland Games, 9-5
13 Oct Scotland, CT Scottish Festival, 9-5
3 Nov Cape Heritage Nursing Home, Sandwich
2:00 pm performance (arrive dressed by 1:30)
11-12 Jan 2nd Annual Callanish Winter Fling

Need more info on festivals? See the official Highland Games web site at: www.maclachlans.org/games.html