Vocal Music   Vocal Music Director Cheri Helmer-Riensche

Cheri Helmer-Riensche is presently in her thirty first year of teaching Secondary Choral Music in the State of Nebraska. She is also an active adjudicator and guest conductor for show choir and choir festivals and contests throughout the United States. She has presented sessions at the Nebraska State Choral Directors and the Nebraska Music Educators Associations’ State and Regional Conventions. In the summer, she is on the staff of the Butler Show Choir Summer Showcase in El Dorado, Kansas and this summer will be one of four clinicians working in an educational partnership with the Omaha Community Playhouse.

Mrs. Riensche has served the Nebraska Choral Directors Association as President for two terms, and was the Choral Chair for the Nebraska Music Educators Association where she was in charge of the Nebraska All-State Chorus. Her choral ensembles have performed and competed on the state and national levels of competition and have appeared on public and educational television. They have sung with several college choirs, the Albert McNeil Singers of Los Angeles, California, Maestro Robert de Cormier of New York City, The Omaha Symphony and Opera Omaha.

Chosen Outstanding Teacher of the Year in 1992 and 2000, Mrs. Riensche was also the recipient of the Nebraska’s Spirit of the Prairie Award and the Admiral of the Nebraska Navy Award (presented then by Governor Bob Kerry) runner-up for the Frieda Draft-Beatty Teacher of Excellence Award from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, and was twice runner-up for the Seward County Citizen of the Year while teaching at Seward High School. In 2002, she was presented the Alice E. Buffet Award for outstanding educators in the Omaha Public Schools. In 2003 she received the Wayne State College Outstanding Alumna Award, and in the winter of 2004 was named Nebraska’s Choral Director of the Year.

As an advocate of music for all children, Mrs. Riensche has created a high school music curriculum for students with severe and profound mental and physical disabilities. Besides teaching her music class for students with special needs, her responsibilities include directing the Freshman Choir, Concert Choir, Men and Women's Choruses, Titan Show Choirs, Co-Sponsor of the Senior Class and co-directing the all school musical.

Concert Choir

Mixed Choir

Calandar Of Events

Titan Ladies Of 2006-2007

Brittany Barron, Bethany Blanchard, Liah Burke, Lindsay Byers, Tatiana Carabello, Rachel Curtin, Shelby Fox, Mattie Glessinger, Carrie Grinnell, Bree Heidesch, Megan Hezeltine, Allie Higgins, Madison Karels, Kara Kostal, Alicia Little, Michelle Madsen, Lizi Monzingo Breanne Morris, Kim Mueller, Jenna Seberg, Karly Sorys, Chelsea Thomas, Alex Thornburg, Caitlin Totten, Becca Vetter, Stephanie Weaver, Maggie Woracek

Titanium Of 2006-2007

Micah Agoncillo, Hali Barber, Travis Brown , Geoff Bolton, Adria Caffaro, Ryan Condrey, Josh Conrad, Jared Dailey, Cassie Davis, Kyle Dalton, Michaela Fernen, Matan Gill, Nick Grayson, Lindsy Hansen, Jonathan Heida, Jonathan Howsden, Cynthia Jones, Paige Jones, Hannah Judd, Ryan Juhl, Matt Karasek, Wade Kellett, Megan Kelly, Mitch Lemke, Gloria Lush, Broderick McMillian, Catherine Prather, Jenna Prather, Sam Ritter, Mike Schiavone, Katie Sorys, Kyle Stout, Sam Swerczek, Stephanie Totten, Kelsey Turner, Jana Vogt, De’Shawn Willis, Bethany Wisniewski

Titan Prep Of 2006-2007

Colby Adams, Alex Bakke, Ben Bowder, Kelly Clouse, Brittany Cobbler, Andrea Curran, Tanner Fjeld, Miles Kellett, Kayla Kohler, Erin Mazy, Austin McCullom, Amy Perry, Jonathan Prather, Will Ryan, Michael Shallenberger, Chelsea Smith, Dave Stotts, Natalie Takacs, Hailey Vinter, Jacob Yenko

The Papillion-La Vista South Concert Choir is composed of Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors who have the desire to sing in a large ensemble and are willing to commit to a heavy rehearsal and performance schedule. The concert choir has grown from 32 to 97 members since our school opened its doors for the first time just three years ago.

The choir has received superior ratings at District Music Contest, and were the 2005 Grand Champions of the “Winter Park Ski/Music Choir Competition” in Winter Park, Colorado. They have participated in The Omaha Symphony’s Collaborative Choral Concert the past two years, performing with the Symphony and selected soloists from throughout the United States sponsored by Opera Omaha. In the fall of this school year, the choir was selected to sing in a solo performance with The Omaha Symphony in “The Hard Hat Concert” at the newly opened Holland Performing Arts Center in downtown Omaha.

We are proud to say that members of this ensemble are also leaders in our school in the areas of academics, instrumental music, drama, sports and various other school clubs and activities. Students in this ensemble are also participants in the women’s chorus, Titan Men’s Glee, Titanium and Lady Titan Show Choirs, and many singers perform in the all school musical held each fall.

We also remain humbled and privileged for the opportunity in February of 2006 to perform in a Collaborative Choral Concert with the University of Nebraska at Omaha's Concert Choir. The choirs will unite under the direction of renowned conductor, composer and arranger Dr. Andre Thomas of Florida State University.

We wish to publically thank our parents, patrons, administrators Dr. Enid Schonewise, Mr. James Larson, Mr. Jeff Johnson, Mrs. Pat Zalesky, Dr. Mark Weichel and Cindy Cronn, and the PL South Staff for the continued support that our department receives in each of our endeavors.

Concert Choir performing in the Collaborative Choral Concert with the Omaha Symphony in the historic Orpheum Theater, downtown Omaha.