This Week's Newsletter

Director's Notes

• CALENDAR FUNDRAISER Thank you to all who participated in our first Calendar Fundraiser!  If you still have any donations to turn in, please have your student turn them into the Band Box in the band room this week.  Thank you for your support!

• HELP NEEDED We need a volunteer parent/team of parents who could assist us with taking the trailer to football games.  We have a full drumline and must use the trailer to transport all of our equipment in order to perform.  Students will be responsible for loading/unloading the trailer - we just need help getting it to and from the stadium.  Please contact Ms. Parker (emily.parker@hsv-k12.org) or the HCMS Band Parents (hcovemsband@gmail.com) if you can help!

Beginning Band (6th Grade)

Beginners are doing a fantastic job!  Very proud of their progress already! 

• BAND T-SHIRT ORDER T-Shirts are in and will be distributed in class this week.  Students will sign for their band shirt indicating that it has been received.  Students are more than welcome to wear them to school if they ever choose - but please be sure to keep up with where it is so we have it for concerts/performances!   

• BEGINNING BAND - FOOTBALL GAME Our beginning band students are invited to join us at our football game on Tuesday, September 16 at 6:30 p.m.  Call Time is 6:00 and they will need to wear their band uniform (Black Band shirt/khaki pants/tennis shoes).  This is optional for our beginning band students - just so they can see how football games will be in future!  They will be playing a few songs with the band and joining in the fun! More information to come!

• RED BOOK Please be sure your student has a copy of the Tradition of Excellence Book 1 for his/her instrument.  If you have not yet purchased the red book, we have some available for purchase through the band ($13 for woodwinds/brass or $16 for percussion).  You can send in payment via cash or check (HCMS Band) for your book.  

• FIRST DAY PACKETS Band Handbooks/Paperwork packets were sent home on Monday.  Please don't be alarmed by all the information - I just like to provide as much info up front as possible!  Please return the Handbook Form, Fair Share form, and Percussion form (7th/8th Grade Percussion only) as soon as possible to the band room.  Copies of the information from the packet are included below and extra paper copies are available upon request. 

Symphonic Band (7th/8th Grade)

• NO FOOTBALL THIS WEEK We will NOT be playing at the Wednesday game this week as we did not have enough volunteers available to represent each instrument.  Our first game will be Monday, September 8 against Huntsville Jr. High School.  Students will meet at the front of Milton Frank Stadium at 6:00 for roll call and to find our way into the stands.  

• FLIP FOLDER/LYRE - Students MUST have a flip folder/lyre for football game performances--starting with our Huntsville Jr. High game on Monday, September 8.  Students have been given small copies of their music to put in their flip folders.  Extra pages are available for $1 through the band -- See Ms. Parker.  I highly recommend taking your instrument to one of our local music stores to pick out the correct item.  Examples are pictured next to these announcements.  PLEASE CONTACT MS. PARKER ASAP IF YOU NEED HELP SECURING A LYRE/FLIP FOLDER!  **HCMS Percussion, HCMS Volleyball, HCMS Football and HCMS Cheer do not need to purchase lyres/flip folders.**.   

• JAZZ BAND Since we have a holiday this Monday and a football game next Monday, Jazz Band will be meeting on Thursdays from 3 to 4 this week and next (September 4 and 11) so we can keep practicing.  Apologies for the change---just trying to work with our schedule!  

• BLUE TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE BOOK- We will be using the Tradition of Excellence Book 2 (Blue) in class this year for warm-ups and playing tests.  It is available at our local music stores and on Amazon.  We can also purchase these through the band ($13 for woodwinds/brass, $16/percussion) if you send in payment (cash/check to HCMS Band).  Please help us have these books in class after Labor Day.  

• CONCERT UNIFORMS We are hoping to start distributing concert uniforms late this week/early next week.  These will be issued to students who have turned in their concert uniform rental form and paid their $25 rental fee.  We do have some uniform pieces that needed to be ordered, as we ran out of those sizes.  Those will be handed out as soon as they come in!  Please be sure your student tries on all parts of their uniform when they bring it home to ensure everything is correct.  If something needs to be swapped out, please email Ms. Parker (emily.parker@hsv-k12.org) and bring the item back in for a change.  REMEMBER: HEMS MUST BE TEMPORARY -- NO CUTTING OF FABRIC!  We will resend out the instructions and helpful tips for alterations.  

Thank you! 

Emily Parker, Director of Bands