This Week's Newsletter

Director's Notes

We have a lot happening this week in the HCMS Band Room!  Please see below for all the important details!  

• CALENDAR FUNDRAISER Our calendar fundraiser will conclude on Wednesday, August 27.  We are asking students to turn in their envelopes with any donations collected on that day.  Thank you for any support you can provide for this fundraiser! It truly makes a huge difference for our program!

• SPIRIT NIGHT AT HANDEL'S Please save the date for our first Spirit Night at Handel's Jones Valley on Thursday, August 28 from 4:00-8:00 p.m.  Be sure to tell them you are with the HCMS Band and Handel's will donate a portion of the proceeds to our program! 

• JAZZ BAND Our Horns & Hooves Jazz Band starts on Monday!  We will meet from 3-4.  This group is open for all 7th/8th grade band students.  All instruments are accepted!  If your student still wants to join, please email Ms. Parker so she can add them to the list. 

• HALF DAY FRIDAY We have an abbreviated schedule for Friday's half day.  Since our classes will be much shorter, we will NOT need to bring instruments on Friday for class.  7th and 8th grade - please bring your flip folders on that day so we can have that time to put them together for our first football game!  

  • • Please be sure to bring instruments Monday-Thursday, even on our iReady testing days!  We want to use every available minute of class time we can!  

• 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)

We are one week in and our beginning band is already off to a great start!  We have learned 2 notes in each class and everyone did a great job on their first playing test!  

• 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.  

• BAND T-SHIRT ORDER We have placed our T-Shirt order and should have them in by the end of the month.  Shirts will be handed out in class when they arrive. 

• 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)

• FIRST FOOTBALL GAME Our first football game will be a VOLUNTEER game on Wednesday, September 3 at Milton Frank Stadium at 4:30 p.m. Call Time will be 4:00 p.m and the game should last until around 6:30 p.m.  Since this is a VOLUNTEER game, students can volunteer by signing up on this Google Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1YvILrd6TLDo7ND3OzGMpwFkcUq-X9nFxR2jyAb3ZWaY/preview (We will check to see if we have enough participation to perform and communicate that in next week's newsletter.)

• FLIP FOLDER/LYRE - With football season around the corner, please be sure your student has a lyre and flip folder for their instrument so they will be prepared for football games.  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.  **HCMS Percussion, HCMS Volleyball, HCMS Football and HCMS Cheer do not need to purchase lyres/flip folders.**.   Please bring your flip folders to class on Friday so we can put them together and get ready for our first football game! 

• 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.  

• JAZZ BAND Horns & Hooves Jazz Band will start on Monday, August 25 from 3:00-4:00.  This is open to all 7th/8th Grade students who wish to participate.  Please sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1zBBPmiYBCLIvExthZkqI-1mOR_iOJupJZ_7DPjWPr4s/preview

Thank you! 

Emily Parker, Director of Bands