This Week's Newsletter

Director's Notes

Our first Spirit Night will be TOMORROW, September 14 at Jefferson's (Hampton Cove)!  Dine in and mention you are with the HCMS Band and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to our program! 

My Music Office Login Information will be sent out right after this newsletter is emailed.  It should give you login info to access My Music Office and set up a password of your choice.  If you do not receive that email by this evening, please feel free to email Ms. Parker and she will ensure you receive it.  Please note: we are still updating payments in My Music Office and have not yet completed entering combined payments (fair share, shirt, book, etc.) or SchoolCash/Square payments.  Thank you for your patience with this, as receipting and entering payments for 360 students takes a considerable amount of time!  Receipts are always available by communicating with Ms. Parker.  

Very proud of our 7th and 8th Grade students for their performance at our first football game this past week!  They handled the heat like champs!  Our next game will be Tuesday, September 22 at 4:30 at Milton Frank.  Thank you for all of your help with these performances -- especially at the early times!  

We started utilizing our My Music Office texting for the football games just to ensure all parents received updates about pick-up.  We will not abuse this service -- but will plan to use it to communicate for football games and major announcements as needed.  If at any point you wish to be removed from texting alerts, please contact Ms. Parker.  

GRADES THIS WEEK: 

• Beginning Band (6th Grade) - Ningenius Lesson 1  (Due Sunday night) 

  • We have started using our Ningenius Computer program this week and will have one lesson due each week (Sunday evening) for a grade.  Students need to earn a silver or gold star for their grade and can retry each level as they wish.  Those that were absent on Friday will be given the information this week so they can login to the program.  

• Symphonic Band (7th/8th Grade) - Bb Concert Scale and Arpeggio (Due Sunday Night)

Please update your calendar - Our Spring Concert will be on May 13 at 6:00 at the Huntsville HIgh School Auditorium.  There was an error in our original calendar that has been updated in the digital copy below! 

Our Spring Trip (7th/8th Grade) will be to Universal in Orlando May 14-17.  Our travel company is working on our trip website, which I will send out as soon as it is prepared.  Students can register and begin payments via that site.  We will reschedule our Band Banquet - just looking at available options now. 

SCHEDULE THIS WEEK: 7 1 5 2 3 4 6

Please look for this HCMS Band Newsletter every Sunday.  It will review all upcoming information for the week.  You can also find the newsletter and all other band information on our website:  wwwhcovemsband.org. Please contact Ms. Parker if you have any issues receiving the weekly newsletter (emily.parker@hsv-k12.org or hcovemsband@gmail.com).

Beginning Band (6th Grade) 

• BAND BOOKS Each student must have a copy of the Tradition of Excellence Book 1 for their instrument.  We have extra in the band room if anyone needs to purchase one.  They are $13 ($16 for percussion).  Please help us ensure every student has a copy as soon as possible.  Now that we are playing songs, students will fall behind quickly without access to the book.  

• BAND T-SHIRT ORDER  Shirts have arrived and have been distributed!  If your student still needs a shirt, please send in $16 or pay via SchoolCash and we will ensure they receive one.  (Please notify Ms. Parker if you pay via SchoolCash, as we do not receive email confirmation when those payments occur.)  Hoodies have been ordered and will be distributed in mid-September.  

• SPIRIT NIGHT Our first Spirit Night will be Monday, September 14 at Jefferson's in Hampton Cove.  If you visit and mention you are with HCMS Band, a portion of the proceeds from your order will be donated to our program! 

• MY MUSIC OFFICE My Music Office Login Information will be sent out right after this newsletter is emailed.  It should give you login info to access My Music Office and set up a password of your choice.  If you do not receive that email by this evening, please feel free to email Ms. Parker and she will ensure you receive it.  Please note: we are still updating payments in My Music Office and have not yet completed entering combined payments (fair share, shirt, book, etc.) or SchoolCash/Square payments.  Thank you for your patience with this, as receipting and entering payments for 360 students takes a considerable amount of time!    If you have questions regarding payments, feel free to contact Ms. Parker (emily.parker@hsv-k12.org) or our Band Parents (hcovemsband@gmail.com).  Receipts are always available upon request.  

• FIRST DAY PACKETS Please ensure you have returned all forms/paperwork from the First Day packet. Copies of the information from the packet are included below and extra paper copies are available upon request. 

• BAND PAYMENTS We have two accounts for HCMS Band.  Our school account pays for all uniforms (concert and T-shirt) and Fair Share.  All rental payments, hoodies, Jazz Band and Band Book payments are paid through our Band Parent Account at Redstone.  All checks may be made out to HCMS Band and will be deposited in the correct account.  Please be sure to include your student's name and what the payment is for in the Memo line of any check. 

• SCHOOLCASH LIVE SchoolCash is now live and ready to receive payments for HCMS Band fees (Fair Share, Band Shirt, 7th/8th Grade Concert Uniform).  In order to use this system, we had to assign fees to each band class.  If you have already sent in payment via cash/check, please disregard any notifications from SchoolCash that those payments are due.  Our bookkeeper is going through all of our receipts and waiving the fees in SchoolCash for all who have already paid.  

• FACEBOOK GROUP Feel free to join the "HCMS Band Parents" Facebook Group if you are on social media.  As this is a private group, you will be asked to answer two questions to be admitted.  

Symphonic Band (7th/8th Grade)

• UNIFORM VOLUNTEERS NEEDED  We are almost through fitting all of our students for uniforms--and just have a few more to go!  THANK YOU to all of our uniform volunteers who have come to help us gt everyone fitted!  This week we will need uniform volunteers each day from 8:30-9:21. If you have any availabilty during that time on any day, please feel free to come on to the band room!  Once we get everyone fitted and ensure we have enough items for everyone, we will start distributing concert uniforms (mid-late September).  

• HORNS & HOOVES JAZZ BAND Horns & Hooves Jazz will begin next Monday (9/14) and next Wednesday (9/16).  Due to the large interest in Jazz Band, we are looking at having 8th Grade Jazz Band on Mondays from 3-4 and 7th Grade Jazz Band on Wednesday from 3-3:45.  Please complete this Google Form if your student is interested in Jazz Band.  There will be a $25 fee for Jazz Band participation.  Please communicate your interest this week so we can plan accordingly! 

• BAND T-SHIRT ORDER  Shirts have arrived and will be handed out in class this past week.  Hoodies have been ordered and should be ready by mid-September.  

• SPIRIT NIGHT Our first Spirit Night will be Monday, September 14 at Jefferson's in Hampton Cove.  If you visit and mention you are with HCMS Band, a portion of the proceeds from your order will be donated to our program! 

• MY MUSIC OFFICE My Music Office Login Information will be sent out right after this newsletter is emailed.  It should give you login info to access My Music Office and set up a password of your choice.  If you do not receive that email by this evening, please feel free to email Ms. Parker and she will ensure you receive it.  Please note: we are still updating payments in My Music Office and have not yet completed entering combined payments (fair share, shirt, book, etc.) or SchoolCash/Square payments.  Thank you for your patience with this, as receipting and entering payments for 360 students takes a considerable amount of time!    If you have questions regarding payments, feel free to contact Ms. Parker (emily.parker@hsv-k12.org) or our Band Parents (hcovemsband@gmail.com).  Receipts are always available upon request.  

• FROM HUNTSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL BAND 

  • Information on the 2027-28 Huntsville High Trip to Rome for current 8th grade families can be found here including payment schedule and other information from the middle school meetings last week.  If you plan to start making payments for the trip, fundraise, or would like direct communication from us on this trip, please fill out this form.

• BAND BOOK We will be starting with the blue band book (Tradition of Excellence Book 2) this Thursday.  We've started distributing books in class to those that ordered and still have extra if you need to purchase one for your student.  Thank you for your patience! 

• PERCUSSION 7th and 8th Grade Percussion - Included in your packet is an optional order form for mallets, drumsticks and stick bags.  You are more than welcome to purchase these items on your own - but I will be placing an order for anyone who is interested.  I'll be placing the order early this week and will distribute materials as soon as possible.

• BOOSTER OFFICERS NEEDED We still have a few band parent association officer positions available.  Please contact Ms. Parker or the Band Parents (hcovemsband@gmail.com) for more information!  We really appreciate your willingness to help!

• VOLUNTEER SURVEY We are looking for volunteers to assist with various projects throughout the year.  This survey is NOT a commitment - just a way to let us know if you would be interested/available to help from time to time.  We will reach out with options as they arise to see if they work for you.  Please complete and return the paper survey or complete the GOOGLE FORM. 

• FACEBOOK GROUP Feel free to join the "HCMS Band Parents" Facebook Group if you are on social media.  As this is a private group, you will be asked to answer two questions to be admitted.  

Thank you! 

Emily Parker, Director of Bands