Grapevine Mustang Band
Summer Edition
Notes from the Directors:
Good afternoon Mustang Band!
This newsletter has a lot of important information to get you ready for summer band. There are required items and forms that every student will need, so please read the newsletter carefully and email Mr. Rees if you have any questions. We are very excited to see you soon!
- As we prepare for the start of band camp, all members should be spending time outside being active! Students that have not acclimated to the heat and physical activity will struggle! Students will be required to wear a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen for all outdoor rehearsals. All students will bring a water jug filled with water to every rehearsal. Students without their own supply of water will not be allowed to participate and will be sent home.
- Thank you for your incredible patience as we work to prepare for the coming school year. Our band program is committed to the safety of your children and we will follow all safety precautions.
- As we prepare for the year, we await clear guidance from many organizations that govern our activity. We may encounter a situation where our calendar is impacted without much lead time. I sincerely apologize if this is the case. It is not the way that our program intends to run and we will do everything we can to communicate updates in a timely manner. Stay tuned for updates this week to our leadership, guard and percussion camps that are set to begin on July 20th.
- JOIN REMIND (SEE BELOW)
- We are excited to start our first fundraiser of the year! We have partnered with MSC Fundraising to sell masks! The website has our initial line up, but more will be added soon! You can check it out here: https://www.mscfundraising.com/collections/ghs-mustang-band
- Congratulations to Mr. Langhans! He has accepted a position as a percussion director in a school district just outside of DFW. We are very thankful for the work he has done and we wish him the best moving forward.
- We are thrilled to introduce our new Assistant Percussion Director, Austin Von Kalow!
- We will be hosting ‘meet the directors’ via Zoom this week! You can meet our new Color Guard Director Mr. Draper on Tuesday evening at 7PM and you can meet our new Percussion Directors Mr. Drewry and Mr. Von Kalow on Thursday evening at 7PM. Everyone is welcome and we encourage you to attend and ask questions!
- If you are a guard member, please see this info! Guard members will be wearing dance leggings with the summer uniform and the Google doc below will give you sizing and order information.
- (GUARD) Please fill out this google doc to place your order for leggings and earrings: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScBN97xiNi5L_y9QBwoJRgMa_JSeKOSPngswbkpor0oJM7F8A/viewform
- (GUARD) Please use the chart on the link to get the size that works the best for you. These will replace the summer uniform shorts for all guard members.
- Our leadership has put together a welcome video to our incoming students! You can check it out here: https://www.grapevinehsband.com/
- The TMEA All-Region Etudes will be released on Monday, July 13th. You will be able to find them here: https://www.tmea.org/divisions-regions/band/audition-material
- Learning the All-Region Etudes will be an important part of the curriculum for all instrumentalists in our program. A head start on this semester project will be extremely valuable for every student.
- The BEST way for a student to start learning the All-Region etudes is to register for the TBA student day. You can find more information about this event here: https://www.texasbandmasters.org/student-day/. Students that are interested must email Mr. Rees! There are great clinics for guard, percussion and all winds. If you’re available on Saturday, July 18th you can’t miss this incredible opportunity!
- Dust Storm Indoor Winds is hosting a virtual clinic for students interested in doing a little bit of marching band! You just need to fill out a short google form to get the link. Instrumental and movement fundamentals will be covered along with info about auditioning for the indoor winds. You can find that link here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdrANk7xCCm8ZKzjM7EvxiY_KuoSX_HeGsQRIZ15knHyo39ZA/viewform
- We are in the process of updating Charms. If you are receiving our emails you are listed on the Grapevine Band roster. If you attend CHHS, please let Mr. Rees (jamess.rees@gmail.com) know and we will transfer you to the correct school.
- The second installment of band fees was due June 5th. Click HERE for how to pay information.
- The GHS Band Calendar has been updated and can be found HERE.
- We have also compiled another version of the calendar that can be found HERE.
- INCOMING FRESHMEN: Members of our Band Leadership Team will be reaching out to their sections at various points over the summer. If you have any questions please reach out to Mr. Rees via email. (if you are not on the google classroom, join! (code:aan7mel)
Other News
- Pay your delinquent band fees.
- You need to clean and disinfect your instruments! (videos below)
- Establish a routine for yourself to keep your life as normal as possible. Dedicate time to growing as a musician every day. Our suggestion is below.
Meet Mr. Von Kalow
Summer Band Required Materials
Students will need the following items for summer band:
- Completed medical history form (found later in this update).
- Completed physical form (only for new members, also in this update).
- Large water jug filled with water – we will get our band’s specific water jugs out as quickly as we can but please use any large water jug you have in the meantime.
- Hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, athletic shoes with good ankle support.
- Shorts and a comfortable T-shirt. No jeans or clothes that violate GCISD dress code, please!
- Flip folder and lyre for all marching winds – you can find these at Bell’s Music or Music & Arts. We suggest taking your instrument if you can to ensure the fit of the lyre. Flutes will use arm lyres. Yes, brass, you need a lyre.
- Complete band binder with pencil and tuner. Please use a black binder!
- Mask that can be worn or carried with you at all times.
Physicals
- If we have a physical on file for 2019-2020, they are taken care of.
- ALL New Members need a Physical completed on the designated form.
- ALL Members OLD and NEW need an updated medical history form. The form can be found here: https://www.uiltexas.org/files/athletics/forms/PrePhysFormRvsd1_10_20.pdf
- Please fill the first page out and sent it to Ms. Irby. You may also bring the form the first day of your summer band activities. All students must have this on file before they can begin ANY activity. Students without this required paperwork will not be allowed to participate in any capacity and will be sent home.
CHARMS
Parents will be prompted to update their own password. CHARMS sent an email out this week.
Email Ms. Irby if you have any questions about CHARMS.
REMIND
Remind – All students and parents must join the remind groups. To join your Remind group, text the code below to 81010. We use Remind to communicate quickly during events and will only send out messages that are important for everyone.
- All Band Members: @ghsband-21
- Parents: @mustpar20
- All Leadership: @ghslead20
- Guard: @guardghs20
- Percussion: @drumsghs20
Reoccurring News
Start Raising Money NOW!
Scrip Gift Card Fundraiser (always ongoing)
○ Start now: go to https://shopwithscrip.com
○ Enter our school enrollment code:72226A747L87
Hello Band Families,
The Show must go on!! Your Band Directors and Booster Club are working hard on planning for next year’s marching and concert season. As most of you heard on the virtual parent meeting, 2020-21 band fee payments begin May 15.
Scrip Gift Card Fundraising is a great way to raise some (or all) of that money simply by paying with gift cards for purchases you normally make!
In a nutshell, the scrip website has hundreds of gift cards to choose from. You buy the ones you like and pay full price for them. You then receive the rebate (percentage varies by retailer and is listed). Back to your student’s charms account. When it’s time tomake a fee payment, simply let our treasurer, Andrea Galante, know via email. Treasurer@grapevinehsband.com and tell her you would like to apply your credits toward the fee.
For parents of incoming freshmen, you may start with Scrip now and we will track your credits and apply them in charms once your student is promoted to GHS Band.
Important Information:
1). To get started, go to www.shopwithscrip.com, create an account and use our school enrollment code: 172226A747L87.
2). In light of current circumstances, please choose electronic gift cards and pay via credit card or by linking your bank account. Once we are able to receive UPS packages at school, we will do an order that includes physical (plastic) gift cards too. Electronic gift cards can be sent as gifts and will go out in an attractive format to the recipient’s email address.
3). Pay attention to rebate percentages to maximize yours earnings. Often retailers have bonus rebates and your earn a higher percentage. Mark your calendar for May 7th.... it’s Thanks-scripping Day. Many retailers will have bonus rebates that will not be advertised in advance!
How to pay your band fees online
Grapevine Mustang Band
Email: james.rees@gcisd.net
Website: grapevinehsband.com
Location: 3223 Mustang Drive, Grapevine, TX, USA
Phone: 8172515249