Winter Park Band Notes
May 21, 2017
From Mr. Blackmer
Dear Band Families:
A huge thank you to everyone on a very successful and productive Marching Band Mini-Camp weekend! Congratulations to our incoming freshman class - they were great on Saturday and Sunday! The 2017 "Sound of the Wildcats" is going to sound terrific and I can't wait to hear them perform West Side Story in the fall! These students are, without a doubt, the very best that Winter Park High School has to offer, and it is a privilege to work with them!
This week's newsletter will be the last regular edition for the 2016/2017 school year. Between now and the start of the next school year, there will only be sporadic communication through Charms as needed. I will still have access to e-mail throughout the summer, so please feel free to contact me at Christopher.Blackmer@ocps.net if you have questions.
Just a few quick reminders before we leave for the summer...
- Many of our Section Leaders have summer sectional events beginning in early June. The complete summer sectional schedule can be found on the Band's website. When in doubt, contact your section leader!
- Marching Band Camp begins on Monday, July 31 at 9 AM. As we get closer to the start of the school year, WPHS will release their "Welcome Back Cats" schedule for laptop and textbook pick-up. This week corresponds to our second week of camp, and I will be working with our Administration to arrange a special schedule for our students.
- Please update your Charms information (see information below).
- If you know of a new student who moves into the Winter Park zone and is doing Band, please get them in touch with me as soon as possible. They can just e-mail me directly so that we can get the ball rolling with registration, etc.
Thank you for a great year! Looking forward to next!
All the Best,
Mr. Blackmer
Update Your Charms Account
For all new and returning Winter Park Band families: please take a moment to login to Charms and double check that all information is current and up-to-date! Follow these steps:
- Go to www.CharmsOffice.com.
- Click on LOGIN and Students/Parents/Members.
- Enter the School Code: winterparkhsband.
- Enter the Student Area Password. If this is the first login to Charms, the default password is the students OCPS Student ID number. If you have forgotten the password, or the student ID number is not working, it will need to be re-set by Mr. Blackmer - Please e-mail him directly. Remember that the password chosen must be known by BOTH students and parents so that BOTH can gain access to Charms!
- On the main menu, find the blue "Update Info" icon.
- The first screen you will see is the student's information. Please note that all parent/guardian screens can be access (or added) at the bottom of the student's screen.
- Update all available information for the student and parents/guardians. Don't forget to click the green "update" button in the top right corner before you close out a screen!
This only takes a few minutes to complete, so please do it today!
4th of July Band Opportunity
Do you want to learn classic patriotic pieces and show tunes and keep up your chops during the summer at the same time? Then you will want to play in the 45th annual Maitland Shores 4th of July Fun Band. We perform at noon on the 4th of July on Lake Maitland then receive a free catered BBQ lunch for each member plus one guest. Meal tickets for additional guests are for sale at the event.
Band members range in age from High School to much older, and many return year after year! It is a great way to give back to the community, keep in touch with friends, and eat a great meal. High school students can earn community service hours!
Our 3 rehearsals will be held at Maitland Middle School in the Band Room on Sunday, June 11, and in the office building at Maitland Community Park, 1400 Mayo Ave., off 17-92 near the overpass of Maitland Blvd, on Sundays, June 25 and July 2. They will start at 1:30 PM. There will be no rehearsal on Father’s Day, June 18!
We have stands and music, just bring yourself and your instrument, and please let me know if you are interested and/or if you have a friend that is interested. We have a limit to the number we can have in the band, so I will fill slots on a first-come/first-serve basis to make sure all parts are covered. The music is challenging (Sousa, Fillmore, etc.), so we welcome those who can read well and have played at least 2 years in school.
Contact information:
Jane Claus – Coordinator, janeclaus@live.com, 407-496-6050 (cell). Please friend me on Facebook (Jane Calhoun Claus), and I’ll add you to the group to be in the loop for events and information that will come as we get closer.