From Mr. Clemente
Dear Winter Park Band families,
We made it through the first week of the school year! It was great to have our classes back together. I'm excited to say that every single class moved through our beginning of the year material quickly, and every ensemble played during class on Friday! I'm excited by the sounds we heard and looking forward to what the groups will accomplish throughout the year ahead.
If we just met your student in class this Wednesday, welcome to the Winter Park Band! We are so glad that you are here with us! Two things I need to ask of our very new families, and they both are time sensitive. 1) Please visit www.winterparkhsband.com/register.html and complete the Google Registration Form. This will allow us to add you to our electronic communication. 2) Please have your student attend this Tuesday's ECG Screening Night at WPHS. All Band students need a current physical and ECG to participate in marching band, and this opportunity is the easiest way to have the ECG done. Visit www.whoweplayfor.org/heart-screening-registration-orange-county and sign your student up for a screening time.
This week continues our regular Tuesday evening, Thursday after school rehearsal schedule for marching band. Tuesday evenings we rehearse from 6 - 8:30 PM and Thursdays from 2:45 - 5 PM. This schedule rarely changes so our families are able to consistently plan their weeks. All of our Band events start promptly at the time indicated on the calendar, and as the old adage goes:
"To be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late, to be late is unacceptable."
On Thursday evening this week, the Sound of the Wildcats will perform at the "Meet the Cats" pep rally in the WPHS Auditorium. Students need to remember to bring all pieces of their Summer Uniform (2022 Show Shirt, tan/khaki shorts, belt, athletic shoes, and socks) to school with them on Thursday morning. Between marching band rehearsal and the pep rally, dinner will be provided for all students. During that dinner break, students will change into uniform for the performance.
Water Bottle Donations Needed: The Band is in need of water bottle donations. We provide bottles of water to our students at many events as well as providing water bottles to visiting marching bands at our home football games. Donated water bottles need to be 12oz, no smaller. This year, we will be giving a prize to the section of the marching band that brings in the most water donations. Please clearly mark a donated pack of water bottles with the student name and section. Water donations can be dropped off at any time in the Band room, and donations are due by Friday, 8/26. Thank you in advance!
Our fundraiser with the biggest direct-to-student benefit of the year is happening now! Please see below in Julie Capps' Program Ads and Sponsorships Fundraiser section of the newsletter for more details. This fundraiser is easy, and students get 60% of any ad space they sell back into their account as credit. Parents: one easy way to use this fundraiser could benefit you - take out a "shoutout" ad for your student and get 60% of that purchase directly back to you in the form of credit! Extended family can also become a Sponsor in the name of your student and 100% of that money goes to them as credit. If you have questions, please contact Julie via email.
Tomorrow, 8/15, we will hold a NYC Tour Information Meeting in the Band room from 7 - 8 PM. During the meeting we will discuss the preliminary itinerary of the trip, the events students will perform/participate in, and the preliminary quoted cost. We'll also talk about how to utilize fundraisers to offset the cost of your trip. The trip is open to all Band students regardless of grade level or ensemble placement, and all instrumentalists on the trip will have at least one performance opportunity.
Good luck to the football team at their exhibition game this week. We look forward to our first game of the year next Friday, 8/26 at Showalter Field!
Have a great week!
Mr. Clemente
Winter Park High School Band
