Nation Ford Band Program News
Weekly Update May 9 - May 15
Nation Ford Band Booster Club
Email: nafobandpres22@gmail.com
Website: www.nationfordband.com
Location: 1400 A O Jones Blvd, Fort Mill, SC, USA
Phone: (803)835-0000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/65289988312/
"A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves."
-Lao Tzu
DIRECTOR'S CORNER
FROM MR. LINKOUS
FULL BAND SPRING CONCERT
The Nation Ford Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band AND Color Guard will be performing at our 2021 Spring Concert on May 25th & 26th (Tues & Wed) at 7:00 pm in the Nation Ford Auditorium.
So that we may adhere to school district guidelines regarding capacity and social distancing, we will be performing our same program twice so that all families may have an opportunity to attend. Each student may invite 2 parents/guests to attend EITHER the Tuesday, May 25th or Wednesday, May 26th performance. If a student has parents who occupy two different households, the parent should contact Mr. Linkous regarding arrangements for the step-parent to attend.
Many families still have not signed up. Please click the link below to sign up!
CONCERT ATTIRE FOR STUDENTS
Gentlemen: either concert black tux or black pants, white shirt, black tie (bow tie preferred), and black jacket (preferred but not required if you do not have one); black socks and black dress shoes. *Absolutely no tennis shoes or sandals. *Black or white colors only please.
Ladies: Concert black floor length dress or black dress pants and a solid black or white top. Shoulders must be covered (NO spaghetti straps or strapless tops). *Low heel or flat shoes only (NO sandals or high heel shoes). *Absolutely no tennis shoes or sandals. *Black or white colors only please.
LEADERSHIP INTERVIEWS
DRUM MAJOR interviews will be held this Thursday, May 13th. Good luck to those who are interesting in leading our band next season!
LEADERSHIP interviews will be held Tuesday, June 1st - Friday June 4th. These positions are vital to the success of our program. Good luck to everyone who is stepping up to lead in various ways!
TECHNIQUE CAMP & BAND CAMP 2021
Technique Camp: July 19-23 & July 26-30: 9:00am-1:00pm
Band Camp: August 2-6: 9:00am-9:00pm
Please add the dates listed above to your calendar for the 2021-2022 school year. Great student participation at these camps have always been an essential part of the Nation Ford Band’s repeated success throughout the years.
Technique Camp spans a 2 week period in which we start the process of musical and physical training for the season and has proven to be an extremely important part of setting up our students up for success. Rehearsal time is spent working on the fundamental techniques of performance, learning our music and visual package, and (perhaps most importantly) is the period where the band members create lasting relationships, meet new people, and establish the foundation of what will be the 2021-2022 Nation Ford Band!
Band Camp immediately follows Technique Camp and spans a 1 week period that serves as the “spring training” of what we do. Rehearsals last the full day (lunch and dinner are provided to the students) and this is where we put the marching band “production” on the field and assign a drill coordinate to each member. Great attendance is CRUCIAL during this week!
If you have any questions or concerns with Technique Camp or Band Camp, please contact me at your earliest convenience.
Mr. Linkous: linkousr@fortmillschools.org
SENIOR PROFILES
We are still needing photos from several seniors. Please send as soon as possible so that nobody is left out!
Start checking Instagram @nafo_band next week to see your photos!
SPIRIT NIGHTS
PLEASE SHARE OUR SPIRIT NIGHTS WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS!
UPCOMING
TBD
If you know of a restaurant who would like to host a Spirit Night, please contact Stephanie Whitcher at sdwhitcher@comporium.net or Shawna Lee Irish at irish1011@hotmail.com.
Don't be squinting!!
Get ready for Spring!
Show your pride
BAND STORE
THE BAND STORE WILL BE OPEN BEFORE AND AFTER THE CONCERTS ON THE 25th & 26th.
We are also looking for an underclassman parent to assist this coming year. If you are interested, please email Shawna Lee Irish and Julie Sander at nafobandstore@gmail.com.
We have several styles of spring weight (wind-breaker style) jackets in stock as well as polo shirts available.
We have EXTRA "Silipint" cups, a few lids and a few straws available for purchase as well as puravida bracelets! These are great for Spring and Summer outings!
We also have some extra SHOW SHIRT items (t-shirts, long sleeve, crew neck sweatshirts & hoodies).
If you have any questions, please email nafobandstore@gmail.com.
WAYS TO GET INFORMATION AND STAY IN TOUCH
Next meeting: TUESDAY, June 1
(May meeting moved to TUESDAY because of Memorial Day)
Last meeting of 2021 school year!
VOLUNTEERS
If you are planning on chaperoning or volunteering to work with the students, you must have a Secure Volunteer card. This is a card issued through the Fort Mill School District that performs as a background check to clear you to work directly with the students. It takes 5 minutes to fill out online and submit. The district will then be in touch with you regarding passing the verification process. In turn, they will send us a list of cleared parents to help with the students. If you have one from the middle school, it is still valid -- be sure to check the expiration date on the card so it doesn't expire. The application is on the band website under Participate! Be a Secure Volunteer!
Once you have filled out the form, please email Mr. Linkous to let him know to look for it.
** THIS IS NOT REQUIRED TO WORK AT THE PANTHERS STADIUM **
AMAZON SMILES
Please use smile.amazon.com when you shop on Amazon. This site uses your same user name and password as the Amazon site, however it gives a percentage of all purchases back to the band. You will need to choose Fort Mill District Band Booster Club Inc in order to support the band. We are doing very well with this since many are shopping online!
HARRIS TEETER e-VIC
Nation Ford High School Band has teamed up with Harris Teeter E-Vic program as an easy way to help raise funds for our band program. Please go to the Harris Teeter website and under “Together in Education” click the green tab to "link your school". Link your card to Nation Ford HS Marching Band and you are set. Note: If you did this last year, you need to do this again this year. E-Vic linking is only good for 1 year at a time. Please, everyone link your E-Vic card as this is an easy and effortless way to help raise funds for the band.
Our official name for linking purposes is “Nation Ford HS Marching Band"
School Code is 3956
PUBLIX PARTNERS
To support Nation Ford Band, sign up for Publix Partners through your Publix.com account (if you don't already have one) and select your desired school. Then, enter your phone number at checkout each time you make an eligible purchase.
To enroll: Log in or sign up through www.Publix.com. Once signed in, drop down under "Welcome, (your name)" to access “Go To My Account.” Go to “My Publix Partner” and select a school. Type Nation Ford, and you will be able to select Nationford High School Band, Fort Mill, SC. Every time you shop, enter your phone number (linked to your account) to give credit to the band. Family and friends who shop at Publix in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia can sign up for Publix Partners.
Please note, you need to re-enroll every year!
CROSSWINDS INSURANCE REFERRAL
Renado Robinson at Crosswinds Insurance has a great referral program to benefit the band program. For each referral sent to Crosswinds Insurance that sets up a new insurance policy, Crosswinds Insurance will donate $10 to the band on a monthly basis and will also send a $10 gift card to the referring person. This insurance company can beat the price of most other companies as they are an independent insurance representative. Please take advantage of this if you are looking for insurance!
Click on UPDATE INFO in Charms to make sure all info is correct
Click on FINANCES in Charms to see your Balance
Click on POINT SYSTEM in Charms to see if you have Points to redeem
BAND FEES
ALL PAYMENTS SHOULD BE PAID AT THIS TIME.
BAND FEE: $425 (reduced to $400 if paid in full by Oct. 16)
Payment 1: Sept 18 $250 (PAST DUE)
Payment 2: Oct 16 $100 (Total Dues $400 if paid in full by this date) (PAST DUE)
Payment 3: Nov 20 $75 (PAST DUE)
Please visit our website for more information on Band Fees. https://www.nationfordband.com/fees-payments
** We appreciate everyone who has communicated with us regarding challenges with band fee payments. Please reach out to Mr. Linkous at any time with questions. We will always work very hard to help families in need. Band fees are very crucial this season, considering this year’s limited fundraising opportunities, while still trying to provide a great experience for our students with quality instructors in front of them. **
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Dorothy Shiakallis at nafobandpres22@gmail.com, Nicky Ludolph our Charms Secretary at nafocharms@gmail.com, or our Executive Secretary, Bob Hessler, at nafoband@gmail.com.
It is important that everyone pay the $100 Activity Fee which is assessed by the FMSD. This fee insures that the district will continue to supplement our staff expenses AND provide transportation once field trips resume (Region Band, All-state Band, Concert Performance Assessment, Winter Guard, Percussion Ensemble, etc).
WORKING CALENDAR
All information that is listed on this schedule is EXTREMELY SUBJECT TO CHANGE. We appreciate your patience and understanding with this process. ALL PAYMENT DATES ARE FIRM.
MAY 25 - SPRING CONCERT 7:00pm (You must sign up to attend!)
MAY 26 - SPRING CONCERT 7:00pm (You must sign up to attend!)
JUNE 1 - Booster Club Meeting 7:00pm Large Band Room (Meeting oved to TUESDAY because Monday is Memorial Day)