Blanchard MS Bands
December 2014 Newsletter
2nd Annual Mattress Fundraiser a Success!
Despite the snowstorm that blew in the day of the mattress sale, the band sold 18 mattresses and made $2000! Thank you to all of the students and parents who helped make the day a success by dancing on the streets in mattress costumes and having hot cocoa and coffee ready for everyone at the sale itself. And a really big thank you to everyone who purchased a mattress or had someone come in and make a purchase. We are only as successful as our band community and you all did a great job! This is definitely a tradition we will continue with more mattress sales in the future.
Congratulations to the 5th Grade Band!
The 5th Grade Band performed in their first concert, the Demonstration Concert, on Thursday, November 20th. It was a great success! The students worked so hard and performed wonderfully for a packed house in the intermediate cafetorium. Thank you to all of the parents, family, and friends who came out for this fun evening! The kids couldn't stop talking about how much fun it was to be onstage and to show everyone what they have learned.
Please check Charms to make sure that your student's account is in good financial standing. All instrument rental fees must be paid in full by December 18th!
Calendar of Upcoming Events (always available on Charms!)
- December 1st-5th, Shortgrass pass offs in class (7th & 8th)
- December 11th, Winter Concert @HS Gym; 7pm (6th-12th)
- December 13th, Pancake Breakfast with Santa (volunteers sign up on Charms)
- December 13th, Shortgrass auditions in Cordell (7th & 8th)
- December 18th, end of 1st semester; all band fees paid in full
- December 19th-January 2nd, Winter Break
- January 5th, 2nd semester begins
- January 9th & 10th, Shortgrass Honor Band in Elk City (7th & 8th)
- January 19th, no school
- January 27th, Band Booster meeting @HS band room; 7pm
- February 6th, Parent-Teacher conferences (directors unavailable)
- February 6th & 7th, SWOBDA All-Region Honor Band in Weatherford (7th-12th)
Blanchard Bands Winter Concert on Thursday, December 11th
The annual Blanchard Bands Winter Concert will be held on Thursday, December 11th at 7:00pm in the HS gym. All students grades 6-12 need to be in the HS band room wearing concert black by 6:15pm. The 6th grade band will perform first followed by the 7th & 8th grade band and then the HS band. The end of the concert will feature all band students performing in a large, mass band playing the B.C. Clark Jingle. The concert is free so please invite everyone to come out and celebrate the season with wonderful holiday music performed by Blanchard's great bands!
Prep Band, 5th Grade Band, would you like extra credit?
To earn extra credit you just need to go to the Blanchard Bands Winter Concert on Thursday, December 11th at 7:00pm in the HS gym. At the end of the concert, find Ms. Kauffman or Ms. Shepherd and give a high five! That earns you 10 points that can help bring up your grade for missing newsletters, zeros for daily grades, or just bump your grade up because you want to be the most awesome kid! Remember, you must give a director a high five after the concert or you won't earn extra credit. We hope you'll come see what you're going to be a part of very soon!
Breakfast with Santa Fundraiser on Saturday, December 13th
We are gearing up for the first Breakfast with Santa and it's shaping up to be great! Click here for a poster of the event, check it out on the band website, or have your student bring home a hard copy (or 2 or 3) so you can hang them up all around town, at work, at church, and more. Tickets are $5.00 and are available ahead of time from any HS band student or director or can also be purchased at the door. If your MS student would like to sell tickets, they are welcome to check some out from us. Parents are welcome to check out tickets as well. Tickets include an all you can eat pancake breakfast, a visit with Santa (pictures are $5.00), a Santa letter writing station, a coloring area, as well as numerous vendors on site with great gifts for the holidays! Santa will also be telling a story at 9:45am. The event runs from 8:00am-11:00am. This is going to be a great event for the entire family, so please spread the word and plan on joining us for a wonderful morning filled with smiles and memories!
Twitter/Text Updates
We send lots of info for all kinds of things out via Twitter (@BlanchardBands), so make sure you follow us! If you don't use Twitter, don't worry! Just text "follow BlanchardBands" to 40404 and every time we tweet, you'll get a text, simple as that! For more info on this, check out the following link (which also gives you info if you want to quit following us):
https://blog.twitter.com/2010/introducing-fast-follow-and-other-sms-tips
MS Band Students of the Month!!
Our Blanchard MS Band Students of the month for December are Schelby Brooks, Isaiah Schmidt, Adam Jones, McKenzie Menefee, Sean Larsen, Jamie Schmidt, Bradly McKee, & Lydia Utley!
- Schelby is in the 8th grade and plays the euphonium. Schelby practices regularly and takes private lessons. She is a great role model for the students around her. She is always prepared and very attentive in class. Schelby has improved a tremendous amount from the beginning of the school year, earning 3rd chair in the SWOBDA All-Region Concert Band. She is a quiet student, but when she plays she makes a big impact! Congratulations, and thanks for all of your hard work, Schelby!
- Isaiah is a percussionist in the 7th grade band. Isaiah has practiced and improved since the beginning of the year, especially on snare drum. He earned 6th chair in the 7th Grade SWOBDA All-Region Honor Band. Isaiah is not only a wonderful musician, he enters the classroom each day with a giant smile and positive attitude. His kindness and positivity encourages the entire band to laugh and enjoy making music. Thank you for always being a bright spot in our day, Isaiah!
- Adam is a 6th grader and the only alto saxophone player in the band. He has worked really hard and handled the pressure of being the only person on his part. In fact, in our upcoming Winter Concert Adam has his first solo! Adam has taken private lessons for some time and is always working to get better while keeping a smile on his face. It's not easy always playing on your own, but Adam does an awesome job. Keep up the good work, Adam!
- McKenzie is a trombone player in the 6th grade band. She is currently first chair and works diligently to stay there. She take private lessons and right can play the highest notes out of any trombone players in the whole middle school! The other cool thing about McKenzie is that she always makes time to greet her teachers with a smile and ask them about their day. She is extremely courteous and always brings a smile to our faces. You are awesome, McKenzie!
- Sean is in the 5th grade band and plays the clarinet. Sean has practiced, played in front of the class, led the band at the Demonstration Concert, and has shown much improvement. He is always very polite and helpful. He has contributed to the class environment by helping it both fun and productive. He is very quiet, but he is always listening, paying attention, and working hard. Thanks for everything, and keep it up, Sean!
- Jamie plays the flute in the 5th grade band. In her time as a flute player she has learned a lot of information in a short amount of time. Each week she answers a journal entry with multiple questions to further her thinking about music. She is always prepared and asking insightful questions. She also helps others in her section with their fingerings and remembering songs. Bravo, Jamie!
- Bradly is a trumpet player in the 5th grade. He has quickly latched onto playing the trumpet and had a solo at the Demonstration Concert. He helps in class, even by moving his seat away from his friends so he can help a couple of students. Each day it seems that he comes in and has figured out how to play something else on his instrument. His excitement and energy are always a joy to see! Thanks for being a great helper and a great player, Bradly!
- Lydia is a percussionist in the 5th grade who also played a solo at the Demonstration Concert. She has studied piano for a number of years in preparation of being a percussionist and it shows! She constantly has new songs she is learning and teaching to her fellow percussionists. Lydia is excited about music and sharing what she knows with others. She has a natural teaching ability when she works with her peers. We are proud of you, Lydia!
"I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music." ~Albert Einstein
How to get credit for your monthly newsletter grade! Due by Monday, December 15th!
The purpose of the monthly newsletter is to make sure that students and parents are all on the same page and know about all band activities. To get credit, a parent needs to send an email to Ms. Kauffman that has the following info: student name, grade, parent name, and that the newsletter has been read. This earns you 100%! If you don't have the ability to email, please read the newsletter online and send a written note to school with the same information (though we REALLY prefer online responses if at all possible).
Remember, newsletters are only accepted during the month of the newsletter. Once the month has passed, that newsletter can no longer be submitted.
Contact Us
Email: jkshepherd1@gmail.com
Website: www.blanchardbands.com
Location: kauffmanjc@gmail.com
Phone: 405-485-3392
Twitter: @BlanchardBands