Winter Park Band Notes
August 14, 2016
From Mr. Blackmer
Dear Winter Park Band Families,
Please read over this week's Newsletter carefully as there is a large amount of information being pushed out!
Also, with our first performance taking place at the end of this week, but looking for itineraries on the Band's website. Whenever possible, the itineraries will also be attached as a PDF to the specific event in the "This Week" section of the website's home page.
Looking forward to a great first week of school!
All the Best!
Mr. Blackmer
BAND CLASS PERIOD ASSIGNMENTS
There have been a few changes made to the daily Band schedule for the 2016/2017 school year - all for the better! The change made to Symphonic Band's location in the master schedule will allow the Band Directors greater regular access to our middle school feeder programs, and moving the Freshman Jazz Band to the Main Campus opens up additional instrumentation combinations and opportunities to interact with non-freshman jazz students.
Period 2: Symphonic Band
Period 4: Jazz Ensemble I
Period 5: Jazz Ensemble II / Freshman Jazz Band (Main Campus)
Period 6: Wind Ensemble / Guard
Period 7: Concert Band
Freshman - it is important that you listen to announcements at the Ninth Grade Center, especially this first week of school! They will be instructing where and when to catch the shuttle bus to the Main Campus. Instruments may be dropped off in the Ninth Grade Center's Music Room beginning at 7 AM each morning. You will find storage shelves located just inside the room, down the stairs, and to the right. Please create the smallest "footprint" possible on the storage shelves as over 120 Band and Orchestra students will be using that space each day for instrument storage!
ASIS International Convention Marching Band Invitation
PDI Productions, Inc., out of New York City, has extended an invitation to the Winter Park Marching Band to "perform" at the 2016 ASIS International convention on Monday, September 12. And, along with this invitation comes a substantial financial contribution to the Winter Park Bands!
The American Society for Industrial Security International (ASIS) is the preeminent global educational organization for security practitioners, with over 38,000 members in 124 countries. In order to stress the international nature of their organization, they present 100 international flags at the start of their opening session, and this is where we come in.
They have invited the 100 members of the Marching Band to present these flags as part of these opening ceremonies held at the Orange County Convention Center. There will be a rehearsal on Sunday, September 11 (9 AM - 1:15 PM), with the actual presentation taking place on Monday, September 12 (6 AM - 10:15 AM). Food is being provided on both days, as well as all transportation to and from the Convention Center.
Sign-up for this event will be on a first-come/first-serve basis, and will be limited to the first 110 students. To sign-up for this event, complete the Google Form found HERE. Students must use their OCPS-issued e-mail account to access the form!
ALL-STATE AUDITIONS
All-State auditions will take place on Saturday, September 17, at Ocoee High School. To register for an All-State audition time, complete the Google Form found HERE no later than Monday, August 22 at 2:30 PM.
September 17 is right around the corner! Be sure to review the All-State audition requirements on the Band website. Also, remember that the major scale pattern has changed this year to the "Circle of Fourths."
LAPTOP DEVICES
All Band students will need their laptop devices on the first day of school. Be sure they are fully charged!
We will be using the devices frequently throughout the school year, mainly for calendar tracking and performance evaluations. Here are some of the sites we will be working with:
- www.charmsoffice.com
- www.screencastify.com (if students wish to create an account prior to Monday, they need to be sure to use their OCPS e-mail address when registering)
- www.sightreadingfactory.com (students will be receiving a code for registration)
- www.classroom.google.com (the codes to join are as follows: Concert Band: vcsgxb5, Symphonic Band: y8wt4l, Wind Ensemble: sfazji0, Jazz Ensemble I: wwaat5, Jazz Ensemble II: 8cma4xs, Freshman Jazz Band: ucffpdj, Guard: TBD)
The Band Directors will be taking students through all of these sites over the first few days of school, but it will save some time if they have them pre-bookmarked on their computer prior to Monday!
Bottled Water Donations STILL Needed
The Marching Band goes through a large quantity of bottled water over the course of the marching band season, and we'll continue to need donations throughout the next three months. Please consider picking up a case of water each week with your other groceries, and donating to the Band Program. Water donations may be dropped-off in the Band Room at any point during the day. Thank you in advance!
Potential Chaperones, Operations Volunteers & Door-2-Door Drivers
All volunteers working with the Winter Park Band Program must be approved by OCPS. If there is a possibility you will chaperone at all this year, please take care of the following steps ASAP. It may take a few weeks to process your information before you are able to chaperone.
- Register now for ADDitions online at: https://ocps.samaritan.com/. If you were registered last year, you must update. If you are a new OCPS volunteer, you will create an account, profile and answer questions. Sign up for the “Becoming an OCPS ADDition” opportunity.
- E-mail a photocopy of your driver’s license and most recent auto insurance card to Carla Shuman, Band Chaperone Coordinator, at shumanorl@aol.com. If you do not have a copier/scanner at home, take a photo of these items with your smartphone and then e-mail the photo to Carla.
- If you missed the parent meeting last Friday, you must contact Carla Shuman and let her know you want to chaperone or volunteer for operations, and your available dates. Dates for football games are on the Band Calendar. Let Carla know if you would like to sign-up to drive for Door-2-Door held on Saturday, Feb 4, 8 AM - 5 PM. You will earn financial credit for your student's Band account by driving for Door-2-Door!
Program Ads & Sponsors
The deadline for Program Ads & Sponsors is Friday, September 2. Now is the time to secure your ads and sponsors. This is the most profitable fundraiser for your student's Band account that we offer! Many students pay for nearly all of their Band fees through this single fundraiser.
Forms can be found on the Band website. If you have questions please email Mary Beth Johnston at wpbandprogram@gmail.com.
EXTRA SHOW SHIRTS & ADULT POLOS
All students and families must come to the uniform room after practice on Monday, August 15 to pick up their pre-purchased show shirts (if you have not already done so). We have other families waiting to purchase extras that we have and we don’t want to sell yours!