General information that applies to all students and parents can be found towards the top of every newsletter, while information specific to your child's ensemble can be found in that particular section by scrolling down. Feel free to contact a director if you have any questions and our contact information is at the bottom of this newsletter.

Attention 6th & 7th Grade Band Parents Only: As we look ahead to planning for next school year, we need your feedback on your son or daughter's likely choice for their enrollment in Band next year. Please take 2 minutes to fill out this Band Intention Form due by this Friday, March 8.

We really appreciate your child's participation in our program, and we sincerely hope they decide to continue to play their instrument and learn life-long skills, such as punctuality, preparation, self-discipline, focus, and relentless grit. The directors know that Band can add that special motivation to do well and to be superior in everything they do. All directors work with athletic coaches and other sponsors constantly to avoid any conflicts that may arise by students' participation in multiple programs. We never want to put your child in the position of having to choose between different activities.

Remember, being in Band offers many benefits outside of playing an instrument. Important life skills such as time management are learned, as well as the integration of team building skills on a daily basis. Band students also score higher on both the SAT. Children who take Band have a lower life-long drug and alcohol abuse rates as compared to those who don't. All of these are important abilities that both colleges and future employers look for in our Band students. We've said it before and we'll say it again: Band students are some of the best kids in school!

Regardless of their choice, all 6th & 7th grade Band students will prepare and perform an End-of-Year Audition that serves as a placement exam for our ensembles. This will take place starting Monday, April 29 and is a major grade. After talking it over with your student, please fill out this form, and if appropriate, please give us reasons that support your decision. We appreciate your help with this process.

After Spring Break, each student will receive an individualized eligibility statement for our upcoming Spring Trip to Typhoon Texas (Austin) on Saturday, May 11 (weather permitting). It will also include how much your student owes to attend the trip after applying credit from our SnapRaise Fundraiser in the Fall.

In order to be eligible for the Spring Trip, students must meet the following criteria as outlined in our Band Handbook:

1. Be academically eligible during the grading period of the trip. This is an extracurricular trip, therefore students must pass all classes with a 70 or above on their grade report.
2. Return a completed, signed permission slip.
3. Be present and perform at all performances, which are graded and participation is mandatory. A list of these performances are outlined in our Band Handbook, Calendar, and List of Band Events.
4. Have settled all financial obligations to the school district (including campus and its programs) no later than Friday, April 12, 2024 at 4:00pm.
5. Have met all behavior standards:

• Cannot have 10 or more Lunch Detentions (D-Halls) in the current spring semester.
• Cannot have 4 or more days of ISS/OSS (In-School/Out-of-School Suspensions) in the current school year
• Cannot be assigned to DAEP at any time during the school year

If a student loses trip privileges for any Belton MS organization on campus, he or she also loses trip privileges for the Belton MS Fine Arts Spring Trip. Ultimately, directors will determine who is eligible to attend the Spring Trip, and any students exhibiting disruptive and/or undisciplined behavior may be subject to exclusion from the trip.

Click here to see the Calendar page of our website to find all of the current events, including special rehearsals, contests, and performances for the whole school year. We provide this so you can plan your family's activities. Remember, performances are a required part of our curriculum, so please contact a director ASAP for any conflicts. Be sure to view the List of Band Events that can be found clicking on the link.

Practice Records are due every Monday and follow this grading rubric: 5 days=100, 4 days=90, 3 days=80, 2 days=70, and less than 2 days=50. A new updated practice record will be given to students and this cycle will continue for the rest of this school year.

Practice Records are each student's responsibility, and must be stored in their binder at all times. The penalty for late practice records is a 5-point reduction per day. Late practice records will not be accepted after Friday since it rolls over to the next week's practice record. Please note that not turning in practice records is the #1 reason students fail Band.

Help your student create a daily practice routine that is scheduled at the same time each day to build consistency. Have them use a timer in stopwatch mode instead of timer countdown mode to ensure they are getting the full 25 minutes of practice time.

Students are welcome to practice before school starting at 7:30am if they show their band sticker on their student ID to the teacher on duty when entering the hallway. Please remind your student to have a director sign their practice record in order to count this time as practicing, as long as they have practiced the full 25 minutes.

If you haven't already, make sure you sign up for our Remind texts for the Beginner's Ensemble here. Students may do this as well with parent permission. This is important piece of communication to receive reminders throughout the year.

Click here to access our schedule for UIL coming up on Wednesday, March 6 at Lake Belton HS. We need parent chaperones to help us transport instruments and equipment, but our students will do the heavy lifting! We will also feed you a snack and late lunch for free! We would need chaperones to report to BMS and check-in at the front office by 10:00am and then help out until we return at 3:30pm. Please email Mr. Trahan here if you can help out.

If you can't chaperone, we will still love to see you in the audience supporting our students! Arrive at the Lake Belton HS PAC at 12:30pm for our performance on stage at 12:40pm, and feel free to follow us into the Band Hall for Sightreading afterwards. We will then leave for a late lunch around 1:45pm. Click here to see the maps of where to go both outside and inside campus.

If you haven't already, make sure you sign up for our Remind texts for Symphonic Band here. Students may do this as well with parent permission. This is important piece of communication to receive reminders throughout the year.

Click here to access our schedule for UIL coming up on Wednesday, March 6 at Lake Belton HS. We need parent chaperones to help us transport instruments and equipment, but our students will do the heavy lifting! We will also feed you a boxed lunch for free! We would need chaperones to report to BMS and check-in at the front office by 11:45am and then help out until we return at 4:30pm. Please email Mr. Pulley here if you can help out.

If you can't chaperone, we will still love to see you in the audience supporting our students! Arrive at the Lake Belton HS PAC at 2:50pm for our performance on stage at 3:00pm, and feel free to follow us into the Band Hall for Sightreading afterwards. We will then leave to return to BMS at 4:00pm. Click here to see the maps of where to go both outside and inside campus.

If you haven't already, make sure you sign up for our Remind texts for Wind Ensemble here. Students may do this as well with parent permission. This is important piece of communication to receive reminders throughout the year.

We had a fun time on Saturday working hard on Jazz, plus eating at Chick-Fil-A with the HS directors and students! We also want to recognize Decker Bridge for getting to move up and play in the trumpet section. While we work on getting the videos uploaded to our YouTube Channel, please enjoy these pictures taken on Saturday:

If you haven't already, make sure you sign up for our Remind texts for Jazz Band here. Students may do this as well with parent permission. This is important piece of communication to receive reminders throughout the year.

Email: beltonmsband@gmail.com

Website: beltonmsband.org
Call/Text: 254-262-3050

Address: 1704 Sparta Road, Belton, TX, USA

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