Band Notes - Week of September 3

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.

We are asking parents and students to sign up for this year's fundraiser to ask friends, family, neighbors, parents' coworkers, coaches, and other members of your community to donate to the Belton MS Band!

Once you create your profile, you will be directed to add email addresses and phone numbers to ask for donations. Make sure you do NOT include other students, teachers, fake emails, etc. and are only legitimate potential donors. These contacts are strictly protected and will not be shared outside of this fundraiser.

Starting Wednesday, September 11, SnapRaise will send out emails and texts to your potential donors and will start receiving donations online until Wednesday, October 9. Visit this website to sign up: bit.ly/bmsbandfund2024 and/or download the app here: snapmobile.app.link/download. Check out the flyer below for more information, plus you can watch this video for more detailed instructions: https://vimeo.com/479649033/56b06a761d.

By using this Forms page of our website, you can now pay online for School-Owned Instrument Usage Fees, Uniform Shirts, and Auto Decals by using the MySchoolBucks service. Each item is listed separately on the website, and there is a convenience fee for using this service. Alternatively, we accept Cash or Checks made payable to BMS with a valid phone number.

Regardless of which way you pay, your CutTime MagicLink is always up-to-date with your student's financial statement that includes how much you owe for what items, as well as what you have already paid. Remember payments are due by Friday, September 13.

We want to interact with you on social media, so be sure to Like, Follow, and Subscribe on all of the following platforms you use:

• YouTube Channel
• Parent Square Group
• Facebook Page
• Instagram Account
• Band Website
• Google Photos Album
• SoundCloud Channel
• Smore Newsletters

Click on this link to sign up to become a district volunteer and complete the background check. Even if you have done this before, this process must be repeated every school year: Parent Chaperone Sign-Up. Please sign up for volunteer opportunities on your CutTime MagicLink.

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.

Students are beginning to make their first sounds on their instruments and mini-instruments, and we ask for your help during this exciting time! Soon, we will have all students taking home their instruments daily and will be assigning home instruments for some based on availability.

We need your help in providing a suitable place for your student to practice 5 days a week for 25 minutes a day. This means a place with no distractions practicing with their home stand with a sturdy chair. The more supportive and encouraging you can be, the more they can achieve on their instrument!

Our first performance is coming up this week! Wednesday's rehearsal will be from 5:45-6:30pm and students should bring their own water and wear athletic apparel (tennis shoes, shorts, etc.).

On Friday, students should report to the M100 Practice Field with their instrument, flip folder/lyre, in their Future M100 shirt and shorts at 5:30pm.

Please read the attachment below for details:

Students have received a pass-off sheet similar to the clarinet one shown. This will help students track their progress in preparing for the upcoming TMEA All-Region Auditions on Saturday, November 2 in College Station.

Pass-offs include scales and etudes and will guide students in their practicing. Students will also be graded with these pass-offs, which will allow them to take ownership and responsibility for their own progress.

Our first performance is coming up this week! Wednesday's rehearsal will be from 5:45-6:30pm and students should bring their own water and wear athletic apparel (tennis shoes, shorts, etc.).

On Friday, students should report to the M100 Practice Field with their instrument, flip folder/lyre, in their Future M100 shirt and shorts at 5:30pm.

Please read the attachment below for details:

Students have received a pass-off sheet similar to the clarinet one shown. This will help students track their progress in preparing for the upcoming TMEA All-Region Auditions on Saturday, November 2 in College Station.

Pass-offs include scales and etudes and will guide students in their practicing. Students will also be graded with these pass-offs, which will allow them to take ownership and responsibility for their own progress.

We are definitely starting to swing and will continue working on counting, scat syllables, and proper jazz articulation daily. We've already done 3 music listening sessions to grow our ears for the concepts of jazz sound. We will begin to work on actual charts soon!

Email: beltonmsband@gmail.com

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

Address: 1704 Sparta Road, Belton, TX, USA

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Facebook: facebook.com/beltonmsband

YouTube: youtube.com/beltonmsband

Instagram: instagram.com/beltonmsband