WINTER PARK BAND Weekly Newsletter

Dear Winter Park Band families,

Welcome back! We hope everyone has had a wonderful summer break and enjoyable time home with family. We are so excited for the start of 2026-2027 (the 87th year of the Winter Park Band and the 100th year of Winter Park High School!) and starting our work with For All Mankind at Band Camp!

All families received a Cut Time email and text message in the latter part of last week with reminders of FHSAA Athletic Clearance and Physical, ECG, and NFHS Health & Safety Courses requirements. Families of students cleared to participate in Band Camp will have an email in the inbox of the email account used to log into the FHSAA website. If you do not yet have that clearance email, please complete the physical, ECG, and courses before the end of the day Sunday, July 12, and upload your documents here: https://athleticclearance.fhsaahome.org/

• Students will have a spot in the first part of the marching show if they are cleared before Band Camp.
• If a student is not cleared before Band Camp or has an unexcused absence from Band Camp, they will not have a spot in the first part of the marching show.

This week, the Student Leadership Team will prepare for Band Camp at Leadership Camp.

Tuesday, 7/14 we will join the student leadership teams from other local high school bands at the South Orange Leadership Summit at Freedom HS. Bus transportation and lunch are provided on Tuesday. Please see itinerary below:

• 9:00 AM - Arrive at the Band Room, attendance taken
• 9:10 AM - Load Bus and depart for Freedom HS
• 10:00 AM - Summit begins, lunch provided
• 4:00 PM - Load Bus and Return to WPHS
• 4:45 PM - Approx Arrival at WPHS

We will again meet in the Band Room both Wednesday, 7/15, & Thursday, 7/16, from 9 AM - 3 PM. Wear clothing like you would wear for rehearsal, remember your water jug, and bring a lunch with you both days.

Percussion and Color Guard Camp will take place Tuesday, 7/14 - Thursday, 7/16. Rehearsals are from 9 AM - 3 PM each day, and students will need to bring their own lunch each of the three days.

Thank you to our awesome Uniform Crew lead by Vanessa Flemming, Damaris Olmeda, and Jenniffer Randolph for volunteering their time over the summer to help get started on fitting the SOTW for their uniforms! For those who were not able to attend, not to worry, uniform fittings will continue during Band Camp until all our students have been fitted. We will also have sizing for marching band uniform shoes on the afternoon of Wednesday, 7/22 during Band Camp.

Next week begins Band Camp 2026 and the start of our journey both of the 87th Winter Park Band and with this year's show entitled For All Mankind! It's going to be a great time, and so good to get the Band back together. Band Camp dates are Monday, July 20 - Thursday, July 23 & Monday, July 27 - Friday, July 31. All days are 8 AM - 5 PM with our Mandatory Band Booster Meeting (for all parents/guardians) in the band room on Friday, July 31 at 6 PM, followed by the Premiere Show at 7:15 PM on D-Lot or in the Auditorium (weather permitting).

Sample Band Camp Daily Schedule:

7:40 AM Arrive at WPHS Main Campus Band Room

8:00 AM Full Band Meeting

8:05 AM Visual Fundamentals

12:00 PM Lunch

12:45 PM Indoor Music Rehearsals (small sections, large sections, full music ensemble), Dance rehearsals for Color Guard

4:50 PM Announcements & Dismissal

Be sure you're playing your instrument leading up to Band Camp. A good amount would be 15-20 minutes a day with a focused warmup and some work on All-State audition materials (see below), 12 major scales, chromatic scale, sight-reading, stands tunes, and any music you were given at Mini Camp. You could pick one thing from that list to work on for 15 minutes and then pick another for the next day. Whatever playing you do now will pay big dividends when you get to camp!

Have a great summer!

Mr. Clemente & Ms. O'Rourke

All-State Auditions - Saturday, September 19 at Ocoee HS

Concert Band (9th & 10th grade)

• Woodwinds
• Brass & Percussion

Symphonic Band (11th & 12th Grade)

• Woodwinds
• Brass & Percussion

Piano (9th through 12th Grade)

High School Jazz Band (9th - 12th grades)

• Requirement Sheet
• Excerpts & Backing Tracks
• Improv Instructions

Sight-Reading Guidelines and Past Sight-Reading Excerpts

Concert (9th & 10th Grade)

Symphonic (11th & 12th Grade)

Past Years Sightreading

Happy practicing!

Band Families,

Welcome to a new season of band! I look forward to seeing familiar faces and meeting new people. This is the weekly newsletter - the best place for information about upcoming events. Students and guardians should all make it a habit to read the newsletter every week.

As students prepare for Band Camp, please start hydrating this week. Make sure your body is prepared for spending time outside.

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to email me.

-Laura Cambridge

wphsbandboosterpresident@gmail.com

Hi there Wildcat families!

My name is Jennifer Mullins and I am excited to serve again as your Volunteer Coordinator for the Winter Park High School Band and Colorguard. If you have questions about volunteering or getting involved throughout the year, I'm here to help!

Our family has been part of the SOTW family for several years. My daughter, Melodee, graduated in 2025 after serving as Captain of the Colorguard, and this year we are excited to celebrate two graduating seniors! Our family "twins", my niece, Laney, and my son, Landon, is a senior and one of our Drum Majors.

I look forward to meeting many of you this year and helping make volunteering a fun and rewarding part of your SOTW experience. Welcome new and returning families to another amazing season!

Jennifer Mullins

WPHS Band Volunteer Coordinator

🎶 Band Camp is Just Around the Corner! 🎺

The excitement is building, the instruments are tuned, and Provisions is thrilled to fuel our incredible Marching Band and Colorguard teams for the upcoming two weeks of band camp! Being out on the field takes serious energy, and we are fully prepared to keep everyone nourished, hydrated, and ready to perform.

Here is a quick look at what we have lined up for lunchtime at camp:

• Fresh & Fueling Options: We’re serving up a delicious variety of nutrient-packed meals, featuring plenty of crisp fruits and veggies to keep energy levels high all day long.
• Ultimate Hydration: Staying safe in the heat is our top priority. Gatorade and dedicated water hydration stations will be provided daily during lunchtime to all students to ensure everyone stays properly hydrated and refreshed.
• No Student Left Hungry: Didn’t purchase a meal plan during registration? Forgot your lunch at home? Don’t sweat it! We’ve got you covered:
• Daily PB&J Station: A quick, delicious go-to backup for anyone who needs it. Please note: To maintain safe food zones, this station will be completely separate and served away from the main food service area.
• OCPS School Lunches: Available daily at no cost, so every student has access to a full, balanced meal if needed.

⚠️ Attention New Freshman & Incoming First-Year Parents: Allergies & Preferences

As we look ahead to the upcoming school year, your student's health and safety are our number one priorities. If your child has any new or existing food allergies, dietary restrictions, or specific dietary preferences to report, please email us directly at wphsbandprovisions@gmail.com prior to the start of band camp. Beyond just knowing the logistics, we truly want to connect with parents of students with allergies personally so we can partner together to keep your student safe and comfortable.

Please Note: While we work closely with our food partners to accommodate specific needs, band camp meals are prepared in outside vendor kitchens. Because of this, we cannot guarantee a completely allergen-free environment, and there is always a possible risk of cross-contamination. If your child has a severe food allergy and plans to purchase camp-provided meals, please contact Provisions with any questions regarding specific vendors to discuss if band camp meals are the right choice for your child. When allergen exposure risks are unknown, packing a lunch from home is always the safest and best choice to eliminate doubt.

We can't wait to see all the hard work come together. Let’s make this the best band camp yet!

Christina Armendariz, Beth Lybarger, & Griselle Monzon

WPHS SOTW Provisions Team

Questions? Reach out to us: wphsbandprovisions@gmail.com

☀️ Happy Summer, Band Families! 🎶

We hope everyone is enjoying a well-deserved summer break, making memories with family and friends, traveling, and recharging before another exciting band season begins!

As you’re out and about this summer, don’t forget that now is the perfect time to start working on Sponsorships! Whether you’re grabbing dinner at a favorite restaurant, visiting local businesses, or chatting with companies you already know, summer is a great opportunity to ask if they’d be interested in supporting the Winter Park High School Band.

Remember, students receive 45% fundraising credit for every sponsorship they sell, with no limit on the number of sponsorships that can be earned. These sponsorships help fund instruments, repairs, transportation, music, guest clinicians, competitions, and so much more while giving our community partners valuable recognition throughout the season.

📅 Important Deadlines

• Business Sponsorships Due: August 11
• Student Dedications Due: August 25

💳 Payment Options

We’re currently working to get our School Cash Online payment link activated for the new school year. As soon as it’s available, we’ll share it with everyone. In the meantime, sponsors are always welcome to pay by check, made payable to Winter Park High School Band. Once the online payment system is live, businesses and families will also have the option to pay securely by credit card.

Don’t wait until Band Camp to get started! A little effort over the summer can go a long way toward helping offset your student’s band expenses while supporting one of the top music programs in the state.

If you need additional sponsorship packets, dedication forms, or have any questions, please use this link,

Copy of 26:27 Full Sponsorship Packet.pdf

Erica Diltz, Sponsorship Chair
Winter Park High School Band
wpbandprogram@gmail.com | 407-784-4361

This time of year, many families consider purchasing a higher quality instrument for their student. While the rental instruments or student instruments many students had during middle school served them well during that time, high school music and musicians need instruments with higher quality make and materials to continue to improve. Please especially do not buy an instrument for your student from discount websites like Amazon. We music teachers refer to instruments sold on those websites as ISOs - Instrument Shaped Objects.

If you are able and considering a "step-up" instrument for your student (sometimes referred to as "intermediate" or "professional" instruments by manufacturers), please feel free to reach out for guidance. We will be happy to point you in the right direction and give options for quality instruments at fair prices.

Local music stores:

Underwood Music - 4949 N Pine Ave, Winter Park, FL 32792

Music Shack - 702 S US Hwy 17 92, Longwood, FL 32750

Allegro Music - 851 E State Rd 434, Longwood, FL 32750

Music & Arts - 4676 Millenia Plaza Way, Orlando, FL 32839

A few websites to peruse:

www.allcountymusic.com

www.musicmaninconline.com

www.musicandarts.com

www.steveweissmusic.com

Whether a student is learning a musical instrument to pursue a career in music, or simply for personal musical fulfillment and recreation, private lessons are one of the best investments that a parent can provide for their musical child. When working with a private teacher, students receive one-on-one instruction from a professional musician who specializes on that instrument.

​Unlike a full band rehearsal experience, studying with a private teacher focuses in on the student’s individual needs. Students who study privately once a week from a professional musician are usually those who excel and find Band more enjoyable. These students frequently earn positions in honor groups like All-State and All-County, and make entry into our more advanced bands like Wind Symphony and Jazz Ensemble I. Some even go on to earn college scholarships, even if they are not majoring in music!

Below is a link to a list of local private teachers. This list is not exhaustive, and there may be other individuals who are not on the list. If you are a private teacher who would like to be added to our list (or deleted), or know a private teacher who should be added, please contact Mr. Clemente at michael.clemente@ocps.net.

http://www.winterparkhsband.com/private-teachers.html

July 14 - 16: Leadership, Percussion, & Color Guard Camp, 9 AM - 3 PM

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July 20 - 23 and 27 - 31: BAND CAMP, 8 AM - 5 PM

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July 31: Mandatory Band Booster Meeting, 6 PM

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July 31: 2026 SOTW Premiere Show, 7:15 PM

Since the Cut Time software has been updated, the synced calendar link has changed. Copy the link below to subscribe to the Band public events calendar in Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Outlook, or other calendar app:

• https://app.gocuttime.com/program/calendar/c308b229-e7ac-4762-93ef-6112f6f8daf3/ics
  

UPCOMING BAND PAYMENTS

• WOODWINDS, BRASS, PERCUSSION
• Wednesday, July 29, 2026
• Fair Share Payment - $225 OR Fair Share Payment 1 - $100.00
• Marching Band Shoe (new students and if needed) - $50.00
• Extra Show Shirt (optional) - $15.00

• COLOR GUARD
• Wednesday, July 29, 2026
• Fall Fair Share Payment - $325 OR Fair Share Payment 1 - $100
• Marching Band Shoe (if needed) - $50.00
• Extra Show Shirt (optional) - $15.00

We've been posting lots of photos our social media platforms, and we will continue to post updates, photos, video, and other media to those pages throughout the year. Follow the Band!

• Facebook: @winterparkhsband
• Instagram: @winterparkhsband @wphs_flutes @wphsclarinets @wpsaxes @wphs_trumpets @wphs.trombones @wphstubas @winterparkhspercussion @winterparkhscolorguard @wphs.drumajors
• YouTube: @winterparkhsband
• Twitter: @wphs_bands
• Tik Tok: @winterparkhsband

Email: michael.clemente@ocps.net
Website: www.winterparkhsband.com
Location: 2100 Summerfield Road, Winter Park, FL, USA
Phone: 4076223200
Facebook: www.facebook.com/winterparkhsband