Beginning Band April 2015 Newsletter

FBA BEGINNING BAND NEWS                                                                                                          

This year has flown by! It has been an absolute joy working with your kids and sharing the love of music with them each day. Here are a few items that you need to be aware of as the end of the school year approaches. I have sent this letter home with your child. Please sign and return the attached page by Friday, April 24, so I know you are aware of the various end-of-year band activities. If you are available to help with any events, please indicate on the letter and send Mrs. Conard an email ASAP.

·         Thursday, April 23 – No beginning band class due to field trip

·         Monday, April 27 – Beginning Band dress rehearsal in the main sanctuary. (Wear regular school uniform.) PLEASE be in attendance at this rehearsal from 11:00-11:45am. Music for “America” must be memorized by today!

·         Tuesday, April 28 – Band Chapel at 9am. Wear Band Polo and nice blue jeans to school all day. Beginning Band will perform “America” with the other bands. Dismiss from class at 8:25am. Take instruments in cases to the sanctuary. Rehearsal for "America" at 8:35am.

·         Tuesday, April 28 – Spring Band Concert. MANDATORY attendance. Beginning Band meets at 6:30pm in the band hall in concert attire (Band polo, blue jeans, and school-approved shoes. Girls may wear brown or black flats). Concert is from 7pm-8pm with a reception to follow in the faith building (cafeteria). Students will have to stay for entire concert because they are performing at the end as a large band. Student’s accounts will be billed $2 to help with the costs of the reception. Help is needed with set-up/clean-up.

·         Thursday, April 30 – Band Buddy fun day. The day you’ve been waiting for – find out who your band buddy is! 2:00-2:45pm. Ice cream will be served.

·         Saturday, May 9 – 7^th-8^th grade band contest at Stevens HS. A few 6^th graders may be asked to participate. Please leave this morning open from 8am-noon. Parents of 6^th graders must attend the performance and take their child home from Stevens HS or arrange for someone to pick them up (give Mrs. Conard info). Band performs from 10:00am-10:15am. Students will be notified by April 30 if needed for this performance.

·         Tuesday, May 12 – Solo/Ensemble contest at FBA. 4pm-7pm. Students may leave after they perform. This is an optional contest but is a great opportunity to perform and be judged against a musical standard. Students may compete in up to two events – 2 solos (if different instruments), 1 solo/1 ensemble, or 2 ensembles. Entry fees are $4 per event.

·         Thursday, May 21 – End of Year Band Picnic – Selma Stagecoach Park (I-35 and Evans Rd.) 4pm-7pm. Come and go as you please. Will send email with link to sign-up to bring various picnic items. This is a potluck-style dinner and we’ll have fun and games in the park. Come celebrate with us! Family members are also invited.  

Congrats on Math Olympics!

Congrats to the following 6th grade band students that competed in Math Olympics!

Brett - Participant
Mitchell - Excellent
Lianna - Excellent (Area Qualifier!)
Melinda - Excellent

Keep up the great work!

December Band Events

FBA Band Newsletter

December 3, 2014

This newsletter is an updated calendar to remind you of upcoming events. Please be aware of these events and mark them on your calendars. Parents, if you can volunteer to help for a specific event, please notify Mrs. Conard as soon as possible.

Attendance at all band events is mandatory and each performance counts as a test grade. Students are required to stay for the entire event to support the other bands. 

*This newsletter (with more dates) was sent home. Parents, please sign and return the last page acknowledging receipt of newsletter. Thank you.  

Tuesday, December 9 – Christmas Band Concert (6:30pm) – Sanctuary

All band students should bring a dozen cookies (homemade or store-bought) to the band hall in the morning or after school. May bring on Monday, too. 

All bands meet on 3^rd floor. Be IN YOUR SEAT at the following times:   
Concert Band at 5:45pm. Symphonic Band at 6:00pm. Beginning Band at 6:15pm. 

6^th-8^th grade wear band polos and blue jeans. 9^th-12^th grade wear formal black dress/tux. (Wear regular school uniform during the day.) 

Students will remain seated in the sanctuary with their band for the entire concert. No cell phones are to be seen during the concert. This is a school function. If a student is caught with their cell phone during the concert, they will be charged $20 and given a mark..
 

Reception to follow in the Choral Suite. 

NEED CHAPERONES AND HELP WITH RECEPTION.

To be announced: Beginning Band will perform for 5th graders during class time. This will be before Christmas Break.

Polo Shirts and Fall Concert

First Baptist Academy

Middle School Band Newsletter        October 15, 2014

-----------------------------------BAND POLO SHIRTS-----------------------------------

The students were given their Band Polo shirts today in class. Please have them try on the shirt when they get home tonight. If it is too small, have them bring it back tomorrow. Because these are personalized, we cannot return the shirts, but we can swap within the band.

The youth sizes are a different shade than the adult sizes because they are a different brand. I was aware of that when ordering. We are already mismatched because several students will be wearing last year’s design. Hopefully within the next few years, we will all be matching.

Some of you have not yet been billed for the shirt, so you may notice a charge on your child’s account by the end of this week. Everyone that has not yet paid, please give payment to Mrs. Armstrong before our Fall Concert. We have to pay the company for the shirts, and that bill is over $1,000.

-----------------------------------FALL CONCERT-----------------------------------

When: Thursday, October 23, 2014

Where: FBA 3^rd floor

Who: 6^th-8^th Grade Band Students

Time: Concert starts at 4:00pm and will be finished by 5:00pm. All students must stay until the end of the concert unless I receive a written note from a parent, in advance, with an extenuating circumstance.

·         Beginning Band will need to be in their seats, ready to play, at 3:40pm.

·         Concert Band will need to be in the band room by 3:50pm, with their instruments out. They will have 10 minutes to warm up/tune in one of the two side rooms. They will come out at 4:00pm and watch the Beginning Band.

Attire:  Students will wear their Eagle Band Polo, nice Blue Jeans, and school-approved socks and shoes (may “upgrade” and wear leather/leather-like dress shoes) to school ALL DAY, Thursday, October 23. Boys must tuck in their shirt for the performance. They should wear a black or brown belt.

Other: 

Parents, please attend the concert. Invite your family and friends to attend the concert. It is more fun to play for an audience, and your children have been working very diligently on the music.

·         If your child usually goes to ELS, they will need to go there after the concert.

·         Band students that have cookie dough orders (school fundraiser) will be able to pick them up from 5:00-6:00pm after the concert.

Band Polo Shirts

This is your last chance to place your order for Band Polo Shirts! They go into production on Monday. If you would like a polo shirt and have not ordered one, please comment below or send Mrs. Conard an email before 9am Monday.Youth, Men, and Women's sizes available.