Creekland Middle School Band Blog

Minutes for Band Booster Meeting 9/13/2010

o   Welcome-Mr. Jacob Sevier started the meeting at 7:05 pm.  Mr. Sevier went over the purpose of this meeting with the parents in attendance.  The purpose of this meeting was to give parents tools to help their children be successful in band, and get a booster organization started.  Mr. Sevier introduced Mr. Richard Irby from CHHS Band booster club.

• Mr. Richard Irby from CHHS

o   Mr. Irby explained that an important role of a booster club is to provide additional monies for the classroom and for additional items, such as additional instruments, money for trips and to help with lessons and expenses when there is a child in need that could benefit.  He advised the school does not give the band money for this and what the district provides is minimal.  He also explained that parental involvement is key-we can support our children not only in fundraising, but by being involved and by being there to witness the child’s successes in their musical education.  They want their parents to see them being successful!

• Officer Duties-Ms. Schaps went over each of the following officer duties and opened the floor for nominations.

o   President – lead meetings, keep close communication with band directors, spearhead and delegate projects and committees

§  Nominees: Jeff Reinhard, Rachel Pinard

o   Vice President – volunteer coordinator for band needs and functions, Rockathon Committee chair, lead meetings when president is absent

§  Nominees: Rachel Pinard

o   Secretary – take minutes at meetings, assist vice president with volunteer communication,  assist band directors with communication

§  Nominees: Shelly Pine, Molly Gautreaux

o   Treasurer – in charge of all money collected and dispersed

§  Nominees: Becky Drescher

• Officer nominations and elections-Ms. Schaps asked the parents in attendance to vote on the ballots provided and collected the ballots.
• Charms tutorial-Mr. Sevier and Ms. Schaps went over some of the features of Charms including public entry (creeklandmsband-then the students school id).  Once you get in charms, you can send emails to the teachers, look for handouts by grade and subject, play pass offs and save them to be graded.  Another feature of Charms is a calendar of all band events.  If you see a hand print on the date, please click on it and volunteer to help!  Also, parents were encouraged to go to their students page and verify the information we have  on file is valid.  Our band directors are working with
  CHHS to see if we have the capability to link with them so that the information transfers with the students as well as any monies raised.
• Blog overview-Ms.Schaps went over the benefits and uses of  our band blog.  It can be accessed by entering creeklandbands.edublogs.org.  There are categories listed on information tags to make it easy to find what you are looking for, including search engine links.  You can download into Audacity, mp3 players and disc resources as another way to hand in pass offs.  Note flight allows a student to enter music and it will play it back to them.
• SmartMusic

o   Student demonstration was provided by Abigail Collins.  She was provided with a song and played along with the music.  Mr. Sevier also asked her to play incorrect notes to show how a child will know how to go back and where to correct their mistakes.  The band boosters have paid $135 for the rights to the music on Smart Music and so our directors have the ability to assign music, help students and to receive pass offs.  The cost of a yearly student subscription is $36.  Smart Music helps the children with sight reading and preparing their requirements for pass offs and even District Band.

• Classroom grading

o   At home practice records are to be turned in any way shape or form at any time.  Mr. Sevier would just like a parent signature to confirm time spent at home with their instrument. Not only does home practice help with strengthening of mouth muscles, it makes the child a better instrument player. Pass-offs and class participation (coming to class with their instruments, binders and any other assigned activities) are also included in their grading requirements.

• Tips for home practice

o   Recording for self-evaluation purposes helps the student hear their mistakes and gives them the opportunity to fix them.

o   Practicing in front of a mirror helps students be aware of their bodies’ relationship with the instrument and can fix lots of issues.

o   Private Lessons are not required but highly encouraged for ANY student to enrich their learning experience!!!

• Additional recommended supplies

o   Metronome, tuner-helps the student with the beat/time of the music and the tuner helps them check their instruments to see if they are in tune.

• Nametags are on order!  All over the country people are waiting on them!  The children will get theirs as soon as the directors receive them!
• The meeting was adjourned by Ms. Schaps at approximately 8:10pm.

Here is the list of supplies needed for each specific instrument:

Required Materials for each instrument:

• Flute – Cleaning Kit with swab and polishing cloth
• Oboe – Cleaning Kit with swab, 3 good reeds with a 3 reed case, cork grease
• Bassoon – Cleaning Kit with swab, 3 good reeds with a 3 reed case, cork grease
• Clarinet – Cleaning kit with swab, a box of reeds(size 2)(Vandoren or Rico Royal reeds, not just Rico) 4 reed container to hold usable reeds, cork grease
• Trumpet – 5C mouthpiece,  Cleaning Kit, slide grease, valve oil, a rag to wipe it down.
• French Horn – Mouthpiece, Cleaning Kit, slide grease, rotary valve oil, rag to wipe it down.
• Trombone – 12 C  or 6 ½ AL mouthpiece, Cleaning Kit, Slide Cream or Pond’s Cold Cream (not slide oil), Slide Grease, Spray Bottle, rag to wipe it down
• Baritone/Euphonium – 12 C mouthpiece , Cleaning Kit, Valve Oil,  Slide Grease, a rag to wipe it down
• Tuba – Size 18 or 22 mouthpiece, Cleaning Kit, Valve Oil, Slide Grease, a rag to wipe it down

Other Required Supplies:

• Folding Music Stand – for practice at home and use for concerts
• Playing & Maintenance Supplies (reeds, mouthpiece, sticks, mallets, oils, greases listed above)
• A pencil to mark music
• A band packet  purchased from us at the beginning of the year through registration (includes band binder, name tag, band book, uniform)

As always, please let us know if you have any questions.

There are certain required materials that your child will need for the Creekland Band program.  We are selling “band packets” at registration this year that include the following:

• BLACK 1″ binder with 10 sheet protectors
• Name tag for instrument
• T-shirt (for 6th grade) or tux shirt package (7th grade)
• Standard of Excellence band book (Book 1 for 6th grade, Book 2 for 7th grade)

All students are required to have a BLACK 1″ “band binder” and the specific band book for his/her class.  We sell these specific items through the Creekland Band program, so there is no need to purchase them individually.  Binders are $3 and band books are $10 each.  Percussion books are an additional $5 for an extra book.

T-shirts are optional for 7th and 8th grade, and can be purchased for $10.

Please make checks payable to “Creekland Band Boosters,” and we prefer checks over cash because it is safer.  If you send cash, please send exact change only.
Here’s to a great beginning of the school year!

Welcome to the Creekland Band Blog, and  welcome to the 2010-2011 school year!  We are excited to share two new resources that we hope will help the year run as smoothly as possible.  We encourage you to use these resources as much as possible to help us stay in closer communication with you.

Firstly, we have started this site – a Creekland Band Blog!  We will update this website regularly with announcements we make in class, information about concerts and activities, and resources for home preparedness.  We may periodically post photos of events, so please contact us via email if you do NOT want pictures of your child to be posted. (We do not have records of Media Release Forms that students turn in to homeroom).

Secondly, we are now using an internet system called Charms as our electronic information database.  It is similar to the GCPS Parent Portal, but it contains all band-related information, including:

• Our band calendar for the school year
• Volunteer opportunities
• Copies of major forms and handouts
• Instruments or books assigned to your student
• Individual fundraising information

The website is www.charmsoffice.com (also linked to the left), and login and access information will be sent home with students.  Grades will still be listed on the GCPS Parent Portal.

Lastly, we need your help!  Please log onto Charms and make sure the contact information we have for you is correct.  Instead of filling out the information sheet we send home, if you have verified your information on Charms please just write “Charms!”

We look forward to the opportunities that these updates will bring to the Creekland Band program this year.  We hope you will join us at our Band Parent Meeting (date and time TBA), where we plan to share more news about the band program and discuss these resources further.