BAND PARENTS' UPDATE - MIDDLE SCHOOL EDITION

Greetings! If you are receiving this message, it's because we understand you to have a student enrolled in one of the Grandview Heights Middle School bands (grades 5

through 8). We wanted to share a few introductory notes with all of our middle school families, as the school year starts kicking into gear. 

If you are the parent of a 5th grader, or of a student who is new to Grandview or new to the band program - welcome! 

1. GH BAND PARENTS ASSOCIATION: the Grandview Heights Band Parents Association (GHBPA or BPA, for short) is a volunteer organization that provides financial and volunteer support for all of the Grandview bands, grades 5-12. If you are an adult family member of a student in one of these bands - congratulations, you're a Band Parent! We welcome you to join us at our monthly meetings (typically the third Thursday of the month at 6:30 pm in the HS band room) to learn more about volunteer opportunities and ways that you can support the band program. Please also feel free to contact any officer or committee chair with any questions you may have. 
2. COMMUNICATIONS: the BPA uses several different methods to communicate with band families. Email blasts like this one go out periodically to targeted groups and/or all GH band families, depending on the subject matter. (If you know someone who isn't receiving these messages and wants to be added to the distribution list, please have them send an email to GrandviewHeightsBPA@gmail.com.) We also maintain the Grandview Heights Bands web site, with a calendar, a documents page, and a blog where all emails from BPA and the band director are posted - so any time you've lost the email or sheet of paper that you need, feel free to check there. Finally, we have a private Facebook group (search for Grandview Heights Band Parents and send a request to join), and a public twitter feed (@BandHts), both of which are used to share updates, scheduling information, and other news. Choose the method or methods that work best for you to stay in touch.
3. BOBCAT BANDS 101: new this year on our web site is the "Bobcat Bands 101" feature, which will walk you through a full twelve months in the life of the Grandview band program. Details on performances, uniforms, volunteer opportunities, and fundraising are all laid out in a somewhat chronological fashion, from the end of one school year to the start of the next. This may be particularly useful for new families, or families whose students are moving into the HS bands for the first time. 
4. VOLUNTEERING: because the GHBPA provides financial support to allband students, grades 5-12, we welcome volunteer support from all band families, grades 5-12! Some of our volunteer activities may seem a little more high-school-centric than others - but we welcome everyone's involvement in all of them. Here are links to a couple of current signupgeniuses, if you'd like to check them out and maybe come and lend a hand. In particular, staffing the concession stand for all home Bobcat football games in the fall is a major fundraiser for the BPA and takes more than 30 people per game. Please consider joining us - it's really a lot of fun!
5. MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND SHIRTS: finally, as returning families know, middle school band students wear khaki pants or skirts and a navy blue GH Bands polo shirt for all concert performances. You will need to purchase the pants/skirt on your own, but the polo shirts are purchased directly from GHBPA to ensure uniformity. GHBPA volunteers will be at school during the third week of September, to size 5th grade students. Shirt orders will be taken shortly after, in time for shirts to arrive for the first concert in November. All 5th grade band students are expected to order a shirt from BPA unless they have access to a good condition hand-me-down from a sibling or friend. Any 6-8th student in need of a new shirt will also be able to place an order at the same time. Order forms and other information will be distributed by email, web site, and Facebook post, as soon as it's available.

Thanks, all!  Questions? Let me know!
Julie Rutter, Communications Chair
Grandview Heights Band Parents Association
614-314-8481
grandviewhtsband.org
https://www.facebook.com/groups/GHBandParents/
@BandHts