BAND PARENTS' UPDATE

Hello from the Grandview Heights Band Parents Association! If you are receiving this message it's because you HAD a middle school band student last year, or you HAVE a

high school band student this year (or maybe BOTH!). There are important Band Camp details below for HS marching band families, but ALL families are encouraged to read on for sponsorship and volunteer opportunities as well. 

1. DID YOU KNOW? The GH Band Parents Association raises funds and provides support for ALL band students in Grandview Heights, including our jazz ensemble and middle schoolers. The money we raise helps pay for music, instrument repairs, concert programs, guest artists, and other equipment used and enjoyed by all of our students. We're ONE BAND program here in Grandview, and that means we could surely use the help of ALL of our band families! Please consider getting involved and providing whatever support you can. We will need all the help we can get to make this year a big success for all of our band students.
2. SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: Each year, in connection with our annual "Decal Drive" fundraiser, we offer sponsorship opportunities to local business and organizations. If you happen to own, work for, or know of a group (or even a family!) that might be interested in sponsoring our band students, please let us know by emailing Dot Keil, BPA president, or just responding to this message. You can also reach out to the business yourself (we find the personal touch is best) if you prefer. Sponsorship details and levels are available here, and you can use this link to connect sponsors directly to a form where they can make their financial contribution. Thanks for your help with this important effort!
3. BAND CAMP VOLUNTEERS: OK, marching band parents, this one is mostly for you. We still need SEVERAL adult volunteers to help with Band Camp - and I cannot emphasize enough that we CANNOT have Band Camp without these slots filled! Most of the remaining open slots are for overnight chaperones: please don't be shy! You will have your own private room and bathroom in the dorm, and your only jobs are to attend the evening social event (eg movie night, pool night, dance night, fieldhouse night) with the students, and then ensure that they are all in their rooms and stay there for the night. That's it, easy peasy! Please click here to sign up ASAP if you are able to help, so that we can get your background check completed in time and we can send our students to Camp. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!
4. BAND CAMP FORMS AND PAYMENT: This is also a final reminder to marching band families that your Band Camp forms and payment are due THIS WEDNESDAY JULY 7. Forms available here if you need them and should be dropped off on the enclosed front porch at 1419 Mulford Rd; payment can be submitted here. Please also remember that we need a copy of your health insurance card. Check out the Band Camp newsletter, available here, for other important Band Camp details and information. 
5. PRE CAMP REHEARSALS: HS parents may also have some questions about the pre-camp rehearsal week . . . .and believe me, we do too! Rehearsals for the HS marching band are typically held the week before Band Camp, with new members and squad leaders only on Monday, that group plus percussion on Tuesday, and then the full band on W-Th-Fr. HOWEVER, there are significant scheduling challenges this year for all student groups, due to the school facilities project, so we don't yet have final details for you. We know you are all juggling family summer calendars and other commitments, and we appreciate your patience while we sort this out. We hope to have details for you very soon.
6. DECAL DRIVE: Our annual Decal Drive (which will involve our HS band students and - you guessed it - several parent volunteers) will be Sunday Aug 22 from 6-8pm. A brief description of Decal Drive is available here(scroll to the bottom). HS marching band students' participation is required unless excused by the director, so please mark your student's calendar now. And hey, since your student has to be there anyway, maybe plan to volunteer your time as well (and yes, jazz ensemble and middle school parents, this is a great opportunity for you to get involved, too)! More details to come, for now please SAVE THE DATE.
7. FOOTBALL CONCESSIONS: Football season will be here before you know it, and staffing the concession stand for home Bobcat football games is a MAJOR project and source of fundraising for the Band Parents Association. Several parent volunteers are needed for each game - and again, this is a great opportunity for jazz ensemble and middle school parents to start getting involved and lending a hand. Plus, it's really fun! Please stay tuned, more details to come on this as well. 
8. STAY CONNECTED! Finally, just a reminder that the Band Parents maintain this web site, where Mr. Herrmann keeps the calendar up to date and we also post all emails on the blog. Check out the Bobcat Bands 101section for an overview of a "typical" year in our ONE BAND program. We also have a Facebook page where reminders, photos, and other information are posted - search for GH Band Parents and ask to join. If there are other email addresses you would like to add to our distribution list, please use this form to do so. You can choose how you want to stay connected with us, we're just glad you're here!