Director's Newsletter #37-18, May 26

Director’s Newsletter #37-18, May 26, 2019

Good afternoon everyone!

I hope everyone is enjoying the long Memorial Day weekend. I’d especially like to express my thanks and gratitude to those of you who have lost someone while actively serving in our military. I cannot thank you enough for the sacrifices your family has made.

This is what you’ll find in this week’s newsletter:

•BLT 2019-2020

•Bronco Band, Guard & Field Dance Music & Fundamental Camp

•Band 101 Meeting

•Band Physicals

•Marching Band Uniform Top

•Disney World 2020

•Corporate Liaison

BLT 2019-2020

Congratulations to those students who have earned membership onto the Brandies Band Leadership Team for the 2019-2020 school year. We had a great amount of future leaders apply to earn a position and were pleased with everyone’s push to become a positional leader in our program. Here is your 2019-2020 BLT:

Head Drum Major - Caelan Matthews

1st Assistant Drum Major - Annie Villarreal

2nd Assistant Drum Major - Marisa Hinojosa

Colorguard Captain - Katelyn Schmidt

Colorguard Co Captain - Alicia Gonzalez

Colorguard Co Captain - Melinah Gonzalez

Field Dance Captain - To Be Announced

President - Maggie Reyes

Vice President - Allie Saenz

Secretary - Jeralyn Rodriguez

Historian - Sophie Gomez

Librarians - Joshua Eddy, Helen Herrera, and Christian Vo

Flute Section Leaders - Helen Herrera & Sarah Thompson

Clarinet Section Leaders - Julian Johnson & Lizzie Crittenden

Saxophone Section Leader - Allie Saenz

Low Woodwinds Section Leader - Maggie Reyes

Trumpet Section Leaders - Andrew Schofield & Jack Thibodeau

Horn Section Leaders - Sam Blanton & Haley Ginn

Trombone Section Leader - Ian Hoggard

Baritone Section Leader - Addison Lamb

Tuba Section Leader - Robert Dominguez

Drumline Captain - Gavin Lotts

Front Ensemble Captains - Connor Castillo & Mia Rasmussen

A huge thank you to Mr. Cuellar for taking the lead on our leadership and council applications as well as drum major help sessions he provided before and after school for our students.

BRONCO BAND, GUARD, & FIELD DANCE MUSIC & FUNDAMENTAL CAMP

Tuesday will be the start of the very first Brandeis Band, Guard, and Field Dance Music & Fundamental camp. All new and returning members need to attend this camp that will be from 4:30 pm - 7 pm through Friday, May 31st.

All wind & percussion students will need a binder and sheet protectors for music that will be passed out, along with a pencil to make notes. Guard and Field Dance students will need to wear comfortable dance and athletic gear for each day of the camp. All students should dress comfortably (athletic shorts, low top athletic shoes, tee shirts) even though the camp will take place indoors this week.

All students will need to meet in band hall 1, Room C166 by 4:30 pm on Monday. For our incoming members, the easiest way to the band hall is by entering through the building furthest to the right when looking at Brandeis from Kyle Seale Pkwy. From there you will see practice rooms and run into the main band hall doors.

BAND 101 MEETING

At the conclusion of Tuesday’s camp, we will have our “Band 101” meeting for all new band members and parents. In this meeting we will discuss all the ins and outs of the program and what parents can expect being part of a program like ours. At the conclusion of this meeting you will also have an opportunity to have all of your specific questions answered. I expect the meeting to last about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes, pending questions.

BAND PHYSICALS

On Saturday, June 8th, Band, Guard, and Field Dance physicals will be taking place at Brandeis HS. Please note: this date for physicals are for those students who cannot get in with their primary care physician. It is HIGHLY ENCOURAGED that all students get their physical done with their family care doctor and email or physically turn in their physical paperwork. The physicals on the 8th are open to all NISD students, and by appointment only. Furthermore, it is highly unlikely that more than 100 students can be seen on that Saturday. You can find out more information regarding the physicals on the 8th HERE.

For all band, guard, and field dance students, here is the NISD paperwork needed to be completed. Please take this form to your primary care physician for completion. If your student has had a physical within the last 12 months and will not exceed 2 years by the end of the 2019/20 school year, that physical is valid. Please submit a copy of that physical to me as soon as possible.

BY RULE OF UIL, ALL STUDENTS MUST HAVE THEIR PHYSICAL COMPLETED AND TURNED IN BEFORE THEY WILL BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN SUMMER BAND ACTIVITIES. NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE.

MARCHING BAND UNIFORM TOP

As a reminder all winds and percussion will need to purchase their own custom marching uniform top. We will be sizing all students this week at the music and fundamental camp. An option to pay online is available HERE on the band website. Please make sure you enter all of the required information. Do not worry about delivery address as all uniforms will be delivered to the school. Deadline to pay is June 1st.

DISNEY WORLD 2020

Pending central office approval, this coming school year we will be taking a trip to Disney World! Before moving forward please know that this trip is 100% optional. However it is open to all students in the program (winds, percussion, guard, and field dance). Additionally, parents are also welcome to attend. Below is what is included in the trip, and an approximate price of the trip. I will not have the exact cost of the trip for a few weeks due to the airlines not booking flights or giving prices for trips occurring on the date we would be leaving and returning. Please know that the price could go up or down depending on airline costs.

We will be moving the Disney trip to the month of January, leaving Friday, January 17th and returning on Wednesday, January 22nd. We are doing so for a few reasons:

January 17th is the last day of semester exams. Students would take their exams and then we would depart for our trip. This keeps us from having students miss school items in the middle or near the end of a grading period and semester.
January is known to be the slowest time of year for Disney. Lines are shorter, rooms are cheaper, which would allow the students to get the most out of the cost of the trip. Additionally, the weather is much nicer ranging from 50ºf - 70ºf.
This will allow families to have their Spring Break vacation together and would minimize how much school is missed by students. Monday, January 20th is a holiday, so students would be missing 2 days of school instead of 3.
Students will not be missing vital time to prepare for AP exams that happen in May. As you know, the Spring semester picks up academically so we will avoid creating additional responsibilities for students.

Here is what will be included in the trip:

Round Trip Airfare from San Antonio to Orlando via Southwest Airlines.
5 Nights on a Disney Property Hotel. Staying on property is going to be important for access to the newly opening Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge land in Hollywood Studios.
All meals will be covered throughout the trip.
Tickets to Animal Kingdom, Epcot Center, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom, Universal’s Island of Adventure, and Universal Studios Florida.
Participation in a Disney Educational Workshop.

The approximate cost of this trip will be $1700 per person with 4 students to a room. Any rooms with less than 4 people will have an increased price.

Here is a breakdown of what the payment structure will be. Note: While these dates are correct, the amounts are approximate. These dates are also pending approval and will be confirmed within the week. Please do not send any money in until an email has been sent with trip approval.

Non Refundable Deposit - $250 due by June 15th

2nd Payment - $300 due by August 1st

3rd Payment - $300 due by September 1st

4th payment - $300 due by October 1st

5th payment - $300 due by November 1st

Final Payment - $250 due by December 1st

If you think you will be attending the Disney 2020 trip, please fill out THIS FORM. This does NOT commit you to the trip, but will give us an idea as to how many will be in our group.

CORPORATE LIAISON

Lastly, in a program like ours it is vital to have a parent leader to take on the role of Corporate Liaison. The top programs in the state have someone in this position who brings in $10,000+ for their programs. The person in this role would be responsible for finding corporate sponsors for the program, which is key for us to keep expenses down for our parents. If you have experience with something like this or are willing to learn and take on this role, please contact me.

Please be sure to check the calendar below for this week’s events and as always, if you have any questions, please feel free to email me at Daniel.Asgari@nisd.net.

GO BRONCOS!

-Mr. Asgari

SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEK

5/27/19 - Monday - Memorial Day

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5/28/19 - Tuesday - 2018/19 & 2019/20 BLT Meeting, 7:30 am

5/28/19 - Tuesday - Music & Fundamental Camp, 4:30 pm - 7 pm

5/28/19 - Tuesday - Band 101 Meeting, Band Hall, 7:00 pm

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5/29/19 - Wednesday - Drum Major Sectional, 7:45 am

5/29/19 - Wednesday - Music & Fundamental Camp, 4:30 pm - 7 pm

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