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Common Times" Weekly Newsletter 2/28-3/4



Upcoming Events

Greetings Wildcat Band Family,


Welp, that winter storm was a bit disappointing for all the snow lovers out there. The short commute to class was sure nice for a couple of days but I would have MUCH rather been teaching students in person. I am incredibly proud of the students for showing up to the google meets Wednesday and Thursday. We had 97% attendance! From Friday, we currently have 70% of asynchronous assignments complete. Please remember that to be counted present for Friday, students must complete the assignment posted in google classroom no later than Monday.


The only assignment due from last week is the Friday asynchronous one. If students completed the practice record they are welcome to turn it in an and earn credit for it, but it will not be required due to the schedule last week.


This will be a happening week for 8th grade band students. I want to encourage all of our band family to be present Friday, March 4th to support the band in our pre-assessment performance at BHS. 8th Grade band will arrive at 6:00pm and will perform at 7. Feel free to arrive early to support our friends at Fulbright who will perform at 6:30pm. Additionally, our friends in the Lincoln JH 8th Grade Band will perform Wednesday night at 6:30. Come check out all the hard these amazing musicians have accomplished this quarter.


8th Grade Band - please remember that we will have a full band rehearsal on Tuesday 3:45-5:30pm. Because this is also parent teacher conferences, we will rehearse in the gym and invite families to watch the rehearsal from the bleachers if you so wish. Please be respectful of the process if you choose to watch and remain quiet as to not distract the students. :) I will only be available for conferences on Tuesday 6:00-7:30 due to the rehearsal and break down of the gym.


Percussion WILL have their weekly sectional Wednesday until 4:45.


8th Grade Band - please remember that we will have our Pre-Assessment Concert this Friday, March 4th. Concert Black. Family and friends are invited to attend!



Tuesday, March 1st - Parent Teacher Conferences - I will be available after 6:00pm due to the 8th Grade Band Rehearsal.

Thursday, March 3rd - Parent Teacher Conferences - I will be available 3:45-7:30.

Tuesday, March 8th - 8th Grade Band Rehearsal until 5:30

Thursday, March 10th - Concert Assessment (Everyone is invited to the 5:20 performance. We'd LOVE to see a lot of our band family in the audience!)




Stay healthy, stay well and have a band-tastic week!


-Mr. Jones

 

Homework Assignments this Week

Click the arrow next to a class to expand the homework for the week. Not everything is required to record or turn in for a grade. This is simply a list of items students should be working on during their practice sessions throughout the week to continue growing on their instrument and to be prepared for class.


ALL CLASSES WEEKLY PRACTICE RECORD:

Student need to complete their weekly practice record consisting of 4 days of practice for 20 minutes each. It is important student complete it correctly and turn it in on time. Practice records will not be accepted more than 1 class day late for credit. Concept Checks and Sectional Assignments will not be accepted more than 2 weeks after the due date for credit. Students who are sick for multiple days are excused from band assignments with a doctor's note turned in to the school for the week they are out.

7th Grade High Winds (1st Period)

8th Grade Band (2nd Period)

7th Grade Low Brass (3rd Period)

7th Grade Clarinets (6th Period)

Jazz Band (7th Period)

7th Grade Percussion (8th Period)

 

Hello, Wildcat Band Family! It's been several weeks since the we've had an update on the BHS Band, so there's a lot to cover for this first edition of 2022.


ASBOA All-State Music Conference - Last weekend (2/17-2/19), Bentonville High School sent 38 representatives to the ASBOA All-State Music Conference in Hot Springs. Similar to the All-Region process you are familiar with, these BHS Band members earned this honor as All-State Music Conference participants with qualifying try-out scores and met alongside other band members all across the state. In fact, BHS sent the highest number of honorees from any single high school in Arkansas. These 38 students participated as members of the All-State Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Symphonic Orchestra and two Jazz Bands. It was a fantastic weekend of learning and musical excellence for all involved. Congratulations as well to Mr. Hendrix, Mr. Shewmaker and Mr. Fernandez for their leadership and guidance in helping these students succeed.

Walmart AMP Concert Season 2022 - We are less than two months away from the first Walmart AMP concerts of the year, which provides all our band families a unique opportunity to earn donations for their student's band account. Jr. High families can begin volunteering now to help cover fees for the upcoming 2022-2023 band season, while enjoying music and hanging out with other band families, as well! More information to come, but start thinking about this special opportunity now and plan ahead for next band season!


-Kevin Miller, BHS and WJHS Band Parent

 

Our Wildcat Band Members are intelligent, hard-working, and multi-talented!

This past weekend we had several competing at some awesome regional events:


Bailey B - Participated in the University of Arkansas Day of Saxophone


Wildcat Alumni Doing Awesome Things:

Tabitha B - Participated in the University of Arkansas Day of Saxophone

Colby P - Participated in the University of Arkansas Day of Saxophone

Caden P -Participated in the University of Arkansas Day of Trombone

Christian P -Participated in the University of Arkansas Day of Trombone

Ethan Andrews - Academy Drum Corp Brass Staff and awesome Student Teacher


7th Grade Band Family

The first week of August, the 8th grade band (currently 7th graders) will have 1 sectional and 1 full band rehearsal to knock off the summer rust, start preparing for the school year, and learn all of the pep music we will perform at pep rallies, Natural's Game, and other public performances the first quarter. Like last year 7th graders (current 6th graders) are welcome to attend!


I have spoken with all the coaches at WJHS and have crafted a schedule that does not overlap with any other activity that week and gives students some time between activities for those who are involved in multiple ones that practice this week.


These sectionals and rehearsals are essential as we will not learn this music once school starts. We will clean it up but not learn any of it from scratch. So please, put these dates on your calendar so your band student can be there.


August 1st 12:00p-3:30p: Bass Clarinet, Alto Sax, Tenor Sax, Bari Sax, French Horn, Trombone, Euphonium, and Tuba Sectional.

August 2nd 12:00p-3:30p: Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, and Trumpet Sectional.

August 3rd 12:00p-3:30p: Percussion Sectional

August 4th 12:00p-3:30p: Full Band Rehearsal

 


HUGE THANKS to everyone who came out to the Harlem Wizards Game Last Monday! We had a good turn out and AWESOME time!! Hope to see you all there with friends, next year!

 

We will be using a program called "Band" app to communicate important reminders and updates. T


his is similar to Remind 101 but better suited for groups such as band. This also allows us to share photos and videos that we may not want public on our social media channels. Lastly, it is a one stop location for access to our calendar and other resources.

Grading Reminders (Click to expand)

 

It is important to review our calendar dates for the spring. The most updated calendar can be found linked here.

 

PRIVATE LESSONS ARE AWESOME! They are designed to be fun, engaging, supportive and focused on the individual student.


We have an awesome partnership with Arkansas Music Conservatory where your student can take a lesson or two on US to see what private lessons can do for your band student! We have set aside $1000 for lessons this year. We can also help pay for additional lessons and offset the cost of lessons for families who need financial assistance in this area.


Who should take private lessons:

  • Advanced students who need to be pushed and challenged

  • Students who need some 1-on-1 assistance to learn and master concepts covered in class

  • Students who were not in class the last year and a half due to covid.

  • Students who just began playing this year

  • Students who want to get better

  • EVERYONE

To sign up for a free lesson:

  • Contact Mr. Jones so he can track who is taking the exploratory lessons

  • Contact Arkansas Music Conservatory to setup a lesson 479-268-3307 call or 479-430-2226 text

 

Support the WJHS Band AND make your life easier! It's a win-win for everyone. Fundshine is an online service that allows you to purchase paper and plastic goods that will shipped directly to your home. Spot checking prices come in a little cheaper than from local stores plus a portion of sales comes back to the band twice a year. Even better, you can sign up to have recurring shipments so you get set it up and forget about it. Also, family and friends can use this service anywhere in the US! :)


Check it out by going to www.fundshine.org,support the band and make sure your pantry is always stocked!

 

To stay in the know be sure to follow us on your social media platform of choice: Facebook, Instagram or Twitter - @wjhswildcatband and/or at www.wjhswildcatband.com


If you have any questions or concerns, please never hesitate to reach out. We are partners in your student's growth and need to work together for them to be as successful as possible.


Have a band-tastic week everyone!


Musically Yours,







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