"Common Times" Weekly Newsletter 9/6-9/10

Greetings Wildcat Band Family!
Week 3 was absolutely BAND-TASTIC!! Most classes have had two playing assignments and are doing TERRIFIC! Grades are up to date in HAC as of Thursday so feel free to check how your student is doing. I do have a handful of assignments there were turned in Friday evening and yesterday that have not be graded yet as of the this post.
Just a reminder that instruments go home every single day and that it's vital for student progress to practice no less than 15 minutes per day, 5 days a week. Please help your band student find time at home to practice and beef up their musical muscles! Students are welcome to practice in the band room before school on A days as early as 7:30am (just come knock on the back band room door) and can stay any day there is a scheduled after sectional until 4:30 to practice in a practice room.

Bentonville Pride Marching Band Report
We will periodically provide updates and info on what's going on for the Bentonville Pride Marching Band so you can be aware of some of the performances, events and volunteer opportunities that our Wildcat Band Family can plug into and take part in even now. Our students and families have a special opportunity to be a part of the nationally recognized, state champion Bentonville Pride Marching Band!
The Bentonville Pride Marching Band recently wrapped up their successful 3+ weeks of Pride Summer Camp. They are preparing for a full season of competitions that will take them to Tulsa, Little Rock, St. Louis and Indianapolis this Fall!
At halftime of each home Bentonville Tigers Football game this season, you can see the band performing more and more of their 2021 show, Opus 48.
One major fundraising event for the Bentonville Pride Marching Band is the Bentonville Marching Invitational. It takes place on Saturday, October 2nd, and features judged performances from over a dozen high school bands across the region, right here at Tiger Stadium. Tickets are available at www.bentonvillepride.com and if you or your company would like to be a sponsor of this annual event, find the Sponsor/Donate section of the website.
Are you interested in volunteering to earn donations for your student's band account this year that can even roll forward to future years to pay for high school band fees? Both Bentonville Bands have a unique opportunity to work concessions shifts at Walmart AMP concerts to earn donations directly for your student's band account. No training or experience is needed, and it can be a fun, enjoyable experience while enjoying the great lineup of acts visiting the AMP this season. And you can start now! Visit www.bwestband.com/amp for more information and to sign-up for the program!
-Kevin Miller, WJHS and BHS Band Parent

HUGE thank you to everyone who came out to our first ever Dine Out Night at Slim Chickens! We are awaiting the results of the evening and those will be shared as soon as I have them. Your support will go along way in outfitting our jazz band with a bass guitar. Thank you thank you thank you!!

Ticket orders and money are DUE THIS TUESDAY. This gives the park enough time to process our order, sort tickets, deliver to the school and for us to get your orders to you in time for the game on September 14th.
Tickets are $9 each and a portion of ticket sales will be given back to the band as a thank you for performing at the game. Do not include your band student on the ticket sheet as the band will cover their ticket for their performance.
Students should bring $10-15 if they wish to purchase refreshments while at the ballpark. Parents are welcome to pick up their student post performance from the ballpark but must check them out with Mr. Jones or our chaperone Mrs. Streck prior to leaving. Please note that the ballpark has a clear bag policy when entering the park.

The Jazz Band's Mums fundraiser kicks off this week and lasts until 9/13. Delivery will be on 9/21. Please help support our jazz band by ordering a beautiful mum from Westwood Gardens.
Mums are $15 each. Quantities available:
Red: 48
Orange: 48
Yellow: 24
White: 24
Orders are first come first reserved. Westwood Gardens is all sold out so we cannot go over these quantities.

We will also be kicking off the full band Annie Dee's candles fundraiser. These are wonderful soy wax candles with a mesmerizing scent. They are $16 each and for each candle a student sells $6 will go towards their band related expenses. Anything over will be reserved in their Charms Account to be used for future band related expenses such as trips in the spring, supplies they may need and will roll over for band expenses next year. Orders are due September 21nd and will be delivered early October once I return from Paternity Leave.

All-Region Sectionals
Continue this week.
No flute sectional due to Labor Day.
Saxophones will meet during priority on Tuesday.
Euphoniums will meet during priority on Thursday.
Percussion will be IN person Wednesday 3:45-4:30 and Trombones will have a flipped sectional.

Our fall apparel store deadline has been extended until Saturday, September 1th. So, if you haven't ordered your apparel, now is the time to do it!
There are NO required items for students here. The required band t-shirt for 8th grade band/pep band was ordered at the end of August rehearsals and will be in the second week of school.
To order, click the image to the left.

We had a BLAST at our water party this past Friday!! We will do this again in May to close out the school year and we'd love to make it HUGE!! If you are willing, when you see water guns and water balloons go on sale, please consider purchasing them and donating to the band. We'd love to have a large water arsenal built up by May. :)
To stay in the know be sure to follow us on your social media platform of choice: Facebook, Instagram or Twitter - @wjhswildcatband.
Also, our website is full of band-tastic resources for parents and students alike. You can find individual class calendars under each class page. These calendars will auto update with any assignment assigned in google classroom. Find us 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 terrific short week everyone!
Musically Yours,
