Hello Band Boosters,

It has been a while since I sent out a huge email so here are the current events of Band World.

First Thank you to all the wonderful volunteers for Solo and Ensemble.  The concessions stands did well making over $700 profit once we paid out all expenses. We should have afinal total at the meeting.

Thank you to all the people who participated in the Dining for $$$ Pizza Hut night we raised $72.30 with 18 tickets ( almost 20).  The next Pizza Hut night will be March 27th.  We are sticking with Tuesday since it is $10 pasta night… and many of you seemed to like that. Attached is the flyer for the next event.  Remember you must have a form for them to attach to the order.  It can be delivery but use the form so we get credit.

We received the check from Whataburger for Whataburger Wednesdays in the Fall totaling $498.  Thank you all again for participating with us.   We have discontinued this program for the time being.

Also Randalls Remarkable program continues to be one of our fundraisers so if you or your family shops at Randalls link your Remarkable card to our code 225744 and we get a check each quarter for 1% of the purchases you make. 

The Scrip Order form has been updated.  Please download the latest version from the website.  Baskin Robbins has been discontinued from the Scrip program and a couple cards that did not sell were replaced with cards that have been requested.  Removed were Baskin Robbins, Auto Zone and Radio Shack.  Added were Buffalo Wild Wings, P.F. Chang's China Bistro and Disney.  The Disney card can be used at The Disney Store in the San Marcos Outlet Mall, as well as any shops in Disney World, including food.  The next scrip order is due by the end of the booster meeting on February 27th.  You may place your order  Saturday or Sunday the  25th and 26th at Theresa Spong’s home , 320 Primrose Drive, in Meadowoods right by the high school.  Please call first 268-1452 to arrange a time. I will be available 1-5 and other times by appointment.  You can also place your order at the band booster meeting on the 27th.  Remember this is a great way to raise funds for you students travel accounts.  For more information on this great fundraiser please see the website under the ‘Scrip’ Tab.
 
Dahlstrom Spirit days is February 24th . They need a few more parent volunteers. Beginners should bring a 12 pack of sodas or  a case of water.  7th/8th bring box of candy bars. These need to go to the band office to Mrs. Lusby.  Parents that want to volunteer contact lusby2@hayscisd.net
 
Percussion Concert is February 28th at 7;00 at the Burdine Johnson Theater on the Hays High school campus. This is an awesome concert and includes the percussion students from 6th-12th grade.  We hope you see you there.
 
Next Band Booster meeting is at 7:00 on February 27th.  Please join us!!! We are planning our spring events and need your input.

Hello Parents!

On Friday, February 24th, Dahlstrom will be having a social that is sponsored by our band department.  This is a HUGE fundraiser for our bands.  The event will be held after school from 3:30 to 5:30.  To make this event a success, we need to have at least 20 adults that are willing to chaperone the students.  In the past, we have had an awesome parent volunteer turn out and we are hoping that this year it is the same.  We will have more information regarding details in the near future.  Please email Mr. Gerdes at Gerdesl@hayscisd.net if you will be able to help us out.  Your time and energy are greatly appreciated as always!

Sincerely,
Jennifer Moore
Dahlstrom Middle School Rep.
Hays Band Boosters

Hey Band Boosters

We are in need of your help for the Solo and Ensemble competition on February 4th.   Hays Band is once again hosting the event.  This is a huge undertaking for the band directors, students, and boosters.  Our students will be working much of the event.  We need volunteers for the concession stands from 12-5. We have the morning shifts covered.  If you can work an hour or several hours we would appreciate it.  If you can work all afternoon we would love you forever.  Especially the noon  to 1:00 hour when a good many of our own High school students will be eating.  We will need about 10 more volunteers to cover the afternoon shifts.  just email Christieloosier@yahoo.com to give her the times you can work.  The 4-5 time slot we will be cleaning up and loading supplies to take back to the storage shed.  We need several people to assist with this task. 

We also need people to bring homemade desserts to the cafeteria.  We are specifically looking for brownies, cookies type desserts.  Preferably prepackaged.  If you cannot package them please bring them in a disposable container.   Again if you could email Christie and let her know you will bring something.  We will be up at the cafeteria at 8:00 setting up so you can drop off desserts any time after that.  You can also send them with your child if they are competing in the morning or if they are working the event. Thank you so much for helping us with this undertaking. The money helps us pay for the judges meals and we provide food for the students who are working the event all day.

Mr. Leflet wanted me to correct some information from the band booster meeting.  The kids are going to South Padre for the spring trip this year.

 The next band booster meeting is February 27th at 7:00 in the band hall and that is the next Scrip order deadline.

Footloose the Musical is next weekend February 2,3,4th at 7:00 each night and a 2:00 Matinee.  Many of our high school band students are involved.  please come out and show your support.  Thursday night is half price tickets for students and staff of HAYS CISD.  regular price tickets at $10.  I understand tickets are selling well.  You can get tickets by going by the PAC and purchasing them or calling on the phone 268-8443 and paying with credit card and picking them up at will call.   You will want great seats for this fun and exciting musical.

Welcome back to the new Year.  I hope you all had a restful break.   While we were out on break two of our high school students competed at the Area band competition for the All State Band.  Congratulations to Pedro Balderas for placing first and making the All State 4 A band. And to John Walgren for placing 10th in his field.  It is quite an accomplishment to make it into the Area finals.

 Upcoming events for the spring semester include Solo and Ensemble for High school on February 4th.  Hays is hosting the event and as always we are running concession stands.  We will need volunteers to sign up for shifts all day and also to bring cookies and brownies two to a package. Please  bring  them in baggies already packaged .  Christie Loosier is the Chairperson for the concession stands.  To volunteer for shifts please contact Karolyn Guttierez HBBVolunteer@gmail.com   We need lots of volunteers all day long even if you can work a 2 hour shift we appreciate it. There will be sign up sheets at the booster meeting as well.

Next band booster meeting is January 23rd at 7:00 Hays band hall.  We hope you can join us.

Scrip orders can be placed from 6:30- 8:00 the night of the booster meeting at Hays high school or at Judy Chida’s home 305 Prickly Pear Pass in the Coves of Cimarron on Sunday January 22 from 1-5.  Or at Kathy Cavin’s home 1-5 on Sunday. Their contact information is on the website please call or email them to make arrangements to drop off your order.  haysbands.org  No late orders are accepted.  We place the order first thing the Tuesday morning following band meeting. The cut off time is the end of the booster meeting January 23rd.  Remember spring trips are coming up so make sure you have enough $$ to cover the expenses. Also as we look ahead to next spring for the Big trip make sure you are saving up some money for your students travel account. 

This years’ spring trip for high school will be to South Padre.  Your student should have brought home a note with the approximate costs and an interest survey so  they know how many students will be interested in going.  The dates are March 30- April 1st.If you did not get the note please check the website for further details.

Attached is the Dahlstrom Newsletter from Mr. Gerdes complete with dates for UIL, solo and Ensemble and the spring trip.

Coming up is the District Wide Musical  “ Footloose”.  This is a fun modern Musical.  Many of our high school band kids are in the production this year.  Show are February 2, 3, and 4th.  On the 4th there is a matinee at 2:00 and shows at 7:00 all 3 nights.  Thursday they are doing ½ price tickets for faculty and students in Hays. Bring your ID.  Regular ticket price is $10.  Come out and support our amazing students in this great musical Production.

We have finally finished up the tamale and coke sales we had a number of NSF checks related to this fundraiser.  If our treasurer contacts you about an NSF check attached to your students order please make every effort to assist her.  The money that would go to you student account cannot be posted until all checks have cleared for your order.  This has prompted a new policy for the Band Boosters.  In all future fundraisers we will only accept checks from the family actually placing the order ( parent/guardian of the band student.)  You will have all cash and checks go to you and will write us one check for the complete order.  This will apply to all fundraisers that we do in the future.  We are tracking down many $8 checks and are charged a $5 fee for every NSF check.  This is too time consuming a process since we have no way of contacting these people as they are not band family members. I know many of you are wanting your money in your child’s account but we cannot clear up the books until these checks have been resolved. Thank you all for your assistance in taking care of this.  We have a policy in place currently where after 3 attempts to collect payment from an NSF check if payment is not made we will turn over the checks to the District Attorney’s office for Prosecution.

 

Thank You  and see you at the meeting on the 23rd at 7:00 hays band hall.

Theresa Spong Band Booster President

Final Band Note for the Fall Semester:

First let me thank our great team leaders who organized the Silent Auction and tamale/ coke sales.  Both Michelle McComb and Michelle Pettit did a fabulous job.  These were both huge tasks.  We made approximately $2700 on the silent Auction. Possibly more we are waiting on final checks to come in.   Sold over 1600 tamales and 167 cases of sodas to make money for travel accounts.

I want to congratulate our High school District and Region Band winners.

 District

Ricky Bracamontes

Sam Simoneau

Tanner Murphy

Josh Gonzalez

Melyssa Harvell

Tyler McComb

Chris Hackworth

Cole Smith

James Corbett

Ryan Edgel

Claire Vladyka

Region

Brandon Baker

Ryan Edgel

Reid Johnson

Ursula Clarence

Madeline Finchum

Ashley Loosier

Pedro Balderas

John Wallgren

Area

Pedro Balderas

John Wallgren

This has been a busy fall and if I recounted all the things the band boosters accomplished it would take several pages but here are a few highlights:

Started the Scrip program to raise travel money for student accounts, started Dining for $$ program, updated Randalls card program, Spirit item sales,  Tamales/cokes,  Silent Auction,  Band O rama BBQ dinner, fed our high school band students every Friday and competitions during the fall season, We also cheered them on at spirit send offs and in the stands.  Our fabulous Pit crew helped with set up before every band competition and football game.  We supplied water for the students in the stands, We also hosted the end of summer band picnic. There are lots of other things that get done behind the scenes to make all of these events happen.  Thanks to our amazing treasurer Nancy Herrington- she is involved in all of these things. She keeps our books balanced and our taxes organized.  There are literally 1000’s of hours of work that have happened this fall. 

This all took a great many volunteers and volunteer hours.   With over 800 students in the band program at Dahlstrom, Barton and Hays it can sometimes be a daunting task.  Thank you to all who have stepped in and worked even a few hours here and there and a special thank you to those of you who have worked 100’s of hours this fall.  It takes all of us to make a great Booster organization.  I want to encourage all of you to get involved in the Boosters.  We have a busy Spring as well with quite a few  new upcoming events. We need volunteers all the time for events.  Please feel free to join us.  Our next booster meeting is January 23rd in the band hall.  That will be the deadline for our next Scrip order.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!!

Theresa Spong, Band booster PResident

Well you thought you were done with my messages but here we go again.  I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving break and got rested and ready for the last few weeks of school.  Here are some important reminders for this week.

Reminder about Miss Brandt’s fundraiser tonight

Here is the information again:
When: TONIGHT! Tuesday November 15th
Where: Double Dave's in Southpark Meadows(next to where Borders used to be)
Time: 6-9pm
A percentage of the proceeds will go to the American Liver Foundation's Run for Research team. I am running in the Boston Marathon on behalf of this charity in April.

Here are the results from the Region Band Auditions held on Saturday at Covington MS for the Dahlstrom Midde School Band. Congratulations to all of these fine students!  They will be performing in the Region Band Clinic and Concert December 9 and 10 at the Hays PAC.  The concert begins at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 10. 

Sabrina Guerra (8) - Region Band, Flute
McKenna Murphy (8) - Region Band, Bassoon
Gracie Hough (8) - Region Band, Trumpet
Austin Uresti (8) - Region Band, Trombone
Logan Pool (8) - Region Band, Euphonium


From Barton:
Emily Loosier, flute--1st Alternate to Region Band
Jennifer Herrington, clarinet--Region Band (14th chair Concert Band)

We are so proud of these students!!!

Congrats to Matt Spong- violin for making the High School All Region Orchestra.  He will serve as the Concert Master of the Strings High School Orchestra. Performance will be at the Westlake PAC at 4:00 on Saturday November 19th.

Everyone should have gotten the flyer for the tamales and cokes- if not they are on the website and you can print them off as well.  I had a few questions about the cokes.  They are a case of 20 ounce cokes for $21.  This is 40% off the retail of Cokes if you were to buy 24 -20 ounce bottles of coke.  The students will make $4.25 per case they sell. Orders are due back by November 30th.  Please make sure if you accept checks that there is a phone number and drivers license number on each check that you accept.  We have had difficulty collecting on a few checks this fall.  Just so you know if we do not receive payment for a check and the fees incurred we do eventually turn over the person and their name to the district attorney’s office for prosecution. 

Silent Auction – Michelle is looking for quality donations for the silent auction- please see the website for a complete list.

If you are a middle school parent you do not need to read any further:

High School Band Practice is Wed, Thursday and Friday this week at 7:45 a.m.

Football game is at Burger Stadium on Friday against Cedar Park.  Band Boosters are going to feed ALL the band students again this week at 4:00 right after school. The menu is chopped beef BBQ sandwiches, chips, candy and water.  We will need our wonderful meal moms to come to the cafeteria around 3:15 to make sandwiches.  If your child prefers to eat something else please make arrangements for them to have another meal. 

Thanks again to all our wonderful Band Booster Volunteers  who week after week continue to support our amazing students.

 Theresa Spong, Band Booster President

Hi Band Boosters,  As promised here are the tamale and Coke sale forms as well as a sign up sheet for times to volunteer at Winter follies.  Please print out the forms or get them off the website or your child should also bring home a form to use.  If you are willing to volunteer please email Michelle Pettit her information is on all the forms. We will need people early that day to help set up the area. please look at the form for time slots. Soda cases will be $21 this year for 20 ounce bottles.  Your child will make $4.25 for each case sold.  Tamales are $8 a dozen and your child will make $2 per dozen sold.  This will go to their travel accounts. orders are due back November 30th to your band director.  please turn money and orders in on time.  We have deadlines for placing orders with our vendors. Make sure to get drivers license numbers  and phone numbers on all checks you accept if you sell to people other than yourselves.  We have been having a few problems with people giving us bad checks. Please make sure if you accept  a check from someone that the check is good.  Scrip orders will be taken at the band booster meeting on the 28th.  The order will be placed that week and be in prior to the holidays.  We are accepting Silent auction donations information is on the website and I sent out the letter last week. We will also need volunteers to help with the auction.  there will be a sign up sheet at the booster meeting or you can email Michelle McComb.  The football game is Friday night at Burger Stadium against Cedar Park. more information regarding practice will follow.

Hello band family,

Sorry if some of you got an extra email I was working out the kinks of how to forward this picture.  The following is a message from Mr. Huston.  The picture is in the onesey that was made by one of our 6th grade band students ( Melanie Chida) for our budding Hays Rebel band member.: 

"Theresa, my wife and I were overwhelmed with the gift basket for our baby boy. If there's any way a list of those who contributed exists, we would love to thank each one personally. But if you have the time, could you just let all the boosters know how much you all mean to us, for the gifts, the prayers, and well wishes. Thanks for all you do. "

Mr. Sayger also wrote us a wonderful thank you note for the gift cards to their family. Mrs. Sayger has been out with back problems so we provided a few meal cards for them to help out.

A few quick updates.  I will send out the flyer for tamales and coke sales as soon as it is done.  Be watching for it on the website and in your child's backpacks. Orders will be due back November 30th.  Remember the proceeds go to your child's travel account.  The information went out about the silent auction if you deleted it it is also on the website.

For the high school kids as soon as we have marching times for next week we will send them out.

Have a wonderful weekend. 

Theresa Spong

Hello Band Family,

Lots of news today first I want to congratulate all the middle school band kids who auditioned for District last Saturday.  They worked hard and learned their music.  The following kids from Barton and Dahlstrom placed.

Barton --
Emily Loosier, flute--District and will Advance to Region