July 23, 2023 Band Notes

Upcoming Events  

Monday, July 24

• Band Camp 9-5pm; MHS (Disney Day)
• See BAND CAMP GUIDEBOOK 2023 for details
• Freshman Uniform Fittings (Please see below)

Tuesday, July 25

• Band Camp 9-5pm; MHS (Twin Day)
• Booster Meeting 5:30pm; MHS Auditorium (Please park in a lot towards the back of the school and enter through the music wing doors)

Wednesday, July 26

• Student Leadership Meeting 8:15 am
• Band Camp 9-5pm; MHS 
• Freshman Uniform Fittings (Please see below)
• Senior Shoe and Glove Check (Please see below)

Thursday, July 27

• Band Camp 9-5pm; MHS 
• History Night  (Student Only Event) 7-10pm; MHS Auditorium

Friday, July 28

• Band Camp 9-5pm; MHS 
• Variety Show (Student Only Event) 7-9pm; MHS Auditorium

Saturday, July 29

• Tag Day 8:30am to 2:00pm; Meet in MHS Small Commons- We need several more drivers! (Please see below for details)

Future planned events can be found on the updated band calendar: Mason Band Calendar

Parent To Do Check List For This Week

1. Attend booster meeting this Tuesday night at 5:30pm; HS Auditorium
2. Have students (Freshman through Juniors) sign up for Uniform Fitting (see below).
3. Sign up to drive for Tag Day (Please see details below)
4. Order Rose Parade Spirit Wear by Aug. 5th
5. Band Aids - Complete Safe School Training and make sure your CPR certification is still valid.
6. Drop off Comet Cupboard donations during band camp this week.
7. All Members - Complete Miami University Waiver to participate in Team Building Event on 8/7/23

NEW INFORMATION

Tag Day This Saturday! - MORE DRIVERS NEEDED

Tag Day This Saturday! - MORE DRIVERS NEEDED

Tag day is one of the Marching Band’s biggest student fundraisers.  Tag day is THIS SATURDAY, July 29, 2023 from 8:30-2:00 pm.

All marchers are required to participate in TagDay. 

• Students will go out in teams to Mason neighborhoods requesting donations and offering key tags/band stickers for donations of $10 or more and two invitational tickets for donations of $50 or more.
• Student leaders will build teams mixed with upper and underclassmen during the first week of band camp.
• Our goal is $1000 per team!  Your donations and that of friends and family count towards your child’s team
• Fun prizes will be awarded for most spirited team, highest fundraising team, and more
• SEVERAL VOLUNTEERS ARE STILL NEEDED to ensure this important fundraiser is a success! You can sign up to drive now on Charms
  • Please note that this is a fun and easy way to get in some of the required volunteer hours each family agreed upon when signing the Marching Band Commitment Form.
  • If you would like to drive, please ensure you have an instant background check on our roster.  If you have not yet done a background check, please fill out this form  and make payment of $16 through EZPAY (preferred method) or bring to Sarah Jo Tewksberry at Central Office - 211 N. East St.   If you had a background check for the school district in the past 5 years for any reason, you will be good to go. Please note this is not the extensive background check needed for volunteer positions such as chaperones, band aids, etc. More information on how to obtain a background check can be found here.
• Attire
  • Instrumentalists- Please wear your summer uniform; black shorts, green polo, black belt, black socks, and black shoes. If you have not yet received your summer uniform, you can wear band or mason schools spirit wear.
  • Guard-Please wear Mason Band & Color Guard spirit wear! Look professional, as this is a very important fundraising day in the community for our program.
• Band Students and Families, upload your #TagDay2023 pictures here: https://masonbands.smugmug.com/upload/569Pqh/TAGxtras. 

Questions? Reach out to tagday@masonbandboosters.com

Comet Cupboard Service Project

Our community has stepped up in a big way to support our students! Through program sponsorships and donations to the financial assistance fund we can ensure all members can fully participate! 

We’d love to give back to our fellow Comets in need. During week 2 of band camp we will be collecting donations to help stock the shelves of the Comet Cupboard as well as the Comet Closet. These donations will provide support for students with food insecurities. The most needed items include:

1. Granola/Cereal Bars
2. Canned pasta
3. Pop Tarts
4. Ramen Noodles 

Items can be brought to camp this week during regular rehearsals or evening events. To add a little fun, the section donating the most items per student will win donuts!!

Band Camp, Week #2

The first week of band camp was a huge success! The 2nd week of band camp begins this Monday. Please take the time to read the BAND CAMP GUIDEBOOK 2023 for tons of info related to camp, including specific rehearsal times, theme days, and more!

For the most current Band Schedule please go to the Mason Band Calendar

ARRIVAL AND DROP OFF ****Please Read****

We will use our typical drop off procedure in which students who drive should park in the Music Lot, and students who are being dropped off should be dropped off in the Bus Circle. Students should then check in with their Section Leader. Please remember the Music Lot traffic travels in one direction (see below).  During pick-up, please park in a spot if you can, or pull all the way up past the music entrance so other parents can pick up their student as well.   Please be aware of all the students in the lot at dismissal time. For this reason, we ask that you DRIVE SLOWLY AND CAUTIOUSLY. We also ask that you do not go into the bus circle for pick up or during practice. This is both for the safety of the students and because there are often instruments, flags, and other equipment on the ground that could be difficult to see. You may also use the parking lot on the other side of the bus circle opposite the band lot. We kindly ask that you refrain from parking in any spots blocked off with cones. Handicapped spots are reserved for those with a handicap permit. Thank you for helping us keep our kids safe!

LUNCHES

Lunch breaks run 12:00pm-12:45pm each day and food is not provided. Students should pack a lunch or make arrangements to have food dropped off. These are long and physically taxing days, so make great choices on the food you eat!

BE PREPARED

Hydration and healthy meals are an essential part of students having a successful Band Camp. Be sure to have a gallon water bottle each day!!! Come to school with it filled. We have a refill station located outside the Small Commons Door. Students should also have items to manage being outside for extended periods of time (sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, athletic shoes). Be sure to have your name tag and lanyard!

We Need More Pit Crew Members!

The Pit Crew would love to have you on their team! If interested, please go to the Pit Crew Information page. There you will learn how these awesome volunteers help our band and have a lot of fun while they are at it.

Leadership Camp Highlights!

The Marching Band student leaders had a day filled with fun and adventure this past Monday at their leadership camp.  It was a day where students were able to challenge themselves, build each other up, develop trust in one another, and overcome their fears. It was incredible to witness students achieve amazing things! 

The second half of the day the students had the opportunity to tour the Fred J. Miller company who designs and makes our competition uniforms. We are very appreciative of the Fred J. Miller family for giving us a personalized tour of their facility and for taking the time out of their busy schedule to talk with our students. I think everyone left their facility with a new appreciation for what all goes into the design and construction of our beautiful uniforms.

Additional pictures from the day can be found HERE. Please contact smugmug@masonbandboosters.com if you need the SmugMug password.

Wonderful Start To Band Camp!

The first week of band camp is in the books!  The students worked and played hard this week.  We are impressed with all they have accomplished so far.  

You can take a look behind the curtain by viewing pictures from this past week in the links below.  Please contact smugmug@masonbandboosters.com if you need the SmugMug password.

• • Band Camp Week 1 Photos
  • All Band Social Photos

Did You Miss Your Chance To Order A Band Camp T-Shirt?

It has come to our attention that some families thought the band camp t-shirt was already paid for through the consumable fees. The consumable fees cover the tour shirt which is different from the band camp shirt. The tour shirt will be distributed to all students later in the season.  The band camp t-shirt on the other hand is an optional shirt.  If enough people missed out on the band camp t-shirt and are interested, we can extend the sale of the shirt.  Friday Threads will only print more shirts if we have a certain number of orders.  Please send an email to spirit@masonbandboosters.com if you are interested in placing an order for a band camp shirt.  This will help us to gauge whether there is enough interest for us to extend the sale.

Mental Wellness and Team Building Day - Monday, August 7, 2023

On Monday, August 7, 2023, Mason Band, in partnership with the Langbein Family, will be hosting a Mental Wellness and Team Building Day for our students at the High School.  We did a similar event last year and based on feedback from student surveys, we are shortening the day so that each student is only there ½  of the day and can spend the  rest of the day doing what they please.  Students will be split into groups as follows and Groups 1&2 will be in the morning session and Groups 3&4 will be in the afternoon session. 

IMPORTANT!  IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE, EACH PARENT/STUDENT MUST COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING MIAMI UNIVERSITY WAIVER!  

Miami University Permission/Waiver  - Sign and Upload HERE 

• Only ONE Parent Signature required.  
• Please be sure to sign Page 1 AND Page two where indicated.  
• Parent signature is most important.  
• PLEASE BE SURE STUDENT’S NAME IS NOTED IN THE MINOR PARTICIPANT PORTION OF THE FORM!  
• If the student is 18 years or older, they may sign the form themselves.

Student Groupings:

Each session will begin with a 45 minute 1N5 Wellness Wheel introduction for ALL NEW MARCHING BAND MEMBERS ONLY!  Then students will proceed to their first rotation along with veterans.  They will do 80-90 minutes of team building activities with the Miami University Recreation Team and 80-90 minutes with 1N5 learning valuable strategies for managing stress and maintaining mental wellness during this extended Marching Band Season.

We would like to thank 1N5 and Miami University for their partnership for this event. Special thanks to the Langbein Family for establishing the Jacob Langbein Memorial Fund in honor of their son and Mason Band Alumni, Jacob Langbein, who passed away in 2021.

If you have any questions, please email Shannon Wielinga at travel@masonbandboosters.com.

REMINDERS

Optional: Rose Parade Spirit Wear Available

Rose Parade Spirit Wear is available for purchase from OCD Unlimited. Spirit Wear is available to students, family and friends and is able to be personalized. Ordering spirit wear is COMPLETELY OPTIONAL. Go to https://ocdunlimitedinc.com/masonmarchingband to preview the items and for ordering instructions. Communication about your order will start on 8/1/23. Orders must be placed by Saturday, August 5, 2023 at midnight.

STUDENTS: Schedule Classic Uniform Fitting

It is time for each musician to sign up to get fitted for their classic, black uniform. They will wear these uniforms until the new competition uniforms come in later in the season.  Students will also be fitted for shoes, gloves, and apollos.  Sign up links can be found below. Please be sure to sign up for the day that corresponds with your grade level. Fittings will be at the high school. Please wear tight fitting shorts, tank top, and socks to your fitting.  Please note:  This applies only to Instrumentalists!  Color Guard students have already been fitted for their uniforms for the season!
Freshman fittings will be Monday and Wednesday, July 24th and 26th from 5:30-9:00 pm. 

Senior fittings were already completed during their portraits.  However, we will be double checking gloves and shoes on Wednesday, July 26th, 2023 from 5-7pm.  Please plan to stop by the Uniform Room/Guitar Room during that time period.

HOW DO I SIGN UP?

• Seniors: No sign up needed.  Just come between 5-7pm on Wednesday, July 26th.
• Sophomores and Juniors: If you were unable to sign up for a fitting last week please contact uniforms@masonbandboosters.com
• Freshmen: Sign up for one of the dates below:
  • Monday, July 24th 
  • Wednesday, July 26th

 Please email uniforms@masonbandboosters.com with any questions.

Booster Meeting This Tuesday

Please join us this Tuesday, July 25th at 5:30pm in the High School Auditorium for our next Booster Meeting.  We will be sharing all of the most current information you need in regards to both the Marching Band season and the Rose Trip. Due to issues with the front doors of the High School, we ask that everyone enter the building through the back band entrance door.

Marching Band Next Steps - Registration Guide

Marching Band Registration Guide

This linked guide below is a comprehensive guide on all of the remaining steps required for both Marching Band and the Rose Parade Trip. 

2023 Marching Band Registration Guide

Next Up

• August 1, Pay $575 Rose Trip Payment #4 via  Bob Rogers Travel

Please contact medicalsecretary@masonbandboosters.com with any questions regarding medications or physicals.  If you have any questions regarding fees, please email Mr. Sleppy at sleppyj@masonohioschools.com.