9/26/10 UPDATE

PRESIDENT'S REPORT - Martha Ray

Band Friends,

 

Thanks very much for all of the support you showed Friday night at the football game. I have honestly never seen a friendlier, more cooperative group of band parents!  Thanks much to all of you for your help! Your participation made all the difference.

 

See you Tuesday night at the Band Booster meeting at 6:30 in the Band Hall.

DIRECTORS' REPORT 
 

Thanks to all the parents who helped on Friday with truck loading, the tailgate party, at the game, and unloading back at JA. We could not do it without you.

All band families are strongly encouraged to attend the Band Booster meeting on Tuesday evening, where we will discuss details about the remainder of the season, including the West Jones and Oak Grove competitions on Saturday, as well as the MAIS Marching Festival and the Atlanta BOA trip.

JA BAND SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 27 - OCTOBER 2

Monday - Rehearsal 2:00 - 4:00

Tuesday - VERY IMPORTANT REHEARSALS
Rehearsal 2:00 - 2:45
Guard 5:00 - 6:00
Percussion 5:30 - 6:30
Full Band 6:30 - 8:00
Band Booster Meeting 6:30 - 7:30
Parent Field Crew Rehearsal 7:30 - 8:00

Wednesday - Rehearsal 2:00 - 4:00

Thursday - Rehearsal 2:00 - 4:00

Friday -
Rehearsal 2:00 - 2:45
Home Football game - Students report 5:30
After Halftime - Truck Loading

Saturday -
7:00 - Report to Band Hall, students with all uniform parts and equipment needed for performance, and meal money for lunch and dinner
7:30 - Depart for Jones Junior College
9:00 - Arrive JCJC, Unload trucks and bus, dress in full uniform
9:58 - Warmup time
10:40 - Performance at the West Jones Marching Classic (click on link to see the lineup)
12:00 - Depart JCJC for Turtle Creek Mall, Hattiesburg
12:30 - Arrive at mall, lunch & free time
2:30 - Load bus, depart for Oak Grove
3:00 - Arrive at Oak Grove, unload trucks and bus, dress in full uniform
4:00 - Warmup time
5:00 - Performance at the Oak Grove Marching Invitational (click on link to see the lineup)
6:45 - Awards
7:30 - Load bus, depart Oak Grove, dinner stop enroute
10:00 (approximate) - Arrive JA, unload trucks

Band families may ride the bus with the band and staff or drive separately. Those driving may follow the bus and trucks, or HERE is a link to directions, and HERE a map of the JCJC facilities.

UNIFORM CARE

With the arrival of our new band uniforms, here is a reminder about uniform care:

EACH STUDENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR TAKING CARE OF HIS UNIFORM. As parents, we ask for your help with this.

1. After each time the uniform is worn, it should be laundered. The uniforms can be machine washed, preferably turned inside-out, in cold water. They should be either hung to dry or dried on low heat.

2. Uniforms should always be hung neatly in the uniform bag between performances.

3. Students will wear the black band t-shirt under the uniform, and all black, crew-length socks (no gold toe, stripes, short socks, etc.). They should also wear their black marching shoes, clean and polished.

Thank you in advance for your support of proper uniform care. Please let me know if you have any questions.

MAIS MARCHING BAND FESTIVAL

 Please mark your calendar and plan to help at the Festival on October 23. We will need help organizing and running concessions, parking, guiding bands, and other tasks.

We will again be creating a souvenir program for the event which will include both commercial and personal ads. If you wish to purchase an ad to show your support for your student, his or her section, or the band, here are the details:

Back Cover (black & white): $100   Inside Front Cover or Inside Back Cover (black & white): $75
Inside (black and white):  Full Page: $50      Half Page: $30      Quarter Page: $20      Business Card: $15
Checks payable to JA Band Boosters

You may send an ad to jaband@aol.com or email any page elements (pictures, text, graphics) you wish to include, and we will construct an ad and submit it to you for your approval.

The deadline to submit an ad is October 8.

MAGAZINE SALE

Please continue to promote and support the magazine sale with friends, family, and businesses you patronize. Don't forget, anyone can participate online:

- Go to www.qsp.com
- Click on "Shop Now" under Supporters
- Enter the JA Code 425091239

PHOTOS

For those who were not able to attend the football game Friday to see the new uniforms, here is a pic from the tailgate party, thanks to Hope Burford:

And a few game photos, thanks to Wendy Hutchins:

Click HERE to see the JA Band's recognition as the WAPT Home Team Hero of the week. 

9/19/10 UPDATE

The annual Magazine Sale is traditionally the biggest fundraiser of the year for the JA Band Boosters. Please do your part to support the sale by purchasing new subscriptions, renewing existing ones, and promoting the sale to family and friends. Don't forget, anyone can support the sale online:

- Go to www.qsp.com
- Click on "Shop Now" under Supporters
- Enter the JA Code 425091239

Thank you for supporting this important fundraiser.

This will be a very busy week for the band. On Wednesday, Drumline members need to report to the PAC by 7:30 am to play as students are dropped off at school, to promote the magazine sale.

On Friday, we need as many parents as possible to help load the equipment at 2:00 to transport to the game at Jackson Prep. If you are able to help Friday afternoon, please send an email to Tony Hutchins, parent equipment crew coordinator, at thutchins@sfbli.com.

For the game at Prep, logistics are still being finalized for a tailgate party in the shopping area across Lakeland from the Prep campus. All JA Band members need to be at Prep by 5:15 on Friday, in uniform. We will determine exactly where to meet later in the week and announce the details in class and via email.

PRESIDENT'S REPORT - Martha Ray

It’s hard to believe but we are already almost half way through Marching Season!  It’s a busy time for the Band and for our band students.

There are several things happening on the Band Booster front that you need to know about:

1.) The JA Band Magazine Sale began Friday at the Pep Rally with the introduction of the Magazine Sale Money Booth.  This year we are offering Junior and Senior High School students the opportunity to win cash for selling magazines. The top student seller will win $100 plus whatever cash they can grab in the Money Booth during the Pep Rally on October 15th.  Any student who sells 15 or more subscriptions will have their name entered in a drawing to win $50 plus whatever cash he or she can grab. The Money Booth seemed to be well-received by the students and we are hopeful that the cash prize will be an incentive for some of them to sell magazines.  Band students can win the cash so please help them sell magazines!  They should be bringing home a sales packet this week.  Please watch for it!

2.) The Magazine Sales packets will go home with Elementary students on Wednesday. To draw attention to the magazine sale, we are asking the members of the drum line to come to school early Wednesday morning so they can play outside the Performing Arts Center while students are being dropped off in the morning. Please watch for the details and plan to get your drummers to school early Wednesday.

3.)  The Band will play an important role in the upcoming JA v. Prep football game.  Please come to the game and be prepared to help get the band equipment on and off the field. This is one game where it will be especially important for us to have enough help. We really do need your help!  I’ll send you an E-mail later in the week with when and where to meet.  Also, please plan to attend the Raider Nation Pep Rally across the street from Prep. It should be fun and a great chance to show our support for the team!

4.) Don’t forget that we have the Band competitions on Saturday, Oct. 2nd.  I’d love to know if you’re planning to go. We need to make sure we have enough help for the show.

5.) Thanks to those of you who have already sent your checks for the Atlanta trip. Please send your payments to Frances Anne Dallaire or to me. We have to pay for tickets, rooms, etc. in advance so it is important that we collect the money now. Thanks much for your cooperation!

I’m looking forward to an exciting week at JA!  Hope you have a good week!  Go Raiders!

JA BAND SCHEDULE - Week of September 20-24

Monday - Rehearsal 2:00 - 4:00
Tuesday - Rehearsal 2:00 - 4:00
Wednesday - Drumline Report by 7:30 for Magazine Sale Kickoff, Rehearsal 2:00 - 4:00
Thursday - Rehearsal 2:00 - 4:00
Friday - Rehearsal 2:00 - 2:46, Football at Jackson Prep - report by 5:15, in uniform

GAME PHOTOS

More game photos have been posted in the online Photo Gallery linked in the menu bar above, thanks to JA Media Coordinator Michelle Mills. A few of the pics:

9/12/10 UPDATE

IMPORTANT SCHEDULE CHANGE

In order to utilize the football field as often as possible for rehearsal, we will be slightly changing the rehearsal schedule for the rest of the season.

Most Tuesdays, including this week, September 14, we will now be rehearsing from 2:00 - 4:00 instead of 6:30 - 8:00. The Guard will have a sectional rehearsal from 4:00 - 5:00.

The only Tuesday evening rehearsals we will keep on the schedule are the weeks before weekend competitions, to allow parents time to practice moving the mat and equipment on and off the field. The two Tuesdays we will retain the schedule of 5:00 - 6:00 Guard, 5:30 - 6:30 Percussion, and 6:30 - 8:00 full band are SEPTEMBER 28 and OCTOBER 26.

Also, on the two remaining Fridays of away football games (this Friday September 17, and October 15) we will rehearse on the football field from 2:00 - 4:00.
 
The calendar linked in the menu bar above has been updated to reflect these changes.

PRESIDENT'S REPORT - Martha Ray

Thanks to all of you who helped on the field Friday night at the football game!  It was fun having some new faces in the group.  I really appreciate your willingness to help!

Thanks, too, for letting me know your travel plans for the Atlanta competition. I still need replies from a few families. Please let me know (even if you’re not planning to go) so we can secure our reservations and buy our tickets.

Cindy Harris, Megan Tribble and I have been working on the JA Band Magazine Sale. We’re slated to kick everything off for junior and senior high school students next Friday, Sept. 17, at the Pep Rally with our new promotion- an opportunity for the top sellers to grab cash in a Money Booth!  We’ve not had junior and senior high students selling magazines in the past so we are hopeful this will help our fundraising efforts. Elementary students will get their magazine sales packets on Wednesday, Sept. 22,  and will have an opportunity to not only earn individual prizes but also help their teachers win some time in the Money Booth. The teachers in the top selling classes in grades 1-6 will be able to grab cash to spend any way they want for their classes - parties, treats, classroom supplies, whatever.

The Band will need your help selling magazines and processing orders. Please encourage your friends and associates to buy magazines through the band.  Your Band student should bring home a sales packet for you. Please watch for it!  Remember, the more magazines we sell, the fewer fundraisers we will have to do during the year!

One last note: The band will be performing at two festivals on Saturday, October 2. We will have to have parents travel with the band to help with the mat and equipment. We need as much parent participation as possible, but especially men, to help with the mat. Please plan to spend October 2 with the Band. Also, please plan to attend a parent practice Tuesday evening, September 28. We will spend a few minutes making sure everyone knows exactly what their job assignments will be during the competitions. That way, we can be sure to get the equipment on and off the field in an orderly manner. (In other words, we’ll try to make it look easy.)

Thanks for all you do to help!

JA BAND SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEK OF SEPT. 13-17 (changes to the original schedule shown in RED)

Monday - Rehearsal 2:00 - 4:00

Tuesday - Rehearsal 2:00 - 4:00, Guard 4:00 - 5:00

Wednesday - Rehearsal 2:00 - 4:00

Thursday - Rehearsal 2:00 - 4:00

Friday - Rehearsal 2:00 - 4:00

MARK YOUR CALENDARS:

Saturday, October 2 - West Jones and Oak Grove Band Competitions, details TBA

Saturday, October 16 - ALL DAY REHEARSAL - 9:00 - 12:00 and 1:30 - 5:00

Saturday, October 23 - MAIS Marching Band Festival @ JA

Friday - Sunday, October 29 - 31 - BOA Atlanta trip

Thanks to Wendy Hutchins for the following photos from the football game Friday:

ALUMNI UPDATE

Thanks to former band parent Betty Commarato for sharing these photos of two 2010 JA Band graduates, Will Commarato and John Humphreys, now members of the Famous Maroon Band at MSU:

9/6/10 UPDATE

UNIFORM INFO

The new color guard uniforms are here and will be distributed to the girls this week. We will not receive the new band uniform jackets until around September 15.

For this Friday's football game, we will fit the band students into the black uniform pants and the current band jackets, to use until the new ones come in.

We will also be ordering marching shoes this week for all of the new band students and for those older students who need new ones. If your student needs a replacement pair of marching shoes, please have them let us know on Monday, or send an email to jaband@aol.com with your student's shoe size.

All band students will need to wear their black band t-shirts under the uniform and wear ALL BLACK socks (no stripes, colored toe, or short socks) whenever the uniform is worn.

ATLANTA TRIP REMINDERS

We need to know how many family members will be joining the band on the Atlanta trip by the end of this week, September 10.

Payment for the trip is due October 1. Cost is $300 for each student. For family members, the cost is $210 per hotel room required, plus $60 per person.

JA BAND SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEK OF SEPT 7 - 10
 
Tuesday - Rehearsal 2:00 - 2:46, Guard 5:00 - 6:00, Percussion 5:30 - 6:30, Full Band 6:30 - 8:00 on the football field

Wednesday - Rehearsal 2:00 - 4:00

Thursday - Rehearsal 2:00 - 4:00

Friday - Rehearsal 2:00 - 2:46, Home football game vs. MRA, all students report ready to begin pregame rehearsal at 5:30, in half uniform. Students will be dismissed after the game after all equipment is put away.

Parents may always access the JA Band calendar via the tab in the menu bar above.