September 25, 2007

Hello everyone from the band office!

The London dignitary’s visit is, of course, tomorrow. If at all possible we would love to have a great crowd to welcome our guests. They are flying from London to see our parents and students along with 3-4 other groups. The West bands have been on this trip on five previous occasions and have never gotten a visit such as this. The itinerary is attached, please make it if you can. The official presentation is slated for 5:45. OE will play for the reception at the end.

Saturday is going to be a crazy and long day performing at both the Overland Park Parade and the Blue Valley Marching Festival. Please see the attached itinerary for that day. Parent please make plans to attend the performances at Blue Valley High School. The Band-Aides will have a section where you can all sit together and support our West Pride Marching Band. Don’t worry about what people around you say, cheer on our kids. Here’s a clue when you see a BIG “W” on the field that’s a great time to cheer! Soloists and major hits are also appropriate. This is NOT a sit down concert on a stage. This is a sport! Be attentive, but get into the band’s performances. Encourage them! And most of all have fun and be proud!

The first London deposit has been sent. If you have not submitted your first deposit, and we have not talked but you still want to go, please communicate with me individually. I found out last week there is still a little time. We don’t want to leave anyone out of this wonderful experience!

Trash bags – If you want to sell trash bags, we have the order forms and samples in the band room. Your son or daughter can pick them up and bring them home to sell to family and friends. The bags will be sold for $9 a roll. The 30-gallon yellow bags have 25 bags per roll. The 15-gallon white bags have 65 bags per roll. The students will earn somewhere around $3 per roll they sell for their London account. If they sell just 2 rolls, they make more money in their account than if they worked a minimum wage job for an hour! In the fall of '05, 51 band students sold 1331 rolls for a total of $4,412.10 in their London accounts. One student earned $336 in her account on just this one fundraiser.

Instrument Rental – Many of you turned in rental check for your son or daughter’s school owned rental. We also need the Rental Form filled out. If you have not done that, please do so. I am trying to contact parents and students about this item. I am catching heat from downtown about the forms. Please help if you can. ALL percussionists must pay the rental fee for all of the school owned instruments. They will all play something that is not their own throughout the year. This helps pay for marching sticks, drum heads and specialty equipment.

Another item that I didn’t know about or understand last year is about repair. In the rental contract it states that “I accept full responsibility for said outfit including repairs for any damage to the instrument beyond normal wear for the term of the rental period.” After checking with the central office that is to mean that all repair is supposed to be the responsibility of the student/parent during the rental. Any “normal wear” will be handled by the district over the summer. Therefore, if you are renting a school French horn, Oboe or saxophone (or any other instrument), please take care of your repairs during the course of the school year. If there is a problem, please visit with Kevin or I.

Keep those Spaghetti Dinner Tickets going! I have had student come and pick up more tickets to sell. Parents you may take them to your office or place of business as well. Everyone eats sometime! ;-) Let them eat with us. By the way – all parents and students must purchase tickets in order to eat. Even if you are working, if you are eating food, a ticket is purchased. Donation items are coming in. This looks like it will be a great auction. This is the biggest fundraiser that we produce for the year. Last year we took in about $14,000 before expenses I think. What can we do this year? Well nothing without your help! By the way, if nothing else, come to the live auction. Your’s truly has been asked to be the auctioneer!!!!! I’m going to need your help. There are some wonderful items that will be up in the live auction portion, but I will be a failure if I don’t have people to bid on them. I will get you a list as soon as I can. And finally, this will be a first performance for both the Overland Express and Jazz Lab bands. The drum line will also perform. Don’t miss the great food, games, silent and live auctions or my auctioneering debut! Saturday, October 13 – mark it on you calendar!

Under normal circumstances I would never send a forwarded email, but please forgive me this time. Due to the horrific loss of Kelsey Smith this summer, SM West has teemed up to host a defense class for young ladies attending West High School. Please see below:

Don't forget to register for the free Self Defense Class for Viking Women.

The class is being offered for all Viking women, moms and sisters (7th grade and over age 12). The class will be held Monday, October 1 from 9-11 am in the Shawnee Mission West gym. It is being presented by the Ali Kemp Educational Foundation. Registration forms can be picked up in the counseling department or I can e-mail one to you. Please contact me if you have any questions.

Denise Riedel

As always, please refer the Band-Aides Website for all the latest news and event details. Early dismissal on Thursday, No school on Friday or Monday. Next week is Homecoming! WOW – where has the time gone?

Until next time… Rock the Road!

___________________________

Bill Thomas

Director of Bands

Shawnee Mission West High School

email: wethomas@smsd.org

voice: 913-993-7852