Band Camp/New Season Reminders/New Parent Meet and Greet

Posted on by DSMAwebmaster in marching band
BAND CAMP PREPAREDNESS
With BAND CAMP upon us, the DSMA would like to remind everyone of the following, just like the Scouts it is always best to BE PREPARED! Here is a list of things to bring while at camp:
 
Plenty of WATER
A hat to shield the sun
Sidewalk chalk to mark your spacing dots on the parking lot
Please RETURN your shorts!
Food and HEALTHY snacks, limit sugary items
 
UNIFORMS
Marching Band and Percussion Students MUST bring in the following uniform items:
ALL Uniform parts including Shako, green and white pants, jacket, gauntlet and plume!
 
Sue Benoit will be at the practice the following days/times to review uniforms, please make every effort to have your student meet with Sue during the following times:
1 hour before each practice:  11:00 – 12:00  and at each break:  1:00-2:00 and 5:00-6:00
Seniors:  Monday
Sophomores/Juniors: Tuesday
Freshman/Sophomores:  Wednesday
NEW Members: Thursday (and the following Monday if needed)
For NEW members without uniforms, uniform sign outs will take place at the upcoming BBQ.
 
Sue needs help at any/all of these times so if you are interested in pitching in please contact Sue and let her know – she will greatly appreciate any assistance and it’s a great chance to meet some of the kids and other parents.  She can be contacted at suebenoitdsma@gmail.com
 
PROPS
Tim Enos is heading up Prop Construction once again this year and anyone with an interest in assisting him are welcome to join him next Saturday, August 18th between 9-5 on the side of the high school. People with any skill level can assist as there are many things to do that help make the props the success they have always been. Any questions can be sent to Tim at timenosdsma@gmail.com
 
GILLETTE CONCESSION
Please consider signing up for a Gillette spot for August 16th. We are currently in need of 9 more people to fill out our roster.  This important program is responsible for raising over $30,000 every year, money that directly supports the Marching Band program at the school, it is also a great way for families to offset the various costs involved in participation. Tracy can be reached at tracynapertdsma@gmail.com
 
NEW PARENT MEET AND GREET
The DSMA would like to welcome the parents of our new band students and give them a chance to meet each other in an informal setting over light refreshments. This will give everyone a chance to say hello, ask questions about the program and put names to faces of the DSMA board, committee people and other new parents. The meet and greet will be this Monday, 7:30 at the High School. Feel free to stop in any time after 7:30, before picking your child up from camp.
 
That about covers it for now, thank you for your help making the upcoming Marching Band another success! 
 
-Greg Jones, Corresponding Secretary gregjones@dsmahome.org 

August updates – Madeira Parade, car wash, and band camp!

Posted on by DSMAwebmaster in DSMA News, fundraiser, marching band

Madeira Parade

Our marching band and color guard will be performing in the Madeira Parade on Sunday, August 5. Students will report to Dartmouth High School at 12 noon, and will be bussed to the beginning of the parade route. Step off is at 2pm, and students will return to the high school by bus once they are done marching. 

All students have been provided with their summer uniform (white band t-shirt and green shorts) for the parade. If your child did not receive their summer uniform during mini band camp, please contact Lisa Perry as soon as possible.

Car Wash

We will be holding a car wash at Town Hall on August 19 from 9am-1pm. Tickets are $5, and we are asking all families to sell 5 tickets. Ticket money is due by August 13, the first day of band camp. Students will have the opportunity to sign up for a shift to help wash cars, and we encourage everyone to tell family and friends about our first fundraiser! We will be posting a Facebook event for the car wash, so be sure to look out for that to help share it. If you have any questions about the car wash fundraiser, or need more tickets to sell, please contact Tim Enos.

Band Camp

Full camp for all marching band and color guard members begins on August 13, and will run Monday – Thursday for 2 weeks. Camp begins at 2pm and ends at 9pm, with a one hour dinner break that will usually run from 5pm-6pm. Percussion students (drumline and front ensemble) have a 12pm report time during camp. All band camp dates and times can be found on our online calendar, as well as within the BAND app. Students are encouraged to bring a large water jug/thermos that they can drink from throughout the day to stay hydrated. 

All returning students will be re-fit for their uniforms the first week of band camp, and once that is complete all new students will be fit for their uniforms. Returning students should bring in their full uniforms (jacket, white pants, green pants, gauntlets, and shako) on the following days:

Monday, August 13 – seniors
Tuesday, August 14 – seniors, juniors
Wednesday, August 15 – juniors, sophomores
Thursday, August 16 – sophomores, freshmen

Band camp will conclude on Thursday August 23 with the annual family BBQ at the high school, which will begin at 6:30pm. Please be sure not to arrive before 6:30, as DSMA staff and volunteers need to clean up from feeding the kids first! Families will have the opportunity to sign up for volunteer shifts and chaperone opportunities during the competition season as well as Gillette shifts during the BBQ. If you would like to volunteer to help serve the students and families at the end of camp BBQ, please contact Lisa Perry or Russ Benoit.

2018/2019 Fundraising information & expanded online payments

Posted on by DSMAwebmaster in DSMA News

Fundraising

Our fundraising plans for 2018/2019 have been sent home and are also posted online here on the DSMA website. Marching band & color guard families can click here to download a copy of it as well. We’ll be putting the dates for all upcoming fundraisers, such as car washes and our Chipotle night out, on our Google calendar shortly.

Many of our fundraisers offer assessment opportunities for our students in both marching band as well as our indoor programs. If students earn more for their assessment than is required for their trips or payments, they can opt to roll their excess assessment to next year to help fund the following year’s trip.

Online payments

We’ve expanded our online payment options for families who want to easily pay for trips, uniforms, and more. Families can now create an account so they can track their online payments throughout the year. Our finance committee has put together a quick information sheet on how to submit payments online, or the other ways families can pay with cash or checks throughout the year which can be found by clicking here. 

 

DSMA 2018-2019 Board and Committee Chairs

Posted on by DSMAwebmaster in DSMA News

Our board members and committee chairs for the coming year are:

  • President – Lisa Perry
  • Vice President – Russ Benoit
  • Treasurer – Karen McArthur
  • Recording Secretary – Sue Benoit
  • Corresponding Secretary – Greg Jones
  • Ways and Means – Tim Enos
  • Nominating – Dove Furtado
  • Uniforms – Dove Furtado & Sue Benoit
  • Logo/Clothing – Andrea Moniz
  • Concession – Dave Meatty & Tim Enos
  • Properties – Becky Amaral
  • Scholarship – Becky Amaral
  • Gillette – Tracy Napert
  • Webmaster – Dave Meatty & Russ Benoit

We are looking for parents, family members, and friends to help fill out a few committees, including Finance and Concession. If you are interested in helping the program this coming year, please let us know! You can find all of the board member and committee chair contact information over on our Contact Page. They will be happy to give you more information on the various ways you can volunteer to help our world class music organization!

CONSISTENT FAN FAVORITES: DARTMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL (article from WGI)

Posted on by DSMAwebmaster in DSMA News, Indoor colorguard, Indoor percussion

The WGI website just published a fantastic article about both of our indoor programs! The writer spoke with our staff members, including Tom Aungst and Addison Kaeterle, about our percussion and guard groups and their history of being voted “Fan Favorites” consistently at WGI Finals in Dayton, Ohio.

The article goes in-depth on some details about how the shows are designed and developed, and also has some great pictures of our kids.

Be sure to check it out!

Introducing the new DHS Marching Band & Colorguard BAND App!

Posted on by DSMAwebmaster in DSMA News, marching band
Last season, a number of families asked the board if we could consider using the BAND app as a way to communicate updates & info. After researching the app and speaking with other marching bands who are using it, we have created our own DHS Marching Band & Color Guard BAND app for everyone to use!
 
The BAND app is private and secure – only people who have an invite can join. We will still use email & Facebook to help get messages out, however the BAND app will provide instant updates to our families directly to their phones. It also provides a single place to find calendars, itineraries, competition directions, fundraiser & volunteer updates, and more. The BAND app can be used on either your phone or a computer, based on your own preferences.
 
To see how our friends right down Rt 195 are successfully using the BAND app, take a quick look at this quick video about how the Somerset-Berkley Marching Band uses it.
 
 
All families of our 2018-2019 students should have received an email with instructions on how to install the DHS BAND App. If you have any questions about installing or using the BAND App, please contact russbenoit@dsmahome.org for assistance.

Parent meeting – Wednesday June 13, 2018

Posted on by DSMAwebmaster in DSMA News

There will be a meeting for parents & guardians of students who will be participating in the DHS Marching Band this coming fall on Wednesday, June 13, 2018 at 5pm in the high school auditorium.

The meeting will be immediately following the rehearsal that afternoon. Important information and schedules will be shared, along with information about summer fundraising events to help support the program. 

We look forward to seeing you all there!

Important Information for the DMS Music Festival

Posted on by DSMAwebmaster in Itinerary, middle school

The musical performance portion of the DMS Music Festival will run on Friday, June 1, RAIN OR SHINE. Performances will be held at the middle school and then we will proceed to Six Flags. If weather conditions do not allow us to go to the park, each student and chaperone will be issued a Six Flags ticket good for any day during the 2018 season. The music directors will make a decision based on the weather conditions that day. If it rains students will report back to class at 11:00 a.m. and they will take their regular buses home.

Chaperones & Parents/Guardians watching the performance ​– Please park your car along Hawthorn Street closest to Quinn School so there is room for the buses. There is absolutely no parking on middle school grounds. Please adhere to the performance schedule and arrive no more than 10 minutes prior to the performance.

The departure time for all groups going to Six Flags will be 11:00 a.m. sharp. ​ We will return at approximately 10:00 p.m.

Performance times in the auditorium:
Chorus 8:00 a.m.
Chamber Orchestra 9:00 a.m.
Orchestra 9:30 a.m.
Band 10:00 a.m.

Performance times in the band room:
Jazz Band 1 8:00 a.m.
Jazz Band 2 8:30 a.m.

If you have any questions please feel free to call the music office at 508-961-2750.

Sincerely,
William F. Kingsland
Director of Music / Dartmouth Public Schools

Memorial Day Parade Information

Posted on by DSMAwebmaster in Itinerary, middle school, parade

Due to the Padanaram Bridge still being closed, the Memorial Day Parade will once again step off from the St Mary’s Church parking lot in South Dartmouth.

Elementary and Middle School Band report time is 8:45AM

High School Band and Color Guard report time is 9AM

Click here for the elementary band parent letter.

Click here for the middle school band parent letter.

Please click this link for more information on the high school band uniform requirements, along with the parade route. 

Let’s hope for some sun this year!