Short and Sweet...

Dear Parents,

Happy New Year!  This week's short-and-sweet newsletter includes information about how to access your student's financial statements, announcements about a couple special ensembles I offer, and our spring 2020 schedule of events.

Last Week's Playing Test
Students in periods 3, 4, and 5 performed playing tests to determine their new chair and part placements for the spring semester.  Students who are absent or did not have their instruments on the day of the test are responsible for taking this test so we can place them properly in the band.

Practice Routine
All students will have 30 minutes of practicing on Smartmusic due on Friday.  Here's an example of a successful practice routine students should be following at home:

• 3-5 minutes: Warm-up - Long tong tones using a tuner, mouthpiece buzzing (brass), or steady eighth notes and sixteenth notes on practice pads or mallets (percussion). 
• 5-10 minutes: Smartmusic - Students will use their computers and record themselves in Smartmusic playing through the assignments posted to each class.  Have extra time? Explore by working ahead in the method book.  This step will easily add up to their 30 minutes required by Friday if they follow it each day.
• 10-15 minutes: Sheet music -  Students should be working on rough spots in their sheet music by slowing it down, playing small sections of it at a time, using a metronome, etc. Students should not rush through sections of music and repeat the same mistakes.  Perfect practice makes perfect!

CALENDAR OF EVENTS
I have finished the calendar of events for the spring semester.  You may find the calendar by clicking "Calendar" at the top of this page or clicking this link: https://www.cmsbands.org/calendar

STUDENT FINANCES
NEW!! You will now have access to your student's financial statements online!  For instructions on how to access your account, please click "Charms Parent Login Info" at the top of this page and follow the step-by-step directions.  For students that are taking trips in the spring, all the fundraiser profit from Chili Bingo Night has been applied, as well.  Receipts will now be digital, and you can print them out from this page, as needed.

*Advanced Band and Jazz Band parents: Please refer to the Spring Trip Flyer at the top of this page for important payment dates and other information.  Your next payment is due on Wednesday, January 15.

SMALL ENSEMBLES
Percussion Ensemble is open to any percussion student in the band program. We will have an informational rehearsal/workshop on Tuesday, January 21. Rehearsals will continue on Tuesdays from 2:30-4:30 through March 4, with 2-3 performances occurring in March. I will have more information at the rehearsal next Tuesday.

Clarinet Choir is open to any clarinet player who is comfortable reading music and playing over the break.  We will have our first rehearsal on Wednesday, January 22, from 2:30-4:00. Raynell Heaton, clarinet player in the Capital City Community Band, will be running the Clarinet Choir, and we will have 1 performance in early March. I will have more information at their first rehearsal next Wednesday.

Have a great week!

-Mr. Jacques-

2019: Year in Review

Dear Parents, 

Another year is coming to a close, and this year is extra special in many ways. It's time for my annual "year in review" post, highlighting all the major events that took place in 2019.

 February

• The Jazz Band made their 7th appearance at the Jazz in the Schools Clinic at UNR.
• A record of 26 band members proudly represented Carson Middle School in the Northern Zone Honor Band. 

 March

• The Bingo Chili Night fundraiser generated $14,000 for the program!
• Our newly created percussion ensemble performed at UNR's Day of Percussion.

• For the 5th time in the program's history, the CMS Advanced Band traveled to Reno to perform in the Washoe County Band Festival, earning "Excellent" and "Superior" ratings, as well as a "Superior" rating in sight reading.
• Advanced Band earned unanimous "Superior" ratings at the Northern Zone Band Festival! These ratings were also the highest at the entire festival.
• Intermediate Band earned "Excellent" ratings at the Northern Zone Band Festival! 
• The annual Band-O-Rama event was held at Carson High School.

April

• 6 band members proudly represented Carson Middle School in the NMEA All-State Band in Las Vegas.
• Beginning Band and Concert Band combined in a performance at the Northern Zone Beginning Band Festival, earning "Superior" ratings!
• The Jazz Band performed at the Northern Zone Jazz Band Festival at Carson High School.
• The Jazz Band performed at the Reno Jazz Festival, earning "excellent" ratings, and placing 9th overall in the middle school division.
• Mr. Jacques was selected as Carson City School District's teacher of the year!
• Intermediate Band traveled to their second Music in the Parks festival.

May

• Advanced Band and Jazz Band took their annual spring trip, performing in Disneyland,  performing with a local middle school band, and participating in a clinic with Dr. Betancourt.
• All groups performed their spring concerts in the Cafeteria, signaling an end to the 2018-2019 school year.

June

• We hosted the 5th annual Mile High Jazz Camp, which included 5 days of rehearsals and a concert with the Mile High Jazz Band. We also created the first ever Summer Pops Camp in conjunction with the Capital City Community Band.

August

• The school year began with another year of record enrollment in the band program!

October

• The fall concert was held in the CMS gym (once again, there wasn't enough room in the cafeteria!)
• Mr. Jacques was surprised with an assembly that awarded him with a Milken Educator Award!
• The Marching Band performed in the Nevada Day Parade.

November

• The Marching Band performed in the Veterans Day Parade, and once again, our band's performance was in the local news.
• Chili Bingo Night moved to a new date in the fall, so for the second time in 2019, we held the event. This time, we raised a staggering $16,400!
• 20 students were selected for the 2020 Northern Zone Middle School Honor Band!

December

• The Marching Band performed in the Sparks Hometowne Christmas Parade. 
• The Advanced Band performed at 8 holiday events, including the Empty Bowls fundraiser, elementary school concerts, and a school assembly.
• The winter concert was held at the CMS Cafetera, ending our 2019 calendar year on a fun, festive note. 

Thank you to everyone who helped make 2019 another huge success! 

Concerts and Final Grades...

Dear Parents,

Semester 1 is almost done, and with that, the first half of the school year.  We have our winter concert next week, along with some other fun activities.  Grades are also due next week, and I have some important information on how to help be sure all students are ending the semester in the most successful way possible.

WINTER CONCERT - DECEMBER 18

Our winter concert is on December 18 starting at 6:00 PM in the Carson City Community Center. Students must bring home their instruments and all music after school on Wednesday afternoon.
Here is a timeline of the evening:
5:00 PM - Percussion students and parent helpers report to set up.
5:30 PM - Call time for Beginning Band students on stage.
5:45 PM - Call time for Concert Band members; assemble instruments and sit in the audience.
6:00 PM - Part 1 begins with Beginning Band, then Concert Band
6:30 PM - Call time for Jazz Band backstage
6:45 PM - Intermission; Intermediate/Advanced Band call time, Jazz Band sets up.
7:00 PM - Part 2 begins with Jazz Band, Intermediate Band, then Advanced Band.
8:00-8:15 PM - Approximate end of concert. Students will help clean up and load percussion into the truck.

Other important items

• Concert Dress for all groups except Advanced Band and Jazz Band will be the blue band polo, black dress pants, black socks, and black dress shoes. Students are also allowed to wear festive hats, scarves, and jewelry.
• Concert Dress for Jazz Band will be their school-issued blue jacket or vest along with their tuxedo shirt, cummerbund, black tuxedo pants, black socks, and black dress shoes.
• Concert Dress for Advanced Band will be their school-issued full tuxedo outfit (tux shirt, cummerbund, bow tie, and dress pants) or dress with dress shoes and black socks. Girls may wear flats with the dresses. Please note: Students in both Jazz Band and Advanced Band will have time to change backstage while Intermediate Band is getting ready to perform. 
• We will be selling off our old music stands at the concert for $10 each. That's right! The new music stands will be arriving this week, and your student will have a chance to take home a piece of history.  We've had to live with these old stands for years, and now, your student will get a chance to live with them at home!

We need parent volunteers to help make this concert a huge success.  Please sign up for a shift or an item here: https://signup.com/go/KguDZgS

GRADE NEWS

The end of the semester is on Friday, December 20.  Students make retake or make up any playing tests until Thursday, December 19.  I encourage everyone to access InfiniteCampus to see what needs to be retaken and schedule a time with me. I will be here after school every day this week and next week except for Wednesday, and also 2nd lunch each day.

We also have our final Smartmusic practice time of the semester due this Friday, 12/13.  If your student experiences any technical issues, they need to screenshot the problem, email me before the assignment is due, and contact the Smartmusic technical support team. I'm looking forward to a strong finish to your student's practice time this week.

Once we are finished with the winter concert, I will also be passing out Band-O-Rama music for students to study.

OTHER EVENTS

December 12 NOW December 17: Advanced Band Assembly Tour: Bordewich Bray Elementary, 8:45-9:15 AM
December 18: CMS Band Winter Concert, Carson City Community Center, 6-8:30 PM
December 19: Advanced Band Assembly Tour: Mark Twain Elementary, 8:45-9:15 AM; Fremont Elementary, 10:00-10:30 AM. Students will wear their "it's cool" shirts that day.
December 20: CMS Assembly performance for Concert Band, Intermediate Band, and Advanced Band, 12:30 PM - please note new time and date. Students will wear their "it's cool" shirts that day.
December 20: Jazz in the Commons at 7:15 AM

Just 10 more days until winter break!

-Mr. Jacques-

Lots to be Thankful For...

Dear Parents,

We have just completed a record-breaking fundraiser.  $15,914 raised from a single event is absolutely incredible. If we count the money earned from the chili cook-off and the snack bar (these profits went to the Carson High School Band), we made a total of approximately $17,500!  Almost $8,000 of this went directly into student's spring trip accounts, with the remaining money going into our general fund.  Check out the top sellers, class participation percentages, and perhaps the most incredible part, our running total throughout the month.

 As a result of our efforts, we will not need any additional fundraisers this school year.  I am also pleased to share that I ordered new music stands yesterday. These should arrive just in time for the new year.  To our parents who spent countless hours getting donations, helping their kids sell tickets, donating items from their personal businesses, attending the event, or all of the above: thank you!

FLIPGRID PRACTICING
All students in all classes have a video assignment that's due on Sunday, December 1.  Here are their directions:
- Introduce yourself (name, instrument, band)
- Tell me your most challenging spot in your concert music.
- Why is it your most challenging spot?
- Play it "as is."
- Choose TWO practice strategies to use in order to fix it.
- Practice with those TWO practice strategies.
- Once you practiced the section, play it again.
- Discuss why this worked (or if it didn't, what you'll do next time).
- Finish by telling me what you need to do next so you're ready for the concert.
The practicing and their analysis will count as a practicing grade, and their playing will count as a playing test grade. If you would like to view the assignment and examples of featured student videos, click here: https://flipgrid.com/47fd45d8 

DECEMBER EVENTS
December 3 - Marching Band Rehearsal, 2:30-4:30 PM
December 4 - Advanced Band Rehearsal, 2:30-4:30 PM
December 5: Advanced Band Assembly Tour: Fritsch Elementary, 10:00-10:30 AM
December 6: Advanced Band Silver & Snowflakes Performance, McFadden Plaza, 7-7:30 PM
December 7: Sparks Christmas Parade, 10:00 AM-5:00 PM
December 7: Empty Bowls Performance for Advanced Band, Carson Mall, 5:30-6:00 PM
December 10: Marching Band Perfect Attendance Movie Party, 2:30-4:30 PM
December 12: Advanced Band Assembly Tour: Bordewich Bray Elementary, 10:00-10:30 AM
December 18: CMS Band Winter Concert, Carson City Community Center, 6-8:30 PM
December 19: Advanced Band Assembly Tour: Mark Twain Elementary, 8:45-9:15 AM; Fremont Elementary, 10:00-10:30 AM
December 19: School Assembly performance, 2:00 PM

This has already been quite an incredible year.  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving break and I can't wait to see all our wonderful students for a December to remember!

-Mr. Jacques-

Chili Bingo Night and More!

Dear Parents,

Friday night is the big night! We are excited to be offering a fun, family-friendly evening with delicious food, fabulous prizes, and great company, all starting at 5:00 PM.  Admission is free, and once you're in the gym, you will have an assortment of fun activities to choose from.  Here's a run-down of what we will be offering throughout the evening:

Chili Cook-Off
We will have chili tasting for only $5. We still have spots open if you'd like to enter a chili. Click the link above by Thursday evening if you are interested.

Bingo Games
We are selling bingo cards for just $1 each. With 12 games throughout the evening, you will have many chances to win amazing prizes.  Click here for this year's prize list.

Raffle Drawing
Students have sold over $10,000 presale tickets to this year's raffle, and you still have time to get in any last-minute tickets.  We will sell raffle tickets and draw winners between bingo rounds on Friday night. Tickets are just $1 each and you do not need to be present to win.

Silent Auction
We will also have a silent auction with items that will go home to the person with the highest bid.  Click here for this year's silent auction prize list.

Snack Bar
The Carson High School Band is hosting a snack bar with hot dogs, chips, candy, soda, and other delicious junk food!

Just For Kids
This year, we are also partnering up with Tiffany Rankin, our fabulous leadership teacher, and she will have board games, a movie viewing party, and other kid-friendly activities throughout the evening, so bring the whole family!

I'm looking forward to seeing you all on Friday evening for a wonderful community event that is guaranteed to be fun for the whole family, and all of it will benefit our amazing band kids!

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GRADE NEWS
This week, Smartmusic practice time will be due on Friday.  Students also have a video practice assignment that will double as their playing test, due on December 1.  Students will complete this at home by recording themselves. The link and all directions are in their Google Classroom pages.

UPCOMING EVENTS
November 22 - Chili Bingo Night, 5-8 PM
December 3 - Marching Band Rehearsal, 2:30-4:30 PM
December 5: Advanced Band Assembly Tour: Fritsch Elementary, 10:00-10:30 AM
December 6: Advanced Band Silver & Snowflakes Performance, McFadden Plaza, 7-7:30 PM
December 7: Sparks Christmas Parade, 10:00 AM-5:00 PM
December 7 (NEW EVENT): Empty Bowls Performance for Advanced Band, Carson Mall, 5:30-6:00 PM
December 10: Marching Band Perfect Attendance Movie Party, 2:30-4:30 PM
December 12: Advanced Band Assembly Tour: Bordewich Bray Elementary, 10:00-10:30 AM
December 18: CMS Band Winter Concert, Carson City Community Center, 6-8:30 PM
December 19: Advanced Band Assembly Tour: Mark Twain Elementary, 8:45-9:15 AM; Fremont Elementary, 10:00-10:30 AM

Thank you!

-Mr. Jacques-

"Fun"raising

Dear Parents,

Chili Bingo Night began as a fundraiser that was put on by the PTA. 12 years ago, Mr. Blankenship, previous band director of CMS, needed a new marimba and partnered with the PTA to sell raffle tickets to pay for the instrument. Since then, this event has been handed exclusively to the band program and has become a massively profitable event, so much so that this year, it will be our only major fundraiser!  With how easy it is to sell tickets and how much fun the event is to attend, we should begin calling it a "fun"raiser. This year's goal is $10,000 in total profit, and we can easily exceed that with 100% class participation. Some students have sold so many raffle tickets that they've already paid off their entire spring trip!

Chili Bingo Night Meeting and Volunteer Signup
This amazing tradition would not thrive without the continued support from parents. We are looking for parent volunteers to work in shifts at the event.  Please sign up here.

We will also have a planning meeting for all parents on Tuesday, November 19, at 6:30 PM in the band room. We will go over every shift, discuss where we need additional help, and come up with a plan to make this the best Chili Bingo Night ever.

Chili Cook-off Entry Form
Do you have a delicious recipe for chili? If so, we want you to enter your tasty creation in our annual chili cook-off.  Click here to enter!  Cash prizes are available for the best taste, people's choice, and best name.

Ticket Selling Reminders
So far, we have made about $3,500 in presale ticket profits! Students have 1 more week to finish selling all their raffle tickets. Don't forget that each ticket needs to have the buyer's name, phone number, and item that they want to win. Students need to return the tickets and money to me by Thursday, November 21 and prizes are available to the top selling students in the band program.

Please share this flyer with everyone you know!

HONOR BAND
This year, I have over 50 students auditioning for Honor Band!  These students have been hard at work preparing an audition that will be recorded in my office at lunches and after school between now and the 18th. Advanced Band students are required to play the audition as a playing test (and can choose whether or not to submit their audition for a chance to be in the band). This is your student's final chance to practice (honor band music is uploaded in Smartmusic).  Honor Band results will be posted by November 27. 

GRADE NEWS
Last week, all students completed another week of practicing on Smartmusic and Beginning Band members completed a playing test on #40 (Technique Builder). This Friday, students need to complete at least 30 more minutes of recorded time on Smartmusic. No playing tests will be due this week or next week due to Honor Band auditions that are taking place. 

In addition to those graded assignments, students are all hard at work on their winter concert music. As of today, all students in all classes have all their pieces and they should be bringing home their band folders with these tunes each day. Even though this time isn't part of their weekly grade, it is important that they are working on this music.  Next week, I will introduce a video-based assignment that will test their skills when they're practicing these winter concert tunes. More on that next week.

Spring Trip Meeting
Is your student in Advanced Band or Jazz Band? If so, you and your student should plan to attend our Spring Trip informational meeting on Tuesday, November 19 at 6:00 PM in the band room. We will discuss all information relating to the trip and answer all your questions.

UPCOMING REHEARSALS and EVENTS
November 19: Marching Band Rehearsal, 2:30-4:30 (percussion until 6:00)
November 22: Chili Bingo Night, CMS Gym, 5-8 PM
November 26: Marching Band Rehearsal, 2:30-4:30 PM (Cancelled)
December 3: Marching Band Rehearsal, 2:30-4:30 PM
December 5: Advanced Band Assembly Tour: Fritsch Elementary, 10:00-10:30 AM
December 6: Advanced Band Silver & Snowflakes Performance, McFadden Plaza, 7-7:30 PM
December 7: Sparks Christmas Parade (Times TBA)
December 10: Marching Band Perfect Attendance Movie Party, 2:30-4:30 PM
December 12: Advanced Band Assembly Tour: Bordewich Bray Elementary, 10:00-10:30 AM
December 18: CMS Band Winter Concert, Carson City Community Center, 6-8:30 PM
December 19: Advanced Band Assembly Tour: Mark Twain Elementary, 8:45-9:15 AM; Fremont Elementary, 10:00-10:30 AM

That is it for this week!

-Mr. Jacques-

Chili Bingo Night

Dear Families,

The 11th Annual Family Chili Bingo Night is on Friday, November 22, at CMS. This is the biggest and most profitable fundraiser at CMS; in fact, it's so successful that it will be our only major fundraiser! 100% of profits go directly back into the band program at our school. A huge thanks goes out to some incredible parents, as well as businesses, who have donated time, goods, and services to make this event a huge hit each year.  This event consists of several parts:

RAFFLE DRAWING

On Friday, November 1, each student received an envelope with a prize list and 10-20 tickets, which students will be selling over the next 3 weeks.  With over 200 participating students this year, we have the potential to raiser well over $10,000 in just presale raffle tickets. Students may also come back for as many additional tickets as they like!  Here are the important facts that students must remember about selling these tickets:

• They MUST collect the money at the time of sale. Tickets are $1 each.
• They need to include the following information on each ticket:
• Buyer's name
• Buyer's phone number
• Item number (if the buyer wants their tickets to go towards a specific item)
• They must bring the tickets AND the money back to Mr. Jacques.  (buyer does not keep the tickets)

This raffle is unique because you can choose which item you want to win.  This means that you only have a chance of winning items that you would want, and it increases your odds of winning. 

There are top prizes for students, and they were very excited to know what they might be able to win:

• Sell 10 tickets: Receive 1 free ticket for the item of your choice.
• Sell the 2nd-10th most tickets overall: Receive a gift certificate to one of these places: In N Out or Firehouse Subs.
• Sell the most tickets overall: Receive a $30 gift card to an area business of your choice!
• If each student in a class sells at least 10 tickets, they will all receive an in-class root beer float party on Friday, December 20

Tickets will be drawn at the event on November 22. Winners do not need to be present to win (but it's more fun when they are present).

CHILI COOKOFF

The chili cook-off is the tastiest part of the event. If you'd like to enter a chili, it's absolutely free, and you will have a chance of winning cash prizes for your creations. We ask that you make at least a crock-pot full so everyone can get a taste and have one person serve for at least the first hour of the event.  

At the event, the cost to taste is only $5 and you will get to vote on your favorite.  Winners are announced during the event.  Will you be our next winner? If you want to enter a chili, SIGN UP HERE!

BINGO GAMES

At the event, we will have bingo games for additional prizes. Bingo will take place at the event, and there are 12 rounds. Bingo cards are 1 dollar each. The Bingo winners will receive such prizes as restaurant gift certificates, hotel stays, pizza for a year, and more!

SNACK BAR

Along with delicious chili tasting, parents from Carson High School's band will have a snack bar with hot dogs, chips, candy, and sodas.  Bring the whole family and have dinner with us on November 22.

Our total fundraising goal is $14,000 to go towards student's band trips and replacement music stands.

I'll be updating the newsletter again with the usual news and updates later in the week week.  Enjoy the beginning of an amazingly fun and profitable fundraiser!

-Mr. Jacques-