Band Families,
The Band Staff has been so impressed by the students efforts during Week 2. We have learned about the first half of the marching show and that puts us on an amazing trajectory for the season. We are incredibly excited about the show design and we all feel as though it is one of the best overall designs and products we have ever had to work with. We discussed often with the students this week about them doing their preparations outside of rehearsals so we can be the most efficient with our time together. Two things that will make a MAJOR difference will be encouraging your student to watch the choreography video and to practice their music while marking time with step-outs and choreography.
Rehearsal Schedules
For Week 3 our rehearsals move to evenings only as the band staff will be in required back to school training sessions during the day. Even though the rehearsal hours are shorter this week nutrition and hydration will still be important. We will generally be outside for all rehearsals from this point forward.
- Monday August 9th – Full Band 4:30-8:30p
- Tuesday August 10th – Full Band 4:30-8:30p
- Wednesday August 11th – Full Band 4:30-8:30p
- Thursday August 12th – Full Band 4:30-8:30p
- Friday August 13th – Full Band 4:30-8:30p
One other consideration that we are encouraging for the students is to get a set of knee pads for marching season. Our choreography often has us going to/from the ground and since we rehearse on the concrete that can be tough on their skin. They are optional but your student may find them helpful. We also noticed that some wind players didn’t have their towel at rehearsal on Friday. Students need a black towel for their instrument at every rehearsal. They can also bring a beach towel to use when learning choreography/stretching.
Fundraise Genius
This week we are kicking off one of our three annual fundraisers, Fundraise Genius. This is an online donation fundraiser and is a great way for family and friends, especially those who don’t live in the area, to support your student and our band program. Klein ISD allows organizations, like KCBA, to conduct only 3 fundraisers per year. These fundraisers are a significant source of income for our budget and help keep our membership dues as low as possible. Since we only have 3 opportunities per year, it’s critical that we maximize each opportunity. Below you will find instructions and videos to get you started. Last year we raised just over $18,000 using this program and this year we want to get to $25,000!!!
In addition to helping the band program we are excited to offer you some incentives for participating. The first incentives are based on the work you will do between now and Friday August 13th. We will award prizes to the top 3 students with the most potential donors listed in their account.
For the second round of incentives we will award prizes to the top 3 students who have the highest total donations during our campaign. The campaign will run from Saturday August 14th through Friday August 27th.
** Note- It is possible to earn a prize for both categories (adding donors and total donations)! **
Now that you know what we are doing, here is how we will do it!
- Step 1 – Students will watch the Launch Video at rehearsal on Monday.
- Step 2 – Students Will Create Their Fundraise Genius Account (also at rehearsal on Monday)
- All they need to create their account is their First Name, Last Name, Klein ISD Student Email Address, and a password of their choosing. They will be able to do this on their phone. If they don’t have a phone we will provide a device for them to use to create their account.
- Step 3 – Add 5 Potential Donors To Your Account
- Students need to come to rehearsal with contact info (Name, email, and cell phone number) for at least 5 people they know who may be a potential donor. They will add their first 5 potential donors to their account at rehearsal. Potential donors could include grandparents, aunts/uncles, extended family, family friends, former coaches, mentors, or co-workers. Anyone who is willing to support you is a possible potential donor candidate.
- Step 4 – Get At Least 10 More Potential Donors Added to your Account by Friday August 13th!!
- This is an essential part of the success of our fundraiser. The more people who are aware of our fundraiser, the more likely we are to hit our goal. Remember that there are prizes for the top 3 students with the most donors added.
- The goal for ALL students is to have AT LEAST 15 donors added to their account by Friday August 13th.
- Keep in mind that the more potential donors we have, the more likely we are to reach our goal of raising $25,000 for the Klein Collins Band!
Rehearsal Uniforms, Band Items, and Spirit Wear Delivery Dates
- The items you ordered on Registration Day will be delivered over the course of the next two weeks.
- Marching shoes, duffel bags, garment bags, and gloves to be here this week.
- Rehearsal uniforms (Gold Shirt, Navy Shorts, Hat/Visor), polos, and show shirts will be delivered the week of August 16th. We will not start wearing our rehearsal uniform until after school starts on August 18th. UPDATE: Rehearsal uniforms can be picked up at the Summer Showcase on Friday August 20th.
- Spirit Wear (that you ordered from the online store) Yard Signs, and/or Decals will be available for pickup at the Summer Showcase on Friday August 20th. UPDATE: Online store orders will not be in until the week of August 23rd. We will pass them out that week after evening practice.
As always, if you have any questions please reach out via email so I can help. We will see you this week!
-Mr. R
Chris Rugila
Director of Bands, Klein Collins HS
crugila1@kleinisd.net
832-484-5305