Week #6 Update

It is hard to believe that we are already through five weeks of school. The students in the San Felipe Memorial Middle School Band are hard at work learning how to play their instruments and the progress that they have made in less than a month of playing is incredible. Some of the woodwind sections have already begun to play a song. At the same time, the brass players are working on learning to control their muscles to play the different notes on their instruments. The percussionists are working on both their practice pads and bell kits and learning how to read music and play some of their rudiments.

Fundraising packets should have gone home with students last week. This will hopefully help us to go play in a contest in San Antonio in the spring, as well as providing many other instructional benefits to them, so please encourage them to sell at least a few items. Every dollar helps us provide the students with a great education and a wonderful beginning band experience. The money and order forms for this will be due back this week. For more information, check out the band web page.

Students should be practicing their instruments every day, or as often as possible. If you do not see instruments coming home, encourage them to practice. We also have practice planners to fill out. These help them to become more responsible and to set goals for their practice time. If you get a chance to do so, please sit down and work with them on these wonderful tools. You should sign the practice planners each week, so if you are not doing so, ask questions.

Once again, thank you for allowing your children to be a wonderful part of the SFMMS Band this year!

Week #4

We hope that every student has had an enjoyable first three weeks at San Felipe Memorial Middle School. They all seem to be working hard and having a good time in band so far.

This update is simply to inform you that there are still a handful of students who have not yet gotten their instruments. All of our classes should be playing by the end of the week so anyone who does not have an instrument yet is going to be getting further and further behind with each day they are not prepared. Please help us out with this matter as soon as possible! Anyone playing school instruments should be getting them this week as well, if they have paid their $20 instrument usage fee.

Another point of concern is that there are quite a few students who have not yet paid for their band t-shirts. This is an essential part of the band uniform, so we ask that anyone who has not paid please bring $8.00 to school as soon as possible. This way, when the band shirts arrive this month, every student will be able to get them.

We have a lot of great things in store for the SFMMS Band this year. As always, please let us know if you have any concerns or questions.