Parents Page

To ALL JET BAND PARENTS from the band directors: Please help us to help you stay better informed and keep your child "on task" by checking the Students Page at least weekly throughout the school year. These are the announcements that are displayed in band class each day. Not all Student Announcements are repeated on this page, so please check them also!

UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES, MEETINGS, EVENTS, & VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:

8/3 – First day of Summer Band for all band students!

8/6 - Money Day

8/9 - General Booster Meeting (For ALL New and Returning Parents)

8/13 - 2nd Annual JET Band March-a-Thon Community Parade

8/17 - Freshman Fish Camp

8/20 - Burger Bash

8/26 - Band Olympics

8/27 - 1st Football Game - Taylor v. CyFair - Rhodes Stadium

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See Calendars for the link to CHARMS and a month-by-month calendar.
Check the Volunteer Opportunities page to see where your help is needed!
(updated 5.5.11)

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LUNCH BREAK...11AM-12'Noon

Students will have the option of leaving campus for lunch or staying for lunch. Beginning the 2nd day of band camp...Thursday, August 4, students will have the opportunity of purchasing lunch on campus provided by Which Wich Sandwich.The box lunch includes: sandwich or salad, chips, cookie and bottled water for $6. We are hoping this encourages all students to stay during lunch so they don't have to leave campus.

NOTE: We will NOT be offering lunch on the first day of band camp, Wednesday, August 1. If your student does not have transportation to leave for lunch on the first day, please make sure they bring a lunch.

CUSTOM ORDERS...Beginning Monday, August 8, if your student would like to place a custom order (choice of sandwich/salad, chips, cookie and bottled water) for $6, you will need to download and fill out the attached order form for "each day" your student would like to order lunch. You must pre-pay for all orders in advance. Please place order forms and payment in an envelope labeled "Which Wich" and place it in the band safe in the Band Hall or you may pay at Money Day on Saturday, August 6 which is the deadline to place all orders.

Attention Freshmen Parents: Florine Klussmann will be available to answer your questions at the New Member Parent Orientation Meeting this evening at 7PM in the Orchestra Room. You may also contact Florine Klussman at: frk@sprintmail.com

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POPSICLES...We Need Your HELP!

During summer Full Band rehearsals and throughout marching season, the students are treated to Popsicles at the end of practice to help cool them off on these very hot days. This is an easy & fun chance to see the kids and it takes just a little bit of your time. If you can help pass out Popsicles, please contact Karen Kessler at: karenmerav@sbcglobal.net

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MONEY DAY...THIS SATURDAY, AUGUST 6...2:30-5:30PM...BAND HALL

ATTENTION PARENTS: It is imperative that one parent for each student attends Money Day to assure proper ordering. A "sample" form is attached for you to review to help give you a better idea of what to expect on Money Day. We will have the actual form for you to fill out as you go from station-to-station to order your student's band necessities. In addition, if there is a remaining credit or balance from last year on your student's Charms account, it will be reflected in your total at check-out. If you have any questions, please contact Renee Waronoff at: treasurer@jetband.org

Please come during your student's scheduled time:

Color Guard...2PM

Freshmen...2:30-3:30PM

Sophomores...3:30-4:15PM

Juniors...4:15-5PM

Seniors...5:00-5:30PM

PARKING...Everyone needs to park in the garage and follow the signs directing you to the Band Hall from the garage entrance into the school. You will not be able to enter through the Commons as these doors will be locked or blue band door as this door is being used as an Exit only.

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MARCH-A-THON/COMMUNITY PARADE...Saturday, August 13...WE NEED YOUR HELP!

The JET Band is continuing this year with their 2nd Annual March-A-Thon/Community Parade on Saturday, August 13 from 8AM-3PM. This is an exciting event providing a parade for the neighborhoods surrounding Taylor High School. Our goal is to provide entertainment for the supporters of our program and gain exposure throughout our community.

WE STILL NEED LOTS OF VOLUNTEERS ON PARADE DAY! Please contact Holly Meredith at: march-a-thon@jetband.org

We will keep you posted on details, as we get closer to the March-A-Thon.

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BURGER BASH...Saturday, August 20

The 17th Annual JET Band Burger Bash is set for Saturday, August 20 @ 6PM at Rhodes Stadium. Burger Bash is a hamburger/hot dog cookout and an opportunity to see the JET Band in action. Arrive early to watch the band practice its fall marching show, hear stand tunes and experience the famous “drill down.” Family members and guests will eat at 6PM, followed by the band students eating at 7PM.

The Booster Club extends a huge thanks to Mr. and Mrs. DeLaup of John Eagle Honda who are providing the burgers, dogs, and buns!

We are asking each family to bring their own drinks, plus an item to share as follows:

A thru E:Side Dish (Potato Salad, Cole Slaw, Beans, Mac-N-Cheese, etc.)

F thru L:Chips & Dips

M thru R:Fruits

S thru Z:“Grab-N-Go” Desserts

Please use disposable containers for the items you bring and include serving utensils, if needed. Attached is the Burger Bash RSVP/order form. Please complete and return to the band hall no later than Tuesday, August 16, so we have an accurate food count.

Volunteers are needed for set-up, burger builders, servers, and clean-up. If you can help or have any questions, please contact Kathi Langford and Julie McInnis at : burger.bash@jetband.org

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BAND OLYMPICS / PIZZA & POOL PARTY...Friday, August 26, 2011...THS Pool @ 6PM

The Annual JET Band Olympics / Pizza & Pool Party celebrates the completion of Summer Band and the beginning of the JET Band Marching Season. The party begins immediately after the students are released from Full Band and ends at 9PM. Pizza, chips & dips, cookies & Popsicles are served followed by swimming. Band and Guard members need to bring swimsuits and a towel with them to band practice on the day of the event. After swimming, the traditional Band Olympic Games competition is held. Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors compete as a class in a variety of challenging, embarrassing, and/or messy games led by the Band Directors including Student Leaders from each section. Cost is $5 per student and can be paid by placing cash in an envelope labeled “Band Olympics” include your band student's name, grade and place in the Band Safe in the Band Hall. Please pay by deadline of Tuesday, August 23.

Parent Volunteers are needed from 5:30PM to 9:15PM for Set-up, Serving, Chaperoning and Clean-up. To volunteer or questions, contact Erika & Louis Meneghetti at: band.olympics@jetband.org

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IT WAS THE SWEET LIFE!
With pictures, awards and sweets galore, everyone had an amazing time at the year end Band Banquet honoring our JET Band and Taylor Color Guard students. Parents and students alike were elegantly dressed and eager to give the year an extravagant send off while honoring the four years of hard work and success of our seniors. Thank you Gretchen McCormack for coordinating this lovely evening! (posted 5.23.11)
FINANCE & AUDIT COMMITTEE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

The Finance Committee is made up of 4-6 people who meet periodically during the year (often by E-mail). This committee is also responsible for putting together the budget for the following year. You must have a student in the current 2011-2012 band program to serve on the Finance Committee. (A Finance or Accounting background is not mandatory, but helpful.)

The Audit Committee is made up of 3 people, none of whom have served on the current Finance Committee. The committee's sole purpose is to examine the books at the end of the fiscal year The audit takes approximately 2 hours and will happen around the middle of June. This is not a difficult task and does not require a Finance or Accounting background. However, you will be checking the band's accounting books to make sure that everything has been recorded in the proper manner.

If you are interested in serving on either of these committees, please contact Renee Waronoff at: rw_dw@swbell.net (posted 4.12.11)
JET BAND PHOTOS: We were so fortunate to have Dale Morrison take photos of JET Band this past year. Check out the Photos Page for links to the Picasa Web Gallery of JET Band. If you see a photo there that you'd like to have, drop Dale a note at photos@jetband.org and he will be glad to email you an original of the photo. Thank you Dale for capturing such wonderful memories for us! (posted 10.12.10)
If YOU aren't a good photographer, we have some professionals out there! Some talented Katy-area photography companies regularly photograph the Taylor football games, including the band's halftime performances and playing in the stands. Those photographs are available for sale on their websites. Check out these websites, and maybe your student's photo will be there! Click for Piche Photography (enter jetband and jetband1 for session IDs) or SPCcreative (click Spirit Groups under Sports) or Wink Action Photography. (posted 9.20.10)
JET BAND MARCH-A-THON: We're excited to host our 2nd Annual March-A-Thon on August 13th! Click here for a full recap of last year's by March-A-Thon Chairman, Kathy Miesner. There's also a nice recap on Sherry Piche's blog (click here). Sherry spent the day with the March-A-Thon and took some fantastic photos. Click here for Piche Photography and enter 'jetband' for the session ID to see them all. Thanks to everyone who helped with the event and all the generous donors out there who support JET Band! Speaking of donors, we've had inquiries from a few friends & relatives who missed out before.... It's not too late to donate! Click here for the March-A-Thon page with PayPal link. (updated 8.3.11)

STANDING ANNOUNCEMENTS

WANT TO BUY OR SELL AN INSTRUMENT? Click for the Classified Ads page which has been updated with new ads. Please e-mail webcoordinator@jetband.org to place an ad.

BAND HALL SAFE: The safe in the Band Hall is the large, grey box-looking thing next to the blue hallway door. Several children have been putting payments into the wall pocket of envelopes (just above the safe) by mistake. When sending a payment with your child, please make sure they place it in the actual safe to avoid lost or stolen payments.
JET BAND DIRECTORY: To be Earth-friendly, we publish the directory on-line here. The file is password-protected, so you must enter the password before you can open the file. If you need the password, e-mail jetbandboosters@gmail.com. You will need to supply enough identifying information in the password request so that we recognize you as a JET Band parent. Once you have access to the file, please check your student's information and e-mail any corrections to mvmahon@comcast.net. Thanks to Mary Mahon for volunteering to get the JET Band Directory up to date!
BUY GROCERIES, EARN MONEY FOR JET BAND! It's as easy as that. Click here for the details on linking your Randall's card or your Kroger card to JET Band. They both give a percentage of purchases to JET Band as part of their Good Neighbor (Randall's) and Neighbor to Neighbor (Kroger) programs. Can't ask for any easier fundraiser than that!
SCRIP CARDS: If you haven't yet gotten into the "scrip habit," now is a good time to sign up! Half of the rebate goes to the Band Boosters and the other half goes into your child's trip account. This fundraiser is very effective in helping build up those trip accounts -- especially if you use it regularly to pay for things you are buying anyway, like groceries and gas! Check the Scrip page for complete details on the program. If you need help enrolling in Scrip or placing your first order online, e-mail scrip.cards@jetband.org for assistance or questions.
BP EMPLOYEES WHO VOLUNTEER CAN EARN MONEY FOR JET BAND! If you are a BP employee and volunteer for JET band, be sure to track your hours since BP will pay for your volunteer time! Questions about how to do it? Contact Dale Morrison at dale.morrison@bp.com or Danise Edmonds at danise.edmonds@bp.com.
MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC: Check out the new Music Advocacy page on the website. This is a place where you can find articles about how music helps develop children in areas other than just playing an instrument. If you have articles of interest along these lines to submit, please send them to webcoordinator@jetband.org.
HOUSTON SYMPHONY PERFORMANCES: Check out the Houston Symphony website at www.houstonsymphony.org for information on upcoming concerts. If you are interested in attending a Houston Symphony concert, we qualify for a reduced group rate if we have at least 10 people. If you have a group of friends interested in attending and would like to get the group discount, e-mail Jan at jetbandboosters@gmail.com for more information.

As always, thank you for everything you do to help make the JET Band so successful!