East River High School Bands - Announcements

Band News

noreply@blogger.com (East River High School Band) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 00:45:00 +0000

Hello Band Family!

The past two weeks have been extremely busy, but very productive for the program. On February 16, the winterguard competed at Cypress Creek High School in a WGI Regional. I am proud to say that they performed a great performance and in the morning preliminary competition to place 7^thoverall (out of 16) and earn a spot in the Finals that were held that evening. The evening performance was just as solid as the morning run and the guard earned 8^th in Finals. This is a great accomplishment for the group as for almost half of the ensemble is new to winterguard. WAY TO Go GUARD!!!!

This past weekend was also a busy one. First, the ALL COUNTY JAZZ BANDS performed at University High School. A HUGE Congratulations goes out to Jordan Ripley. He was selected to be a part of this group on guitar. I am amazed at the talent this young man has on guitar and what he had to play in the group. There were many band directors coming up to me telling me how impressed they were with Jordan. Congrats Jordan on a job well done!

Over the past few months, Mr. Futrell and I have been working on building a partnership with INIFINTY Percussion. This is an independent percussion ensemble that competes in the WGI and FFCC circuits. We have members of the East River Percussion involved with these ensembles. Yesterday, they competed at Timber Creek High School in a WGI Regional. Infinity World placed second (a very close second) and I2 (independent marching A) placed second overall as well. Congratulations for all of our students involved with these ensembles.

I am so proud of all the students here in the band program. Every day they continue to improve and put East River High School's name out in the public in a positive light.

REMINDERS:

Tuesday: Concert Band Rehearsal 2:30 to 4 (Mandatory)

Percussion Rehearsal 2:30 to 4

Thursday: Symphonic Band Rehearsal 2:30 to 4. (Mandatory) There will be a guest conductor at this rehearsal. MAKE SURE YOU ARE HERE. Please plan accordingly.

Percussion Rehearsal 2:30 to 4

March 2^nd the winterguard performs at Cypress Creek in a FFCC circuit show. They perform at 3:00

March 8^th is the concert MPA. It will be held at Edgewater High School. The Concert Band performs at 1:30pm and the Symphonic Band performs at 4:15pm.

Musically,

Mr. D

Feb 10 Update

noreply@blogger.com (East River High School Band) — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 23:23:00 +0000

Congratulations goes out to the Jazz Band for earning a Superior Performance at the Jazz MPA. Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the program and the after school rehearsals for preparation for the MPA.

This weekend was a great success for the band program here at East River. It all started early in the morning with a Performance with ENCORE at the Orange County Convention Center. The National Automobile Dealer Association was held their annual convention this past weekend. They performed for attendees from all over the country and world. It was a great opportunity for our students and program. The students did an amazing job and I am very proud of all of them.

We also had the solo and ensemble festival going on and each student who performed did an outstanding job. Thank you for your hard work and dedication to become better musicians.

Our guard performed at Timber Creek high school at a FFCC show. They performed their BEST show so far. I am so proud of the group and the accomplishments that they have achieved so early in the season. I am looking forward to watching them grow as an ensemble throughout the year. Next Saturday, Feb. 16, is their next show. They perform at 11:28 am in preliminary competition. This is a WGI regional at Cypress Creek. Please come out and support our guard!

We still have extra cokes that need to be bought. Below is the list of what we have. All sodas are $20 and all Powerades are $19. If you would like any of these listed below please email me and I will have them ready for you.

3 Regular Cokes
1 Vanilla Coke
1 Diet Coke
3 Water
1 Root Beer
2 Cherry Coke
1 Sprite Zero
1 Powerade (Blue)
1 Powerade (yellow)
1 Powerade zero (Grape)
1 Powerade (Red)
4 Sprite
1 Fanta Orange
1 Fruit Punch
1 Pink Lemonade
1 Ginger Ale
2 Cherry Coke zero

As always, thank you for being a part of the band program here at East River.

Musically,

Mr. D

Spring Update

noreply@blogger.com (East River High School Band) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 01:30:00 +0000

Hello Band Family,

Now that we are in full swing for the second semester, I wanted to let everyone know of some of the great things happening here in the band program. First, congratulations are in order for Shane Barnes, Ari Isaiah, Juwan Murphy, Jordan Ripley and Tommy Swanson for their performance in the All County Band. Both bands played very well and these students represented our program with exceptional integrity and talent.

The winterguard season is now underway and the group had their first performance this past Saturday at Hagerty High School. I am very proud of the guard and their performance. I am always amazed by the talent that we have in the group. Please make sure that you make a point to see our guard perform at the remaining shows. Please visit FFCC.org for a schedule of events and where we will be. All of the shows are local with the exception of the circuit championships which are in Daytona.

Concert Band Rehearsals are being held every week. Tuesdays are for the Concert Band (1st period) and Thursdays are for the Symphonic Band (2nd period). All rehearsals are 2:30 to 4:00pm. Percussion rehearsals are every Tuesday and Thursday 2:30 to 4:00pm. Both bands are scheduled to perform on March 8.

Jazz Band has been getting ready for their MPA on Feb. 7 at Apopka High School. We are scheduled to perform at 3:30pm. The jazz band will leave the school late morning and return early evening for this event. Specific times will be discussed in class and all parents will be notified ASAP.

We are forming a new performing ensemble within the Band program. The name of the group is ENCORE. This is a small marching ensemble consisting of woodwinds, brass, percussion and guard. Think of it as the marching band, but on a small level. This group is modeled after BLAST (which is a broadway show). The group will consist of about 30 members. We have our first meeting this Thursday January 31 from 4 to 6. We will also be rehearsing on Friday from 2:30 to 5 and alsoon Saturday from 9:00am -- 12:00pm. We have a performance opportunity on Feb 9th at the Orange County Convention Center. This is a great way for our students to be showcased in public. The company in charge is also donating a sizable contribution to the band with our participation. For this performance, we will only need woodwinds, brass and percussion.

IMPORTANT DATES:

February 7: Jazz Band MPA at Apopka HS

Leave: TBA
Performance: 3:30pm
Return: TBA

February 9: Encore performance at the OCCC

ENCORE call time: 5:45am
Leave School: 6:00am
Performance: 7:30 -- 10:30am
Return: 12:00pm

February 9: Solo and Ensemble at Apopka HS

This is an all day event and times vary with the solos and ensembles. Please make sure you check the scheduled that is posted in the band room.

March 8: Concert Band and Symphonic Band MPA at Edgewater HS

Leave: TBA
Concert Band (1st period) performance time: 1:30pm
Symphonic Band (2nd period) performance time: 4:15pm
Return: TBA

Coca-Cola Fundraiser Pickup

noreply@blogger.com (East River High School Band) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 23:25:00 +0000

Tomorrow, Wednesday Dec 19, around 160 cases of Coke products will arrive at the band room sometime between 9am and noon for our Coca-Cola fundraiser. We are in need of both parents and students (with strong backs!) to help sort and distribute the cases to those coming to pick up their orders. We will need some students to stay after school to help sort out the cases starting at 1:30pm. A few parents at that time will be needed as well. Pickup of orders will be from 3:30pm to 6pm and so we will also need plenty of students and some parents on hand to help with the distribution of the orders. Even if you can only help out for an hour, that would be great. If you can stay longer, even better!

For those of you picking up orders, please come to the band room between 3:30pm and 6pm to get your order. If you are not able to pick up your order on Wednesday, it will be placed in the uniform room and locked up. But we would rather not have to do this, so please come pick up your orders!

So, to recap...

Order pickup is this Wed, Dec 19 from 3:30-6pm in the band room!

And we need plenty of helping hands to make this easy on everyone!

Prism Concert

noreply@blogger.com (East River High School Band) — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 22:52:00 +0000

Message from Mr. Davenport

noreply@blogger.com (East River High School Band) — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 13:41:00 +0000

Hello Falcon Vanguard Family!

I hope that everyone had a restful and enjoyable Thanksgiving. I am very proud of the students for their accomplishments during marching season. As I look back on the first day of band camp to the last performance at Oviedo High School, I see a great improvement in all aspects of the show and the students achievement. I also want to thank all the parents that gave up their free time to help with the band program. It takes many people to work together to achieve greatness. It is always nice to hear to the encouraging cheers from the stands. Your children really do appreciate you being there. I see it when they step on the field and hear their name called out in a happy gram or from a cheer in the stands. Your dedication to the education of your child is awesome and I thank you for being there for them. To celebrate in the successes that they experience after their hard work.

As we prepare for the final events before the winter break I would like to catch you up on some important information.

Prism Concert -- Dec 14 -- 7:00pm

For those new to East River, this is a concert that features the entire performing arts department. Band, Chorus, Drama and other small ensembles that we offer here at East River. It is a night to celebrate the hard work and accomplishments of the students.

Rehearsal Schedule

For the Week of December 3 - 7

Tuesday -- Concert Band -- 2:30 -- 4
Wednesday -- Percussion -- 2 -- 4
Thursday -- Symphonic Band -- 2:30 -- 4

For the Week of December 10 -- 14

Monday -- Concert and Symphonic Band -- 2:30 -- 4
Tuesday -- Dress Rehearsal for the Prism Concert
Wednesday -- Percussion -- 2 -- 4
Thursday -- Dress Rehearsal for the Prism Concert
Friday -- Prism Concert

Financial Update

To date we have $25,000 in outstanding fare share dues from this year and the previous years. Please make every effort to make a payment towards your account. I know that for some it can be a hefty amount. Please let me know if there is an issue and we can work out a payment plan that will fit your financial situation. A small amount paid to your students account is very helpful. We have $6,300.00 that we owe to our instructors and to designers of the marching band show. Please help in any way that you can as we need to pay for the services that we have already received.

It might seem early, however it is also the time of year where the band must secure a drill writer and music arranger for the up-coming school year. This will require a retainer fee for us to secure their services and expertise next year.

Concessions

Thank you for all the parents who volunteered for the concession stand during the football season. It was a great success and over $4000 was raised. This is a great start for the concession stand. However, please remember that we also do the rest of the sports that happen in the stadium for the ENTIRE year. We have had to cancel working some games because we could not staff the stand. This is a revenue lost for the program if we cannot fill these spots. Please look on the calendar on Charms and select a game in which you can volunteer for. Remember this helps the program!

Food Cart

It has been brought to my attention that we have not been able to staff the food cart on a consistent basis. I understand that not everyone can work this as it is in the middle of the school day. However, I encourage you to work it if you are available. This is a great way to earn money for the band and YOUR student account. Please sign up on the Charms calendar to take advantage of this great opportunity.

Coca-Cola Truck Load sale

We will begin the coke fundraiser on Monday. Please look for that information to come home. This is a great way to earn money towards your account. If every student sold 5 cases of coca-cola that would be a profit of $2500 for the band. Of course if they sell more, the greater the profit. This has the potential to be a very big and successful fundraiser for us. The earnings of the fundraiser will go directly to the fare share that is due.

The fundraiser committee along with myself are constantly looking for ways to raise money for the band and to help offset some of the fare share. If you have any ideas please contact Caroline Ogletree or Kim Palmieri. I know they want as many ideas as possible.

Finally, I want to thank you. I know that marching season requires a lot of time. Friday nights and all day Saturdays can be very taxing on all of us, but the end result is always worth it. I appreciate you allowing me to teach your children. Every day that I get to stand in front of the class and teach music is awesome and I would not trade it for anything else. The beginning of the year has been filled with great things and I know that the rest of the year is going to be the same. Let us continue to work together to achieve some new goals and aspirations.

Musically,

Ryan Davenport
Director of Bands
East River High School

Gift Wrapping Fundraiser Event

noreply@blogger.com (East River High School Band) — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 23:22:00 +0000

Gift Wrapping Fundraiser

The East River Vanguard has been able to secure a table for gift wrapping at the Oviedo Mall. This is a great opportunity to earn some money to go towards your fair share. We need volunteers to make this work. Each shift is from 6:00pm to 9:00pm. Please sign up in the band room. Please bring wrapping paper, bows, boxes, scissors, gift tags and other decorations. (A good place to stock up is the dollar store) We especially need volunteers for Tuesday night (November 27).

For each day we will need 8 student volunteers and 4 parent volunteers. Again, please sign up in the band room.

Dates that are available:

Tuesday, November 27
Monday, December 3
Tuesday, December 4
Wednesday, December 5
Thursday, December 6

If you have questions, please contact Kim Palmieri or Caroline Ogletree.

Vanguard News for Week of Nov 12

noreply@blogger.com (East River High School Band) — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 14:59:00 +0000

2nd Place at Oviedo Preview of Champions!

Our Falcon Vanguard closed out the marching season on a high note by taking 2nd place at the Oviedo Preview of Champions marching festival on Saturday night! The Vanguard earned a score of 84.3, placing them in overall 2nd place among the 11 bands at the competition. They also took home "Best in Class" trophies in music, color guard and percussion!

Thank you to Mr. Davenport, Mr. Futrell and all the techs for the many hours devoted to leading our students toward a successful conclusion to the 2012 marching season!

Here's a video of our Falcon Vanguard doing their last marching performance of the year at the Oviedo competition:

Senior Night

At last Friday night's football game, all the band, cheerleader and football seniors were recognized during a pre-game ceremony on the field. Each senior was called one-by-one onto the field with their family escorts as the band played. After the game, the seniors had a surprise party waiting for Mr. Davenport in the band room (and an extra little surprise waiting for him when we went to his car!).

Click here for Mr. Palmieri's Senior Night photos.

Band Parent Boosters Meeting

The marching season may be over, but the holiday season and concert season now begin and there is a lot planning to do! The next band parent boosters meeting will be this Tuesday, Nov 13 from 6 to 7pm in the band room. All parents are encouraged to attend this important planning meeting!

Fundraising Committee Meeting

The Fundraising Committee will be meeting this Thursday, November 15 from 6:30-7:30pm at the Avalon Park Tijuana Flats. Head over to the Tijuana Flats on Avalon Park Blvd. for dinner and the meeting. Remember, the ERHS Band program gets 10% of the sales donated back to the school; we can accomplish two fundraising activities at once!

Spirit Night at Tijuana Flats

Eat dinner at the Avalon Park Tijuana Flats this Thursday, Nov 15 anytime from 5 to 9pm and mention "East River Band" when you order and they will donate 10% of your bill to the band! Tell your friends! Anyone can help us raise money. Click here to view the flyer.

Vanguard News for Week of Nov 5

noreply@blogger.com (East River High School Band) — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 00:15:00 +0000

Straight Superiors at MPA!

Congratulations Vanguard for once again earning straight superior ratings at the District Marching Music Performance Assessment on Saturday! A large audience was at the Citrus Bowl to see our band perform and the weather was perfect (no wind or rain as in previous years). It was a great night for our band program and another outstanding performance from our Falcon Vanguard!

If you couldn't make it out to the Citrus Bowl, but would like to see the performance, check out the video below.

Lake Nona Football Game and Senior Night!

East River plays Lake Nona at Falcon Stadium this Friday in the annual Battle of the Beachline! Game time is 7:30pm. This is the final game of the year and it's also Senior Recognition Night! Seniors will be recognized in a pre-game ceremony on the field. The school administration is asking parents of seniors to meet at the stadium at 6pm.

Seniors, to make sure you get recognized Friday night, please print out and complete this form and return it to Mr. Davenport by this Thursday.

Oviedo Preview of Champions Marching Festival

Our Falcon Vanguard will be competing in their final band competition of the year this Saturday at Oviedo High School stadium (map). This is Oviedo's 1st annual band competition and there is a good lineup of bands scheduled to compete. Click for the complete schedule of competing bands.

Here is our schedule:

Call time: 2pm
Rehearse: 2-4pm
Leave for Oviedo HS: 5pm
Performance: 8:45pm
Retreat: 10:15pm
Return to ERHS: approx. 11:15pm

Come out to Oviedo High School and cheer on our Falcon Vanguard for their last marching performance of the year!

Vanguard News for Week of Oct 29

noreply@blogger.com (East River High School Band) — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 00:28:00 +0000

University Football Game

The East River Falcons play the University Cougars at Falcon Stadium this Friday! Game time is 7:30. Only one more game left in the season after this one, so come out and cheer on the Vanguard and the football team!

FBA Music Performance Assessment

The Vanguard will be performing their marching show this Saturday at the Florida Bandmasters Association's Music Performance Assessment. This is a required performance held at the Citrus Bowl for all Orange County marching bands.

The goals of the assessment are (from the FBA website):

To provide opportunities for students and directors to perform in an environment which provides critical evaluation of its performance by noted experts in the field of band performance,
To provide the opportunity for students and directors to perform for their peers in a formal concert setting,
To provide a performance opportunity which will serve as a motivational goal for students and directors,
To provide an opportunity for students and directors to hear performances of their peers and learn from hearing those performances, and to provide a goal which is so compelling that the preparation for attaining that goal becomes the vehicle for continued growth and to demonstrate students' abilities to apply musical fundamentals and concepts in an ensemble performance setting.

There are two assessments each year: in the Fall for marching bands and in the Spring for concert and jazz bands.

Each band will perform their marching show at their alloted time. Parents and families are encouraged to attend and watch the Vanguard and other Orange County bands perform!We are fortunate to be in a county with so many good bands and it's very entertaining to watch each band perform their show. Although this is not a competition and there is no awards ceremony at the end of the evening, this is a great opportunity for bands to perform for a large audience of their peers from other high schools and their families. And the Citrus Bowl is a great venue to perform in!

Parking is available at the Citrus Bowl. Admission is $10 for adults or $25 for a family of three or more, so no family will pay more than $25. Children 7 and under are free.

Our Schedule

Call time for Saturday is 12:00pm
Leave for Citrus Bowl by 1:30pm
Arrive at Citrus Bowl about 2:00pm
Be in the seats for the National Anthem by 2:40pm
We perform at 6:15pm
Announcements of ratings at 9:40pm
Arrive back at ERHS approx 11:00pm

Click here for the schedule of all performing bands.

We will be eating with the Winter Park band during the event. Hamburgers, hot dogs, chips and a drink will cost $5 per student. If you are planning on taking part in this opportunity please bring in the money by this Thursday. An order sheet will be distributed at Tuesday rehearsal. There are also concessions available at the stadium, but they are typically priced on the high side, so $5 for dinner is a good deal. If you decide you want concession food or you want to purchase a program, don't forget to bring money for that!

And finally, we will be changing into street clothes after our performance. Please bring appropriate attire and dress in layers as it will be cooler in the evening!

Vanguard News for Week of Oct 22

noreply@blogger.com (East River High School Band) — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 00:38:00 +0000

Tarpon Springs Competition Results

Congratulations Vanguard on a terrific performance at the Tarpon Springs competition and a 3rd place showing in class AAA! This was East River's first perfomance at this competition and they made an impression with a great show. It was also a treat to all the students and parents in attendance to see the highly acclaimed Tarpon Springs marching band perform. All in all, a great day!

Click here to view photos of the event courtesy of Mr. Palmieri.

Click here to watch a video of the Vanguard's performance at the competition. Enjoy!

Boone Football Game

Another Thursday night game this week! East River is playing Boone HS and it's homecoming and 8th grade night! 8th graders will be joining the band in the stands to get a taste of what it's like to be a member of the Vanguard. There will be a homecoming parade at 5:30pm. Details about Vanguard participation in the parade will be announced later this week. Game time is 7:30.

All students must take their uniform and instrument home after the game for the parade on Saturday!

Fundraising Committee Meeting

The Fundraising Committee will be meeting this Tuesday in the chorus room from 6:30-7:30pm. If you are on the committee, please plan to attend. If you are not yet on the committee, but would like to join and help with fundraising, please come!

Goldenrod Festival and Parade

The Vanguard will be marching at the parade this Saturday, which starts at 3500 Aloma Ave in Winter Park and ends at Baldwin Fairchild Funeral Home at 7520 Aloma Ave (approx 1 mile). Here's a parade route map.Parents, please drop off students at the start point at 9am. We are not taking buses to this event! Students should show up dressed in uniform and ready to go. The parade begins at 11am. For those students who want to drive to the parade, you may park at Baldwin Fairchild Funeral Home at 7520 Aloma Ave and there will be free transportation to the staging area. This will take you extra time so get there extra early so you are at the staging area no later than 9am!

The chamber of commerce will be making a donation to the band program for our participation in the parade. This is also a great opportunity for the band to do a community performance!

Tarpon Springs Competition Schedule

noreply@blogger.com (East River High School Band) — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 14:47:00 +0000

Here is the schedule for this Saturday's competition at Tarpon Springs High School:

Vanguard call time: 12:30pm
Leave for Tarpon Springs: 1:30pm
Arrive at Tarpon: 4:00pm
Warm up: 6:00pm
Performance: 7:35pm
Awards: 10:00pm
Return to ERHS: 1:00am

Click for the complete list of performing bands and times.

All students are reminded to eat before you arrive Saturday to school. Also, you may bring food to eat on the bus to and from Tarpon Springs. Concessions will be available at the competition site, so you should bring money for that as well. The buses will not be stopping anywhere else for food so plan accordingly!

Vanguard News for Week of Oct 15

noreply@blogger.com (East River High School Band) — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 02:10:00 +0000

Winter Park Football Game

We have a Thursday night game this week at Winter Park HS. Students report to the band room at 5pm. Game time is at 7:30pm. This is Winter Park's homecoming.

Friday Rehearsal

There is no school this Friday, but we will have a rehearsal from 9am to 2pm. All students must bring a lunch. Students will not be allowed to leave the school campus for lunch. Also, please bring a large water to drink. The water bottles that were recently distributed for football games are not large enough for a full day of rehearsal. Please plan ahead!

Spirit Night at Tijuana Flats

Eat dinner at the Avalon Park Tijuana Flats on Thursday, Oct 18 from 5 to 9pm and mention "East River Band" when you order and they will donate 10% of your bill to the band! Tell your friends! Anyone can help us raise money. Click here to view the flyer.

Tarpon Springs Competition

The Vanguard is competing at the Tarpon Springs Outdoor Music Festival this Saturday, October 20 at Tarpon Springs High School. Our band will be competing in class AAA with six other bands. Tarpon Springs High School has an outstanding marching band and it will be a treat to both compete in this competition and to watch the host Tarpon Springs band perform at the conclusion of the competition. For families who will be traveling to the competition to watch, tickets are $13 for adults, $8 for ages 13-18 and $5 for children 12 and under. Click here to view the full schedule of performing bands.

Vanguard News for Oct 7

noreply@blogger.com (East River High School Band) — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 01:51:00 +0000

Oviedo Football Game

This Friday's game is away at Oviedo HS. Students and chaperones need to report to the band room at 5pm. We will load the buses at 5:30pm. Game time is at 7:30pm and we are expecting to be back at ERHS around 10:30pm. Oviedo HS has a brand new artificial turf field, so our uniforms should stay nice and clean! Oviedo also has an excellent marching band, so parents come out and watch a friendly battle of the bands at halftime!

Car Wash This Saturday

We are having a car wash fundraiser this Saturday (Oct 13) at the 7 Eleven on the corner of Alafaya Trail and McCulloch Rd (map link). This is a UCF home game day, so we are hoping for a lot of cars in the area that day! We have some terrific new car wash signs and donation buckets made by Jeneen Long to make us more visible and hopefully help us raise more money! Students, please sign up in the band room. Parents, we need another volunteer for the afternoon shift (noon-3pm) so please sign up in Charms if you are able to help.

Picture Day

Picture Day is this Monday (Oct 8) during all classes. Parents and students can view and have an opportunity to purchase pictures at a future date that will be announced soon.

Fundraising Committee Meeting

Band Photos from Aspire Multimedia & Photography

A big THANK YOU goes out to Mr. Tony Palmieri, who takes so many great photos of our band at all of our events. All of the band photos he has taken he has graciously put on his website and has made them available for immediate download and for purchase. Please take a moment to visit his website and check out all the great photos. From Mr. Palmieri: "These are all the photos I've taken in the past 2 years and I will continue to add this years photos throughout the year. Most of the photos are on Facebook through the Vanguard Facebook page (www.facebook.com/eastriverband). All of the photos can be found and easily downloaded (low res) through my Aspire Multimedia & Photography website (aspire.zenfolio.com/erhsphotography)."

Vanguard Booster Organization Bylaws

The bylaws of the Falcon Vanguard Booster organization have been approved and are now available on the band website's Parent page. Parents, please read through this important document as it defines the mission of the Vanguard Booster organization, membership and election rules, etc. Thank you to Brad Chase, Ramon Vazquez and the Parent Board for their hard work in making this important document a reality!

Vanguard News For This Week

noreply@blogger.com (East River High School Band) — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 23:17:00 +0000

Timber Creek Football Game

It's time to get back to Falcon Stadium this Friday as we play host to Timber Creek! Students and chaperones need to report to the band room at 5pm. The game kicks off at 7:30pm.

Timber Creek Marching Arts Festival

The Vanguard returns again this year to compete at the annual marching competition at Timber Creek High School stadium this Saturday. Parents, you will definitely not want to miss this opportunity to see the Vanguard perform in competition with a lot of other outstanding local bands! Parking is free and tickets at the gate are $12 (adults), $8 (K-12), and 5 and under free. And there will be plenty of food options available at the stadium.

Here is the complete schedule for the day:

11am--2pm: Rehearsal at ERHS
2pm--3:30pm: Load the truck, eat, rest
3:45pm: Load buses
4pm: Depart for TCHS
4:20pm: Arrive at TCHS, unload truck and go to visual warm up
7:30pm: Performance
10:30pm: Awards
11:15pm: Arrive at ERHS
11:20pm: Turn in uniforms and unload truck
12:00am: Dismissal

All students must bring a lunch to eat. NO ONE is allowed to leave between 2 and 3:30. For those students who have the SAT in the morning, come ASAP to ERHS as we will need the rehearsal time.

Performance schedule for all bands:

4:00pm: Bayshore (1A)
4:15pm: Olympia (4A)
4:30pm: Sebring (2A)
4:45pm: Celebration (2A)
5:00pm: Oak Ridge (2A)
5:15pm: St. Cloud (2A)
5:30pm: Edgewater (3A)
5:45pm: Pine Ridge (3A)
6:00pm: Dinner break
7:15pm: Space Coast (4A)
7:30pm: East River (4A)
7:45pm: Lake Howell (4A)
8:00pm: Cypress Creek (4A)
8:15pm: Oviedo (5A)
8:30pm: Winter Park (5A)
8:45pm: West Orange (5A)
9:00pm: Boone (5A)
9:15pm: Timber Creek (exhibition)
9:30pm: Jarritt Sheel's Blu-Tet (Jazz & Hip-Hop Experience)
9:45pm: University of Central Florida Marching Knights
10:30pm: Drum Major Retreat and Awards Ceremony

Open House

ERHS Open House is this Tuesday, October 2, from 6 to 8pm. Because of this, rehearsal will be from 3 to 6pm so that you can attend Open House afterwards.

For Open House, families will follow their student's daily schedule, and they will stay 10 minutes per class. The schedule is:

6:00-6:10 - Move to 1st Period
6:15-6:25 - 1st Period
6:30-6:40 - 2nd Period
6:45-6:55 - 3rd Period
7:00-7:10 - 4th Period
7:15-7:25 - 5th Period
7:30-7:40 - 6th Period
7:45-7:55 - 7th Period

Monthly Parent Meeting

The monthly parent meeting is normally scheduled for the first Tuesday of every month, but due to Open House being on that day, the parent meeting will be held this Thursday, October 4, at 7pm in the chorus room. All parents are encouraged to attend this important planning meeting!

Extra Volunteers Needed at Concession Stand

Due to anticipated extra demand at the concession stand, the Concession Committee is asking for 2 additional volunteers to work concessions for our remaining home football games for a total of 12 concession workers for each game. These additional 2 volunteer slots have been added in the Charms calendar, so if you are able to help out, please sign up in Charms!

Rehearse-a-Thon Fundraiser Money Due

Finally, don't forget that all outstanding Rehearse-a-thon pledge money should be collected and turned in this week by Friday, October 5!

Rehearse-a-Thon and Other Vanguard News

noreply@blogger.com (East River High School Band) — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 23:18:00 +0000

No Game This Week

The football team has a bye week, so enjoy your Friday evening off!

Rehearse-a-Thon!

This Saturday, Sept 29 is our second all-day rehearsal. In order for the band and guard to be ready for next week's Timber Creek competition, Mr. Davenport is extending the rehearsal by 2 hours. Rehearsal will now go from 8am to 7pm. Please make a note of the earlier start time!

Students, remember to bring sunscreen and plenty of water!

Lunch will again be potluck and sections are again asked to bring the following:

Brass - main dish/meat
Woodwinds - side dishes
Battery - veggies
Front ensemble - fruit
Guard - dessert

Lunch will be from 12:30-1:15. Please bring the food (with serving utensils) for the potluck lunch around noon to the hallway behind the band room. Please be sure to put your name on any containers and serving utensils you need returned. If you have something that can be kept at room temperature, or a plugged in crock pot, feel free to bring it earlier.

A big THANK YOU goes out to all parents who brought food last time and also to those who volunteered to serve the food. It was a huge success!

Rehearse-a-Thon Fundraiser

Students, this is a reminder to keep collecting pledges for the Rehearse-a-thon. This is a great opportunity for you to put money in your individual account to pay off your "fair share" payment for the year! Remember that all money needs to be turned in to Ms. Ulli Strawn by Oct 5. Even though the Vanguard will be rehearsing an extra 2 hours on Satuday, continue to collect pledges based on an 8 hour rehearsal as stated on the pledge sheet.

If you need to print additional copies of the pledge form or sample letter, links are below.

Click to download the pledge sheet.
Click to download the sample letter.

Open House

ERHS Open House is Tuesday, October 2 from 6 to 8pm. Because of this, our regular rehearsal on that day will be moved to 3-6pm.

For Open House, families will follow their child's daily schedule, and they will stay 10 minutes per class. The schedule is:

6:00-6:10 - Move to 1st Period
6:15-6:25 - 1st Period
6:30-6:40 - 2nd Period
6:45-6:55 - 3rd Period
7:00-7:10 - 4th Period
7:15-7:25 - 5th Period
7:30-7:40 - 6th Period
7:45-7:55 - 7th Period

Monthly Parent Meeting

The monthly parent meeting is normally scheduled for the first Tuesday of every month, but due to Open House being on that day, the parent meeting is being moved to Thursday, October 4 at 7pm in the band room. All parents are encouraged to attend this important planning meeting!

Vanguard Picture Day

Vanguard Picture Day is Monday, Oct 8 during all classes. Parents and students can view, and have an opportunity to purchase, pictures at a future date that will be announced soon.

Have a great week and GO VANGUARD!

Vanguard News

noreply@blogger.com (East River High School Band) — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 23:19:00 +0000

Colonial Football Game

This Friday's football game is an away game at Colonial High School (here's a map link). As usual, all students (and chaperones) are to report to the band room at 5pm. We will load the buses at 5:30pm. Game time is at 7:30pm and we are expecting to be back at ERHS around 10:30pm. Want to know what time the buses actually get back to the school so you know when to pick up your student? Follow us on Twitter!

Upcoming Car Wash Fundraiser

Mark your calendars for a car wash fundraiser on Oct 13 at the 7 Eleven on the corner of Alafaya Trail and McCulloch Rd. This is a UCF home game day, so there should be a lot of traffic that day! More details on this event coming soon.

Big News About Sept 29 Saturday Rehearsal

We have some exciting news to announce concerning the all-day rehearsal scheduled for Saturday, Sept 29. The rehearsal will take place as scheduled and all Vanguard members are required to attend. Also, lunch will be potlock just like it was last time. However, the big news is that we are turning the all-day (9am-6pm) rehearsal into a REHEARSE-A-THON! What does this mean? It means a great opportunity for all students to raise money for their personal accounts while they rehearse!

Here's how it works:

All Vanguard students will have the opportunity to get people to sponsor them for the Rehearse-a-thon. Sponsors are asked to pledge either a flat donation or a $ donation per hour the Vanguard will rehearse that day (8 hours). So if a sponsor pledges $4 per hour, the student will receive $32 (8hrs x $4) from that sponsor. All money a student raises can go directly to his/her student account! Or optionally, if the student's "fair share" account is paid in full, students can choose for the money raised to go to another student's account (either to a specific student or to any student who has a financial need) or to the general band fund.

Students will receive a packet from Mr. Davenport at school containing a pledge sheet, a letter and an envolope. Students should request that all donations be collected in advance if possible. All money from this fundraiser is due to Ms. Strawn by Oct 5. Please do not turn in cash. Turn in checks only. Collect all cash from sponsors and have a parent write a single check for that amount made out to East River High School. Be sure to put the student's name and "Rehearse-a-thon" in the notes section of the check. Place all checks plus your filled out pledge sheet in the envelope provided and return to Ms. Strawn at school by Oct 5. Make sure the student's name is on the pledge sheet and on the checks (in the notes section) so that all money you raise will be credited to the proper account!

You may wish to give or mail the letter to neighbors, relatives, friends, local businesses, church leaders, etc to solicit their support. You can also email the letter to those you know. Or ask your Facebook friends! Who you ask is up to you, but make sure that all pledges are noted on the pledge sheet.

Click to download the pledge sheet.

Click to download the sample letter.

This is a terrific opportunity to help you pay for your "fair share" and we hope that all students will take advantage of the opportunity. It is entirely possible to pay your fair share payment for the entire year with this one fundraiser! If you get 10 sponsors at $4 per hour, you collect $320 for your individual account!

If you have any questions, please contact the Rehearse-a-thon co-chairpersons, Ulli Strawn (ullistrawn@yahoo.com) and Trish Ripley (trish_ripley@yahoo.com).

As always, Go Vanguard!

Fundraising Committee Meeting This Saturday

noreply@blogger.com (East River High School Band) — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 12:12:00 +0000

From Caroline Ogletree, Fundraising Committee Chairperson:

Hello Vanguard Parents!

This Saturday we will hold our first Fundraising Committee meeting of the school year. This is a great opportunity for everyone to get involved! Please joins us and share your ideas on how to earn some much needed money for the ERHS Falcon Vanguard program.

What: Fundraising Committee
Where: ERHS Chorus Room
When: Saturday, September 15th, 1:30pm - 2:30pm

The committee will be responsible for brainstorming ideas, reviewing opportunities, determining which ones to persue, and making the chosen events successful.

We will need many people to make this year's fundraising events successful. Please let us know if you are interested in any of the following activities:

Co-Chair of Fundraising Committee
Chair/Co-Chair of a Sub-Committee
Volunteer helper at fundraising events

If you are unable to make this first meeting, but would like to be a member or have fundraising suggestions, please send your name and contact information, with your interests or fundraising suggestions to Caroline.Ogletree AT yahoo.com. I'll make sure you get on the distribution list for the Fundraising Committee communications.

I look forward to seeing everyone Saturday. Happy Fundraising!

Caroline

Lunch Cart Needs Help

noreply@blogger.com (East River High School Band) — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 16:21:00 +0000

A meeting is being called by the Parent Board for this Thursday, Sept 13, from 6:30 to 7:00pm to discuss the Lunch Cart needs. There are currently not enough volunteers participating in the Lunch Cart and more volunteers are urgently needed as well as a Lunch Cart chairperson to oversee this important fundraiser.

Last year we were able to raise $18,000 from the Lunch Cart. If we are unable to cover the shifts we may lose this opportunity. The volunteers can be an adult who has submitted an approved ADDitions volunteer form. It could be a parent or grandparent or another adult who wants to support the Vanguard program.

Please stop by the band room at 6:30pm this Thursday when you come to pick up your student from rehearsal for this very important meeting to discuss the future of the Lunch Cart program.

Happenings This Week

noreply@blogger.com (East River High School Band) — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 21:49:00 +0000

East River Vanguard Parents and Students,

Here are some important announcements for the upcoming week:

Oak Ridge Football Game
This Friday's football game is an away game against Oak Ridge. The Vanguard and chaperones will need to report to the band room at 5pm. Bus load time is 5:30pm. Game time is 7:30pm. Approximate return time is 11pm. The Vanguard will be in full uniform for the game, so band members should wear grey shorts, Vanguard t-shirt, white socks and white band shoes. Uniforms will be distributed prior to departure.

Rehearsal this Saturday
The Vanguard will rehearse from 9am to 6pm this Saturday, Sept 15. Attendance is required. Lunch is pot luck and each section is requested to bring the following:

Brass - main dish/meat
Woodwinds - side dishes
Battery - veggies
Front ensemble - fruit
Guard - dessert

Students should bring water for themselves for rehearsal. Gatoraid will be provided at lunch. If you have any questions concerning the pot luck lunch, please contact Trish Ripley at trish_ripley@yahoo.com or Bernice Reagan at reaganbm@hotmail.com.

We are still in need of one chaperone to sign up in Charms for the afternoon shift.

Car Wash
Thank you to all parents and students who participated in the car wash fundraiser on Saturday. Final tally was $520!

Tarpon Springs Competition
We have a schedule change concerning the University Classic competition at UHS on Oct 20. The Vanguard will NOT be attending the University competition. Instead, we will be attending the Tarpon Springs Outdoor Music Festival, held the same day at Tarpon Springs High School. Tarpon Springs is located on the Gulf coast just north of Tampa/St Pete. Here is a link to festival details: http://tarponspringsband.com/festival/index.htm. This competition has a very good reputation and this is a terrific opportunity for our students! If you had volunteered for chaperone or field crew duty for the University competition, we have your name down for the Tarpon competition. If you are unable to volunteer for this location, please log into Charms and remove your name.

Have a great week and go Vanguard!

Band not playing at Monday's game

noreply@blogger.com (East River High School Band) — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 22:49:00 +0000

As everyone is probably aware, due to bad weather the football game against Wekiva last Friday was postponed to Monday, Sept 10. The band will NOT be going to this game. Enjoy a normal Monday evening, or better yet, go out and cheer on the football team!

Vanguard News

noreply@blogger.com (East River High School Band) — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 17:28:00 +0000

Here are some upcoming events that you will want to mark on your calendars.

Home Game vs Wekiva
This Friday, Sept 7, the Falcons will face Wekiva at home. The band WILL be dressed out in full uniform this time (yea!). Band members should wear grey shorts, Vanguard t-shirt, white socks and white band shoes. Uniforms will be distributed by the uniform crew prior to the game. At the conclusion of the game, all band members must check their uniform back in with the uniform crew. Do not take uniforms home! Band, guard and chaperones should report to the band room at 5pm. Game time is 7:30pm.

Car Wash Fundraiser
We are having a car wash this Saturday, Sept 8 at the 7 Eleven on the corner of Alafaya Trail and McCulloch Rd (map). The 7 Eleven is across the street from the Publix shopping center. This is a high traffic area and so we need a big student turnout to handle all the cars. There will be a student sign up posted in the band room. The last car wash was a big success, so let's get another big turnout from students and see if we can raise even more money! All proceeds will go to the general band fund.

Saturday Full Day Rehearsals
Two full day rehearsals are scheduled for this month on Saturday, Sept 15 and Saturday, Sept 29. Both will be held from 9am to 6pm. Similar to band camp days, these rehearsals involve the full Vanguard and attendance is mandatory. Lunch will be pot luck and each section is being requested to bring the following:

Brass - main dish/meat
Woodwinds - side dishes
Battery - veggies
Front ensemble - fruit
Guard - dessert

Students should bring water for themselves for rehearsal. Gatoraid will be provided at lunch. If you have any questions concerning the pot luck lunch, please contact Trish Ripley at trish_ripley@yahoo.com or Bernice Reagan at reaganbm@hotmail.com.

We also need two parent chaperones for the first half of the day and two for the second half. Parents, please sign up in Charms if you can help.

Water Donations Needed
The concessions committee is requesting that each Vanguard family donate one case of individually bottled water for use during rehearsals, away games, etc. Any leftovers will be sold in the concession stand. Please drop off all water donations at the music library in the band room. Thank you for your help!

Band dress code for Friday

noreply@blogger.com (East River High School Band) — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 16:27:00 +0000

Due to the band uniforms being out for cleaning, they will not be back in time for this Friday's game. So band members will wear the same as they wore at last week's game: jeans, Vanguard t-shirt and sneakers.

Football game this Friday

noreply@blogger.com (East River High School Band) — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 21:09:00 +0000

This Friday, August 31, ERHS will play Lake Highland Prep in football. This is a home game. The band will need to report to the band room at 5pm. Game time is 7:30pm. Follow the band on Twitter to get notified when the game is over.

Go Vanguard and Go Falcons!

Band Parent Meeting

noreply@blogger.com (East River High School Band) — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 12:05:00 +0000

Band parent meeting

Tuesday, August 28, 6:30-7:30pm
Band room

There will be a band parent meeting held in the band room this coming Tuesday, August 28 from 6:30 to 7:30pm. Normally, parent meetings are held on the first Tuesday of every month, but this one is being held a week earlier due to a pressing need to get the parent committees set up for this year. Committees are tasked to oversee fundraising efforts, chaperones, concessions, etc. During this meeting, parents will have the opportunity to sign up for the various committees. The bylaws of the parent organization will also be put into place at this meeting.

Parent attendance and participation in this meeting is crucial to the success of the band program! Please plan on attending if you can.

Please note that the band rehearsal scheduled for 4-7pm on the same day will still take place.