One of our chaperones, Ms. Jones, sent me her photos from the Washington, DC trip, which include pictures from Saturday's performance, Arlington National Cemetary and the Monuments by Night Tour. I have posted a link to several of them belowYou can see that the weather was not the best on Saturday... but our students were. Enjoy!
It has taken me weeks to get my pictures from the 8th Grade Band's trip to Washington, DC to upload to my blog. After several attempts (and much time not being able to post anything at all) here they are!! You may download my Power Point slide show by clicking on the link below. In the interest of students' safety, I have not labelled any of the pictures.
I cannot tell you how proud of these students I am. This was definitely the best trip I have ever taken with students anywhere. Every place we went, people commented that they couldn't believe these were only eighth graders. Even at the performance on Saturday, the event organizers and the other groups who heard Pine Mountain perform were amazed at their musicality and maturity. By the way, the rain on Saturday prevented us from performing at the Lincoln Memorial, so we performed in the Sylvan Theater next to the Washington Monument.
In my haste getting ready for the performance on Saturday, I left my camera in the hotel room. If you have pictures from the performance, the monument tour or any other Saturday events, please forward them to me. I will post them on this blog for all to enjoy.
We are in the downhill stretch of the year with the final practice chart grade on the horizon. You may download a copy of practice chart #4 by clicking on the link below. Please read all of the information at the bottom of the chart to ensure that charts are turned in on time. Parents, please hold your children accountable for their own practice charts. It is much more beneficial for students to log and total their own practice time themselves, rather than their parents keeping up with practice time and practice charts for them.
All 7th and 8th grade bands will present their pre-LGPE concerts this Thursday, February 26. These concerts are a rehearsal for the required Large Group Performance Evaluations March 9-21, during which we will perform and be evaluated by a panel of judges. The LGPE serves as the standardized test for bands, orchestras and choruses in the state of Georgia. It is imperative that every 7th and 8th grade student be in attendance and participate in their band's performance evaluation.
During this Thursday's concert, each band will go through the warm-up, performance and clinic portion of the evaluation process. In the interest of time, we will omit the sight reading component that will be the final required piece of the evaluation experience at LGPE. This is a rather lengthy process, so please plan to spend longer time at PIne Mountain Thursday night than you normally do for a regular PMMS band concert.
The 7-1 Band is to report to the band room at 6:30pm and will perform at 7:00pm. The 7-2 Band will report at 6:45pm and perform at approximately 7:30pm. All 8th Grade Band students should report at 7:30pm and will play at approximately 8:00pm. Their performance will be followed by a mandatory meeting for all 8th grade students participating in the Washington, DC trip and their parent/guardian.
Detailed information regarding LGPE was sent home with each student on Friday, February 20. You may click on the appropriate link below to download a copy of the LGPE letter for your child's band.
Download 7-1 Festival Letter 09
Eighth Grade Band students who are participating in the trip to Washington DC received updated statements of their payments on Friday. This latest statement reflects all payments turned in and posted by our school's bookkeeper as of Friday, February 20, 2009, as well as fundraiser profits applied toward trip expenses. Parents are asked to review the statement carefully. Any questions regarding payments should be notated on the statement and returned to me as soon as possible. If you are not current in your payment schedule, please contact me to discuss how we can help you make this trip possible. You may email me at candace.still@cobbk12.org. Don't forget the final mandatory meeting for DC trip participants and a parent/guardian immediately following the Pre-LGPE Concert this Thursday, February 26.
Students have been given their third practice chart of the year. Please note the due dates and collection dates outlined at the bottom of the page. You may download a copy of the chart by clicking on the link at the end of this post.
Seventh and eighth grade students may exempt their practice chart grades by playing all of the scales they have been tested on this year. Seventh Grade Band students may play the concert C, F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db scales and the one-octave chromatic scale to exempt each practice chart grade. Eighth grade students must play the concert C, F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb and Cb scales and their chromatic scale. Students interested in exempting their practice chart grade should make an appointment with me or Ms. Armbruster to play their scales. All scales must be played proficiently from memory, and all scales must be played in the same sitting. Scales must be passed off for each practice chart grade of the grading period (progress report grade and report card grade).
Please note the following dates on your calendar:
December 4: 7-1 Band and PM Jazz Winter Concert
December 8: Practice Charts due (See 11/10 post below)
December 9: 7-2 Band and 8th Grade Band Winter Concert (See 12/01 post below)
December 9: Washington DC Trip mandatory meeting for participating students and their parents - immediately following the 8th Grade Band Concert
December 9: UGA MidFest mandatory meeting for participating students and their parents - immediately following the Washington DC meeting
December 16: Fundraiser Prize Day
Concerts for our 7th and 8th grade bands 
are scheduled for the coming week. The first hour Seventh Grade Band and PM Jazz will perform on Thursday, December 4. The second hour Seventh Grade Band and the Eighth Grade Band will present their Winter Holiday Concert on Tuesday, December 9. On each night the seventh grade students should be seated in the Band Room at 6:30pm with their instruments and music, ready to play. The Eighth Grade Band students should be seated in the theater with their instruments (including all accessories) and their music before 7:00pm.
The concert attire for 7th grade is white tuxedo shirts, black pants, black socks and black shoes. We have black bow ties for students to use. Jazz Band students will wear the black PM Jazz shirts, which we have stored in the band room, along with black pants, black socks and black shoes. On December 9 Eighth grade boys will wear their tuxedos with black socks and black shoes. Eighth grade girls will wear their black formal dresses with black shoes. Girls should only wear small, unobtrusive jewelry and should avoid open-toe shoes and sandals. Boys in both grades need to remember to wear black socks that are crew length or longer, no shortie sneaker socks.
After the 8th Grade concert on December 9, there will be a mandatory meeting for students going to Washington DC and their parents/guardians and students going to UGA and their parents/guardians.
Please refer to the band handbook for policies on concert attendance and attire for more information.
http://pinemountainms.blogs.com/cstill/files/handbook_20082009.doc
THE CHEESECAKES ARE COMING ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17!!! The truckload of 2,000+ frozen cheesecakes and fruit pies will arrive on Monday morning. We will unload the product into the dome (the carpeted gym) and set up our amazing distribution center. Orders of 6 items or less will be sent home with students on the bus. Larger orders must be picked up between the hours of 4:45pm and 7:45pm. As you arrive to collect your order please pull into the bus parking lot and get in line for our famous drive-thru pick-up system. Directions for product pick-up are coming home THIS WEEK. You may also click on the link below to download the diagram and instructions for pick-up. We need parent voluteers to help us unload the truck and fill orders. If you are available please call the Band Office right away and let us know your availability. You may access the parent volunteer and student volunteer information below as well.
Download cheesecake_pickup_instructions.doc
As indicated on the PMMS Band Calendar, our annual 6th Grade Band Premiere Concert will be Thursday, November 20. This concert involves both 6th Grade Band classes. Students are to wear their blue PMMS Band shirts and khaki (tan) pants, dark socks and dark shoes.
Students in the first hour class should be seated in the audience section of the theater with their parents at 6:30pm. They should have their band book and their instrument in its case with them. We will call them to the stage by section soon after 6:30pm. Students in the second hour class and their parents should report to the band room no later than 7:00pm. These students should sit in their assigned seats with their band book and their instrument in its case. One of the directors will come to the band room to get them soon after 7:00pm.
A letter including the information above will be sent home within the next week. To verify that every family has received this information, please fill out the form attached to the letter return it with your band student. You may download a copy of this letter by clicking on the link below.
We are looking forward to sharing our students’ success with you and we thank you for your support of the Pine Mountain Bands.
