Rookie Day Friday, 8/14

Rookie Day for freshmen and new members (except percussion and Raiderettes) is Friday, 8/14, at the Middle School. Meet at 8:30 sharp in the auditorium. Bring water, a lunch, and sunscreen, as well as your instrument, lyre and flip folder. Those who returned the Academy Music order form will pick up their items when they arrive.

Countdown to Band Camp!

The drumline and Raiderettes continue working hard at their camps, and the directors are looking forward to starting Band Camp next week! Here are a few reminders as we are 5 days out from seeing "The Pride of Shaker Heights" take the field:

-Rookie Day for the class of 2019 and other new members to the band is Friday, 8/14.  Rookie Day takes place from 8:30 AM to 3 PM at the Middle School.  All participants should bring a lunch, water and sunscreen, as well as their instrument, lyre and flip folder. Meet in the auditorium at 8:30 AM sharp.

-School instruments must be picked up on Thursday, 8/13, from 8 AM to 4 PM.  The band office will not be staffed on Friday, 8/14, due to Rookie Day.

-All Squad Leaders should be at Rookie Day at 12:45 for the indoor rehearsal and to prepare for Faculty and Staff Convocation on Monday.  Squad Leader call time is 8 AM Monday in the High School band room.

-More info to come as we get closer to camp, so keep checking back!

Percussion and Raiderette Camp Satrts Monday, 8/10

Percussion and Raiderette Camp begins on Monday, 8/10 at the High School. Percussion will meet in the Choir Room at 8:30. Raiderettes will meet in the South Gym at 9. Be sure to bring a lunch, sunscreen and water!

300 band forms collected, 130 to go

Thank you so much to those of you who have returned the forms that were included in the Information Packet.  While we have nearly 300 students confirmed as being a part of the "Pride of Shaker Heights," we are still waiting to hear from 130 others! It looks as though this will be the largest marching band in Shaker history, and the largest in Ohio, but without an accurate count of how many will participating in band next year, we are not able to plan accordingly for instrument and uniform needs, or begin writing drill for our John Williams theme show. If you have not already returned your forms, please contact the band office by email or phone as soon as possible to let us know your intentions, even if you will not be participating in band next year. We want to be sure to plan for every student who will be a part of one of the largest marching bands in the country!

We're looking forward to a great year!
The Shaker Band Staff

Information Packet Forms Due Monday, July 27

The forms included in the 2015-2016 Shaker Bands Information Packet are due Monday, July 27.  They can be mailed to the High School, attn: Band Department,  or dropped off in the box labeled "Band Forms" on the front desk of the Main Office. With a band this large, it is important for us to know exactly who will be participating, so phone calls will be made next week to those who have not yet turned in forms.  If you received a packet but will not be participating in band, please call the band office at 295-4233 or email Mr. Clemens (clemens_j@shaker.org) or Mrs. Tyrrell (tyrrell_g@shaker.org) to inform us of your decision and we will remove you name from our list.

Extra forms for those who either did not receive a packet or need replacements are available on the marching band page of shakerbands.org.

2015-2016 Mailing Address Changes

We will be sending out the information packet for the 2015-2016 school year on Tuesday, 6/30.  In the band office we use a different database than the school office for addresses and other student information.  All those newly enrolled to band (either freshmen, transfers, or returning upperclassmen) have been entered into our database with the addresses on file with the school.  We ask that returning members who have either moved in the last year or who have not received band mailings in the past, or new members who know their address on record with the school is not current please contact Mr. Clemens at clemens_j@shaker.org or call the band office at (216) 295-4233 with your current address so we can update our database.

Spain Tour Update- Including Chaperone and Shadow Tour Info

Dear Shaker Band Parents, Students, and Friends,

We have had an overwhelmingly positive response for the 2016 Spain Tour registration.  We currently have over 300 people registered for the tour.  This is quickly shaping up to be one of the largest and most exciting international tours yet for the Shaker Band. As of today, GrandTours has secured enough air seats for all registered students/staff/potential chaperones and is now working to secure additional group air seats for the Family & Friends Tour.

During the month of May, Mr. Dan Crain and Mr. Bill Hughes, Shaker Band Directors, travelled to Spain on a site inspection tour.  We are happy to report that we have some incredible performance venues for the tour, including joint exchange concerts with local Spanish bands.  We took the time to ensure that all locations the band will visit are safe, appropriate, educational and of cultural significance.  While we know that we cannot cover all that Spain has to offer, we are confident that this tour will provide everyone with an authentic and enduring perspective of Spain.

Family & Friends Tour (Shadow Tour)

While registering student travelers, several adults indicated their interest in the Family & Friends tour (shadow tour).  Once GrandTours finalizes the group air space for this program, enrollment will be limited to the number of seats that can be secured.  If you have already registered and indicated that you want to be part of the Family & Friends Tour, you will eventually receive a separate e-mail indicating the final tour price and that your registration is confirmed. In order to make things easier for everyone, we have decided to use the same registration site for the Family & Friends Tour.  

The registration website is www.regonline.com/1602shaker

The passcode is 1602. 

Please check the appropriate box indicating that you are registering for the Family & Friends Tour. If you already registered as a Family & Friends Tour participant, while registering your student, then you need to take no further action as GrandTours has the information needed at this time.

NEW FAMILY & FRIENDS TOUR REGISTRATION NOTE: IF USING THE SAME E-MAIL YOU ORIGINALLY USED TO REGISTER YOUR SON/DAUGHTER, USE THE “START A NEW REGISTRATION” LINK ONCE YOU ENTER THE SYSTEM. YOU WILL THEN HAVE YOUR ABILITY TO ADD YOUR REGISTRATION TO THE EXISTING STUDENT REGISTRATION RECORD.

Family & Friends Tour Pricing: Please be advised that the Family & Friends Tour pricing will be somewhat higher than the student program due to more expensive group air space, upgraded hotels, and an anticipated smaller number of passengers on the motor coaches. GrandTours will publish a final tour price to all Family & Friends Tour participants once group air space is secured. All F&F tour invoices will be adjusted to the final price once it is published. You may choose to cancel your F&F tour registration with a full refund until September 30.

We estimate the Family & Friends Pricing to be:

·         $3495 (Payment by check)
·         $3650 (Payment by debit/credit card)
·         Land-only TBA once group air is secured
·         $395 Single Room Supplement (Payment by check)
·         $410 Single Room Supplement (Payment by debit/credit card)

Payment due dates and the cancellation policy will be published on your tour invoice.

Chaperones

We have had an equally impressive number of adults indicate that they are interested in participating as chaperones on the tour and we would like to thank everyone in advance for your willingness to help our students.  The band directors are currently in the process of reviewing chaperone needs based on the number of students registered.  If you have indicated that you are interested in being a chaperone, the band directors will contact you directly by the end of July. 

We are looking forwarding to an exciting international tour experience.  If you have any questions regarding the Spain tour, please contact Mr. Crain via e-mail at Crain_d@shaker.org, or at the high school band office (216) – 295 – 4233.  We hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable summer. 

Sincerely,
Dan Crain & Bill Hughes
Shaker Heights Band Directors