The Official Newsletter of the PV Band Parent Association April 2018 Pleasant Valley High School Band Drew Anderson, Tara Daurer, Brian Gartner & Rob Medd Greetings Pleasant Valley Band parents and students from the high school band room! Upcoming High School Band Events: April 23- District Band Concert 7:00 PM at TaxSlayer Center (See District Band advertisement for more information) May 5- State Large Group Concert Band Festival at Bettendorf High School (Times TBA, check the website for details) May 7- High School Band Awards Night in the PVHS Cafeteria 6:30 PM. May 27- PVHS Graduation at 12:00 PM at TaxSlayer Center (10th and 11th grades only) May 28- Memorial Day Performance at Bridgeview Elementary in LeClaire 11:00 AM (9th grade only) What a year! This has been another very busy and outstanding year for the Pleasant Valley High School Band. Some of the highlights of the year include the largest marching band in school history (the largest HS marching band in the state!); four concert bands, three jazz bands; 64 students accepted for 5 prestigious honor bands and over 100 entries at our state solo and ensemble festival, the most in the MAC conference to go along with two Best in Center awards. We hosted exciting visits from Nashville recording artist Keith Dudek and Blues musician Billy Branch. We are not done yet, there is still more to come! State Solo and Ensemble Festival Congratulations to the members of the Pleasant Valley High School Band who participated in the Iowa State Solo and Ensemble Festival held Saturday, April 14 at Davenport West High School. The Pleasant Valley Band earned 44 Division 1 "Superior" ratings, 39 Division II "Excellent" ratings and 7 Division III "Good" ratings. Congratulations to Claire Thomsen (Flute), and the Navy Flute Choir for receiving Best in Center awards for the day! This is a tremendous accomplishment! Congratulations to all those who participated! Cont d
PV Band Notes Page 2 PLEASANT VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL BAND Cont d One Night! District Band Concert ONE NIGHT ONLY! Monday, April 23 at the TaxSlayer Center in Moline at 7:00 PM! We are so excited to be back at the TaxSlayer Center again this year for the District Band Concert! Thank you to the Pleasant Valley Community School District and Pleasant Valley Band Parent Association for financially supporting this wonderful event. Students will need to arrive at the TaxSlayer Center at 6:30 PM on April 23. Dress for the performance is nice clothes, similar to what was worn for our Senior Concert. If students do not have dress clothes, they will need to see a director to check out their band uniform prior to the performance day. Students MUST remember to bring home their instrument and music on the performance day. We will only be transporting percussion equipment, bari saxophones and tubas. All other instruments must go with the students. Ticket information: In addition to being a great experience for our students and families, District Band Night has been an important source of revenue for our band program. This revenue has been via ticket sales for the event. However, in instead of purchasing tickets to the concert at the TaxSlayer Center, we are asking that you consider a donation to help support the Band with the cost of renting the facility. You will not receive a ticket, as all guests will be admitted to the concert free of charge; however, we much appreciate your thoughtful consideration in supporting us in this beautiful venue. Donations will be collected by our Band Boosters in the lobby of the TaxSlayer Center on the evening of the performance. Checks can be made out to PVCSD. Travel/Arrival information: Parking for the event is free of charge at the TaxSlayer Center. Students should enter the area floor via the main entrance on the ground floor. Spectators will enter the main entrance, and then proceed up the escalators to the second floor. Seating is by general admission. Cont.
PV Band Notes Page 3 PLEASANT VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL BAND Cont d State Large Group Festival Saturday, May 5, is our State Large Group Festival at Bettendorf High School in the gymnasium. The performance times are not yet available. Please check the band website soon for the individual band itineraries. This state event is our final major concert band performance of the year and required of all students! Parents are welcomed to attend and you don t want to miss hearing the Pleasant Valley Bands at their best. There is an admission charge for this festival. All proceeds go to the IHSMA $5.00 Adults or $3.00 Students/Seniors. This admission charge allows you to listen to all of the bands and choirs throughout the entire day at Bettendorf High School. PV Band Awards Night Band Awards Night is on Monday, May 7 at 6:30 PM in the HS Cafeteria. We have had a very busy and successful year and would like to conclude it with a special dessert potluck honoring all band students who made this a year to remember. Please bring some type of dessert item to share, a serving utensil if necessary, and your own table setting (i.e. plates, napkins). We will have water and punch available. You are requested to leave your dessert on the serving table by 6:20 PM and then be seated. The seniors and their parents will begin the dessert line starting at 6:30 PM. The presentation of awards will begin approximately at 6:50 PM and should be completed about 8:00 PM with the annual band video. We will present numerous awards throughout the evening. This event is not required; however, each student will receive an award, if not several! It would be unfortunate if we called your student s name and they were not in attendance. This is always an enjoyable event that truly helps us celebrate the end of a wonderful school year! Graduation- Sunday, May 27 (10th and 11th grade students only) This year the graduation ceremony will take place at the TaxSlayer Center. Only the 10th and 11th grade band members will be performing at the ceremony. The ceremony will begin at 12:00 PM (the band will begin at 11:40 AM) and should be completed a little after 1:00 PM. This event is not required, however, if you perform, this takes the place of your semester test! More information will be coming soon regarding this event. Memorial Day Ceremony- (9th grade Concert Band only) The PV 9th grade Concert Band will be performing at the LeClaire American Legion Memorial Day Ceremony held at Bridgeview Elementary School in LeClaire on Monday, May 28. This event is free and open to the public. Parents are welcomed and encouraged to attend! Band students are to meet at Bridgeview Elementary School in LeClaire at 10:15 AM. The ceremony will begin at 11:00 AM (the band will begin at 10:40 AM) and should be completed at 12:00 PM. This event is not required, however, if you perform this takes the place of your semester test! Please check the band website for more information. Cont.
PV Band Notes Page 4 PLEASANT VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL BAND Cont d Summer and Beyond It is time to start thinking about what your music student will be doing over the summer break. Playing an instrument is not like riding a bike. Once you get off, it takes months to regain your current level. We have several wonderful summer music camps offered outside of PV that your son/daughter can attend. The camps differ in levels, prices and times. With every camp acceptance, the PV Band Parent Association will help out with a camp scholarship! For more information on summer music camps please contact a director or go to our band website. If you have never attended a summer music camp, we guarantee it will be a memorable experience. 4th of July The Spartan Marching Band will be performing in the annual Bettendorf 4th of July Parade. If you are in town and are able to participate, we always need students to show off their patriotism by performing in the 4th of July parade. It is an easy and fun time PLUS you can get service learning credit for performing. More information will be coming to you over the summer. 2018 Spartan Marching Band Practices August 6-9 and 13-15, 2018 Spartan Marching Band Practice 2018 is closer than you might think. Here are the dates for the 2018 Spartan Marching Band summer rehearsals! Our leadership group will being on Monday, August 6. All 9th grade students, new members, leaders, drum line, and drum majors will rehearse on Tuesday, August 7. All band members are invited to rehearsal on August 8-9 and 13-15. All rehearsals are from 5:30-9 PM. We will present the Spartan Marching Band Sounds of the Stadium! concert on Wednesday, August 15, at 8:00 PM under the lights at Spartan Stadium. This exciting event is free and open to the public! We will celebrate the end of camp with a trip to Six Flags Great America on Thursday, August 16. More details will be sent home before the end of the year and during the summer about this exciting event! With around 320 students next year and five exciting shows planned, it is very important for each student to attend our camp rehearsals in order for us to have a successful marching band season. Our first home game performance will be here before you know it!! If you have questions about these important rehearsals please call or email a high school director.
PV Band Notes Page 5 Thank you! PLEASANT VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL BAND Cont d We would like to thank the parents that chaperoned the high school band trip to Florida this spring break. With your help, the band students had a fun, sunny, and educational experience! Thank you for all of your hard work and efforts to make this trip a success! As you know, the year has been flying by and many exciting events have taken place. None of this would be possible without the fabulous work of our Pleasant Valley Band Parent Association and Band Patrons. We urge every band parent (6-12) to become involved with your child's musical career and help out with the PVBPA. It will make a difference in your child's life as well as your own! Without the fantastic assistance of our band parents and boosters, what we do would not be possible. From helping with uniforms, concessions, treats, chaperoning, or helping to raise money for our growing program, it seems we are always in need of your help. Please get involved, we promise it will make a big difference in your student s band education. Once again, PVBPA and outgoing president Sherry Kontos, we thank you! Have a great summer!
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PV Band Notes Page 7 PRESIDENT S NOTES Sherry Kontos The school year is almost over! We have had an incredible and busy year. I want to thank all the Pleasant Valley Band Parent Association members and volunteers for their hard work! Band parents are the best! Several band parent association board members will not be returning next year. These members have been invaluable to the success of the parent association. I cannot thank them enough for volunteering their time and talents. They have all been such a pleasure to work with. I want to thank Missy Schulz, Val Border, Julie Glaum and Charlene Ruccolo for their hard work!!! I sincerely thank all our band parents for their support. As our band continues to grow, so does the need for volunteers and monetary donations. Patron letters will be mailed over the summer. Please take the time to fill them out and donate to the band boosters. Every dollar you donate makes a difference. There will be sign -up sheets at band camp for volunteer opportunities available next school year. The opportunity to sign up on Charms will be available as well. Please consider how you may be able to give of your time and talent. Our band program would not be the same without your support. Lastly, I have been honored to serve on the Pleasant Valley Band Parent Association Board. Lisa Brown will be assuming the president position. I wish for her the wonderful experience it has been for me. And a special thank you to the band directors for their hard work and support.
PV Band Notes Page 8 Junior High Band Jacob Davis & Kristin Lopez The Junior High bands have had a very exciting and productive semester! Students have worked diligently these past few months preparing for Solo Festival, the PV Band Parent Association Concert, and the 8th grade band elementary tour. We would like to send a big thank you to all of the parents who helped make these events happen! We appreciate all you do to support your children and the band program! Please continue to encourage your son or daughter to practice their music for lessons and for the upcoming district band concert. The students will show much more progress if there is consistent practice at home. Summer would be a great time to start taking individual private lessons. If you would like a list of private instructors, please contact your director. Thank you for continuing to encourage and support your child s musical endeavors. Coe College Honor Band Congratulations to the following four students who were selected to perform with the Coe College Junior High Honor Band, which takes place on Sunday, April 15th: Blake Fitzgerrel (tuba), Erika Holmberg (trumpet), Jillian Keppy (flute), and Catherine Moore (flute). They will get to work with guest composer/conductor Ed Huckeby! District Band Monday, April 23rd at the TaxSlayer Center All band students in the Pleasant Valley District will participate in this one-night event! We ask that students plan to arrive at 6:30 for the concert, which begins at 7:00. Students should wear dress up clothes (no jeans and no tennis shoes). There is no admission cost for this concert, but you may make a donation to the PVBPA at the door to help cover the cost of the venue. We hope to see you all there to support your child and the Pleasant Valley Band Program! 7th Grade Adventureland Trip The 7th Grade Adventureland Trip will take place on Saturday, May 5th! A more detailed itinerary will be distributed soon. 8th Grade Band & Choir Trip 8th Grade band and choir members who have turned in payments and permission slips will attend a trip to see The Blue Man Group on Saturday, April 28th in Chicago. A more detailed itinerary will be distributed to students soon. Cont.
PV Band Notes Page 9 Summer Band Pleasant Valley Junior High School Band Cont d Now is a great time to start thinking about enrolling your child in the Pleasant Valley Summer Band program! The current 7th and 8th grade students will combine to form a large summer band that will rehearse on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings at 9:00 a.m. Students can also take 15 minute individual lessons once a week at either Pleasant Valley High School or Bridgeview Elementary School. Make sure to sign your student up for this wonderful opportunity! Register for summer band using this link: https://pleasval.revtrak.net/fine-arts/ Summer Band Camps Students may also benefit from participating in a summer band camp offered at various universities around the area. These camps include, but are not limited to: individual instrument camps, jazz band camps, and concert band camps! The PVBPA is offering a scholarship to any returning band member who wishes to attend a summer music camp other than the Pleasant Valley Summer Band Camp. This summer is the perfect time to work on improving as a musician and a chance to encounter new musical opportunities. If you would like more information about summer camps, please talk to your director.
PV Band Notes Page 10 6th Grade Band Audra Bailey, Rachel Isaacson & Jennifer Zeglis Second semester has gone so quickly! All five elementary bands, with over 200 6 th grade students, are performing in the Fine Arts Evenings at their respective buildings and there has been consistent individual progress in lesson books! You can really hear the difference in each band! Ask students to play a few of the pieces from the summer band performance and then one of their current pieces. It is important for the students to recognize how their skills have grown. The Sixth Grade Band has been preparing for the District Band Concert. This year, the performance will be held at the Tax Slayer Center in Moline. The performance will be on Monday April 23 rd starting at 7:00 PM. We ask that the students arrive by 6:00 PM that evening to warm up and the concert should finish by 9:00 PM. The 6 th graders are to wear nice clothes for this concert since the junior high and high school students will be wearing their band uniforms. There is a suggested $10 donation per family at the door. This donation is to help with the cost of renting the facility. Checks are welcome (made out to PVCSD)! We are sure you will enjoy hearing this incredible concert! If you have any questions, please contact your band director! As summer approaches we encourage you to consider the Pleasant Valley Summer Band Program. This is a wonderful way for students to continue to grow as young musicians and enjoy music with their friends. The Junior High Summer Band will start on Tuesday, June 5 th and run through Thursday, June 28 th, with the Ice Cream Social Concert on the evening of June 28 th. The band for current 6 th grade students will meet at 10:00 A.M. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at Pleasant Valley High School. Lessons will be Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays during the day. The lessons are 15 minute, individual lessons, once per week, scheduled at Pleasant Valley High School or Bridgeview School. You can register online at https://pleasval.revtrak.net/fine-arts. As we get towards the end of this year, we have to start looking ahead. Currently, the PV Band Parent Association are looking for 7 th grade band reps for next year. The 7 th grade band reps are responsible for the ice-cream social at the end of summer camp concert, arranging refreshments for the Band Parent Association Concert, and providing food for the judges at solo fest. Please consider helping us with one of these positions. If you have further questions or are interested in these positions, please let us know. Thank you for all you do in support of these fine young musicians and the Pleasant Valley Band Program!
PV Band Notes Page 11 2017-2018 Pleasant Valley Band Parent Association Board President: VP / Patron Program: Secretary: Treasurer: PR and Merchandise: Charms Coordinator: Uniforms: Hospitality: Ways and Means: Concessions: Fruit and Cheese: Jr. High Reps: Sherry Kontos skontos3271@yahoo.com Lisa Brown tigergirl_94@msn.com Missy Schulz missjohn@earthlink.net Laura Dixon ldseaotter@msn.com Lona Moore LonaL716@yahoo.com Val Border valerie.a.border.civ@mail.mil Robin Moralez moralezrc@mchsi.com Julie Glaum Julie.glaum@mchsi.com Susan Matos susan.matos@yahoo.com Sue Sampson wannabgodly@yahoo.com Jaime and Mike Heine jaimedawn27@yahoo.com Paula Cockrell pmc@salzmanintl.com Charlene Ruccolo charr@mchsi.com Maggie Dougherty mag.ann.doc@gmail.com Liz McCredie lizmccredie@aol.com Dawn Nowell - dnowell69@hotmail.com