Parents and Students,

I hope you’ve had a great weekend and are enjoying the awesome monsoon tonight! I want to say congratulations to our awesome students on a great week 1 of camp! I am VERY excited by the potential of this group, and I can’t wait to see what you all accomplish! Keep up the great work!

I have some important updates for you for the week, so please read through this email carefully!

1) Students: don’t forget that tomorrow is Neon Day! It’s an easy opportunity to earn points for your house!

2) Parents: tomorrow I will be sending home reminder statements from the boosters about booster fees. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

Fees that are paid to the school (shoes, shirts, gloves, etc.) have been added to student accounts if that information was provided on the fall band registration form. Those that added those items at the parent meeting last week should see those fees pop up on their school accounts soon.

3) The Absence Reporting Form is now live on the website: sahuaritamusic.org. This form is used to report any absences from performances or rehearsals beginning August 1, running through the fall semester.

Please remember that the deadline to submit excused absences from any performance for the semester is August 16. A complete calendar is available on the website. While emails are appreciated, please understand I need all absences reported on the form so I have them all in one place…there are a lot of you and only one of me!

4) Parents: On Tuesday we will begin our annual email donation drive fundraiser. Last year we brought in over $16,000 worth of donations! My hope is that we can match (and exceed!) that this year! Your student should have brought home an information sheet about the fundraiser with them on Friday.

The fundraiser is very simple. We are asking each student to provide us with 20 quality email addresses of family, friends, neighbors, out-of-state relatives, etc. who might be willing to make a donation (large or small) to the band program. Once the fundraiser goes live on Tuesday, those potential donors will receive an email requesting they make a donation. Once they donate they receive a receipt and no further emails. If they don’t donate, they’ll get periodic reminders for the 3 weeks that the fundraiser runs. After the fundraiser concludes, they receive no further communication. Their information is secure, and their donations are tax deductible.

The donation drive also now offers automatic donor matching. If a donor works for Raytheon, Home Depot, or any of a number of other businesses that do donation matching, they can select that business from a drop down menu and the necessary donor matching paperwork will be sent via the fundraising company. There is also an opportunity for corporate sponsorships on our fundraising page this year.

On Tuesday, we will also give students info to text the fundraiser info and to do social media shares. In order for our program to continue to be successful and financially solvent, we need everyone to participate to the best of their ability in this fundraiser. It is absolutely the easiest money that we earn all year. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out!

Students…don’t forget that if you show me your email list with 20 emails tomorrow, you’ll earn points for your house!

5) Don’t forget that Friday is our Band Camp Showcase and BBQ in the stadium at SHS! Each student is responsible for bringing food donations for the BBQ. Please see below for details.

Clarinets – 3 packages of hamburger buns
Flutes, Trumpets & Horns – 8 oz. package of sliced cheese
Saxophones & Percussion – family-size bag of chips
Guard & Low Brass – 1-2 dozen cookies

Mr. Benjamin Garland
Director of Instrumental Music
Sahuarita High School
(520)625.3502 x1551