June 16, 2024 Band Notes

Guard and Percussion Camp 1-9 pm; MHS (dinner break 4-6pm off campus)
Band Aid & Chaperone Training 7-8:30pm; MHS Harvard Room (for any adults interested who was not able to attend the training in May)

Friday, June 21

Guard Camp 1-9 pm; MHS (dinner break 4-6pm off campus)
Percussion Camp 1-4pm; MHS

Future planned events can be found on the updated band calendar: Mason Band Calendar

Parent To Do Checklist For This Week

(Optional) Order Band Camp t-shirt (see below).

NEW INFORMATION

Guard and Percussion Camp - New Information

Guard and Percussion Camp this year is Monday-Friday, June 17-21. Rehearsals will be 1-9pm at the high school, with a break for dinner from 4-6pm each day. Students must go off campus for dinner.

Note: Percussion will end at 4 pm on Friday, June 21 - they will not have an evening rehearsal that day.

Mason Bands Excessive Heat Protocol

This week is under an Excessive Heat Watch. Students are encouraged to have appropriate rehearsal gear (large, insulated, and filled water bottle; sunscreen; sunglasses; etc) and wear appropriate clothing for conditions (hats; light-weight clothing; cooling towels; etc). The following principles will guide rehearsal scheduling and on-site decision making to design and conduct rehearsals safely: Mason Bands Excessive Heat Protocol

(Woodwinds and Brass do not have rehearsal this week.)

Volunteer Opportunity: RAKE Days

RAKE Days – Random Acts of Kindness Everywhere, Everyday are volunteer activities to help us give back to our community through great organizations like The Comet Cupboard and Sleep In Heavenly. The Comet Cupboards and Comet Closets are in-school food pantries inside of Mason City Schools to help food insecure students with food, personal supplies, spirit wear, clothing and more!

Join MHS Soccer, MHS Band & Color Guard, and MHS Girl Scouts to help build beds for those who live in Warren County and will be receiving their first time bed. During this event, we will be cutting wood, sanding wood, using the drill press, staining the wood, and more. It is a packed day that will result in us building 40 beds that will be delivered later this year.

The build will take place on Saturday, July 20th in the Mason Middle School Parking lot. Please come out and join us to help make a difference in the life of your peers and their families. Here is the sign up genius: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090B45ABAA28A6F94-49971999-2024

REMINDERS

Marching Band Woodwind/Brass - Summer Director Updates

Mr. Hinson and Mr. Jackson sent out Mini Camp wrap up emails with information about the required summer Smart Music assignment for Woodwinds and Brass and other important information for the summer leading up to band camp. Links to the emails are below:

Woodwinds - CLICK HERE
Brass - CLICK HERE

Band Camp T-Shirts

This year’s Band Camp t-shirts are now available to order!

Click here to place your order through Friday Threads. The deadline for orders is Sunday, July 7th. NO ADDITIONAL SHIRTS WILL BE ORDERED.

Available in t-shirt, drifit, men’s tank, and women’s tank. Optional personalization is available for an additional charge.

The T-shirts are optional for students but are useful on the rehearsal nights the band directors request the students to wear white T-shirts.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is NOT the shirt you purchased in your consumables fee.

Volunteer Information

It was great to see so many people attend our annual Volunteer Fair! If you weren’t able to make it or didn’t have a chance to fill out the interest form, click here to fill one out.

We are the largest organization at Mason High School, and it takes an army of volunteers to keep things running smoothly and provide a fantastic experience for our students! Every family is required to volunteer, and with our wide range of opportunities, there is truly something for everyone.

If you would like more information on any of the committees, the Band website has some great information:

List of Committees
Detailed Descriptions:

Each committee has a booster email address you can use to contact the chair for questions or to join the committee.

Committee Chair Positions

If you are able, please consider helping out as a committee chair or co-chair. We have a number of positions still open for this season, and others where we need someone to shadow a chair whose student is graduating. We are in particular need of the following positions:

Sponsorship
Concert Band Festival
Competitions (shadow)
Car Raffle
Concert Uniforms
Tag Day (shadow)
Spirit (shadow)
Awards Night
Registration
New Member
Alumni

Mini Camp Photos on SmugMug

Check out the latest photos on SmugMug! Keep checking the site throughout the season for the latest and greatest from our amazing photographers!

For login instruction, see the SmugMug Information sheet in BoosterHub, or email Smugmug@masonbandboosters.com.

Interested In Becoming A Band Aid or Chaperone?

Interested in learning more about how to join our Chaperone and Band Aid Team? If so, please go to Student Experience - Chaperones & Band Aids. There you will find the comprehensive steps required in order to join in the important role of caring for our students and details on what each role entails.

First Steps

Both Returning Chaperones & Band Aids as well as new volunteers who are interested should complete the form below.
- Band Aid Interest Form
Chaperone & Band Aid Training
- Thursday, June 20th at 7pm in the High School Harvard Room (enter thru main entrance at the front of the school)
Complete an extended background check with the district (see below)

Sign Up for Your 2024 Remind Group

Remind groups are live for 2024 - sign up now to make sure you stay informed throughout the season!

Remind is the system our marching band uses each year to send out timely notifications to students and parents. The directors use Remind to communicate important rehearsal updates, changes due to weather, travel updates, and other important updates.

Groups are set up by section, with separate groups for students and parents. See the MB 2024 Remind Information guide for instructions on how to join and codes for each group.

Road Construction

We have received news that Mason-Montgomery will be closed to thru traffic between Bethany and Main Street starting June 3, for 60 days. Please allow extra time if you typically travel that stretch.

https://www.projectmason.com/masonmontgomeryrdwideningconcordcrossingtoenterpriseblvd

Want to Join Our Pit Crew?

We are looking for volunteers to join the Mason Bands Pit Crew. This role is perfect for anyone eager to support our students and be close to the action, no prior experience needed. If having the opportunity to see the excitement on your child’s face up close as they walk of the field from a performance excites you, then the Pit Crew is for you. By moving performance equipment, building props and loading trucks, you'll be right there with the whole band. For more information and to sign up, please visit our Pit Crew page and become an integral part of our band community.

Attention Volunteers - New Background Check Policy

There is a new background check policy for volunteers this season that applies to some of our volunteer committees (primarily chaperones).

An extended background check is now required for volunteers as follows:

Anyone traveling off campus with the band (chaperones)
Anyone who might work with students outside of direct supervision (UCrew, Pit Crew, Guard Volunteers)

Note: This only applies to the committee volunteers mentioned above - people volunteering for one-off slots on campus (e.g., Feed the Band, Invitational, Flower Sale, etc.) do not need a background check.

To initiate your extended background check, you will need to make an appointment with Sarah Jo Tewksbury at the Central Office Building. She is available Monday-Friday 7:30am-3:30pm. Click here to sign up. If none of the timeframes work for you, please email Sarah Jo at tewksburys@masonohioschools.com with a few days and time frames that work for you and she will get you scheduled.

Information you'll need to know for your appointment:

* What to bring: Your driver's license and social security number (do not need to bring the card).

* Cost: The cost is $50.00. We accept credit card, cash or check (made out to Mason City Schools).

* Where to go: You'll come to the Central Office Building (address in signature line) and look for the "Main Entrance" sign. Turn left once inside the doors, another left at the end of the hallway and the HR office is the last door on your left (3 lefts).

Note: Extended background checks are valid for 5 years. If you have had one in the past 5 years, you do not need to do a new one at this time.

If you are not sure if you need an extended background check for your position, or do not know if a previous extended background check has expired, please reach out to Melissa at vp-studentexperience@masonbandboosters.com.

For questions about the extended background check process, please email tewksburys@masonohioschools.com.