November 10, 2024 Band Notes

Upcoming Events

Monday, November 11

• Full Band: 3:30-6:30 pm; Let’s Play (Wall 2 Wall)

Tuesday, November 12

• Full Band: 3:30-6:30pm; Let’s Play (Wall 2 Wall)

Wednesday, November 13

• Full Band: 3:30-6:30pm; Let’s Play (Wall 2 Wall)
• Medication Drop-Off: 5:30-6:30pm; Let’s Play (Wall 2 Wall) - sign up in BoosterHub

Thursday, November 14

• BOA Grand Nationals - Preliminaries
• Full Band Rehearsal at Let’s Play (Wall 2 Wall)

• Students MUST be dropped off - they cannot park at Let’s Play!

• Family & Friends Band SEND-OFF: 12:00-12:15pm (arrive early); Marions Piazza
• Mason’s Preliminary Performance: 6:00pm; Lucas Oil Stadium
• Band returns home from Indianapolis: approximately 11:00pm; MHS

Friday, November 15

• • BOA Grand Nationals (not a performance day)
    • Full Band Rehearsal at Let’s Play (Wall 2 Wall)
    • Students MUST be dropped off - they cannot park at Let’s Play!
  • Family & Friends Band SEND-OFF: 12:00-12:15pm; Let’s Play
  • Preliminaries Awards and Semi-Finalist Announcement: 9:00pm; Lucas Oil Stadium

Saturday, November 16

• BOA Grand Nationals - Semi-Finals & Finals
• Mason’s Semi-Finals Performance: TBD morning or afternoon; Lucas Oil Stadium
• Semi-Finals Awards and Finalists Announcement: 5:00pm; Lucas Oil Stadium
• Mason’s Finals Performance (if we qualify): TBD evening; Lucas Oil Stadium

Sunday, November 17

• Band returns home from Indianapolis: approximately 12:30pm; MHS

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

Parent To Do Checklist For This Week

1. Review Grand Nats Itinerary (see below).
• Help make sure your student has everything they need for both Thursday and the weekend, as well as a plan to be dropped off at Let’s play both mornings.
2. Complete Grand Nationals Transportation Waiver due Tonight at 11:59pm if you plan to transport your student home (see Grand Nationals Transportation Waiver section below).
3. Parents: Check out the information below about Grand Nats send-offs and decorating the band wing!
4. Senior Parents: Send pictures for Awards Night.
5. Order Poinsettias and spread the word about this fundraiser.
6. (Optional) Order your memory book for the season.

NEW INFORMATION

Congratulations to Our MSBA AAAAA Champs!

Congratulations to the William Mason Marching Band on their First Place finish at the MSBA AAAAA Championships! This is the 15th time William Mason has taken the championship. We are so proud of the hard work and dedication our students and directors have put into making this such an amazing show.

Congratulations to all the AAAAA for their incredible performances yesterday: Campbell County (Best Color Guard), Kettering Fairmont, West Clermont, Westerville North, and Miamisburg! We enjoyed all of your shows and hope you had a fantastic experience!

MSBA Thank Yous!

Thank you to everyone who volunteered to help make yesterday’s event a huge success! We especially appreciate all the people stepped up to work multiple shifts to cover gaps.

As always, there were a lot of people who having been working hard behind the scenes for weeks and even months planning and preparing for the event. These folks also were the first to arrive yesterday morning (yes, morning!) and the last to leave late last night.

Mason Invitational Chairs and Shadows - A huge thank you for your leadership in planning and executing such a large and important event for our band program. We are so appreciative of all of you.

• Jeanie Knuth
• Hinrich Knuth
• Ann Higdon Wiesman
• Julie Chaney
• Whitley Winstanley

Band Directors- We are grateful for your support and guidance throughout the planning phase of the competition and during the event itself.  

Competition Committee Leads- Special thanks to all of you for taking on the task of running specific areas of the Invitational!  The day ran smoothly due to your leadership, flexibility, and the hard work you put in all day. 

• Ally and Maddie Wielinga - Announcer
• Kate Davis - Ticketing
• Jim Mills - Concessions
• Peter Huisman/Avious Jackson - Tabulations/Judges
• Hinrich Knuth/Zach Hinson - On Field Staging, Control & Exit
• Chris Minniear - Band Guides, Band Check-in, and Watering Station
• Chris Riva - Guest Parking
• Miranda Kennedy/Christine Capobianco - Bake Sale
• Gina Marshall/Mindy Tebbe - Program Designer and Spirit Table
• Johanna Chasse/Jennifer Livingston - Hospitality
• Howard Pinsky/Blake Norfleet/Aaron Smith - Truck and Bus Parking
• Whitley Winstanley - Car Raffle
• Kate Bubak - Volunteer Check-In
• Lee Chaney - Ushers
• Jennifer Rodway - Sponsorship
• Becky Kosina - Awards

Uniform Crew- This team is filled with miracle workers! As always you worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure our kids looked sharp and pristine out on the field!  

Pit Crew- You not only took care of our props and equipment but all the heavy lifting of set up and tear down of the event. The Pit Crew also ran the truck/bus lot, as well as our own truck (which is headed back to Let’s Play).  

Color Guard Crew- Thank you to the dedicated volunteers who continue to put in so much time keeping our competition uniforms and headpieces looking great! We know it’s not once and done - those things take maintenance! And the hair and makeup…you really are amazing! Thank you for making sure our color guard members are taken care of and look great on the field.

Announcers- Thank you to our alumni duo for being the voice of the competition and making sure everyone had the information they needed throughout the evening.

Photo Crew- Words cannot express how wonderful it is to have you capture the special memories of the competition so the rest of us can simply enjoy the day. Your photos are simply breathtaking! 

Financial Team- Thank you for taking on the difficult task of keeping our finances in order and keeping track of our profits we make from such a large event. Your job is often unseen by others but is incredibly time consuming and important to our organization.

• Tabytha Lopez
• Angie Anthos

Booster Board- You all did so much behind the scenes these past several weeks.

Band Aids and Chaperones- Thank you for taking care of our kids. We can always trust our kids are in good hands and well cared for with you.

Every Volunteer- Thank you to all the parents, alumni, extended family, and friends who stepped up to volunteer a shift, multiple shifts, and in some cases the entire day to make sure we filled all the critical spots we needed to make the day run smoothly. We are also grateful to those who contributed yummy food and drinks for both the bake sale and for hospitality.  

School administrators, facility coordinators, janitors, and other school staff- Your support and behind the scenes work did not go unnoticed. 

Students- Most importantly thanks to you for putting on a fantastic performance and making us so proud! You are the reason everyone listed above goes to so much effort.

Thanks again! 

Car Raffle Winners

Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Car Raffle, in partnership with Audi Cincinnati East! We did not sell enough tickets to give away the Audi Q5, but our Grand Prize winner received a rather nice cash prize! 

• Grand Prize: Kim Berring
• Second Place: Jesseca Oscar
• Third Place: Kelly Hall

A World Class Band Needs World Class Fans!

We know marching band is a LOT for new families (and returning ones, too!), and this weekend is a competition like no other! Our students will be in the national spotlight, and we’re excited to have our amazing fans right there with us!

Here are some important tips and reminders for families who are attending Grand Nationals in person: Marching Band Competition Etiquette Guide.

REMINDERS

Grand Nationals Is Here!

Hello Families! The week we have all been working so hard towards is nearly here!  Below you will find all of the information you need to know to prepare your student to have the best travel experience possible.

ITINERARY

Tentative Student Itinerary - Click HERE (there is a page for each day).

PLEASE NOTE!  The Itinerary is subject to change and we will communicate any important changes as soon as we know of them!  Saturday is always a big unknown from a student schedule perspective as we do not know our performance times until last Friday night.

STUDENT DROP OFF/PARKING INSTRUCTIONS

THURSDAY & FRIDAY:

For both departures (Thursday and Friday) The Band will be departing from Wall 2 Wall/Let’s Play Sports in the morning and returning to Mason High School Bus Circle upon our return evening.  

PLEASE NOTE: For THURSDAY You MUST make plans to drop off your student at W2W/Let’s Play on Thursday morning and pick them up at Mason High School Thursday evening.

PLEASE NOTE: For FRIDAY You MUST make plans to drop off your student at W2W/Let’s Play on Friday morning and pick them up at Mason High School Sunday afternoon.

NO ONE WILL BE ABLE TO LEAVE THEIR CARS AT W2W ON OVER THE WEEKEND! 

Students may park cars in their SCHOOL ASSIGNED spot at MHS on Thursday and Friday morning prior to getting dropped off at W2W to have access upon returning home to drive home!  Please MAKE A PLAN to ensure you are on time on both mornings.

Chaperones!  We will be coordinating shuttling to and from MHS on Thursday and Friday mornings, so if you need a ride over the MHS to park your car, please make sure to arrange that transportation.  School IS in session on Thursday and Friday, so we must use the same Visitor spots in front of the school that we did for Super Regional (or your student’s assigned spot).

PACKING LIST

NOTE:  Each student should use their THREE travel tags for instrument/equipment bag, day bag, and luggage. NEW TAGS WILL NOT BE GIVEN!  PLEASE USE THE SAME TAGS FROM SUPER REGIONAL!  If you lost one, feel free to put your own tag on the bag.  The important thing is it makes it back to the owner if it gets lost.

• Instrument/Flags/Rifles with travel tags
• Backpack or day bag for bus with travel tag
• Water Jug FILLED ready for rehearsal each morning.
• FRI-SUN Overnight Bag - will go under the bus on Friday. MAKE SURE IT HAS A TRAVEL TAG AND COLORED BAND SECURED!!
• Performance Clothes (including WHITE underlayers!); 
• Guard - Undergarments , Hair Supplies, Makeup.
• DEODORANT!! 
• Casual Outfits, socks, underwear, shoes (to change into out of uniforms).
• Mason Band Jacket/ Sweatshirt/hat
• Overnight gear and toiletries (toothbrush, DEODORANT!, brush, etc,) 
• Portable Charger for Phone
• Snacks for bus/hotel - We will have VERY LIMITED water bottles available on the bus or at the hotel so please ensure students have a water bottle to fill.  Ice machines are available at the hotel.
• Clear Bag (if needed) and Spending money for Lucas Oil  (Cashless so credit card or cash to card station required).  Travel lanyard can be used to store money, credit cards and hotel key.

LUCAS OIL STADIUM INFO

• Lucas Oil Stadium has a clear bag policy. Clear bags cannot exceed 12”x 6” x 12” or a 1-gallon size freezer bag
• Mason Bands Spirit is selling stadium-compliant clear bags.  Please see Gina Marshall or email her at spirit@masonbandboosters.com
• Small clutch bags or a purse approximately the size of a hand are allowed.
• Medication/medical equipment bags are allowed but will be searched. (Students may not carry their own medication unless they have submitted appropriate documentation; please see below.)
• Cameras are allowed but no tripods or video cameras.
• Students will be provided with a passport-sized lanyard to store cash/cards/etc
• Lucas Oil Stadium is a cashless facility.  
• Please keep this in mind when spectating and sending money for concessions/souvenirs with your student.  
• There are cash-to-card machines located throughout the stadium.

HOTEL 

• Friday and Saturday Nights:
• JW Marriott Downtown, 10 S West St, Indianapolis, IN 46204
• Will return to Mason HS on Sunday afternoon.

TRIP COMMUNICATION

If you have not done so already, we highly recommend that you join the parent Remind group associated with your student’s section.  This will be the main form of communication to parents throughout the trip.

• Indy Grand National Championships Travel Waiver Remind Group (For those picking up on Sunday 1am or Sunday 8am only.
• Text @GNTW24 to 81010

TICKETS

We encourage family and friends to make the drive to Indianapolis for the Grand National Championship to cheer on the band!  This is a ticketed event and tickets may be purchased on the Bands of America website.  See links to purchase tickets below:

• Tickets can be purchased ahead of time at Ticketmaster.com OR the Southeast Ticket Office of Lucas Oil Stadium Thursday-Saturday of Grand Nationals.
• Will-Call tickets may be picked up at the Southeast Ticket Office.
• Prelim Tickets (Thurs & Friday) $35 each day + Fees (GA Tickets) Grand Nationals: Thursday 11/14 Preliminaries
• Semi-Finals $45-$70 + Fees (GA and Reserved available) Grand Nationals: Saturday 11/16 Semi Finals
• Finals Tickets range from $20-$150 + Fees (GA and Reserved available) Grand Nationals: Saturday 11/16 Finals

Grand Nats Medication Drop Off

If your student will need medication for Grand Nationals (OTC or Rx)
that has not already been turned in, please see BoosterHub volunteer section to sign up to drop off medication.

• Medication Drop-Off will be Tuesday, November 12th 5:30-6:30pm
• Location: Let’s Play (Wall 2 Wall)
• Sign up in BoosterHub

Please read the Mason Band Medication Policy in advance. You will need to prepare your student’s medication with a completed med insert card placed in a ziploc bag with their medication following the instructions in our Medication Check-in Guide.  You will find all the latest information about how we manage medication on MasonBands.com here. 

Remember to upload DMS forms here prior to the drop-off event. Must be signed by both doctor and parent.

We also strongly encourage you to fill out DMS forms for Ibuprofen, Tylenol, and Benadryl if your student has ever taken those medications in the past. We will not be able to dispense those medications to your student unless the proper forms have been filled out and signed. Students may not carry medications themselves, including common over the counter medications, unless they are emergency medications and the appropriate forms have been submitted.

For questions or to schedule an alternate drop off appointment, email Mike McCallister - medicalsecretary@masonbandboosters.com.

Grand Nationals Transportation Waiver

If you plan to check out your student to transport them home from Grand Nationals, you will need to complete the Google form below by TONIGHT, Sunday, November 10, 2024 at 11:59pm.  See form for check out times/locations and for more information.  

2024 Grand Nationals Transportation Waiver Form

Student and Adult MUST also join the Indy Grand Nationals Travel Waiver Remind Group: text @GNTW24 to 81010

Decorating The Music Wing

Come one, come all!!

Before Grand Nationals we decorate the Music Wing with signs to celebrate and encourage our kiddos! Many families have already made signs for the send-offs, and those are perfect for this.

We are decorating lockers and hallways at the high school to wish our band members good luck for Grand Nats! We need some volunteers to help on: 

(Don’t sign up, just show up)

• Sunday, November 10, 4:00-8:00 pm
• Monday, November 11, 3:00-5:30 pm (right after school). 

You will be hanging signs and other themed items to dress up the hallways. 

If you have a personal sign to hang please bring it to the school during that time and we will make sure it gets hung up even if you are not able to stay and help.

• We will take down all the signs from the school Wednesday the 13th and take them to the send offs on Thursday for spectators to hold.

***PERSONAL SIGNS - There is not an “official” Sign drop off as there has been in the past. If you have a sign you want displayed in the halls that week but cannot be there to decorate you can drop it off during one of the times above and the volunteers will hang it in the hall for you.

All personal signs will be taken down Wednesday and taken to the send-off on Thursday. Please find Michelle Andre at the send-off to collect your sign. (They will be in her car)

Questions? spirit@masonbandboosters.com.

Band Send Offs For Grand Nationals

WHAT IS IT? 

The Send-off is an opportunity for families to cheer on the Band as they drive off in the buses to Indianapolis. This is optional, but also A LOT OF FUN! 

• Bring anything you can think of to send them off in Style! Ideas include : fatheads / signs / flags / balloons / noise makers 

• We are there to cheer them on and make them feel like the SUPERSTARS that they are!!

• EVERYONE IS WELCOME - Family, Friends, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Etc. We would love to see as many people as possible.

Look here to see images from last year’s send offs: https://masonbands.smugmug.com/2023-2024-PHOTOS/Competitions/BOA/Grand-Nationals/BOA-Send-Off/i-KNzgDtC

WHEN IS IT?

• Thursday, November 14 - at Marion's Piazza  (THIS IS THE BIG ONE!!!)

• 12:00-12:15 PM - Stay outside
• This map shows where we will stand to cheer on the buses as they leave.
  
  

• Come Early - If the band finishes lunch early they will leave early

• Someone from the Spirit Committee will bring the section signs and personal signs from the Music Wing Decorations for people to hold up. You don’t need to return to the school to retrieve yours. - Just look for someone with a car full of signs to get your sign back.

• Friday, November 15 - in the Let’s Play (Wall2Wall) Parking Lot 

• 12:00-12:15 PM - Stay outside

** Watch the band schedule as this gets closer. The times could still change!!!

If you have any questions about these events please contact Gina at spirit@masonbandboosters.com.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Families cannot go into Marion’s or Let’s Play (Wall2Wall) during this time. There are a lot of moving parts to get the band on the buses and moving ON TIME. We are there to cheer them on, but we cannot get in the way. Thanks!!

We don’t usually plan anything formal, but many parents bring items to welcome them home from Indy, too.  (Signs, Balloons, Flowers, etc.)

Fan/Spirit Flags for Sale

Did you miss your chance to purchase a “Fan Flag” for the Super Regionals? 

More flags have been made and will be available for purchase this week.

They are handmade and only $10 each. 

Purchase Opportunities:

1. At Music Hall Decoration Events (today 4-8, Monday 3:00-5:30)
2. At Sendoff
3. Contact me - Spirit@masonbandboosters.com

They are perfect for showing your Mason Pride at Grand Nats. (They come off the pole if you are worried about taking the pole into Lucas Oil) 

Also, many families collect them every year to display at their Senior’s Graduation Party.

This is the final batch that will be made, so come and get yours while they are available.

Booster Meeting Slides and Q&A

Thank you to everyone who attended the Booster Meeting on Monday! Below you will find slides from the meeting, along with answers to the Slido questions from the meeting.

10-28-2024 Booster Meeting Slides

Slido Questions & Answers Doc

Spirit Committee - Volunteers for Next Season

A big thank you to everyone who attended the Spirit Committee informational meeting last week! We've made great progress in building our team for next year, and we're excited to have so many wonderful people stepping into new roles. 

However, there are still a few key positions we need to fill. In particular, we're looking for people who can craft and/or sew, as well as someone who would be willing to lead this group of crafters. 

The crafting team will be responsible for assembling items like buttons, mini color guard flags, fan flags, jewelry, and luggage tags. Some tasks can be done at home, while others will take place at the Midpointe Library, where we use their sublimation printer. If you're interested (even if you're not sure how to do it), please reach out to me for more information. I'd be happy to share more details and even take you on a trip to the Midpointe Library to see the process firsthand. If you like to craft, I'm certain you would love doing this.

Lastly, does anyone have a Cricut or Silhouette machine that can create die-cut images? We need these next year for Senior Night and Music Hall decorations. 

Thanks again for your support!

Questions? Spirit@masonbandboosters.com

Skyline Dine & Donate

Take a night off from cooking as you’re recovering from Grand Nats and preparing for Thanksgiving, and support the band at the same time! Head to the Bardes Road Skyline Chili from 11am-10pm on November 20th for our Dine and Donate event!

Mason Bands will receive 15% of sales.

Click here for the flyer.

Poinsettia Sale

It’s time for our annual Mason Bands Poinsettia Sale! Place your order between now and November 24th. The proceeds of this sale benefit all band students in grades 6-12. 

We have poinsettias available in red, pink, or white this year, in two different sizes::

• 4.5-inch poinsettias - $9
• 6.5-inch poinsettias - $15

In addition, save time by purchasing an end of semester teacher/staff gift (poinsettia + $10 gift card) that will be delivered directly to the teacher or staff member’s desk. This is available for any Mason City Schools Employee and will be delivered to their desk between December 10-12th.

Poinsettia pick up will be December 7th at the Mason Intermediate School building. 

Click here to order by November 24!

Note: Please include both personal and teacher gifts in the total number of flowers you order at the top of the form. You can specify how many are for teacher gifts in the next section of the form, with the ability to indicate which color/size is for which teacher. Any flowers ordered over the number of teacher gifts will be assumed to be for pickup on December 7th. 

Please reach out to flowersale@masonbandboosters.com with any questions.

Senior Parents: Pictures Needed for Awards Night

We would like to recognize each of the seniors at our Marching Band Awards Ceremony planned for Tuesday, December 3, 2024. If you have attended this celebration in the past, you know that we like to put together a slide show of pictures submitted by each senior’s family. The family keeps the picture choices a secret from their student until the big night. So how can you help us? 

Please start picking out your favorite pictures, usually 3-4 pictures from infancy to now. Please scan and email them to: seniors@masonbandboosters.com.

Be sure to include the name of your student.

****We need pictures NO LATER THAN November 22, 2024****

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to seniors@masonbandboosters.com. 

Marching Band Memory Books

Each year, our talented photo volunteers put together a beautiful memory book filled with the many moments of our season including rehearsals, football games, parades & competitions. 

This is a beautiful, 8.5x11 inch, soft cover photo book with about 72 pages.

Place your Memory Book order HERE by December 4. The price is $55.

Contact Nancy Riley at photo@masonbandboosters.com for questions.

Attendance Reminders 

Attendance is a vital component of a successful marching band program during these final weeks of the season. During these final weeks, there will be many changes and finishing touches to the show that will help students truly feel the energy and emotions that make a marching band show so memorable! Absences, no matter the reason, have a negative impact on the achievement and environment of the entire group since the students rely on the other performers in the ensemble for success. 

As a reminder, here are the description of absences from the Marching Band Handbook: 

• Excused Absence Examples: Illness, conflicts approved by a Director (more than 2 weeks in advance), death in the family, private lessons.
• Unexcused Absences Examples: Absent with no communication, homework/work, birthday dinners, fall vacations, family gatherings, concerts. Unexcused absences during the week of a performance can result in not performing that week.

• Reporting: The student/family will communicate known absences at least 2 weeks in advance, and report absence due to illness prior to rehearsal. All absences must be reported to the section director.

The latest and most up to date calendar is always the Mason Bands Calendar. You should bookmark or sync this calendar and check it often: https://www.masonbands.com/calendar/

Continue to communicate with the director that works with your section as soon as possible if you have attendance concerns.

Marching Band Secret Buddy Reminders

We are glad so many students chose to participate in Secret Buddy this year! Here are the dates for the rest of the season to bring secret buddy items: 

Competitions

• Nov 15 Grand Nats Friday ONLY, please! 

2024 Marching Band Next Steps

Marching Band Registration Next Steps

• 2024 Registration Guide
• Past Due
  • Experience Fee 2 - $400
    • Invoice sent on 7/10/24 via email from: quickbooks@notification.intuit.com
  • Marching Band School Fee #3 - $400
    • Payment can be made in Payschools or via check made out to Mason City Schools.
    • Payschools is the system that replaced EZPay earlier this year district-wide. It is the same system used for paying your student’s school fees. Click here to view the district’s guide to Payschools.
  • Experience Fee #3 - $300
    • Invoice sent on 10/13/24 via email from: quickbooks@notification.intuit.com
• Your student must have an ACTIVE physical on file in order to participate throughout the season
  • Examination must have been performed within the past 13 months
  • Medical Eligibility Form must be completed in its entirety signed and dated by the healthcare provider
• Dispensing Medication at School (DMS) forms may be submitted any time throughout the season via masonbands.com >> How To Submit Forms
  • All student medications taken during marching band activities require a DMS form (both OTC and Prescription)
  • Must be signed by parent/guardian AND healthcare provider
  • Only valid for up to one full season
  • Marching Band DMS forms are separate from any other DMS forms submitted through Mason City Schools administration or nursing staff
  • Medication Drop-Off: Review the medication check-in process in the 2024 Marching Band Registration Guide for more details.
  • Last Medication Drop-Off Event prior to Grand Nats:
    • November 12th 5:30-6:30pm - Let’s Play (W2W) near Band Aid station
    • See BoosterHub Volunteer section to sign up for a drop-off time
• Travel Medication Scheduled Meds
  • Grand Nats
    • Thursday - lunch, afternoon, dinner meds
    • Friday - lunch, afternoon, dinner, bedtime meds
    • Saturday - breakfast, lunch, afternoon, dinner, bedtime meds
    • Sunday - breakfast meds
    • As Needed - when requested by student