HAPPY HOLIDAYS BAND TRAVELERS!!!

I hope everyone is enjoying their break (and practicing some NOLA music - at least a little bit). . .

We need to cover a few reminders before we meet on the 29th for our final rehearsal and preliminary packing of instruments and equipment.

1) Attached is a packing list by day to aid in your individual preparations. Please remember the following when packing . . . - UNDER-UNIFORM AND SHOES/SOCKS FOR SHOW DAYS - Rain jacket or two - we are dependent on the weather for much of our trip - Do your best to "layer light" with options - we don't have room for excessive suitcases for each traveler with the number of instruments we are taking. - You do need a small travel bag for a change of clothes after the Sugar Bowl Performance - this is critical as we will not be getting into suitcases before we depart. Any backpack is perfect!

2) School will be opened as early as 11 AM on Thursday to facilitate any polishing/cleaning and assistance with uniform needs before we begin rehearsal at 1:00 PM.

3) Rehearsal will go until 4pm - we will have all instruments packed and in sections before you are dismissed from rehearsal (plan on 4:15 or later for a dismissal).

4) Chaperones - we will meet at 4:15 to discuss the rooming list, chaperone duties, bus assistance, parade and performance questions, and answer any questions you may have. This should only take about 20 minutes - thanks for your time making this a great trip for our students.

5) We meet at 7:00 AM on the 30th and depart at 7:30 for New Orleans!!

Please email any questions to borger@fultonschools.org - I am back in town and will check email regularly. It is so hard to believe we will be performing for a crowd of close to 70,000 people in a nationally televised game ONE WEEK FROM TODAY!!!

Ryan Borger & Katie Groves

Cambridge Band Directors

Parents & Students,

Thank you for a great semester of making music and friends!! As an update to our adopted family, through the generous donations at our concert and from the students in class all last week we raised over 1,100 dollars to provide Christmas for those in need. Some of our officers did some shopping last Saturday and our adopted family received everything on their wish list and some extra resources for food and supplies during the holiday vacation.

As we look ahead to the New Year, we have even more to be excited about. We have 23 students auditioning for the final round of All-State on January 7th, many students selected for our District Honor Band on February 3-4, and a terrific concert camp planned for December 11th. We will also be hosting our LGPE February 27-March 1 and look forward to expanding our jazz weekend with Music Under The Moon on May 5, and a jazz festival hosted at Cambridge on May 6. 2017 PROMISES TO BE A BLAST!

First, we will bring 2017 in with many students as we travel to New Orleans. A final itinerary is available on our newly designed website and we have our final rehearsal and packing of instruments on Thursday, December 29th (one week from today) from 1-4 pm. We meet on December 30th at 7:00 AM to check-in with section leaders and begin loading buses.

Whether we see each other again on December 29th or January 9th . . . Enjoy a well-deserved break, turn off your phones and spend time with family and friends, make music for fun when you get a chance (the holidays are great for this), and recharge for a challenging and memorable 2017!!

Happy Holidays Cambridge Band Family!!

Ryan Borger & Katie Groves

Band Directors

Seasons Greetings Band Families,

We look forward to seeing you all tomorrow at our annual Winter Band Concert. Below are the report times that have been shared with the students last week.

6:30 PM - All Percussion Students on Stage 6:45 PM - Concert Band in Orchestra Room 7:00 PM - Symphonic and Wind Symphony in Band Room

Our World Percussion will be performing in the lobby before the concert as you arrive. The percussion ensembles will open the concert, followed by our three full ensembles. It promises to be a great concert - hope to see you all tomorrow!

A couple of other announcements . . .

We had a record number of students make the second round of all-state auditions this year - 23 representatives from Cambridge will be auditioning again on January 7th. We also have our first all-state jazz band member - CONGRATULATIONS ALEX BOHR on being recognized as piano alternate.

Looking ahead to next semester, we will be hosting a Saturday Concert Camp on February 11th. We have an impressive list of guest instructors lined up - this is a required commitment for the band next semester. Please communicate any conflicts as soon as possible.

Last year we started a tradition of adopting a family in the Alpharetta area that required some financial assistance to have a Christmas. We have a "wish list" for a family of three younger children that are unable to have a Christmas gift exchange this year. Any amount you can donate to assist our adopted family will all go to gifts and food for the holiday vacation.

We wish all of our extended band family a safe and enjoyable holiday season - and we look forward to bringing in the New Year in style in New Orleans!!

Ryan Borger & Katie Groves

Band Directors

Vol. 5 No. 11

Parents & Students,

CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE ON A WONDERFUL FINAL PERFORMANCE!

Cambridge placed 2nd in the most competitive class at White Columns - .9 out of 1st Place. Guard also placed 2nd in our class and all areas (guard, percussion, drum major, band) were awarded Superior Ratings.

It takes our entire band family to create a successful season - thanks to all the chaperones, equipment crew, rehearsal volunteers, and all parents for your assistance with the demands of the season. Special thanks to all our students and leadership for the time and consistent commitment to growth shown all year - "I'm so glad to be a Cambridge Bear!"

THIS WEEK

Now for the details for playoffs we are waiting for . . .

Cambridge will play Mays High School on FRIDAY AT 7:30 AT LAKEWOOD STADIUM. (Address is Lakewood Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30315)

FRIDAY SCHEDULE

• 3:30 - Head to stadium quickly for runthrough
• 3:50 - Warmup/Stretch
• 4:00 - Runthrough
• 4:15 - Load Truck at Stadium
• 4:30 - Dinner
• 5:00 - In Half-uniform and Load
• 5:15 - Depart for Lakewood Stadium
• 6:45 - Approximate Arrival
• 7:30 - Kickoff
• 11:00 - Approximate Return to Cambridge

We are very excited to support our team at the first football playoffs in Cambridge History!!

OTHER NEWS

Cambridge Winter Guard has a meeting TONIGHT at 7pm. Calendar and expectations will be shared - questions answered. Guard will begin practicing next week. . .

New Orleans participants - we will schedule a few rehearsals before we depart to learn our music and be prepared for our performance opportunities. (Most of the music we already know).

More details will follow - parents should plan on attending our next booster meeting on Tuesday, November 15th at 7:30 for more complete New Orleans information!

Thanks for your assistance and support all season - and in our final performances!

Ryan Borger & Katie Groves

Band Directors

Vol. 5 No. 10

Parents and Students,

Thanks to everyone that helped make our first contest day of the season a success. The Collins Hill show was a LARGE contest - it was great to see so many bands and enjoy a successful performance. We have a very achievable list of things to work on next week to make our show the best it can be for our final contest next Saturday!

Thanks also for filling our auditorium for a great concert on Tuesday night! That performance of the marching band is always one of my favorite nights of the fall season. Please check the remaining timelines and read the last couple of paragraphs for some additional information.

REMINDER- FINAL NOLA PAYMENT DUE TUESDAY 11/1!!

NEXT WEEK

• Monday - 4-6:30 Full Ensemble
• Tuesday - 4-5:30 Sections/Full Ensemble
• Thursday - PAWS-5:30 Full Ensemble
• Friday - Senior Night (see below)
• Saturday - White Columns (under-uniform)
  • 12:30 - Report to Rehearsal
  • 2:15 - Run-through
  • 2:30 - Load & Snack
  • 3:30 - Depart for Milton
  • 3:50 - Show Starts
  • 5:35 - Warmup
  • 6:35 - Performance
  • 7:00 - Dinner
  • 9:35 - Awards
  • 10:45 - Approximate Dismissal at Cambridge

SENIOR NIGHT - show shirts under full uniform

This is a great evening for our seniors - we will have a special dinner (and servers) that evening before our courtyard report time. We march to the stadium early - by 6:25 PM. We will meet our senior parents on the track and our band members will move to the stands for our senior recognition. Seniors will be recognized with their parents (business casual attire) around 6:45 PM.

(Please see that your senior has returned the senior information form.)

The underclassmen will perform an alma mater to recognize our seniors. Seniors will then join the band for the national anthem. We will not do a complete pregame - it will be from the stands due to senior night.

Halftime will be shared with North Atlanta HS and we will plan on doing our entire contest show.

WHITE COLUMNS INVITATIONAL

Our final contest is Saturday, November 5th at Milton HS. This is a very close event - it would be great to see a LARGE group of parents in our Cambridge Colors cheering on your band. It would mean a lot to your students to have a significant cheering section for our final contest of the year. The show starts at 3:50 PM - we perform at 6:35 just after an intermission. Feel free to invite friends and neighbors - this will be a great show!!

PLAYOFFS

We are going to be in a playoff game for football on Friday, November 11th! This is always a possibility, we have just missed playoffs by one game the past two years. This is a terrific accomplishment for our football team - and one more chance to showcase our band! We will not add any rehearsals to the calendar - we will simply have an additional Friday. We will plan on feeding all students, coordinating the buses, truck, equipment, and run a typical away game plan. If the Bears win - we play again the next weekend. We will run the same protocol of a Friday preparation as long as the team and community need our entertainment and spirit! Thanks for your support and assistance!

Ryan Borger & Katie Groves

Band Directors

Vol. 5 No. 9

Parents & Students,

THANK YOU for a fantastic 8th grade night experience. All students seemed to have a genuinely great time and I hope we see all of our 8th grade guests in uniform next year! Our football team is having a great year . . . which means it is not out of line for us all to consider a Friday, November 11th commitment for a playoff game. A win over Alpharetta would help us hold onto a top 2 spot, but we are securely in playoffs right now even with a loss this Friday (personally, I would enjoy spoiling Alpharetta's homecoming with a victory). We will not add any rehearsals to the band calendar - but we will attend the playoff game(s) with our team and have a typical Friday commitment (change, runthrough, food, game).

We hope you will be able to join us for our monthly parent meeting tonight at 7:30. We will have some New Orleans updates, but be focusing on competitions, concerts, and the ending of the marching season.

Last opening update - please check the timelines for this weekend - and next week's schedule. They may have changed or involve different information for your student. Thanks for your attention to detail as we prepare for our first contest this Saturday and a concert next week.

THIS WEEK

Tuesday - 4-5:30 Sections (Guard 6:30) Thursday - PAWS-5:30 Stadium

FRIDAY SCHEDULE

4:00 - Stadium Rehearsal 5:45 - Runthrough 6:00 - Load and Dinner 6:50 - Load buses and depart for Alpharetta (uniform will be BLUE SHOW SHIRT and blue jeans (or similar dark pants) and tennis shoes) 10:30 - Approximate return to Cambridge (will not unload trailer at this time)

SATURDAY SCHEDULE

11:00 - Guard & Battery report for warmup 12:15 - ALL Report to Cambridge (check-in with section leader) - Change into half-uniform - prepare for contest 12:45 - Load Buses 1:00 - Depart for Collins Hill HS 2:00 - Arrive/Unload/Full Uniform 3:00 - Warmup Location 4:00 - PERFORMANCE 5:00 - Dinner in stands @ Collins Hill (provided by boosters) - Watch bands 9:00 - Awards Presentation 10:30 - Approximate Return to Cambridge

NEXT WEEK

Monday - 4-6 Indoor Rehearsal (Guard in Stadium) Tuesday - No Rehearsal - CONCERT AT 7:30 Thursday - Guard ONLY 4-6 Friday - BYE WEEK - NO GAME

LOOKING AHEAD

Enjoy some additional time in the schedule next week due to our football bye week. The final week of our season will involve a preparation for our senior night football game and the White Columns Invitational at Milton HS. Let's plan on a large parent/friends cheering section at this great final local show and have a terrific final Saturday on November 5th!!

As previously mentioned, it is likely that Cambridge will play a football game on November 11th. We will continue to perform in support of Bears Football and our band family as long as the team is playing. Thanks for your understanding with the schedule.

Enjoy the changing fall weather (we hope) and thanks for all you do to support the Bears Band Family!!!

Ryan Borger & Katie Groves

Band Directors

Vol. 5 No. 8

Parents & Students,

Hope you all enjoyed a restful fall break. We have a very standard but exciting weekend this week as we welcome our 8th grade future band members on Friday. The show will be performed at halftime and we will enjoy a 3rd quarter break with our 8th grade extended family.

Please read the NEXT WEEK section carefully as it details our upcoming October 22 contest at Collins Hill. That will be a very full contest with 22 bands - those planning on attending should arrive early for parking and enjoy a day full of great bands! As an additional reminder - our last contest (and final competitive commitment) is Saturday, November 5th at Milton HS for the White Columns Invitational.

One additional reminder before we get to the schedule information - we will have a general parents meeting on Tuesday, October 18th at 7:30 in the band room. There is also a chorus concert that night - don't be surprised if the parking lot is a bit more full than usual. We will try to be efficient with the meeting so many of you can enjoy some of the chorus concert.

THIS WEEK

Thursday - PAWS-5:30 Stadium Friday - Football vs. Northview (8th Grade Night) 4:00 - Warmup in Stadium and wait for 8th grade bands (in under-uniform) 4:30 - PreGame Rehearsal to include 8th grade band members 5:00 - Dismiss to dinner 5:30 - 8th Parent Meeting in Orchestra Room** 5:45 - Change/Sections time 6:15 - Courtyard Final Reps 6:35 - March to Stadium for PreGame with 8th Grade!!

NEXT WEEK

Monday - 4-6:30 Stadium Tuesday - 4-5:30 Sections (Guard later) Thursday - PAWS-5:30 Friday - Football @ Alpharetta (Homecoming - we may perform PREGAME) Saturday @ Collins Hill HS 9:30 - Report to Cambridge (warmup/rehearsal) 11:00 - Full Runthrough 11:30 - Lunch/Polish/Load 12:45 - Load Buses 1:00 - Depart for Collins Hill 4:00 - PERFORMANCE 5:00 - Dinner at Collins Hill 9:00 - AWARDS 10:45 - Approximate Return to Cambridge

LOOKING AHEAD

We have a concert on Tuesday, October 25th. The schedule that week will be very light with our bye week that weekend!! We will have one final week of marching band beginning with October 31st (YES, we practice on Halloween ). Please keep the posted band calendar on your frequently visited pages online - and look for some exciting upgrades to our website!!

Hope to see you on the 18th at the parent meeting and on the 25th at our Fall Pops Concert!!

Ryan Borger & Katie Groves Band Directors

Vol. 5 No. 7

Parents & Students,

Hope you have had a good week and are looking forward to a long weekend. I continue to be pleased with the progress of our show and the growth I see in our leaders and members. The middle of the season can bring some unique challenges as we all juggle many commitments and marching band. It is helpful to continue to work on our time management and make our band family experience one we look forward to every day. In just four and a half weeks this season is complete and the marching band experience will have concluded - the staff all wants to see everyone make the most of this great ensemble and have no regrets!!

THIS WEEK

Thursday - PAWS-5:30 Friday - Football @ Dunwoody 3:30 Change into Under-Uniform (white shirts) 4:00 Sections/Load Truck 4:30 Dinner 5:15 Half-Uniform 5:30 Depart for N. DeKalb Stadium (NOT DUNWOODY HS) 11:00 Approximate return to Cambridge Saturday - 9-12 Stadium Rehearsal

NEXT WEEK

Monday - NO SCHOOL Tuesday - NO SCHOOL Thursday - PAWS-5:30 Friday - Football vs. Northview (8th Grade Night)

LOOKING AHEAD

October 22nd is our next Saturday commitment - we will be one of 22 bands at the Collins Hill HS Competition. Our scheduled performance time is 4pm. We will certainly have a short practice some time that morning before heading to Collins Hill. More details will soon follow - but parents wishing to attend this event should plan to arrive early as it is a LARGE show and parking and seats may be limited later in the event.

Tuesday, October 25th is our Fall Pops Concert - this features all 3 concert bands and the marching band in concert!! It is a great performance - and a slightly long concert - that features all of our curricular ensembles in some form - make plans to join us and bring friends and neighbors at 7:30 on the 25th of October!!

Jazz Audition materials will be available this week. Auditions will be held during the school day after our Pops Concert on the 26th and 27th of October. Rehearsals will begin shortly after marching season ends.

KEEP WORKING TOGETHER - WE WILL KEEP PUSHING YOU!!

Ryan Borger & Katie Groves Band Directors

Vol. 5 No. 6

Parents & Students,

This weekend is Cambridge Homecoming - the schedule for Friday is below - please note we will perform our contest show as a POSTGAME for parents, alumni, and friends to enjoy. Halftime will be for the Homecoming Court (full of band members) and PREGAME will be the Johns Creek Band.

IMPORTANT CONTEST INFORMATION

Next Saturday was to be our first local contest at River Ridge High School. Unfortunately, River Ridge has decided to cancel their show this year and we were just notified. Due to the additional fact that we have several families traveling during our fall break, the staff and leadership have decided to have a morning practice instead of a contest day. The calendar has been changed to reflect this adjustment - we hope to have a very productive morning - and an enjoyable break from our normal schedules.

FRIDAY SCHEDULE

3:30 - Change to Under-Uniform (white shirts) 4:00 - Sectionals 4:45 - Dinner 5:40 - Dress in Half-Uniform 6:10 - Courtyard Review 6:30 - Prepare March to Stadium 7:20 - SSB in Stands HT - Homecoming Court POST - CONTEST SHOW FULL RUN!

NEXT WEEK

Monday - 4-6:30 Tuesday - 4-5:30 (guard may extend) Thursday - PAWS-5:30 Friday - Football @ Dunwoody Saturday - 9-12 Stadium Practice

LOOKING AHEAD

We will NOT practice on the 10th and 11th of October - we typically do not practice when school is closed. We are confirmed for participation in the Collins Hill Contest on October 22 and the White Columns Invitational on November 5. Thanks for your understanding about our schedule change. Enjoy the break with your families!!

Ryan Borger & Katie Groves Band Directors

Vol. 5 No. 5

Parents and Students,

WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS

We shared a video of the past weekend at the end of practice today and will plan on sharing again in classes on Friday.  We are VERY PROUD of the work the students have put into the show to this point - it was one of the best show-day rehearsals Cambridge has EVER had and the performance was strongly delivered at Tri-Cities.  Big Thanks to the many parents that work with equipment and chaperoning that help us travel - we could not do it without you.  Sorry the return to the school was so late both nights - we are very anxious for a football game that is less than 3 hours - and the exit strategy at Tri-Cities was a terribly executed plan - we were the last buses to return to the students.  Thanks for your patience and timely pickup of your students when we do finally arrive - hopefully these times start to be earlier!

BAND DINNERS

Every Monday we have a band dinner location that is kind enough to give back to the band based on participation that evening.  If you have a case of the Mondays and don’t want to cook - consider joining us at a local restaurant and supporting the band in the process!!  Next Monday is Ippolito’s - and to-go orders always count :) - Remember to mention the band!!

FRIDAY SCHEDULE

under-uniform shirts/shorts

• 3:45 Leadership Meeting
• 4:00 Quick Sectionals
• 4:30 Dinner
• 5:00 Change Into Half-Uniform (bring coats/gauntlets/gloves on the bus)
• 5:15 Load and Depart for Centennial
• 6:00 Unload and Prepare for Pre-Game Performance*
• 7:05 Perform Contest Show!
• 7:30 Kickoff
• 10:45 Approximate return to Cambridge

*We will perform a pregame show as it is Centennial’s Homecoming and they are kind enough to allow us a time to perform - plan on arriving early to see the show at Centennial - we will perform for the home stands as is customary at all away games.

NEXT WEEK

Monday - 4-6:30 Parking Lot Rehearsal *Band Dinner at Ippolito’s * Tuesday - 4-5:30 Sectionals Thursday - PAWS-5:30 Stadium Rehearsal Friday - Homecoming Football Game! (we will do a post-game run of our contest show)

LOOKING AHEAD

We will be performing at River Ridge High School for the October 8th contest.  This is a prelims/finals competition - we would have a chance of performing twice if we have a highly evaluated first performance.  Look for some words on competition in the coming weeks - the arts do not provide such a great experience for students because you win awards!

Enjoy your weekend away from band activities!!

Ryan Borger & Katie Groves Cambridge Bands

Vol. 5 No. 4

Parents and Students,

FUNDRAISER WRAP-UP

Thanks to everyone that helped with our Blitz Day last Saturday - our total sales for the fundraiser were 1,455 cards sold.  Not quite as high as last year, but enough to just exceed our budget for this fiscal year!!  That’s great news and allows us to continue to plan for future opportunities for all students in the band program - THANKS TO ALL INVOLVED!

PAWS BEGINS

This week started our student driven elective schedule at the end of the day on Tuesday, Wednesday andThursday.  We will have marching band PAWS on Thursdays - students will change and move equipment to the stadium.  They will meet with captains and warmup during PAWS.  We will begin rehearsal promptly at 3:30.  Our rehearsals end at 5:30 on Thursdays due to the administrations willingness to be helpful with this elective - GO BEARS!

FRIDAY SCHEDULE

We will wear our show shirts under the uniforms on Friday (Blue Shirt) 3:45 Leadership Meeting 4:00 Sectionals 4:30 Dinner 5:00 Change Into Half-Uniform (bring coats/gauntlets/gloves on the bus) 5:30 Load and Depart for Pope 6:30 Unload/Stretch/Enter Stadium 7:30 Kickoff 10:45 Approximate return to Cambridge

SATURDAY SCHEDULE

We will wear under-uniform shirts (white) 10:00 - Guard Section/Individual Photos (tentative) 11:30 - Meet in Parking Lot - Full Ensemble Rehearsal 2:00 - Full Run-through 2:30 - Load/Snack 3:15 - Depart for Tri-Cities 5:00 - Dinner @ Tri-Cities 6:00 - Show Begins!! 7:10 - Tentative Cambridge Performance Time 10:30 - Approximate Return to Cambridge

Please pay careful attention to the schedule above for Saturday.  It is a tricky meal day - eat a good breakfast or a full late lunch and we will give a snack at 2:30 to tie the students over before a Jason’s Deli box meal at the stadium.  This year the exhibition is being broadcast over the web with performance commentary by a member of the acclaimed Boston Brass!! Here is the link for the Fulton County Exhibition - if you are unable to make the trip to Tri-Cities for this FREE performance event -www.fultonperformingarts.org

NEXT WEEK Monday - 4-6:30 Parking Lot Rehearsal * Band Dinner at BurgerFi * Tuesday - 4-5:30 Sectionals * Booster Parent Meeting at 7:30 * Thursday - PAWS-5:30 Stadium Rehearsal Friday - Football @ Centennial

We will be performing at River Ridge High School for the October 8th contest.  This is a prelims/finals competition - we would have a chance of performing twice if we have a highly evaluated first performance.  Look for some words on competition in the coming weeks - the arts does not provide such a great experience for students because you win awards!

Thanks for all your support and assistance - lots to accomplish in the next few weeks with this marching production!!

Ryan Borger & Katie Groves Cambridge Bands www.cambridgeband.org

Vol. 5 No. 3

Parents and Students,

We apologize for the delay with this weekly update.  The wonderful virus going around has affected the band staff (Mrs. Groves is obviously stronger than Mr. Borger) and we are playing catch-up this week.  

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO AUDITION FOR ALL-STATE JAZZ OR ALL-STATE BAND - The forms and $20 audition fee must be turned in tomorrow!!

THANKS TO ALL THOSE THAT CAN HELP WITH THE BLITZ DAY ON SATURDAY!!  If you can be an adult driver Saturday morning - please signup via the signup genius.  We will need 12-15 drivers to take groups of students do assigned neighborhoods and be a collection point for money as they sell.  You simply provide some supervision and a vehicle check-in . . . it’s very easy and will be over in a few short hours.  Thanks for your assistance - here is the link to signup - http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d4daaab2ea6f85-coupon

FRIDAY SCHEDULE

3:45 Leadership Meeting 4:05 Sectionals 4:45 Dinner 5:30 Change Into Uniform (wear white under-uniform shirts!!) 6:05 Courtyard Final Warmup/Runthroughs 6:35 March to Stadium 7:10 Pregame

Please pay careful attention to the schedule for next week - it is right below - and we will have another busy weekend with the Fulton County Exhibition.  This year the exhibition is being broadcast over the web with post-performance commentary by a member of the acclaimed Boston Brass!! Here is the link for the Fulton County Exhibition - if you are unable to make the trip to Tri-Cities for this FREE performance event - www.fultonperformingarts.org

NEXT WEEK

Monday - 4-6:30 Stadium Rehearsal Tuesday - NO REHEARSAL - WIND SYMPHONY CONCERT - 7:30 Thursday - PAWS-5:30 Stadium Rehearsal Friday - Football @ Pope Saturday - FULTON COUNTY EXHIBITION 10:00 - Guard Section/Individual Photos (tentative) 11:30 - Meet in Stadium - Full Ensemble Rehearsal 2:00 - Full Run-through 2:30 - Load/Snack 3:15 - Depart for Tri-Cities 5:00 - Dinner @ Tr-Cities 6:00 - Show Begins!! 10:30 - Approximate Return to Cambridge

CONCERT TUESDAY

Next Tuesday is our first concert of the year - it features the Wind Symphony and Chamber Orchestra.  Concert starts at 7:30 and does provide an extra credit opportunity for all other band members.  Our general parent meeting will be at 7:30 on Tuesday, September 20th due to the concert conflict.  Note - no marching band rehearsal NEXT TUESDAY.

PARKING LOT ETIQUETTE

When we return from away games and contests, we will need to unload the truck and students in front of the school.  Please park in a parking space when you come to pick up your student.  It not only keeps the front lanes clear - it is much safer for the number of students walking by and unloading equipment.  We appreciate your assistance with keeping our students safe!

Thanks for making the first weeks of the season productive and successful - we have great students and great volunteers that make this a very enjoyable group to be around.  Looking forward to getting to know more of you as we work through the season!

Ryan Borger & Katie Groves Cambridge Bands www.cambridgeband.org

Vol. 5 No. 2

This email is being sent to all band members parents in two formats.  You should receive one from our CHARMS management system.  If you do not receive the email from CHARMS and only receive it from HAC (Home Access Center), we do not have an accurate email for you in charms.  Please send me a reply if that is the case so I can get you updated into our CHARMS system.

The reason for the all email is to make sure everyone is aware of the deadline of THURSDAY to register and make a first payment in CHARMS for the New Orleans Sugar Bowl Trip (December 30-January 3rd).  Itinerary and cost sheets were sent out earlier and another payment sheet is attached to this email for your convenience.  Please alert myself, Mrs. Groves, or our booster president (Mrs. Farbman) if you have some financial concerns.  We may be able to provide some limited assistance to allow students to make the trip to New Orleans.  I need students and parents attending the trip to do the following if it applies to your situation . . . please read carefully.

1. If you are a parent that intends to chaperone, please email Melissa Lybarger at melissa30004@yahoo.com so we can add you as a traveler in CHARMS and you can pay.

2. If you are a parent that just wants to “travel with the band,” please email Kerrie Farbman at farbmank@bellsouth.net and let her know if you want the full package (includes bus transportation with the band) or the non-charter option at $1245 for double occupancy.  This is a savings of about $105.  I would suggest chaperoning if you are able – or making alternative plans for families/friends to travel and just get Sugar Bowl tickets.

3. ALL CURRENT MARCHING BAND STUDENTS – please complete the google form at this link so the directors can confirm participation and payments as of September 1st–https://goo.gl/forms/gLDW2y8WPQpcbsMh1

Thanks to everyone for making our fundraiser a success – we appear to have come very close to making our budget and with a good turnout for our blitz day we should exceed those expectations!!  Look for times to volunteer to take a few students around on Saturday, September 10th and assist in our final push to sell some cards – thanks again!!

If you are not currently in marching band – you may stop reading this email at this point!!!

THIS WEEK

Monday – 4-6:30 Stadium * El Don Restaurant Night * Tuesday – 4-5:30 Sectionals Thursday – 4-6 Stadium * Pep Rally at end of school * Friday . . . 3:00 – Meet in Stadium for warmup/runthrough 4:15 – Load truck 4:45 – Dinner 5:30 – Dress in Half-Uniform 5:45 – Load Bus and Depart for Milton 6:30 – Park and Unload 10:00 – Load and Depart for Cambridge 10:30 – Unload truck (yes, everyone ☺) 10:45 – Approximate Dismissal at Cambridge   Please note the report time to the stadium – this could present some challenges for families that work with our students off on Friday.  Please communicate with the directors and section leaders so rides can be arranged and we can have a good final practice before our game at Milton.  We will feed the students dinner as usual and depart for the game on buses – we will wear under-uniform (white shirts) – guard will have specific instructions for attire.  Students are required to ride the bus to events.  They may go home with parents after the event only with permission in writing to the directors in advance.   LOOKING AHEAD 9/5 – No school – Labor Day 9/6 – 4-5:30 Sectionals 9/8 – 4-6 Stadium 9/9 – Football vs. Chattahoochee 9/10 – Blitz Day (9:30-12:00)   9/12 – 4-6:30 9/13 – WIND SYMPHONY CONCERT!! 9/15 – 4-5:30 Stadium 9/16 – Football @ Pope 9/17 – FULTON COUNTY EXHIBITION   The Fulton County Exhibition is our first Saturday performance.  It will be at Tri-Cities High School in College Park.  We will practice for 3 hours before we change and depart for the show.  The practice will begin around 11 AM – more details will be available next week.  This is a free event – and it is being streamed live on the web this year – a first for our County Exhibition!!   I hope this catches everyone up on the happenings of the marching band.  Thanks for reading this entire email and checking our calendar often for updates on future events and avoiding conflicts.  We are off to a terrific start to the season and the performances and information will come up very quickly for the next 2 months!!     Ryan Borger & Katie Groves Cambridge Bands www.cambridgeband.org

Vol. 5 No. 1

Parents & Students,

As we approach our first busy weekend of the marching season, please read this email and the attached Marching Band Handbook carefully so you don't miss any valuable information about this weekend and our performance season.

THIS WEEKEND

Friday we will perform for our home crowd at the Cambridge Football Home Opener against Creekview. Students will need to remember their marching band items Friday Morning and put them in their band locker - we stay after school for football games - NO EXCEPTIONS. We will provide a meal for the students after some brief sectional time. A typical schedule for Friday Nights can be found in the attached document. After our meal, we will change (when needed) and meet in the courtyard for a final musical pre-show. Then we will march to the stadium. Only chaperones can accompany the band into the stadium as we march through the gates. Non-volunteers should buy a ticket and enter like every other parent that evening.

THIS WEEKEND WE WILL WEAR UNDER-UNIFORM SHORTS AND OUR SHOW SHIRTS - same uniform for the parade! The hi is 93 with a low of 72 - we will be much more comfortable in shorts and a t-shirt. Any athletic shoes are appropriate.

After the game, we play the fight song and alma mater for the team and then assemble to march back to the courtyard. Students will be dismissed from the courtyard. This is typically around 10:00 for a home game - but it can vary greatly. Please be flexible and available for your student when the game is over.

On Saturday we have our only full Saturday rehearsal of the season. We will be learning a great deal of our closer and watching our show come together even more - it's an exciting day! The schedule is below.

8:30-11:30 - AM Rehearsal 11:30-1:00 - Lunch (on your own - students free to leave or pack a lunch and eat here) 1:00-4:00 - Music/Drill Rehearsal (we will be smart with the weather) 4:00-5:00 - Dinner provided by the boosters at Cambridge 5:00-7:30 - PM Rehearsal - feel free to come see where we are at the end of the night!

This is a similar schedule to our days at band camp - which is why we call it a "day camp." Thanks for your assistance with this busy and productive day.

FUNDRAISER UPDATE

We are a few cards short of our goal for this fundraiser. Any assistance that we can still get in the final two days will be GREATLY APPRECIATED. Take advantage of the incentives and prizes and help your band!!

FINAL DAY FOR THE SALE IS WEDNESDAY

Money and cards should be turned in Thursday - the top seller prize is still up for grabs - everybody has a chance.

Blitz Day

We have a Blitz Day scheduled for Saturday, September 1st at 9:30 in the band room. If we could amazingly sell another 600 cards in two days, that would not be necessary - but since that seems unlikely - we will appreciate all band members that can attend the blitz day to spend one more morning helping to support the band and closing our fundraiser strong.

LOOKING AHEAD

Next week is also an important week for the Cambridge Bands - but for a couple of different reasons. Thursday, September 1st is the deadline to make your first payment for the New Orleans trip December 30-January 3. Please visit CHARMS to make that happen and let the directors know if you have any concerns or issues. Friday, September 2nd is the first Cambridge game vs. Milton - at Milton High School. IMPORTANT - we don't have school on September 2 due to professional development for teachers - but we still have the game at Milton. A specific schedule and details will be forthcoming - we will most likely meet at Cambridge for a brief rehearsal and meal just like any other game day to keep things simple.

THANK YOU

The directors so appreciate all the support, encouragement, and time the parent volunteers but into the band program. If you have not had a chance to volunteer as a chaperone, concession worker, program seller, food service, uniform assistance, or any of the other great volunteer opportunities we have . . . . please take some time to notice the emails about volunteer needs. Band parents are a great group and it takes a village to run a program of this size well - thanks for all you do to support this great opportunity for students!! We are very blessed!!

Ryan Borger & Katie Groves Directors, Cambridge Bands