Good morning band families,

It has been a busy marching season and especially the last couple of weeks and I need to take a minute to step back and appreciate all of the work that has been done. There have been some last minute changes that have been taken in stride and seamlessly resolved.

Thanks to Shelley Rublaitus and Freyja Stoltz for all their work with Heck Week. They did a lot of work before the season even started to get our sponsors and provide food and water to keep the students fed and hydrated. This is a big job that is so important to getting the band off on the right foot.

Thank you to Lynn Holmes and Robin Kopelman and everyone who worked on the End-of-Marching-Season party after the cancelled final home game performance. Everyone pulled together to put on an epic party even with the start time being moved up 2 hours.

Thanks to Melissa Schnoebelen and the food preppers who put together the dinners for the marching band before they left to go to the Clinton Competition. It was a great last minute and by no means small effort to feed 150 hungry teenagers.

Thank you to Theresa Murphy-Lewis and all those who helped with the Bates Field Follies reception last night. The gym looked great and no one left without cookies. 

We still have a few more parking lot clean-ups but thanks to David Weiss, Theresa Lewis, Kim Cannon, Anita Shuckert and everyone else who helps organize and the Sunday morning activities. 

A HUGE THANK YOU to Ute Muh and her uniform crew for all of the effort they put in each time the marching band steps out onto the field. They had the students out of their uniforms and up to the reception in record time last night so they could enjoy their night. 

With one more performance left in the marching season, I know I speak for the entire Leadership Team when I say thank you to all of those who have volunteered to help out BACH and the marching band this year. There were many new faces joining our ranks. We appreciate every one one of you, new and experienced, and look forward to continuing to with you as we move into concert season and beyond.

Thanks for your support.

Jared Hix

BACH Leadership Team 

Families of 10th-12th grade band students,

To make sure that our marching band doesn't have to march on an empty stomach, we're going to fill it! We will be providing a bagged dinner of a sub, chips, and cookie for all the students going to the Clinton Invitational on Saturday. Our plan is to pick up foot-long subs from Subway and small bags of chips and cookies from Hy-Vee. We are going slice the subs into three 4" sandwiches, wrap the sandwich and cookie and  bag everything up with a bottle of water.

 

In order to do this, we need your help! We need volunteers willing to bring cutting boards and knives to cut subs, wrap subs and cookies, label bags, and bag up dinners. We are planning to meet at the City High band room around 2:00 to get everything ready to go and should be done by 4:00. 

If you can help, please sign up here: Clinton Competition Dinner Servers.

Thanks.

Jared Hix

BACH Leadership Team 

Good morning band families,

Marching season is coming to a close but we still have a few events before the band hangs up their hats.

This Friday is the final City High home football game. BACH is hosting the annual End-of-Marching-Season party following the halftime show. There will be pizza, candy, dancing and a chance for the band to kick back and relax. Please remind your student that the party is for band members only; not friends of band members. We normally wrap up around 10:00. 

Students are allowed to wear costumes for the final halftime show. This means that everyone will be changing out of their uniforms after pregame and we could use a little extra help with uniforms. If you can help, please sign up here: Band Uniform Helpers.

The varsity band (10th-12th grade) will participate in the Clinton Marching Band Competition the evening of Saturday, October 13th. The uniform SignUpGenius has been changed to reflect the evening start time and we need a few more people willing to help hand out and put away.  If you can help, please sign up here: Band Uniform Helpers. 

The spring band concert, Bates Field Follies, is Monday, October 15th at 7:30. This will be followed by a cookie reception. If you signed up to provide cookies, please bring them to the old gym between 6:15 and 6:45. We try to get the students out of their uniforms as quick as possible so they can enjoy the reception as well. We need a few extra people to help with uniform turn in to accomplish this. If you can help, please sign up here: Band Uniform Helpers.  

The final marching band performance will be at the Hawkeye Homecoming Parade on Friday, October 19th. We actually have enough uniform volunteers for this one! So come out and enjoy the parade!

Thanks.

Jared Hix

BACH Leadership Team

Happy Monday everyone! 

Thank you to everyone who came out to Short's Eastside on Wednesday night for our Dine Out for Music Night. According to the manager, they had the biggest fundraising night that they've had in a long time. Because of you, the City High band program made $342.58. This shows just how much support we have in the community. 

I hope you're still hungry because Monday, October 22nd Andale! Andale! in the Coral Ridge Mall Food Court will donate 15% of that day's total sales to the City High band program! Last year was a big success with $200 for the City High band program. Let's try to top it this year!

Thanks for your support.

Jared Hix

BACH Leadership Team

Good afternoon band families,

Band family t-shirts were distributed last Friday before the City High home game. It was great to so much support in the stands! All of the remaining t-shirts are in the Music Office. If you were not able to pick up your t-shirt, stop in (or have your student stop in) and pick it up from Mary. Any t-shirts that have not yet been paid for need to be taken care of by September 21st. Unpaid t-shirts will then be offered for resale in order to recoup the money we paid for the shirts.

We still need help with uniform hand-out/take-in for the remaining home games, Bates Field Follies, and the Clinton marching competition. You do not need to be an expert to help with this and will still be able to watch the performances. If you can help with any of these events please sign up!

Uniform Distribution

Sunday is another parking lot clean up. Parking and Transportation has asked that the trash bins be filled before bags. They also ask that we consolidate bags so it is easier for them to tell which lots are finished. Also, if your student signs up for a drive-to lot, please make sure they have a ride there. It doesn't do anyone any good if they are arriving at the lot after everyone else has already done the work.

Finally, next Thursday, Sept. 20th is the first BACH meeting. It will be held in the City high band room at 7:00 pm and usually last about an hour. We will be discussing Bates Field Follies, the End-of-Marching-Season party, and pretty much anything marching band related. Please join us. 

Thanks.

Jared Hix

BACH Leadership Team

Good morning band families,

This Friday, the Little Hawk Marching Band is hosting the Southeast Junior High eighth-grade band and the UI Hawkeye Marching Band. Dr. McReynolds is reserving the faculty parking lot (in front of the music wing) for the Hawkeye Marching Band. We need one more person help monitor the lot. It will simply involve moving cones to allow them through. If you can help out, sign up here: Parking Lot Helpers Sept 7th.

We provide apples and water bottles to the marching band after the pregame performance at each City High home game. Our sponsor that has previously donated the apples and water has reduced their donation this year any is only providing water. We are looking for any families or businesses who would be willing to sponsor the apples for a specific game. There are three home games remaining that we need apples for and the cost is $60 per game. If you are interested in sponsoring apples for a home game, please contact Mary Mahaffa at  mahaffa.mary@iowacityschools.org.

Our first BACH meeting will be Thursday, September 20th at 7:00 pm in the City High band room. The meeting is open to everyone.

Our first Dine Out for Music night is coming up! Short's Eastside will donate 15% of all sales after 5:00 pm on Wednesday, September 19th. This includes dine-in or take-out orders. Enjoy a great burger and support your Little Hawk Marching Band!

Thanks for your support.

Jared Hix

Good morning band families,

Sunday is our first parking lot clean up and we still could use some volunteers to make sure the lots are getting cleaned and notify the coordinators when they are finished.

We also need someone to assist Kim Cannon with the refreshment. This involves helping organize the donut holes, fruit, and beverages for after clean-up. 

Sign up: Parking Lot Clean-up

There were a few questions about how parking lot clean up works so here is a FAQ.

UI Parking Lot Cleanups: FAQs

1.    Is parent participation voluntary?

While students are required to participate in a minimum of 4 cleanups and are required to attend either the November 11^th or 24^th clean-up, parent participation is voluntary. However, when CHS band got this contract many years ago, the presumption was that band parents are expected to participate whenever possible.

Each cleanup session requires at least 20-25 parents to be distributed among the 10-12 most heavily soiled parking lots.  Parents are important for student safety, efficiency and thoroughness; there is no substitute for the presence of parents in every lot where students are cleaning.

2.     When are the cleanups? 

There are seven home games this year and we clean on the morning following: Sundays: Sept. 2, 9, 16, 23; Oct. 21; Nov. 11. Saturday: Nov. 24. Please be at the staging area by 7:00 am each of these dates.

3.    Where are the cleanups? 

Students should be at the staging area at the Center for Disabilities & Development front entrance to sign in and receive initial parking lot assignments and cleaning supplies. The Coordinators will provide detailed maps and directions to all 15 parking lots; many of the lots are within walking distance of the staging area.

4.    Are cleanups safe?

Although there is some inherent risk, we believe that parental supervision, common sense and use of the University-issued cleaning supplies keep risk to a minimum.  The University provides gloves, brooms, shovels and large garbage bags.  All garbage can be cleared safely with the tools provided; for example, broken glass is to be cleaned up with a broom and shovel. If there is ever a question about attempting to clear garbage, a parent should be consulted.

5.    What if my student is also an athlete and is required to do a sports (Stadium) cleanup?

Most of the athletes who clean up Kinnick Stadium start at 7:30 am. Band students who participate in sports cleanups are still required to report to the marching band staging area at 7:00 am and participate in clean-up (usually Kinnick Parking Lot) until they go inside the stadium at ~7:30 for sports cleanup. They are then required to check back with parking lot coordinators when they get done with the sports cleanup (yes, band parking lot cleanups start earlier and go later than sports cleanups.

Top 5 Reasons to LOVE Parking Lot Cleanups

 5. This is the single biggest fund-raiser for the City High Band Program and is an exclusive franchise that CHS Band owns. We do not split the proceeds ($2700 per cleanup!!) with any other school or City High group.    

4.  You can “adopt” a parking Lot!  Yes, it’s true: any one of the lots can be “adopted” by anyone to make sure it gets taken care of! As you get to know and love your parking lot, it gets easier and more fun to clean. Talk to the coordinators for more information; there’s LOTS to love!

3.  Parking lot cleanup is a great opportunity for team-building and getting to know other band parents. The students get to see parents come together with Little Hawk students as a team instant to accomplish more by 9:00 AM than most people do all day! (We provide the bags, gloves, shovels and brooms, and you provide the supervision and mentoring!)

2.  You’ll be there anyway!  Unless your student has a license, you’ll be up and out the door anyway and many hands make light work. We (and the band students) would love to see you for as many cleanups as you can attend.

1.  Finally, and most important, it’s the right thing to do for our students and our school. Because it’s great to be a Little Hawk Band Parent!  See you there!

Let me know if there are any more questions.

 

Thanks.

Jared Hix

BACH Leadership Team