UPDATES
SIGN UP TO HELP BACH SUPPORT CITY HIGH BANDS!!!
08/05/2019
Dear Band Families,
It’s time for the highly anticipated Volunteer Sign-Up Email! Sorry for the length but in this email you will find descriptions of most of the 2019-20 BACH sponsored or supported City High band events and links to the SignUpGenius for these events. For those who are new, this will help you figure out where you can get involved in your student’s band experience.
If you are new to the City High band program, here’s a little background on BACH. B.A.C.H. stands for Band Associates of City High and has support the band program since 1995. BACH is involved in the planning and volunteer staffing of the Bates Field Follies reception and Jazz Showcase, as well as providing food and water for the band members during Heck Week and apples and water after halftime shows, just to name a few of our many activities.
In order to do this, we need parents to get involved. BACH works on a mentoring system and we need a constant stream of volunteers to keep our organization running smoothly. We try to pair an
experienced “upperclassmen” volunteer with a new parent volunteer to make the event planning transition go smoothly from year to year. We understand that not everyone is a planner or
“front-lines” type of person so there are many ways you can get involved. Not only do we need volunteer parents to coordinate events, there is a greater need for volunteers to help with
monitoring parking lot clean-ups, providing cookies for the Bates Field Follies reception, ticket sellers for band concerts, and decorators and clean-up crews for events.
We meet monthly on the third or fourth Thursday of the month (depending on events) at 7:00 pm in the City High band room to discuss upcoming events, needs, and general band information. Anyone with a student in the City High band is welcome and encouraged to attend and input is always welcome. We also have a Facebook site (search Band Associates of City High) and Twitter you can go to for information about upcoming events.
We will have an informational meeting on Tuesday, August 20th from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm in the City High Cafeteria. We will be introducing ourselves and talking about the 2019-20 BACH events. This will give you the opportunity to ask questions answered and meet other band parents. Please plan to attend to get more information about the 2019-20 Band Season!
Volunteer Opportunities:
Our most immediate needs are for Heck Week and Uniform Fitting. Some of these events need coordinators or people to train to take over.
Heck Week is a busy time for your student as they learn the new music and marching routine. Help signing up for shift to assist Mr. Ottmar and Mr. Kowbel by making sure students have water and snacks or serve the meals to keep them fueled.
We will need help during Heck Week getting over 200 students fitted for a uniform. You don’t have to be an expert, our skilled coordinators will show you what to do.
If you don’t want to fit but want to help with uniforms, we need people to hand out and take in for each home game, parade, and competition. This involves locating the student’s uniform number and being able to help them correctly hang the uniform.
We are looking for a parent to help monitor each lot for the Hawkeye Parking Lot Clean-Ups to make sure that the students who sign up show up and that the lot gets properly cleaned. We also need someone willing to train to take over next year.
Home Game Apple and Water Volunteers
We need volunteers to help on City High home football games to distribute apples and water to the students after the pregame performance.
Food Servers for UI Homecoming Parade
We need volunteers to cut sub sandwiches and serve food to students between the performances at the UI Homecoming Parade and City High halftime show.
We need set-up/clean-up volunteers and servers. We also need a co-coordinator to help the current coordinator plan and organize the food and volunteers for this fun event that takes place after the halftime show of the final home football game.
If you enjoy baking cookies (or buying cookies), sign up to bring them for the Bates Field Follies Reception. We ask for 2-3 dozen cookies per volunteer. We also need set-up/clean-up volunteers, servers, and a co-coordinator to help the current coordinator plan and organize the food and volunteers
We need two ticket sellers for each concert.
Jazz Showcase is an important fundraiser that takes place in February. There are many opportunities to volunteer for this event with a wide variety of things that need to be done.
And the ever popular Trivia Night! We need volunteers for registration, table running, and prize donations.
We need set-up/clean-up volunteers and servers.
And, of course, bus riders and chaperones:
All-Iowa Concert Band Festival February 19th
State Large Group Contest May 9th
You can email us at band.associate.chs@gmail.com
We are looking forward to working with you in 2019-20!
BACH Leadership Team
Jared and Becky Hix, Lynn Holmes, Kathleen Kingman, and Melissa Schnoebelen
01/23/2019
11/27/2018
BACH is now on Twitter at @chsbach!
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09/12/2018
08/27/2018
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 11th or 24th 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!
