AUGUST 2024 UPDATES

Welcome to the 2024/2025 season. These monthly newsletters will provide you with upcoming events for both QMS & MHS; competition information; fundraising updates; Gillette; and so much more. Please check in with your friends who are part of the programs and if they are not receiving the email have them sign up by clicking on the Sign Up to Stay Connected link on the website (mansfieldbandparents.org) on the right hand side of the page.

There is a lot of information here to start the year, please take a moment to read through the whole newsletter.

MHS UPCOMING EVENTS:

Post Band Camp – Winds & Percussion
- 9/3 6-9pm
- Then Tues & Thurs 6-9 and Saturdays 10-4 (until competitions start). Remember students should arrive at least 15 minutes before 6:00pm so that they are ready to play their first note @ 6:00 and the last note is played at 9:00pm so students would be ready to be picked up approximately 15-20 after that.
Color Guard post band camp will be Mondays and Thursday 6-9 and Saturdays 10-4.
Thursday 9/12 @ 6:00 – Band parent meeting at the HS in the choir room. We have a fun surprise for everyone so we encourage you to join us

WELCOME TO OUR 2024/2025 BOARD

Board vote was passed unanimously

Betsy Roche – Secretary (1 year term)
Frani Spivak – President (1 year term)
Debbie Stratton – Treasurer (2 year term)
Sara Tomase – Vice President (1 year term)

FUNDRAISING:

Our fundraising goal for the 24/25 year is $20,000 (not including Gillette).
- Ongoing fundraiser: we will have a fundraiser that will go throughout the year. CLIMBING FOR CLEOPATRA will be the theme to start the year. Please print off these forms and pass along to your friends and family. Completed forms can be returned via email (if using Venmo) to vicepresident@mansfieldbandparents.org. If sending in a check you can either mail the form & check to our PO Box; give to Mr. DeJoy; or to any Board Member.
- We will also have our calendar fundraiser. This fundraiser will be sold during the month of October with prizes being drawn during the month of November. We are looking for donations for prizes. If you are an owner of a business or know someone that is and would like to make a donation please email vicepresident@mansfieldbandparents.org. We are also looking for handmade items, sports tickets you might not be using, and folks to help us go to locate businesses. Please reach out if you are able to help out.
- Can drive – we will plan on having another drop off can drive in February. Until then you are still able to bring your cans & glass bottles to the Redemption Center located on Forbes Blvd across from Stop and Shop. Cans can be in bags but glass bottles should be returned in either boxes or their original packaging. You should have a count to provide them with of what you are delivering. You can either let them know it is for Mansfield Band or provide them with this printed form

GILLETTE:

Please consider signing up. You can find the sign up genius HERE
- We are now into Football season. All the Patriot games will be on Sunday with a report time of 9:00am and done around 6:00pm.
- 9/15 game against Seahawks – we need 7 people
- 10/6 game against Dolphins; we need 12 people – this is the same day as our band competition in New Bedford. If you are not planning on attending the competition, please consider signing up for Gillette to allows those who want to attend the competition to be able to.
FACT – GILLETTE has been taken away from us in the past so it can happen again. If we continue to not get enough volunteers to safely run our stand we will have no choice but to stop working events. The Gillette fundraiser is there to give your students the experience of a high-class competitive season (both fall & winter), as well as new equipment, concert competition (MICCA & SEMSBA), travel, and our year-end banquet.
Please take a look at this Gillette Info Sheet which will help outline just how the money raised from Gillette helps. If our overall profit from Gillette continues to decrease the money to pay for items will be placed back onto the families OR those things will simply no longer happen.
It only takes each family to sign up for 2 or 3 events to help share the work so the same families aren’t doing it over and over.
We need more ServSafe volunteers. It’s a day long course with a test at the end that teaches you kitchen/food safety. When you pass your certification it is good for 5 years. Right now we only have a handful of servsafe people and really could use some more.
Consider becoming a stand manager so that Guy & Katherine don’t have to bear the burden alone. If you are interested, please reach out to gillette2@mansfieldbandparents.org and they can give you the run down of responsibility.

DINKLE DONATIONS

We have a large number of dinkles that have been donated by past students – some in brand new condition. You can access the spreadsheet HERE
If there is a size that you want – simply put your student’s name in the “Name of Student Claiming” no later than September 7th. After that we will be placing our order for all shoes needed. Shoes purchased will be invoiced @ $34.00/pair. All freshmen will need shoes. For upperclassmen – you should receive an email from president@mansfieldbandparents.org in the next week letting you know whether your student said they needed shoes and what size they asked for (just in case you have a difference of opinion).

GLOVES

Students tried on gloves during their uniform fitting. Glove order will be placed at the same time the shoe order is placed. Gloves will be invoiced at $5.00/pair.

POLO SHIRTS & SHOW SHIRTS

Every student will need to purchase a show shirt which is worn under their uniform. We will take care of the ordering and you will be invoiced (waiting on pricing). We obtained sizes from your student when we did the uniform fitting. We will let you know as soon as they are in – our hope is they will be here for the 1st competition.

Polo shirts are worn for the parades in the warmer months along with other specific occasions. All freshman and new students will be ordered a shirt and invoiced (waiting on pricing). If you are a returning student, please take a moment to find your polo and make sure it still fits. We will be placing an order later in the year for anyone that needs a new shirt.

REMIND

To stay connected with up-to-date information on arrivals back from competitions: Text this message: @2024mhsm to 81010. Students will be required to do this for the MetLife trip in November, but may choose to do so beforehand.

Next MBPA Parent Meeting is on Thursday, September 12 @ 6:00pm held in the Chorus room at the High School

HOW TO GET IN TOUCH WITH MBPA:

Calendar: mansfieldbandparents.org/calendar

Facebook: Mansfield Band Parents Association

Web: www.mansfieldbandparents.org

Board Members: