Please review the dress requirements below for our concert (as found in the Band Handbook, which you all received back in September).  Our professional and unified visual appearance is an important part of each performance. Hopefully some items are already part of your student’s wardrobe, and all are available at your local department store.   Please contact Mrs. Kluga with any questions.

Our concert is Wednesday 12/12, at 7:00 in the YHS Auditorium.  Students will need to arrive by 6:30 to warm up. (Jazz Band arrive by 5:45 – our sound check will begin promptly at 6:00).

Concert Dress – (as found in the YHS Band Handbook)

Ladies:

• Black dress pants or LONG black skirt. LADIES, LONG MEANS YOUR SKIRT FALLS BELOW THE KNEE.  (no black jeans/jeggings/tights/yoga pants)
• Black Blouse– longish sleeves (no sleeveless shirts or spaghetti straps)
• Black stockings
• Black Shoes (no flip flops)

Gentlemen:

• Black Dress Pants (no black jeans/track pants/sweat pants)
• Black, Button-Down, Long Sleeved Shirt
• Black Socks
• Black Shoes

It is our pleasure to announce the YHS Concert Band’s participation in the Rhythms International Music Festival held in Nutley, NJ.  The music festival will take place on Saturday May 11^th 2019, with our performance at Nutley HS, and then enjoying the day at Six Flags Great Adventure. Students will receive our tentative itinerary and their personal payment information next week.

It is our pleasure to announce the YHS Wind Ensemble’s participation in the Rhythms International Music Festival held in NYC!  The music festival will take place the weekend of Friday, April 5 through Sunday April 7, 2019.  Students will receive our tentative itinerary and their personal payment information this week.  If possible, a down payment and permission slip are requested by Friday 11/30.

During quarter #1 our YHS Band students clocked over 300 periods of peer tutoring/extra-help sessions!  Many thanks to our upperclassmen for your time and leadership – and congratulations to all involved on your dedication to the pursuit of excellence!

Peer tutoring is one of the best ways a band student can help themselves experience success. If you or your student would like more information on ways to participate, please contact Ms. Kluga.

Congratulations to the YHS Bands and Orchestras on a successful Citrus Sale!  After a month of selling and a week of sorting through and tabulating orders (A HUGE THANK YOU to all the parent volunteers! We could not do this without your help!) the results are in.  Thanks to all for your support!

CB Total Boxes Sold: 485 (461 boxes last year, 564 two years ago)

CB Total Pounds Sold: 10,560

CB Total Citrus Sold: $15,850 ($15,158 last year)

CB Total Profit: $6,230 ($5,699 last year)

WE Total Boxes Sold: 543 (588 boxes last year, 620 two years ago)

WE Total Pounds Sold: 11,800

WE Total Citrus Sold: $17,750 ($20,124 last year)

WE Total Profit: $6,985 ($7,555 last year)

85% of the funds generated from the Citrus Sale go directly into student personal accounts, toward their spring festival trip.  15% go into the band “general fund” and are used to pay for items that benefit all band students.  Some examples include: chaperones for our festival trips (we can’t go on trips without chaperones, and are not allowed to roll chaperone fees into student costs) and band events. Funds generated from the Tag Sale and Swing Dance also benefit the band general fund.  We are very fortunate to be able to provide these musical opportunities to our students, thanks for helping us do so!

The citrus delivery date is Monday 12/17. All students are required to pick up their ENTIRE order on this day.  Please mark your calendars!  WE ARE IN NEED OF PARENT VOLUNTEERS.  Parent and student volunteers will be needed from 7:00 – 11:00am to help unload the trucks, and again from 2:00 – 7:00pm to help students assemble and pick up their orders. Please e-mail Ms. Kluga if you are available.  

Six members of our band program represented YCSD this past week at the Westchester County School Music Association’s Area All State festival. Based on their spring 2018 NYSSMA scores, top music students from across Westchester are invited to participate in an honor band, orchestra, or choir.  These ensembles are open to 10^th-12^th graders only, rehearse with an esteemed college music educator, and present a concert at SUNY Purchase.  The concert took place this past Thursday.  Congratulations to these YHS Band members on this fantastic musical achievement!

Justin Chee, Clarinet (11)

Paul Duffy, Bassoon (12)

James Ernst, Trumpet (12)

Alicia Menduni, Horn (10)

Ryan Onatzevitch, Trumpet (12)

Swaroop Pujari, Alto Sax (10)

On Friday 11/9, the YHS Jazz Band traveled to NYC to see the big band at the legendary Birdland Jazz Club. Ms. Kluga was so pleased with the whole experience for our students; the band was fabulous, and Mr. Childers, our new MESMS 7&8^th grade band director, was a wonderful host. Mr. Childers plays sax in the Birdland band and introduced many of his fellow musicians to our students, which was a real treat!  Thank you to our awesome parent chaperones for helping make this experience a success for our students!

Similar to NYSSMA, YHS Jazz Band students are eligible to audition for our Westchester All County Jazz Band.  Being selected is an elite musical honor and a fantastic opportunity to perform with some of Westchester’s most talented student jazz musicians!  Interested students should prepare a jazz NYSSMA solo, fill out an application and attend the audition.   You do not need to improvise to audition. Please see Ms. Kluga for solo literature and an application.  The audition date is Saturday 1/5. The application is DUE to Ms. Kluga by Friday, 12/14.

Application is available: AC-Jazz-Student-Application-2019

A reminder regarding our spring festival trip dates (which were outlined in the YHS Band Handbook back in September). Please make sure they are included on your family calendar.

CONCERT BAND: our festival trip is SAT. 5/11.  5am-10pm. Chaperones needed. Details to follow.

WIND ENSEMBLE: our festival trip is FRI 4/5 – SUN 4/7 2019. Details to follow.

Many thanks to everyone who helped make this weekend a success!  After sorting through and organizing mountains of “stuff” Friday afternoon and evening (the donations were truly overwhelming, thank you so much!!), we kicked off our sale at 9am Saturday and, despite the weather, enjoyed a steady stream of customers throughout the day.  In all we made over $3,500 in profit (and the special band, choir, and orchestra memories, of course, were priceless…)  None of this would have been possible without your help and support; many thanks to all who donated items, refreshments, or your valuable time to help make this endeavor a success! 

Also, many special thanks to band parents Kelly Bard, Adriana Beaudreault, MariaElaina Cirone, Laura Lee Milhaven, Theresa Ryan-Onatzevitch, Lisa Statler, Jennifer Weitman and Deborah Woodard for their tireless organizational, logistical, and advertising expertise!!  

SPECIAL THANKS to band parent Theresa Ryan-Onatzevitch and orchestra parent Melissa Montaruli for their amazing work organizing all of the parent volunteers and working out so many of our logistical and planning details behind the scenes.  In addition, SPECIAL THANKS to Adriana Beaudreault for securing bountiful food donations for our volunteers, Stacey Warren for securing the local charity Green Drop, to whom we donated all our remaining items, and to Lisa Statler for securing the WHUD Family Fun Crew to attend out event!

Some reminders as we head into our LAST WEEK of this, our largest fundraiser.  Last year, we sold 1,620 boxes. We hope to beat that goal this year, with your help!

**ALL CITRUS FORMS AND PAYMENTS ARE DUE IN CLASS WEDNESDAY 10/31**

IF YOU SOLD TO A YCSD EMPLOYEE ON OUR CAMPUS (YHS, MESMS, ADMIN), we ask that you please fill out an online form that will help us sort these orders. The link can be found on your student’s Dashboard, or here:  citrusform.yhsbands.com

WOULD YOU LIKE TO PURCHASE A BOX OF CITRUS TO DONATE TO A LOCAL FOOD PANTRY? Purchase a box to be delivered to YHS, and e-mail Ms. Kluga with the type of box you ordered and your intent to donate. Boxes will be delivered to the food pantry by the Menduni Family – thank you!

CITRUS COUNTING HELP NEEDED THIS WEEK

We are looking for parent volunteers to help us tally our orders during the school day on Wednesday 10/31, Thursday 11/1 and Friday 11/2 from 7:15-9:00am and from 12:30 – 2:15pm.  If you are interested/able to be a part of these monumental counting sessions, please e-mail Ms. Kluga.

PLEASE SAVE THESE CITRUS DATES! 

* Your order forms and payments are due in class on Thursday 11/1. 

* Our TONS of citrus will be delivered Monday 12/17.  Your student is responsible for picking up their entire order between 2:30 and 7:00pm at YHS.

A reminder regarding our spring festival trip dates (which were outlined in the YHS Band Handbook back in September). Please make sure they are included on your family calendar.

CB parents and students: our festival trip will be SATURDAY 5/11/19.  5am-10pm. Chaperones needed. Details to follow.

WE parents and students: our festival trip will be FRIDAY 4/5 – SUNDAY 4/7. Details to follow.

Many thanks to all band students who supported our Varsity Football team this season!  Our community appreciates your time, enthusiasm, and the spirit your music adds to our games