As part of our Swing Dance, we hold a really amazing raffle.  Each year we ask families and local businesses for prize donations, which are then organized into themed baskets.  Are you interested in helping with the raffle or donating items?  Read on below and contact parent raffle coordinator Anne McKeown ([email protected]).

1. Each year we have a “grand prize.” Is there anyone in our current YHS Band Family that has a connection that could be used? Some ideas (grand prize, and otherwise) from our raffle committee are:
2. Tickets to concerts or sporting events
3. A weekend away at a timeshare
4. Personal chef for an evening dinner party
5. College essay help / tutoring help
6. Any other business offering or idea

2. If you do have a business contact that would be willing to support our event, a letter is attached (on official YHS Band letterhead) outlining the donation process.

3. Do you have wicker gift baskets you are not using?  Our raffle committee would love to use them!  They will fill and wrap the baskets with prize items.  Please send baskets into school by Friday 2/2.

4. The raffle committee is looking for  these “filler” items for the baskets.

• Boxes of tea
• Honey with a swizzle stick
• Salad accessories
• Postage Stamps
• Coffee
• Pillar candles
• Coffee mugs
• Travel mugs
• Valentine accessories/candy etc.
• Popcorn kernels or bags of popcorn
• Jewelry tree(s)
• Car accessories (air freshener, iPhone holders,  deicer, snow brush etc)
• YHS “swag” to go with graduation tickets
• Gourmet popcorn
• ice cream accessories (scoops, bowls, sprinkles etc.)

We have many homemade decorations planned for our event and will need lots of help to create them!  All students are invited:

1. To help decorate the gym on Saturday 2/10 from 9:00am – 4:00pm.
2. To CLEAN UP from 10:30-11:30pm.

Sign-up sheets for all above dates and times are available in the band room.  As always, students will receive extra credit for their extra efforts!  Thank you in advance for donating your time to make our event a success for our learning community, and our greater Yorktown Heights community!

Get into the “swing” of things and have fun dressing up in 1940’s garb!

In lieu of the usual concert black, Swing Era attire is encouraged!  Below are some ideas.

Boys 

Usual Concert Attire: Black pants, long sleeved button down black shirt, black shoes, black socks

AND/OR Swing Additions: fedora hats, suspenders, solid color or pin striped shirts, colorful ties, spats, jackets.

Girls

Usual Concert Attire: Black top (appropriate neck-line, no spaghetti straps or sleeveless tops), black skirt or dress (appropriately below the knee), or black pants.

AND/OR Swing Additions: Girls are welcome to wear any color 1940’s style dress as long as it has an appropriate neckline, sleeves, and falls below the knee.  Other ideas are: swing-y skirts, polka dots, pin-curls, a flower in their hair, seamed stockings, saddle shoes, 1940’s style hat and gloves.

Please be aware that the Swing Dance Snow Date is Saturday 2/17.

On Monday, February 26^th at 6:00pm, the YCSD Band Program will hold its 5^th Annual Town-Wide Band Concert (a.k.a. BANDAPALOOZA!) in the YHS Gym.  All band students grades 5-12 will participate.  This is a wonderful experience for all of our students – fostering positive relationships between all levels, and allowing our youngest band students and parents to see the full progression of our band program.

As in years past, due to fire codes and the possibility of exceeding the maximum gym capacity, we ask that YHS band parents and families please not attend this concert as audience members.  We apologize for this and thank you for your understanding.  (If it is any consolation, the YHS Concert Band and Wind Ensemble students will each be performing a selection that you will already have heard at our Swing Dance).  However, we do need parent volunteers.  If you are interested in helping us achieve this intensely logistical feat, we would love your help!  Please e-mail Mrs Kluga.

Our next concert performance is Saturday 2/10/18 at 7:00, in the YHS GYM.  This is our 10^th annual Swing Dance and Concert.  All YHS Band students are required to attend.  It is both a concert, and a dance, and everyone is invited! This is a well-attended and fun evening for our entire Yorktown community (last year we had audience members ages 2 – 92!).

What: Valentine’s Swing Dance Concert

When: Saturday 2/10

Time: Dance Lesson 7-8pm / Music and Dancing 8-10:30pm

Where: YHS Gym

Cost: $10 for adults / $5 for students and seniors.  Tickets sold at the door.  YHS Band students are free.

FLYER ATTACHED!

A flyer advertising our Swing Dance is attached.  Please feel free to post at your place of work, place of worship, or anywhere you think people would be interested.

PARENT HELP NEEDED

As usual, many parent volunteers will be needed to make this evening a success.  Please look for an e-mail from parent organizer Margaret Serafin with ways you can sign up to help.

As part of our Swing Dance, we hold a really amazing raffle.  Each year we ask families and local businesses for prize donations, which are then organized into themed baskets.  Are you interested in helping with the raffle?  Here is how:

1. Each year we have a “grand prize.” For the past bunch of years, a local family very generously donated 4 Knicks tickets – but now that family has graduated and moved on.  Is there anyone in our current YHS Band Family that has a connection that could be used? Some ideas (grand prize, and otherwise) from our raffle committee are:
2. Tickets to concerts or sporting events
3. A weekend away at a timeshare
4. Personal chef for an evening dinner party
5. College essay help / tutoring help
6. Any other business offering or idea

2. If you do have a business contact that would be willing to support our event, a letter is attached (on official YHS Band letterhead) outlining the donation process.

3. Do you have wicker gift baskets you are not using?  Our raffle committee would love to use them!  They will fill and wrap the baskets with prize items.  Please send baskets into school by Friday 2/2.

Get into the “swing” of things and have fun dressing up in 1940’s garb! For reference, some photos from last year are attached.

We have many homemade decorations planned for our event and will need lots of help to create them!  All students are invited:

1. To help decorate the gym on Saturday 2/10 from 9:00am – 4:00pm.
2. To CLEAN UP from 10:30-11:30pm.

Please be aware that the Swing Dance Snow Date is Saturday 2/17

If you do not have any plans on Friday 2/23 (over winter break), you NEED to see this concert! Google the Mnozil Brass and watch some of their performances – they are both hilarious entertainers and virtuosic musicians.  I just purchased my tickets. More information here: https://salvationarmyuse.

On Monday, February 26th, the YCSD Band Program will hold its 5^th Annual Town-Wide Band Concert (a.k.a. BANDAPALOOZA!) in the YHS Gym.  All band students grades 5-12 will participate.  This is a wonderful experience for all of our students – fostering positive relationships between all levels, and allowing our youngest band students and parents to see the full progression of our band program.

As in years past, due to fire codes and the possibility of exceeding the maximum gym capacity, we ask that YHS band parents and families please not attend this concert as audience members.  Ms. Kluga apologizes for this and thank you for your understanding.  (If it is any consolation, the YHS Concert Band and Wind Ensemble students will each be performing a selection that you will already have heard at our Swing Dance).  However, we do need parent volunteers.  If you are interested in helping us achieve this intensely logistical feat, we would love your help!  Please e-mail Ms. Kluga.

Our unit on the music of the Swing Era is a quick 6 weeks. Professional recordings of the weekly lesson homework assignments are posted on the YHS Band Dashboard to guide at home practice.  Extra help sessions are available weekly after school.  Students should see Ms. Kluga for an appointment. Ms. Kluga’s goal is for all students to experience success – please let Ms. Kluga know how she can help.

We are almost ready to post our Winter Concert recordings.  Ms. Kluga is still hopeful that someone has a recording (video or audio) of:

Sparks (Concert Band’s 2^nd song)

Jazz Christmas Medley (Saxophone Ensemble #2)

Chanukah Festival Overture (the CB&WE combined ensemble’s 1^st song)

If you do, please send it to Ms. Kluga!  Ms. Kluga feels terrible that we encountered a technical glitch and are missing these songs – she would like to post a complete concert recording with all ensembles represented, for all to enjoy.