The band was amazing yesterday at the Bowling Green Regional Competition, placing 2nd in the Class AA prelims and 6th place overall in the finals.  

Here's some info on how they are ranked and what it means...

The top 10 scoring bands in the prelims (class does not matter) make it to the finals, and the bands in the finals are again ranked 1-10 without regard to class size.  Any band can sign-up to perform at the Bands of America (BOA) Regionals, there are no specific requirements or criteria that need to be met.

We got 6th place...what does that mean???  It means we got 6th place!!!  : )  I'll admit I don't understand all the ins and outs of the competitions, regionals, etc, but what I've learned is that you do not have to "qualify" to go to the larger competitions.  If we want to attend a BOA Regional or the BOA Grand National Championships we just sign up, any band is eligible.  If you ever have the opportunity to attend one of the larger competitions, you should go...at least once.  The caliber of bands that we compete with is incredible.  I guarantee you will be amazed at what high school marching band students can do.  You'll also be very proud of how our band stands up to the rest!

If you want to know all the rules...check out the BOA website: http://www.musicforall.org

So at a work meeting today we went around the room, introduced ourselves, and shared our favorite thing about fall...can you guess what I said?  Marching band, of course.  : )  There are lots of things I love about fall in Michigan, but right now, in this season (get it, season) of life, I love marching band!  Oh boy, if my husband were reading this he'd definitely be shaking his head!  So anyway...

For information about what bands are participating, ticket costs, maps, parking, etc, for the Bowling Green Regional this weekend check out this BOA website:
http://www.musicforall.org/what-we-do/boa-marching-championships/regionals/bowling-green-oh-regional

Another great website for general marching band info (invitational schedules, scores, which schools are participating in which invitational, etc) is http://www.michiganmarching.com

It's time for the first road trip of the fall.  The students are encouraged to dress up for school on Friday, and they have rehearsal after school from 3-5:30.  On Saturday morning they need to be at the school ready to warm up by 7:15.  

The band takes charter buses to the regional, state, and National competitions.  Since they've already left their uniforms at school, that's one less thing to remember in the early morning hours on Saturday.  Here are a list of some items that your student may want to bring along, none (except lunch money) are required:

1. blanket and/or pillow - most fall asleep on the way home
2. money for lunch
3.  snacks/drinks - please try not to send lots of sugary items...for obvious reasons
4.  electronics are OK, please send headphones if your child wants to listen to music
5.  appropriate movies - the bus has a dvd player, movies can be vetoed by chaperones
6.  books, homework, etc to keep them busy on the bus

If you haven't seen the Jenison Bands itinerary yet, it's on the Jenison Bands website under "News" or you can access it through the link below.
http://static1.squarespace.com/static/501bc84fc4aa651f100e4fff/t/5600585ee4b09bf305185a96/1442863198673/BOA+Bowling+Green+2015.pdf

Due to some scheduling conflicts, the marching band schedule has changed for Saturday, October 10 and Saturday, October 17.  The events are correct on the Band website and are posted here as well.  The Jenison Marching Band will no longer be attending the Belding Invitational.

Saturday, October 10 - Grandville Invitational
Saturday, October 17 - Marching band practice @ HS 9am-8pm

Looking for a place to find all the sign-up genius links?  Click "Get Involved" at the top of the page for a list of current opportunities.  You'll also find dates to help with set building and flag sewing on the same page.

It's almost here, the first competition of the season!  That detailed itinerary that I promised would come is now on the Jenison Bands website under the "News" headline.  I've also included a link here.
http://static1.squarespace.com/static/501bc84fc4aa651f100e4fff/t/55f33b37e4b0b4e8c77235ad/1442003767126/Rockford+itinerary+15.pdf

As you'll see on the itinerary, there is a note about cleaning the uniforms after the Rockford competition so they are ready for the next week's uniform inspections.  These inspections take place before the three big competitions (Bowling Green, State, and Indy).   Monday (Juniors & Seniors) or Tuesday (Freshmen & Sophomores), the week prior to each of these competitions, the students come to rehearsal in full uniform, socks and shoes included.  There are volunteers who inspect the uniforms to make sure all the pieces are present and clean and the shoes are shined.  Once they've passed inspection, the students pack their uniforms back into their garment bag and leave it at school.  Saturday morning it gets packed on the bus.  This is great because it means no last minute scrambling to make sure your student has everything they need (well at least not for their uniform).  ; )   

It's time to paint tarps!  If you are available this Saturday, September 12, join us in the Pals Gym (at the HS down the hallway just past the band room) to paint at 9am.  If you have them, please bring rollers, covers, and extension poles.  This is a big job and we need lots of help to get these important set pieces ready for the show!

Have you tried SCRIP yet?  In addition to the other fundraisers held by the band boosters each year, SCRIP is available almost every Monday night (even during the summer) from 6-8pm outside the band room at the high school.  If you've never heard of SCRIP or don't really understand what it is all about, here's a very basic tutorial.  While not for everyone, it's a great way to earn money for your student's band account without much effort.

How it works:
You purchase gift cards for retailers you already shop at such as Target, Meijer, Speedway, Home Depot...etc.  
Each retailer gives a percent of your purchase back into your account (2%, 3%, 16%...etc)
You use the gift card at the retailer just like you would normally use cash or a credit/debit card while shopping.

For Example:  Meijer gives 3% so for every $100 gift card I get from Meijer, I get $3 in my student's account.  Since I shop at Meijer frequently, This starts to add up.  If you add in other retailers like Target, your favorite gas station, restaurants, etc.  It adds up even faster.  

It's true, it is easiest to use SCRIP if you have some amount of flexible cash flow to play with.  However, with some careful saving you will be amazed at how quickly $ can add up in your account.  While some of the more frequently used retailers have relatively low percent returns, other companies offer more (Aeropostale 10%, Land's End 16%, Starbucks 7%, Cabela's 11% to name a few).  

There are a few ways to get SCRIP:
1,  Drop off your order at the SCRIP table on a Monday night, then pick it up the following Monday night.
2.  Place your SCRIP order online at www.shopwithscrip.com by 8pm Monday night and pick it up the following Monday night.
3.  Place a SCRIP Now! order online and have access to the gift card electronically almost immediately (only available for some retailers).  I use this whenever I can...I'm standing in line at Old Navy, I check on my phone to see if Old Navy has SCRIP Now! available and then I purchase it right there in line and it's available at the cashier through my phone.  Viola!
4, Some retailers (like Meijer) have reloadable cards.  You can reload these online and the $ is typically available within about 24 hours. 

There are hundreds of retailers to choose from.  Check out the website below to find all of the retailers available and to see if saving with SCRIP might be right for you.

https://www.shopwithscrip.com 

For more details on how SCRIP works:  https://www.shopwithscrip.com/Learn