Belton Middle School Band

Here are a few details regarding our World’s Finest Chocolate Fundraiser that starts this Tuesday.  Students must turn in this parent permission slip before they will be checked out chocolate.  

• Starting on Tuesday, students can check out their first box of chocolate to sell.  Please help them understand that we are loaning them $60 worth of chocolate per box when we do this, and the $60 must be turned in using the envelope provided in each box before we will check them out more chocolate.  

• Each day starting at 3:35pm, students may come to the Band Hall to check out their box.  They must have permission from their STRIPES teacher to do so, and we will inform the teachers of this.  Students should be patient as we have many students participating from all 3 grade levels, and each student must sign out their box.

• Students CANNOT sell chocolate at school from the hours of 7:00am to 4:00pm as per state nutrition guidelines.  If a student is attending an after-school event after 4:00pm on campus and wishes to sell chocolate there, they MUST keep their box in their band locker during the school day.  Students caught walking around during school with their chocolate box will be discontinued from the fundraiser.

• Cash or checks made out to BMS with a valid phone number may used.  No coins, please.  Help them double-check to make sure there is a total of $60 in each envelope, and they write their name and the amount on the outside of the envelope. 

• Starting Wednesday, students should turn in their money envelope to a director BEFORE SCHOOL during their Advisory time from 7:30-8:05am before they report to 1st period.  We don’t want students walking around campus with their chocolate money in their backpack.  When a student turns in all $60 in their money envelope, they are eligible to check out another box at 3:35pm that same day.  We encourage all of our students to sell at least 2 boxes of chocolate.  

• Parents may send a written note with their student or send us an email if they wish to check out more than one box at a time.  This is with the understanding that we will NOT accept any opened boxes of chocolate, and that each box checked out must have $60 returned by Wednesday, December 2.

• Starting on Wednesday, a drawing from those who have turned in their chocolate money will be done every A day for five $20 bills.  The grand prize will be done after Wednesday, December 2 for those students who have turned in all of their money for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place sellers to win $100, $80, and $40, respectively.  Students must turn in all of their money to be eligible for cash prizes.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and we hope your student decides to participate as we are a new band program at a new school with very little in our Activity account.  This fundraiser will be used for student awards and band activities.  Let us know if you have any questions.

Starting on Tuesday, we will be selling World’s Finest Chocolate as our fundraiser to help build up our Band Activity Account for student awards and band activities. Click here to find the parent permission form that is due Monday, November 16 in order to check out chocolate on Tuesday, November 17. Please read all of the details on the form before signing up.

We encourage all of our students to participate, and email a director if you have any questions.

Band Social on Thursday, November 19 from 5-7pm at Lion’s Park in Temple combined with the South Belton Band. All students and chaperones must wear a mask and observe social distancing. Please bring $5 by Monday the 16th that includes pizza, chips, and a drink. Also, bring outside game activities, such as horseshoes, footballs, frisbees, etc. Hope to see you there!

Recently, members of the Belton Middle School Band competed in the TMEA All-Region Auditions.  This was done in a virtual format with students recording 3 scales and 2 musical studies they have been preparing since August for the competition.  These were then judged anonymously and each student was ranked along with all other band students from all of the middle schools in Belton, Bryan, and College Station.  

We are proud to announce that 16 of our students earned spots in the honor group!  We also had one more student earn a spot as 1st Alternate as honorable mention.  Please help me congratulate the following students:

From the flute section, Abigail I. placed 10th out of 26 flutes.  From the clarinet section, Avery R. placed 13th out of 24 clarinets.  In the saxophone section, Olivia B. placed FIRST out of 16 alto saxophones.  John P. placed 6th, and Noelle D. placed 8th.

From the trumpet section, Chris V. placed 17th out of 41 trumpets.  In the French horn section, Jane G. placed 9th out of 21 horns.  In the trombone section, Pablo U. placed FIRST out of 26 trombones.  Alyssa V. placed 6th, and David S. placed 10th.  David is a 2-Year All-Region member.  Kyan P. placed 11th out of 26 trombones.  From the euphonium section, Mallory L. placed 5th out of 11 euphoniums.

In the percussion section, Alyssa N. placed 2nd out of 35 percussionists, and Grant C. placed 3rd.  Brennan L. placed 10th, and Diego S. placed 13th.  Grace L. placed 17th and serves as the 1st Alternate in the percussion section.  

Thank you for recognizing our superior musicians!

Please note that the message below is only intended for select members of the Wind Ensemble:

We are excited that it is finally time for this year’s prestigious TMEA All-Region Band Auditions on Saturday, October 31!  The students have worked very hard on their scales and etudes since the start of school, and now they finally get to see how they measure up to the competition!  This is the most individually-competitive event we do all year, and the students compete with middle schools from Belton, Bryan, and College Station.  Students that makeRegion Band are considered state-ranked within Texas middle schools!

Parents should sign up their student for a time slot using Sign-Up Genius at this link: https://tinyurl.com/y5jrl8h7 no later than this Wednesday, October 28.  These times range from 10:00am to 5:00pm at Belton Middle School.  Students should arrive at the side Cafeteria entrance under the awning (by the bus loop) 30 minutes before their recording time.  This will allow them to get focused, warm-up, and tune in the Cafeteria before their time slot.  Students should take their instrument home with them the day before (Friday) so as to not disturb the recording sessions already in progress in the Band Hall.

If the student plays a woodwind instrument (flute, oboe, bassoon, clarinet, or saxophone) they should report to the Orchestra Room promptly at their designated recording time.  Brass instruments (trumpet, horn, trombone, euphonium, or tuba) should report to the Band Hall.  Percussion students should report to the Ensemble Room.  A director will meet each student at that place and time and help them make 5 recordings: 1. First Scale, 2. Second Scale, 3. Chromatic Scale, 4. First Etude, and 5. Second Etude.  The first and second scales should be announced by the judges before Saturday (hopefully).

This recording session is considered a performance, and will be taken as a major grade using the following rubric:

—Be Punctual – arrive at the Cafeteria 30 minutes before your scheduled time slot, and be on time to your recording room for your audition (25 points)

—Be Prepared – have all of your music, instrument, and supplies ready to go ahead of time.  Make sure that your instrument is in good working order, including broken-in reeds and valves that have been oiled ahead of time (25 points)

—Be Prepared – wear school-appropriate attire when you enter the build.  Do not wear hats so you don’t interfere with the playing of your instrument or the recording (25 points)

—Be Disciplined – both in the practicing of your instrument and in your behavior at all times, including the Cafeteria, hallways, and recording room (25 points)

Thank you ahead of time for your support of our band students.  If you have any questions or conflicts, please contact Mr. Pulley ASAP.  We wish all of our students the best of luck as they make final preparations for this year’s All-Region auditions.