Our fall sales campaign is ready to launch and we are excited to be one of the first schools to partner with Anne of Green Gables Chocolates in presenting a new fundraiser to support the East Wiltshire School band program.

Our campaign launches today and ends on Friday, October 20th. This year’s campaign is paperless; 100% of the orders will be made online through an easy to use, secure platform. Be sure to select the student you wish to support before checking out. All student participants will be entered into a draw for an All Occasion Gift Basket at the end of the campaign.

Orders will be delivered to the school on November 3rd and sent home with sellers to distribute to their supporters. Thank you for supporting the East Wiltshire band program!

Please click on this link to place orders: Anne’s Chocolates: EWS Fundraiser

You may also wish to copy and share this link with your friends and families: https://www.efundrs.com/fundraiser/wpvh8smcm3cy150m3r9fmyfw

Or use the orange SHARE button on the website to post directly to social media.

Thank you for your support!

There has been strong interest in the Mt. A Junior Honor Band day which is fantastic. I just wanted to send a reminder that the deadline is tomorrow, and I will be submitting my recommendations to Mt. A in the afternoon. If there are any students who have been absent this week, but would still like to be considered, please send me an email (ampeters@edu.pe.ca). Please note that students must be able to provide their own transportation to and from Mount Allison University on Saturday, October 14th in order to participate.

Thank you!

I apologize for the inconvenience, but early morning band has been cancelled for tomorrow morning. It was announced at school at 2:30 pm today, but please spread the word to anyone who may have missed hearing it. Thank you!

The following event has been shared by the Department of Music at Mount Allison University in Sackville, NB.

Grade 9 EWS band students (or advanced grade 8 students) who are interested in this enrichment opportunity are asked to see Mrs. Peters to pick up an application form on Monday.

Announcing Mount Allison’s Honour Band 2023!

Honour Band will take place on-campus Saturday October 14, 2023, with sectionals held online one week prior. Honour Band will again be one day only this year, as there is no accommodation available on campus. Cost is $35 per student. This event combines the finest students in the Maritimes with some of Mount Allison’s own music students, and will inspire and motivate your keenest players. Participants will be chosen based on the needs of the ensemble and the recommendation of the school band director or private music instructor.  

The 2023-24 school year is off to a great start in the band area! All three early morning band rehearsals were fantastic with students arriving in the band room on time (or early), and prepared to play with the full concert band! Thank you 

Please review the slideshow below for some general information about the band program. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Meet the Teacher Band Slideshow

I just wanted to let you know that the fall fundraiser for the band this year will be Anne of Green Gables Chocolates. We are excited to be selling quality, local products, and we hope that the campaign will be big success. More details will be posted soon, but I wanted to let you know early just in case you were going to be shopping for large quantities of chocolate this weekend!

Here is a sneak peek at the products students will have the opportunity to sell in early October to support extracurricular band travel and special events.

• Large All Occasion Baskets- $24.00
• Thank You Baskets- $12.00
• COW Sweet Treat Baskets- $15.00
• Cases of COW Chip Bars (24)- $72.00
• Cases of PEI Mix (12)- $36.00
• Cases of COW Chip Mini (18)- $55.00

This year the annual band fee will be $40 to help cover the rising cost of instrument repairs and maintenance. If you have more than one student enrolled in the East Wiltshire Band program the fee will be $50 for the family. The band fee is also used to help cover the cost of band supplies (reeds, sticks and mallets, valve oil, slide cream, cleaning cloths, tuning slide grease), festival registration fees, clinician fees, and band uniforms. The PSB provides band instruments for students to use for free (no monthly rental fee) through the school budget.  The PSB also supplies textbooks and sheet music for the band program. Fundraising activities will be held throughout the year to support educational field trips for band students.

Band fees can be paid any time now by cheque or cash. I will also be available during parent-teacher interviews in November to accept band fees if you’d prefer to pay at that time. The office is not set up to accept SchoolCash online payments for band fees at this time, but I will let you know if that changes.

* Please enclose payments in an envelope labeled “Band Fee” and also provide  the student’s name and class.  If envelopes are as hard to find at your house as they are at mine, you may choose to place the payment in a Ziplock bag with a note inside stating the same information.

We are off to a very positive start in the band program and we are ready to begin full band rehearsals this week.

The school doors will be open at 7:30 a.m. and students should allow themselves enough time to visit their lockers before coming to the band area. Students are asked to be in the band room ready to play at 7:40 a.m. . Please send me an email if your child is unable to attend a rehearsal so that I can record the absence as excused. Thank you!

Please note the schedule below:

Tuesdays, 7:40 a.m. Grade 7 early morning band (First rehearsal: Tuesday, September 19th). Grade 7’s should enter the building through the grade 7 doors.

Wednesdays, 7:40 a.m. Grade 8 early morning band (First rehearsal: Wednesday, September 20th)

Thursdays, 7:40 a.m. Grade 9 early morning band (First Rehearsal: Thursday, September 21st)

Grade 8-9 Jazz Ensemble: First Rehearsal: Wednesday, October 25th from 3:15- 4:15 p.m.

I am looking forward to meeting all of the new grade 7 band students this week and to welcoming back the grade 8 and 9 band students! 

I know there is a LOT of information being shared at this time of year, but here are a few notes to refer to as we begin to get the band program back in full swing:

Grade 7 students do not need to bring instruments to school on Thursday. Grade 7, 8 and 9 band students are asked to please bring instruments back to school on Friday if possible.

The school email address that I check on a regular basis is ampeters@edu.pe.ca

Band Blog: Students are always informed and reminded about upcoming band rehearsals and events, and they are responsible for being aware of the band schedule. In order to support students, parents are asked to please subscribe to the band blog in order to receive email notifications from me about upcoming events, rehearsal schedule, updates, etc. (see pictures below). 

Laptop, chrome book, or desktop:

Mobile Device (Phone/Tablet): Scroll way, way down to find this option

Google classroom is another tool that students will be using again this year to support their learning in the band program.  Every band class will have their own Google Classroom and every student will be given a code to join their classroom.  Assignments, due dates, and learning resources will be posted regularly in Google Classroom. 

Early Morning Band Schedule (Fall 2023)

Extra-curricular early morning band rehearsals will begin after we have completed a full 6 day cycle.  Please note the dates below.

Tuesdays, 7:45 a.m. Grade 7 early morning band (First rehearsal: Tuesday, Sept. 19th)

Wednesdays, 7:45 a.m. Grade 8 early morning band (First rehearsal: Wednesday, September 20th)

Thursdays, 7:45 a.m. Grade 9 early morning band (First Rehearsal: Thursday, September 21st)

Grade 8-9 Jazz Band:  To Be Announced

Students are asked to be in the band room ready to play at 7:45 a.m. on early am band days. The doors to the school will be open at 7:30 a.m. Please send me an email if your child is unable to attend a rehearsal so that I can record the absence as excused. Thank you!

Thank you for your past and future support in providing transportation for your children to early morning band classes!

Instruments

Students are responsible for the care and maintenance of their instruments throughout the year. Cleaning and maintenance protocols for each instrument will be reviewed with students in September. Students will be asked to adhere to safety guidelines by not touching or playing instruments other than their own, and by following the guidelines for cleaning their own instruments. 

Early Morning Band Cancellation Policy

There may be times when I have to cancel or reschedule extracurricular practices. I will always give you as much notice as I can when this happens.

A detailed outline of the early morning band cancellation policy can be found on the blog: https://eastwiltshireschoolband.com/cancellation-policy/

Band Concerts

Participation in band concerts is a highlight of the band experience, and attendance at scheduled performances is a required element of the East Wiltshire band program; please note concert dates as they are provided, and mark them in your calendars. If conflicts arise, please contact me in advance and we will work it out together.

I am looking forward to another great year with the East Wiltshire band students!