We are now accepting application for the 2025-26 EWS Grade 7 Band! The email below was sent to parents and guardians of grade 6 students last week:

Dear Parent and Guardians

The grade 6 students were an excellent audience at the band presentation on Friday, and I hope that we were able to answer most of their questions about the East Wiltshire Band program. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if any further questions arise.

We are now accepting band program applications.  We ask that application forms be completed online, or printed and returned to the main office at East Wiltshire, by Friday, May 23^rd.

There are many benefits associated with being involved in a school music program. Students are given the opportunity to learn new skills, meet new friends, participate in field trips and other extra-curricular events, and develop their ability to work as a team.  Students in the band program also learn to persevere when practice and patience are required to achieve their goals.

Many of our current band students are members of school sports teams, and a large percentage of students are also enrolled in our French Immersion program.  We want our students to be involved in many aspects of school life, and we do our best to facilitate student participation in athletics, extracurricular activities, and academic programs. Being a member of the school band is enjoyable and rewarding, and we would love to see lots of applications to our grade 7 band program this year!

A few facts about our program:

• Grade seven rehearsals will be held once a week (Tuesdays),  from 7:35-8:45 a.m. Students must be able to provide their own transportation to early morning band rehearsals.

• Students who are accepted in the EWS band program will be given the opportunity to attend  band camp in late August. Registration forms for band camp will be made available once the application and acceptance process has been completed. *Englewood students who already have at least a year of playing experience are not required to attend the beginner band camp but may wish to consider registering for the full day camp (during the same week) at the intermediate level.

• The band program is a three-year course of study which includes a required extra-curricular component, and students are asked to carefully consider whether or not they can make this commitment before applying to the program. Due to scheduling constraints, withdrawals from the band program during the school year cannot be accommodated.

• Students will be given the opportunity to submit their first, second and third choice of instruments once their initial applications have been received.

Click below to apply ONLINE:

2025 East Wiltshire Band Program Application Form (Google Form)

Click below for a PRINTABLE version of the application form

2025 East Wiltshire Band Program Application Form (PRINT and Return to EWS)

Thank you, and I hope that your student will consider applying  to be a member of the EWS Grade 7 Band!

Kara Smith, Vice Principal

Alison Peters, Band Director

Happy Victoria Day! We will follow the regular early morning band schedule this week. The Spring Concert will be held on Tuesday, May 27th at 7:00 pm, so this will be our final full week of early morning rehearsals!

Tuesday, May 20th: Grade 7 early am band

Wednesday, May 21st: Grade 8 early am band 

Thursday, May 22nd: Grade 9 early am band and Jazz Band after school from 3:00-4:00

*Tuesday, May 27th: Grade 7 early am band (the last early morning rehearsal for this school year!)

Happy Mother’s Day! I hope your children played a song on their band instruments for you today 😉

Our Spring Concert is scheduled for Tuesday, May 27th at 7:00 pm. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone there! The students have been working hard all year, and they have an excellent program ready to share.

Please note the change in our rehearsal schedule this week:

Tuesday, May 13th: Grade 7 early am band is canceled (as promised) due to the extra rehearsal last Thursday morning

Wednesday, May 14th: Grade 8 early am band

Thursday, May 15th: Grade 9 early am band and Jazz Band after school from 3:00-4:00

A few pictures from the pizza and ice cream party after the grade 7 band trip to Summerside on Thursday! The students performed very well and we had a great day!

The Jazz Band practiced after school, and they earned some ice cream as well 😊

There will be a concert tomorrow (Friday, May 9th) at East Wiltshire for grade 6 students from our feeder schools. All three EWS concert bands (7, 8, and 9) and the jazz band will perform. We will play some songs and demonstrate instruments for the students in our gym, and hopefully we will be able to answer any questions that they might have about being involved in the band program next year.

Students are reminded to bring their band instruments and music in the morning. This is an informal concert so uniforms are not required!

I received the final schedule for the Grade 7 Band Day last evening. There are bands from east to west participating, and it will be a great opportunity for our students to listen to their peers perform!

Grade 7 students are reminded that there will be an early morning band rehearsal on Thursday, and they should wear their uniforms to school.

We will have a short lunch break at 11:30 a.m., so students are asked to please bring nut-free snacks, a lunch, and something to drink (water is best). There will be no cafeteria access at Athena. A treat will be provided when we get back to school. The students voted yesterday for ice cream, so we will have gluten free and nut free ice cream treats in the cafeteria when we get back. Please send me an email if your student has any other dietary restrictions!

Students should be prepared to attend afternoon classes tomorrow after the ice cream party.

Beginner Band Day at Athena Consolidated School

Thursday, May 8, 2025

Large Set-up (25-64)     Small Set-up (10-23)

10:15-11:30am

1.  Athena 2. Hernwood

~switch~

   3. Queen Charlotte 4. MECallaghan

~switch~

   5. Birchwood 6.  Ecole Francois Buote

~switch~

   7.  Stonepark 8.  Georgetown

11:30-11:50am   *LUNCH BREAK*

11:50am-12:30pm

   9.  East Wiltshire 10.  Morell

~switch~   

11. SIS 12.  Vernon River

This Thursday it’s the grade 7 band’s turn to head out for a field trip! The annual PEI Beginning Band Day showcase will be held at Athena Consolidated School in Summerside. Mrs. Smith, Ms. Ferguson and Ms. Borman will be coming with us as chaperones and, as always, we expect our band students to be excellent representatives of East Wiltshire School.

I haven’t received a schedule for the event yet, but typically we leave EWS at 9:00 am and return before 2:00 pm.

*If there are any parents, grandparents or other volunteers who might be available to help transport a few of our larger instruments to Summerside please let me know (ampeters@edu.pe.ca). Thank you!

A few things to remember:

• Each student is responsible for making sure that they take their own  music, instrument and any supplies needed for the performance (reeds, valve oil, etc.) to Summerside.
• Students are asked to please wear their uniforms including band vests (with white, long sleeve shirts), black pants, and dark shoes to early morning band practice on Thursday. No blue jeans or ripped jeans, please. Black jeans, solid black athletic pants, or yoga pants are fine.
• We will travel by school bus, and we will leave East Wiltshire at approximately 9:00 a.m. on Thursday following our rehearsal. Appropriate school bus behaviour is expected on the ride to Summerside.
•  Students are expected to listen attentively (without causing distractions of any kind) when other bands are performing. Cell phones are not to be used at Athena Consolidated School.
•  Please be aware that chaperones cannot be responsible for the loss or theft of any items during the field trip.
• Students are responsible for catching up on any school work they miss during the day. 

Details about lunch and our exact return time will be provided once I receive the final schedule for the event.

Tuesday, May 6th: Grade 7 am band

Wednesday, May 7th: Grade 8 am band

Thursday, May 8th: Grade 7 early am band (Grade 9 am band is canceled) and field trip to participate in Beginning Band Day at Athena Consolidated in Summerside (details to follow)

Thursday, May 8th: 3:00-4:00: Jazz Band

Friday, May 9th: Concert for Grade 6 students from our feeder schools in the EWS gym. Grade 7, 8, and 9 concert bands and the jazz band will perform (details to follow)

We had a fantastic trip to New Brunswick and the grade 9 band students performed very well at Mount Allison University and Montgomery Street School in Fredericton. Have a great weekend everyone!!

There will be a grade 9 early morning band rehearsal tomorrow (Monday) morning as was previously posted and announced in class.

Tuesday, April 29th: Grade 7 early am Band (7:45-8:45)

Rehearsals on Wednesday and Thursday are canceled due to the Grade 9 Band Trip!