• HELLO PARENTS AND SUPPORTERS!

    This is a reminder that there will be a parent meeting on September 12, 2023, at 6:30 pm in the Saraland High School Band Room.

    We still have t-shirts available, and they will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. They are $20. Checks should be made out to Saraland High School Band.

    THIS IS A RECAP FROM OUR FIRST MEETING THAT WAS SENT OUT ON AUGUST 15 FOR YOUR VIEWING. SEE YOU ALL NEXT WEEK!

    Meeting Agenda:

    T- Shirt orders are due:

    • All T shirts orders have been submitted and should be in prior to the first football game. As soon as we receive them, we will distribute them to the students that sold them. Platinum Sponsors shirts will also go out at the same time. If you didn't get a chance to order, there will be some extras for sale after all orders are filled and finalized.


    Fall Calendar (Rehearsals, Contests, Games):

      • Mr. Davidson is working to get everyone access to the google calendar. This process has taken longer than expected due to having to input each email instead of being able to share with a large group or use a copy/paste option. A remind Message will be sent out once it is believed to be resolved. Thanks.
      • Rehearsals will continue to be on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday after school until 4:30. We know that it is hot, and we are doing everything to help keep your students safe in the heat. Please make sure they are drinking water and eating well when they aren't in the heat. Once all the Drill for the halftime show is on the field, Monday rehearsals will cease.
      • Contests have been set for the season and are as follows:
      • September 30, 2023- Gautier High School Marching Contest (Gautier, MS) 
      • October 14, 2023- South Alabama Marching Championships (University of South Alabama, Hancock Whitney Stadium)
      • October 28, Brewton High School (Brewton, AL)
      • Please note that the contest schedule has changed. We decided to move contest that was scheduled for October 21 due to it being a BYE WEEK. This will allow students to have the Friday and Saturday off that week. *PLEASE NOTE that contests are what these students live for. They want to go and compete against other bands, guards, percussionists, and dance teams. These contests are required and are counted as a portion of their grade. If there is a scheduling issue, please let Mr. Davidson know ASAP. Thanks
      • Games can be viewed in the google calendar as well. There is even a breakdown of what is going on before the games, what the students will eat for dinner each night, and an address for the location of the away games. Use this information to your advantage.

    Fees:

    • Fees need to be paid and kept up to date. Sponsorships have ended due to shirts and plaques being ordered already. All Class fees ($50) should be paid online through the schools PAYPAMS account. All other fees, such as uniforms, Senior Banner ($80), Shoes ($40), and band booster fees should be paid by check, cash, or money order to Mr. Davidson. Make Checks payable to Saraland High School Band.


    Concession Stand Planning:

    • The concession stand at football games is the biggest supporter of the Spartan Sound and is the only way we can keep fees so low and still do so much for our students, Travel, Meals, Private Instruction, etc. These monies also help support the students well beyond the marching band season. Please sign up to work one Varsity Football game during the season. IF every Parent would do so, everyone could just work 1 game for the entire season. You may sign up by contacting Jill Averett via Facebook, Text, or the parent group chats. Mr. Harrison is printing I.D. Badges will be assigned to concession volunteers this year. We hope to give those out to the parents at the end of Thursday rehearsals.  These badges will get you in the gate, parking, and no questions asked. They will be taken up at the end of every game so they can be used again in the future.  
    • Students can work the SMS, 9th Grade, and JV Games to earn service hours if they need them for other clubs/organizations. This also serves as a time for the students to hang out and get to know one another. These dates are also on the Google Calendar. 
    • ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 19, 2023, WE (and our director of concession operations, Liesl Langley) will tidy up the concession stand starting at 8am for the upcoming season and make sure everything is ready to go for our ESPN Home Opener. If we have 15-20 people to help do this, it will make short and easy work of the tasks for that morning. We will also stock the concession stand on Tuesday afternoon on August 22 immediately after marching band rehearsal.


    Spring Trip:

    I am attaching the commitment form for the trip to this email. Here are a couple of things to note.

    1. ALL PAYMENTS will be made to Saraland High School Band. We will then send the lump payments to American Travel Network. DO NOT try to pay them directly. They will not accept your payment. By doing some of the work and keeping track of totals for the company, we can get a much better price for the trip.
    2. Chaperones must be 25 years or older. Chaperones are also subject to background checks and relationship status to their particular student that they are attending with. Chaperones will not be assigned to rooms with children that they don't know or haven't been cleared by the parents to room with. 
    3. No younger siblings will be allowed on the bus to travel with the band. They may go on the trip and may also pay for the same included packages as the band, but they will need to seek alternate travel to the destination as well as back and forth from the hotel to the parks each day.
    4. The amount per guest varies depending on how many people are in their room unit. Students will be able to sign the Rooming list in September/October and we will have it all sorted out before the Christmas holiday. This will be proofed by the parents as well.
    5. The amount for the trip does not include travel. We will be providing our own travel separate from the Travel company. This allows us to get it for cheaper. However, it will result in an additional $100 per participant to cover the cost of Charter Buses. So please keep that in mind. 
    6. Be mindful of the payment schedule. The dates on the page are for you to follow and submit payments. Shortly after those dates, American Travel will be sending Mr. Davidson and invoice that will need to be paid.

     

    If you have any questions regarding any of the above information, please reach out, and we will answer them as quickly as possible. I assure you that you aren't the only one with questions. Thanks for all you do! We are looking forward to a wonderful year with the Spartan Sound!