Band Week 1 Update

Good morning!

First big update of the season!  Here we go!

1.  Rehearsal will be in the stadium on Thursday.  We will start after the football team is finished.  We will start rehearsal in the band room and practice everything that we do for a Friday Night..
2.  Snap Raise fundraiser is coming to a close on Saturday.  Please encourage your students to log in and make sure they have 20 emails that are in the system.  We have several who haven’t.  We don’t want to give the company more of our money raised than we have to.  Please take the time to have both your student and you share it on your social media pages.  We are very close to meeting our goal of $20000.

2.  Students will received the Band Show Shirt Order Forms on Monday.  The order form is also on the band website.  The show shirts are $18 for sizes S-XL and $20 for 2-3X.  Please make sure you fill out the order form completely and turn it in with your order.  All checks will be payable to Soddy-Daisy HS Band Boosters.  Students will turn in order forms to the payment box in the band room.  Orders will be filled as they come in.  NO ONLINE ORDERS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

3.  In the near future, you will get a text message from a program called CutTime.  This is the band’s accounting software.  You will be able to log in and review all payments and charges to your student’s account.  Please do so and let me know if you have any issues or concerns.  It is possible I missed a payment, so please send me an email if there is an issue and we will get it worked out.  

4.  Online Marching Band Fee Payments MUST BE MADE THROUGH THE BAND WEBSITE (Givebacks).  The Cuttime software is something the band uses and is not affiliated with the district.  Your Cuttime account will say that Online Payments are disabled.  They are not, you just have to go through the band webpage or the Soddy Daisy HS Givebacks site to make them.   

5.  If you decide to pay online through Givebacks, please understand that I do not get any notifications that you have done so.  I have to request a copy of all transactions that are posted to the account monthly.  I try to do this at the end of every month.  You will receive a message, either through text or email, that will be your student’s account statement on the 1st of every month if you have an outstanding balance.  You can edit any preferences in the Cuttime program on how you wish to receive it and update any information that isn’t correct.

6.  Marching Shoes and Gloves have been ordered for the season.  Students who are new or needed new marching shoes will be given those once they arrive.  The cost of these shoes is $50.  You will see this charge on your account if your student ordered shoes.  Gloves are provided by the band boosters each year as part of your band fee and each student will be given a new pair before the first Home Game where we wear uniforms.

7.  Chaperone signups are available on the band website and have been sent out through email.  Please see the Signup Genius on the band website to sign up to chaperone.  Please make sure that you have filled out all appropriate paperwork through Ham. Co. Schools before signing up to chaperone.  

8.  Concessions signups for the first home football game went out via email and are posted on the band website under the Booster Info Tab.  Please make sure to check what night your student’s section is supposed to work.  It takes a small army of people to run our concession stand.  It is also one of our most successful fundraisers for the year.   Please do your part and help us make sure that Carlye has plenty of help this year for our concession stand.  She does a great job!!

9.  FIRST FOOTBALL GAME IS THIS FRIDAY!!!  The Men of Troy battle White Co. on Friday Night at 8pm.  Dress for students for the game is their Summer Uniform (Band Show Shirt, Black Shorts, Black Socks, Tennis Shoes).  Call time for the game will be at 6:00pm.  This is the only game with this late a kickoff as the team is coming from Central Time Zone. The band will line up to march to the stadium at 7:15pm.  We will play the National Anthem at 7:45pm and the game will start at 8:00pm.  Just a reminder, no outside members are allowed inside the band section during the game.  This includes parents and siblings.  Students are not allowed to eat during the game unless directed to do so by the band director.  Students will be provided a water after pregame is over and then again after halftime.  Students are allowed to request additional waters if needed during the game.  Please do not provide your student with drinks from the concession stand or other outside places during the game unless you would like to provide these for the entire band program.

10.  Just a reminder for students, we do not allow students to go anywhere in our stadium or other stadiums by themselves.  They must always have a buddy.  This is for the protection of your child.  Please help us in making sure your student remains safe by making sure they uphold this policy.

11.  After the game is over, students will line up and march back to the band room.  This is to make sure we get all of the students to the band room at the same time, makes sure all students are accounted for, and gives the staff the opportunity to talk to our students about important information before releasing them for the weekend.  We ask that parents wait outside the band room until after students are released from this meeting.  Parents may enter the band room once the doors are reopened as the students are hanging their uniforms up.  All students must be released by their section leaders before they are allowed to leave for the evening.  The section leaders must check their uniforms and make sure they are all accounted for and hung up correctly.  Any student who leaves before the section leader gives their ok to leave will result in their entire section having to wait until all of the band’s uniforms are checked at the next ballgame before leaving.  

12.  COME OUT AND SUPPORT YOUR STUDENT FRIDAY NIGHT!!!  These kids have worked incredibly hard to be able to learn a show, multiple pieces of music to play in the stands, and want to be able to show off their talents to you and the community.  Please come out and cheer them on as well as the other students who will be at the football games each Friday night.  The football team, cheerleaders, and band program make up a unique team of students who provide the fun and pageantry that make Friday Night Football what it currently is in our country.  Please know that your students and all students, want you there and want you to support them and their endeavors.  Show your support for the hard work they put in.  It creates a strong community atmosphere and gives our teams, students, and coaches the ability to have the one thing that every school, team, and community want during a sports season…….HOMEFIELD ADVANTAGE!  We have the best kids, the best stadium, and we need you to help make this year, the best atmosphere in HS Football!  Come out and join us!  

Just a reminder, it takes ALL OF US, ALL THE TIME, Trusting the Process, to Make It Better!!  Come be a part of the Trojan Nation!!

Joshua Light
Director of Bands
Soddy Daisy High School
Fine Arts Department Chair
ETSBOA Band Audition Chair
Cell: 423-742-0268
Office: 423-332-8828
Fax: 423-332-8831
[email protected]