Spirit of Herndon News
Message from the Director
Welcome to the “Spirit of Herndon Band”! I hope that everyone had a wonderful and restful summer vacation! On the first day back to school, all band students received a band department handbook and a packet of handouts. Thank you for returning these forms in a timely manner. I realize that parents are bombarded with many forms during the first week of school and that it takes a great deal of time and energy to complete all of them. For those of you who have not yet turned them in, it’s not too late! We are still in need of the information included in the handouts. If at any time you have a question, feel free to e-mail me at: Sharon.Bonneau@fcps.edu.
Welcome to a new school year filled with SUPERIOR music and lots of fun!
Recycle Your Ink Cartridges and Cell Phones
The HMS Band is recycling ink cartridges and cell phones. Each item earns money that can be used for instruments, music, and specialized instruction. Mailing envelopes are located in the band room, or just send them in with your child and we’ll take care of the rest. Thanks for contributing to our outstanding band program!
SOH Ice Cream Social - 10/22
Come and celebrate the beginning of the ’08-’09 band season with the SOH Ice Cream Social, October 22 from 2:30-3:30 in the cafeteria. This is a fun event for band students only, free to students who have turned in all their band forms.
Have Fun! Make your own Sundae! Door prizes awarded!
Herndon Homecoming - Saturday 10/18
Come out and see the "Spirit of Herndon" Marching Band participate in the annual Herndon Homecoming Parade and Football game on Saturday, October 18th. Eighty-six members of the Symphonic and Concert bands make up Fairfax County's ONLY official middle school marching band! The band will march down Elden Street to the center of Herndon, perform for the parade judges, and then be bussed to Herndon High School. The Marching Band will have lunch hosted by the High School band boosters and later practice with the "Pride of Herndon" High School Marching Band. Both bands will perform The National Anthem and the Herndon Fight Song on the field before the football game. The Parade starts at 9:30 am and the Football game starts at 1:00 pm.
Concert and Symphonic band members participating in marching band should review the extended story for parade and game details and schedule.
Individualized Instructors
Individualized instruction provides an excellent opportunity for student musicians to improve their skills and make the most possible musical progress. Interaction between a young musician and a skilled teacher provides a wealth of motivation and knowledge that can only be achieved through private instruction. Students at all levels can benefit from private lessons:
- Advanced musicians – advanced techniques and extra challenges are possible
- Average level – focus on the musical needs and progressive skills of the student
- Basic level – extra help or “catch up” with progress of band class or grade level
There are many private instructors in our area, and cost and length of lessons vary. The following is a list of local instructors who have worked well with students in the past.
HMS Band Email Lists
The HMS Bands program uses Yahoo! Groups to communicate important information about events, schedules, policies, and other band-related communications. These are an important way to stay informed about band-specific events and announcements. There are a number of groups, including the HerndonMSBand group for general band information, as well as dedicated groups for each individual ensemble. All families of band students who have electronic mail access should register at least one parent's address with both the main group and the group for the student's current ensemble.
