From the Director... & Weekly Announcements

Hello, Mav Band and Guard Family!

The students are doing a great job so far! w know they are working extremely hard and they are improving a ton every day. Please read this email in its entirety so you catch all of this important information.

CALENDAR EXPECTATIONS

Please make it a priority to follow our calendar. Students and parents are expected to keep up with our calendar and plan around our rehearsals, performances, and events. We plan everything several months in advance and we expect all families to follow it.

We recommend subscribing to our calendar to remain up to date at all times. If you use Google Calendar, then you can add it from our calendar at www.mcneilband.org. Simply click on the icon in the bottom right corner.

If you use iCal, then follow this path to subscribe: Open iCal. Calendars > Add Calendar > Add Subscription Calendar. Then, copy and paste this link into the text box, and then tap Subscribe. https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/roundrockisd.org_classroom38e81e7f%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics

GROUP PHOTO ON TUESDAY

We will take photos for the football game programs on Tuesday morning. ALL STUDENTS MUST HAVE THEIR GREEN LOGO SHIRTS IN ORDER TO BE IN THE PICTURE. They can be worn over their rehearsal clothes for the picture and then taken off afterward. We will remind the students on Monday, but please put them aside now so they aren’t forgotten. All new members who have registered with the Band Boosters should have received their shirts. If you did not get one, then please register here immediately.

MAJOR FUNDRAISER STARTING THIS WEEK! 

Every year during summer band camp we kick off our March-A-Thon donation campaign, and Friday is when we start this year’s. We have found that supporters of our students prefer all of their donations to go to the band instead of only a portion from buying an item they may not need or want. All donors are invited to a private performance of the marching show at Maverick Stadium on September 29th. 

Our goal is $90,000 this year! The McNeil Band Boosters are responsible for funding nearly all of the band and color guard’s expenses this year. They must raise $400,000 in order to break even. Our goal for every student is to bring in $500 in donations, and I will reach out to alumni for their support too. NOTE: If we raise more than our goal, then we can potentially cancel scheduled fundraisers later in the year.

Some families prefer to pay their child’s goal themselves and that is fine, but we do not expect the band families to fund this on their own. $20 from a neighbor, $50 from friends at church, or $100 from Grandma is how we intend for this to work. Donations can be made online from anywhere in the world! We are counting on everyone’s participation as this is our single fundraising event for the fall semester where we ask you to reach out to the community.

Many employers will match your donations, which is an excellent way to bring in even more money! You must provide documentation of your donation and how much your employer will match (some will pay double or triple at certain times of the year).

Parents, if any of you are willing to give a sizeable donation, then please contact Mr. Dimiceli at your earliest convenience. This becomes an opportunity to advertise a donation match for all of our potential donors, and it has proven to be very effective in raising more funds in the past. You can remain anonymous or apply it to your child’s incentive prizes.

How does it work?

We are partnering with Rapid Fundraising this year as they have proven to be very effective for band programs in the area. Students will prepare a list of at least 20-30 contacts (name, number, and email) in the days before the Kick-Off on Friday. Students will earn prizes for each donation level they meet. There are individual, section, and team prizes!  In one hour, they will contact the people on their lists and ask for donations. Of course, we will provide them with a script as a reference. 

They will keep track of their pledges/donations throughout the hour. Once each team meets donation levels, their Team Director will drink/eat something gross or have to run. There will be a drawing for a $50 Amazon gift card at the end of the evening and students earn more tickets as they raise more money.

All donations will be tracked through the Rapid Fundraising site, which will go active on Friday. A full list of incentives will be on the fundraising site. The directors will also reach out to their own people for donations as this program means the world to us. We are always willing to do what we ask of the other members.

Supporters will donate through the Rapid Fundraising site or you can turn in their cash or checks (payable to McNeil Band Boosters). YOU CAN HELP EXPONENTIALLY BY SHARING ON SOCIAL MEDIA! Students and parents will follow up with those who pledged to donate and we will accept donations until the March-A-Thon performance on September 29th in Maverick Stadium, to which all donors are invited.

Our students are learning the power of accomplishing more than they realize they are capable of when we do it as a team and for each other. This fundraiser is the biggest one of the year and we have created a necessary lofty goal. We must meet the goal in order to provide what we have planned for the rest of the school year. Please take some time to create a list with your child so this can be a success.

Finally, PLEASE READ THIS WEEK'S ANNOUNCEMENTS. Have a great week!

Sincerely,

Jason Dimiceli

Director of Bands

McNeil High School

Round Rock ISD