Draper Middle School Band

Rotterdam Memorial Day Parade...great job by everyone!!! Thank you for coming to salute those veterans we have lost, and to support our community.

Scenes from the 2019 Schenectady Holiday Parade Festivities were something sweet

What a great parade! Very proud of the kids. We are just pulling out, judging by traffic I'd guess we will be back around 730. Thanks for your patience, sorry about the delays.

Hi everyone! FYI, it is 5:50 and we still haven't moved in the parade. Does not look like we will be back at 6:45, I will update you soon

Hi everyone! The parade information for Saturday is beneath here. It is also being handed out to the kids today/tomorrow. Basic plan - be here at 1:15, bus leaves at 3:30, back to school at 6:45. If you are picking up from the end of the parade, you need to be at the corner of Lafayette and Franklin when we arrive there - as soon as we can leave we will, and I can't send kids to the parade to find you.

Thanks!

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It’s time for the annual Schenectady Holiday Parade! This year’s parade will be held on Saturday, November 18. This parade is REQUIRED for all 7/8 band students at Draper Middle School. You need to come to school no matter what the weather is doing outside! We will be getting our uniform jackets and practicing before we leave.
8th Grade - Arrive to school at 1:15 to get your marching jacket
7th Grade - Arrive to school at 1:30 to get your marching jacket

We will practice from 1:45-3:00. Members of the high school marching band will be here to help teach marching technique. Once they are done, we will play and move around the parking lot, and then go inside to get our uniform jackets. We will load the buses at 3:15 for a 3:30 departure. BRING A SNACK, and have it at 3:00 after our practice!! The parade begins at 5:00pm. We will load the buses once we have finished the parade.

If any students are going to be picked up at the end of the parade (the corner of Lafayette and Franklin),
I will release them to parents/guardians
I need a note BEFORE WE LEAVE SCHOOL
You need to see me to take your child.
Otherwise, we will be back to Draper at 6:45 – if your child is not bringing a mobile phone, please be at Draper no later than 6:45 to pick them up! If you are planning to stay for the rest of the parade, a parent must meet us at the end of the parade IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING our performance, or make arrangements for your child to be picked up at school at 6:45.

PARENTS – I need chaperones for this event! Please email me if you are interested and available! [email protected]

As a reminder from the information packet you received in September, you will need to have the following items:
Black pants
Plain black shoes, without heels
BLACK SOCKS
Your instrument
A snack

Dress warm under your uniform – try to keep it as dark as possible for this parade. Wear lots of layers of clothing! Also, gloves are OK for this parade AS LONG AS YOU CAN STILL PLAY YOUR INSTRUMENT! Woodwinds – you can easily use “magic gloves” – the cheap, thin, dollar-store kind that expand over your hands – and cut the fingertips off.

Thank you - please email or call me with any questions!

Mr. Varga

Hi everyone, and welcome to our new friends in the Draper Band! I'm going to try to be better about using this communication resource, and I'm going to ask our 8th graders to help as well.

If you haven't signed up for the remind app, please do so. You can use this link: remind.com/join/dmsban
If you prefer, you can also send a text message to 81010, with as the text.

Group lessons will start next week on Tuesday for 7/8 grade, and 6th grade will begin the following Monday (9/25).

Thanks!

Mr. V

Hi! Don't know how many people are on here, but the Rotterdam parade for tonight has been canceled. Please let others know...thank you!!

Just a reminder, I need everyone in the draper bandroom between 12:00-12:15 today! We perform at 12:30 and will be all done around 12:45. See you there!

What a GREAT night! Thank you to everyone who was here to help, I'm so proud of all of you. If anyone has pictures, please post them, or send them to me ([email protected])

Keep up this great work, our concert is not far away :)

Today's our big day! Please be to school by 1:15 so we can begin working by 1:30. We will play the song inside a couple of times, then head outside to work on marching and, finally, to move and play!

Eat a good lunch, bring a snack, and be ready to do your very best :)

To - 7th and 8th grade band members (and families)
From - Fearless Leader (Mr. Varga)

Just wanted to give everyone an update - as of 11/12, I have NOT heard from the Schenectady Chamber of Commerce about our time and division for the Holiday Parade. As noted on your calendar that was sent home at the beginning of the year, the parade is on November 21. We usually meet at about 1:00, and return to Draper at 7:30ish.

I will send you a definitive schedule as soon as I get times from the Chamber. Until then, please make sure that you have the afternoon and evening of Nov.21 marked for us on your calendar. This is an important performance, by far the most eyes that will see us during the course of this year.

Thanks!

Mr. V