This newsletter includes:
- Upcoming Dates
- Band Parent Meeting
- Concessions help needed!
- Payment #4 is due
- Band Camp photos
Repeated info:
- Meet the Band Booster Board
- Meet the Band Committee members
- Spirit Wear store is OPEN!
- Tuxes and Dresses for sale
- Marching Season Google calendar link
- Student Physicals are past due
- We've moved from Charms to CutTime
- RaiseRight + deadlines
- Band App Information
Dates to remember:
Mon (8/5)
- 1st day of school
- Marching payment #4 is due
- Marching Band rehearsal (2:30-4pm)
- Marching Band rehearsal (5:30-8pm)
Thurs (8/8)
- Marching Band rehearsal (5:30-8pm)
- Scrimmage against Grayson HS (Concessions Volunteers needed)
Sat (8/10)
- Marching Band rehearsal (9am-12pm)
Mon (8/19)
- Band Parent Meeting (7:30pm)
Can you help this Thursday, Aug. 8th?
On 8/8, NHS will be hosting a football scrimmage game against Grayson HS at the same time our marching band is rehearsing. We need volunteers to help run Concessions! Everything will be cleaned up and closed by 9pm so you can conveniently take your band kids home at that time. Since at this moment, our CutTime program doesn't allow individuals to sign-up additional volunteers, if you plan to bring someone with you to help volunteer, just make sure you email Sonia at happilysonia@yahoo.com so she can make a record of it for crediting your child's account AND to make sure the extra name(s) are on the front gate entry list.
Did you know that aunts, uncles, and friends of the family may volunteer in Concessions during football games and earn money for their favorite Marching Band student? The perks are:
*money earned*; *free meal*; and *fun team to work with*!
Speaking of Concessions...please read!
Now that Band Camp is over, there are more volunteer opportunities and WE NEED YOU! Come join the Thurs night and Fri night concessions crews for fun with food! Flip burgers, fry fries, help behind the scenes, or interact with the Norcross community at the window. Volunteers receive FREE FOOD and FREE ENTRANCE into the game! Plus, monetary credit will go directly into your band account. The Band has been in charge of Concessions during the football games for years and it brings in A LOT of money to our program.
Due to the impact the pandemic had on band programs during virtual learning, the NHS Band is smaller this year than in years past. A smaller band means fewer parents to rely on to volunteer. The amount of Concessions volunteer spots that need to be filled has remained the same, but we now have fewer people to draw from to fill those spots. Please consider helping out – the biggest need being Friday nights!
Concessions profits directly impact the band program and without enough volunteers, profits suffer and unfortunately, marching fees may have to be increased. Please consider volunteering at least twice this season (psst: there will be plenty of opportunities to watch the marching band show, particularly at the end of the season)!
Partial shifts may be available. Please email Sonia Lee at Happilysonia@yahoo.com with any questions about volunteering, signing up thru CutTime, or signing up additional family members to volunteer.
If you are spreading out your child's 2024-2025 Marching Band fees, payment #4 is due today, Aug. 5, 2024. Payments can be made online via your CutTime account, dropped off in the blue box in the Band Room, or mailed to:
Norcross High Band
PO Box 922264
Norcross, GA 30092
(Payment 2 was due June 3)
(Payment 3 was due July 8)
Payment 4 is due August 5
Payment 5 is due Sept 2
Thank you!
We want your Band Camp photos!
We'd like to make a collage of photos from Band Camp so please send your best to peggyconnolly01@gmail.com. Thank you!
Volunteer Coordinator needed!
We need someone to step in as Volunteer Coordinator! If you are interested/have questions, reach out to Peggy or Sonia!
Our Spirit Wear Store is OPEN!
Order now to show support for our Band at games and competitions. These photos are just a few examples of what's available! You can access the online store here:
https://norcrosshighschoolbandfundraiser2024.itemorder.com/shop/sale/
The deadline to order is Friday, August 2, 2024!
2024 Marching Season Google calendar:
Student Physicals are PAST DUE!
Student physicals needed to be uploaded to Rank One before Band Camp started so if you haven't done this yet, please do so ASAP! If you have any questions about this, email Mrs. Hesketh at Maria.Hesketh@gcpsk12.org.
Upload student physicals to Rank One here:
https://gwinnettcountyschools.rankone.com/New/NewInstructionsPage.aspx
We've moved from Charms to CutTime
The band has moved from Charms to CutTime as our Music Program Management Tool. CutTime has many features that will streamline communication and make it easier to sign-up for volunteer spots. We have already set up the 2024-2025 season on CutTime. CutTime uses ‘hotlinks’ which are very easy to access. You will not have a username and password, but will use these hotlinks to access your student's account. For this, we do need to have accurate cell phone numbers on file as most of the communication will generate a text message with a link. Emails will also be used.
We have transitioned to CutTime for everything, including our newsletter. Please keep that in mind as you start getting notices from CutTime instead of Charms. Please visit https://app.gocuttime.com and scroll to the bottom of the page. You will see a button for "Guardians" and one for "Students". Click on the one you need and follow the prompts. Catalina can also send you a hotlink if you have not received one yet. Please reach out to her at catalmco@gmail.com
RaiseRight Gift Card Program Update
For those of you using RaiseRight, please be aware that RaiseRight has updated its fee structure:
- RaiseRight has increased the convenience fee for gift card purchases using credit cards, effective on February 1. The current fee of 2.6% will increase to 3% when a credit card is used to make a gift card purchase on RaiseRight.com, and on the mobile app.
- This increase does not apply to debit card purchases (1% per transaction) or to linked bank account purchases ($0.29 per transaction).
The following is the same information about how RaiseRight works that has been posted in the newsletter each week:
RaiseRight is a gift card program that you can use to help fund your student’s band account. When you create your RaiseRight account and link it to the NHS band program, the rewards you earn will be credited to your student’s band account to help offset band fees. Anyone can join, so you can also invite grandparents or other family members to set up their own accounts and help fund band activities.
Here’s how it works:
RaiseRight offers electronic and physical gift cards for a wide variety of restaurants and stores. When you purchase a gift card, a percentage of that purchase goes to your student’s account. Each vendor decides on their percentage, and percentages can change - think of it like a sale. So one month, you may purchase a gift card for Home Depot for $100 that offers 2% — that means that $2 goes to your student’s account. The following month, you purchase a $100 Home Depot gift card that offers 3% — and your student account gains $3. Percentages can vary widely - recently, L.L. Bean offered a 19% reward! Consider downloading the app so that you can easily check on current percentages for your favorite vendors.
These numbers may seem small, but they can add up quickly — and all you are doing is using gift cards to make purchases that you were already going to make. RaiseRight is a great way to fundraise for your student throughout the year, without having to ask for donations. That’s especially important this year if you are planning to send your student to Disney!
Ecards and Physical Cards
The program is flexible and allows you to buy electronic cards that you can store on your phone, or physical cards that you can keep or gift. If you choose to buy an electronic gift card, you can use it right away. That means you don’t have to plan ahead, or buy cards that you think you might use in the future.
If you decide to order physical cards, they will be mailed to our RaiseRight coordinator, Mary Gibson. We will always provide a deadline for ordering physical cards to be included in our monthly shipment. At each band booster meeting, Mary will be present distributing the pre-purchased gift cards that are part of that month’s shipment. You can pay online when you order these cards, or you can bring cash or check to the booster meeting. The band also pre-purchases physical Publix gift cards and these will be available to purchase from Mary at these meetings.
To learn more about which stores and restaurants accept RaiseRight cards, go to https://www.raiseright.com/brands.
To set up your account, go to www.raiseright.com and follow the instructions to create your account. Be sure to use this enrollment code to link your account to the NHS band: AD2EE1C314469.
If you have questions or need help, contact Mary Gibson at marytgibson@gmail.com
Do you have the BAND app yet?
To join the Marching Band group please click https://band.us/n/aea379c4RbW7t .
To join the Concert Bands group click https://band.us/n/a1a29c2dP8r1f
On the app, you can see posts from Directors and parents, ask questions, and share info and pictures. This will be where notifications will be posted for parents (I.E. When are the kids getting home from an away game? Volunteer opportunities? How do I access CutTime?). Photos from Band Camp have been posted here as well. It's a great resource for you to be able to access our band community. Come band with us!
Norcross Bands
Email: norcrosshighband@gmail.com
Website: www.norcrosshighband.org
Location: 5300 Spalding Drive, Norcross, GA, USA
Phone: (770) 326-8066
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NorcrossHighSchoolBand