Category Archives: Calendar Update

Weekly Update: October 21st through October 25th ~ Middle School Night Week!

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REMINDER! All County Contracts Are Due Tomorrow! Scroll Below To Download, Print, and Sign!

Middle School Night/Friday Schedule

  • 4:45 PM Doors Open/Take Gear to Stadium
  • 5 PM Full Uniform for Band Pictures (Location TBA)
    • Full Band, Sections, Etc.
  • 6 PM Courtyard Warm Up (Middle School Students Join Us!)
  • 6:30 PM Arcs
  • 6:40 PM To Stadium
  • 6:50 PM PreGame
  • 7 PM Kick Off

All County Documents 

  • Concert Band
  • Jazz Ensemble
    • Click HERE to access All County Jazz Ensemble docs. (Must be logged in to OCPS Email in order to access docs via Google Drive.)

  • 11.1 FB vs. Wekiva Senior Night
  • 11.2 Marching MPA @ University HS
  • 11.4 Fall BDMB Recording Session
  • 11.5 Fall Concert Rehearsal (Symphonic Band, Wind Symphony, All Percussion)
  • 11.12 Fall Concert (Courtyard)
  • 11.13 S&E Music Night (Beethoven & Co.) 2 PM – 6 PM
  • 11.18 Jazz Ensemble 1 & 2 Recording @ WKMG Channel 6 Studios
  • 11.18 All County Band Auditions (Held @ Apopka HS)
  • 11.25-11.29 Thanksgiving Break
  • 12.2-12.6 Prism Week (12.5-12.6 Performance Nights)
  • 12.14 Apopka Christmas Parade (Morning)

 

Weekly Update: October 14th through October 19th ~ It’s Tarpon Springs Show Week!

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BDMB Schedule Changes/Updates For This Week 

Thursday, October 17th 

  • 4:15 PM Doors Open/Load Truck
  • 4:30 PM Move To Field
  • 4:45 PM Meet on Football Field in UNDER UNIFORM – FOOTBALL GAME RUN THROUGH (No Instruments/Gear)
  • 5:30 PM Load/Depart for Evans

Friday, October 18th 

  • 8:30 AM Doors Open/Move to Field
  • 9 AM Full BDMB Rehearsal – Focus based on Thursday’s Show/Immediate needs in prep for Saturday’s show at Tarpon. This is a mandatory rehearsal for our BDMB.

Saturday, October 19th 

  • 12 PM Meet on Football Field in UNDER UNIFORM – Tarpon Springs Show RUN THROUGH
  • 1 PM Load/Depart
  • 3:30 PM Arrive @ Tarpon Springs HS
  • 4 PM Watch Bands
  • 6:30 PM Dress/Prep
  • 7:15 PM Warm Up
  • 8:30 PM Performance
  • 10 PM Awards
  • 11 PM Depart for Apopka
  • 1:30 AM (Est) Arrive at AHS

  • 10.24 Jazz Combo @ John Land Community Trust Gala
  • 10.25 FB vs. Lake Mary Middle School Night
  • 11.1 FB vs. Wekiva Senior Night
  • 11.2 Marching MPA @ University HS
  • 11.4 Fall BDMB Recording Session
  • 11.5 Fall Concert Rehearsal (Symphonic Band, Wind Symphony, All Percussion)
  • 11.12 Fall Concert (Courtyard)
  • 11.13 S&E Music Night (Beethoven & Co.) 2 PM – 6 PM
  • 11.18 Jazz Ensemble 1 & 2 Recording @ WKMG Channel 6 Studios
  • 11.18 All County Band Auditions (Held @ Apopka HS)
  • 11.25-11.29 Thanksgiving Break
  • 12.2-12.6 Prism Week (12.5-12.6 Performance Nights)
  • 12.14 Apopka Christmas Parade (Morning)

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Our week kicked off with a new opportunity for our Student Leadership team to have a mid-season review session with our clinician, Mr. Wansley! During this time, they were able to reflect on all that has transpired in the past two-plus months and how we can continue to grow as a group. This was an outstanding opportunity for our leadership members to challenge each other as well as themselves to better understand the needs that we have moving forward to achieve our goals. Very proud of this session and the positive outcome!

We had a great week in the BDMB that included learning the last few pages of our show and being able to perform the music from the full show this week! The kids pushed and persevered. This was a huge success for us! Looking forward to adding some nuance and direction within the show to begin bringing it home for our audiences! #iegyb

Big week for the BDMB! We are excited about putting our full show on display this week! We have a great week planned to build up our performers and prep them for the task ahead! Very excited to see this all come to life! It is important that we all know and understand the schedule this week – it is going to be incredible! Can’t wait to see Big Blue in action on Thursday and the BDMB live in performance on Saturday at Tarpon! See you there! #iegyb

 

 

Weekly Update: October 7th through October 11th ~ Football vs. West Orange!

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Football vs. West Orange Details 

  • 5:15 PM Doors Open (Take Gear to Stadium)
  • 5:45 PM Call Time (Get Dressed)
    • Full Uniform
    • You should be wearing your BALL CAP in PreGame
  • 6 PM Courtyard Warm Up
  • 6:30 PM Block Up/March to Stadium
  • 6:50 PM PreGame
  • 7 PM Kick Off

Tampa Week Update

The BDMB will only travel on Saturday to the Tampa area for our performance at Tarpon Springs High. There is no longer an overnight trip connected with this experience as updated several weeks ago. All OCPS rules apply regarding being checked out from the performance, etc., to include, signed notes by parents, seeing Mr. L before departing, etc. We look forward to an incredible weekend with our BDMB family! #iegyb

PMA Schedule Update! 

Each PMA Rehearsal Block will be maximized for the given ensemble. Attendance is expected and is not a time to slack off – rather – it is a gift of extended time to dig in as we continue to read and prepare for upcoming concert experiences, etc. Ensure that you are on time and ready each day, just as we expect each and every day. #iegyb

  • Tampa Week (Next Week!)
    • 10.17 FB @ Evans (Thursday)
    • 10.18 No School (FULL BDMB Rehearsal 9 AM – 12 PM)
    • 10.19 Tarpon Springs Show Day (Call Time 10 AM)
  • 10.25 FB vs. Lake Mary (Middle School Night)
  • 11.1 FB vs. Wekiva (Senior Night)
  • 11.2 FBA Marching MPA @ University High School
  • 11.4 BDMB Recording Session 2:45 PM – 4:30 PM (Monday)
  • 11:5 Wind Symphony/Symphonic Band Joint Fall Concert Reh w/ Percussion (2:30 PM – 3:30 PM)
  • 11.12 PM Fall Concert (Courtyard)
    • Evening – Time TBA
    • Featuring: Symphonic Band, Wind Symphony, 7th Period Jazz Ensemble
  • 11.13 Solo & Ensemble Music Night @ Band Room (Beethoven & Company)
  • 11.25-11.29 Thanksgiving Break
  • 12.2-12.6 Winter Prism Week
    • 12.2-4 Rehearsals
    • 12.5-6 Performances
  • 12.14 APK Christmas Parade

Been a great 1st half of our BDMB season! Super excited about the month ahead, but in looking back, we have had some incredible time in supporting Blue Darter Football and the Apopka Community! Very proud of our growth and commitment to excellence this season! Enjoy some of the following pics from Homecoming week! It was a blast! #iegyb

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Now is our time! We finish up our show this week and prepare for two fantastic performances that showcase the BLUE DARTER MARCHING BAND! On Saturday, October 19th and on Saturday, November 2nd, we perform for Marching Shows where the patrons are there just for YOU! (Strange, I know!) But, these are great opportunities to not only entertain our crowd, but, also to gain valuable feedback from notable panels of adjudicators to help us continue being he best performance ensemble we can be, week in and week out. Much to be excited for in the month ahead! Cannot wait to see just how far we soar with our show! #iegyb

Weekly Update: September 23rd through September 28th ~ It’s HoCo Week!

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ALUMNI BAND UPDATE: Due to our schedule concerns and loss of rehearsal time with Hurricane Dorian, we are going invite alums that would like to join us in the stands for performance during the 1st half to bring their instrument to the game and join in for the 1st half of playing. You will need to enter through the ticket booth (purchase a ticket) and then come over and check in with our Chaperone coordinator to join in. We will regroup for Homecoming 2020 and get Alumni Band back on the field for both PreGame and stands performance! Looking forward to seeing you all Friday night! #iegyb

Member Details For Game

  • 5:15 PM Doors Open
    • Take Cases AND Shako Hat Box to field. (Stack, in sections, by FENCE near Band Concessions)
  • 5:45 PM Call Time (Get Dressed)
    • FULL UNIFORM
    • Back Packs, Ball Caps
  • 6 PM In Courtyard – Warming Up
  • 6:30 PM Block Up/March To Stadium
  • 6:50 PM PreGame
  • 7 PM Kick Off
  • Post Game – Half Time Show performance. (Lake Brantley performs first.)

  • October 4th: FB @ Jones (@ Citrus Bowl)
  • October 11th: FB vs. West Orange
  • Evans FB Week and Tarpon Springs Week Details Are Still Being Confirmed – Check back this week!

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What A Week! Culminating in a great contest against DP that resulted in a Blue Darter Victory! Very proud of the BDMB for their relentless support of our Boys In Blue! We had an incredible visit this week on Tuesday evening from Coach Rolson who emphasized the importance of what our BDMB brings to the table each Friday and the focus on camaraderie and community that we share as a Friday Night Football Family! We are grateful for your support Coach!

We had a wonderful week in each of our concert and jazz ensemble courses as well. There was a guest performing on Friday with 7th period jazz – check the photos below to see him in action! Fall Concert Preparation begins this week and we are exciting about each program that our ensembles will perform to showcase their growth and development as well as provide some quality entertainment for our audience on November 12th!

Been a great week folks! Super proud of our kiddos and all that they do for the Blue Darter Bands! #iegyb

It’s HoCo Week! Be sure to check out the list above to GET SPIRITED and JACKED UP for our week of celebration! Both bands will perform in post game as our annual tradition features the Homecoming Court during halftime. We have three members of the Homecoming Court this year! Head Drum Major Ayla Bertsen, Assistant Drum Major Joshua Simard, and Colonel Jacob Bercegeay! Congratulations on being selected!

Looking forward to an exciting Spirit Week! Go Big Blue! #iegyb

Honor Band Opportunities!

.       

  • FSU Tri-State Honor Band (Nomination-Based)
    • Click HERE to read more about their Concert & Jazz Ensemble Honors Experience on December 5th – 8th, 2019!
    • Director (Mr. L) Nomination: You must let Mr. L know by FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27th IF INTERESTED.
    • Once Selected, Registration occurs at the above link. Registration is not complete until you have finished the payment portion.
  • USF Festival of Winds Honor Band (Nomination-Based)
    • Click HERE to read more about their Concert Honors Experience on December 5th – 8th, 2019! 
    • Director (Mr. L) Nomination: You must let Mr. L know by FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27th IF INTERESTED.
  • UCF Knights Rising Honor Band Honor Band (Nomination-Based)
    • Click HERE to read more about their Concert Honors Experience on January 31st – February 1st! 
    • Director (Mr. L) Nomination: You must let Mr. L know by FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27th IF INTERESTED.

THANK YOU SNAPRAISE DONORS! 

We raised over $7,000 towards our Program’s operating experiences for the year! We are GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND GENEROSITY TO HELP US MEET OUR FINANCIAL GOALS FOR THE YEAR!

OCPS School Start Time Information & Survey

Click HERE to visit the OCPS page regarding school start time research and a VERY IMPORTANT SURVEY to ensure your voice is heard regarding this critical matter within our public schools. The districts seeks input from ALL stakeholders and how this importance decision, including each of the 4 proposed “cost-neutral” models will impact our day to day lives. Take the time now to let your voice be heard!

In Everything, Give Your Best!

 

 

Weekly Update: September 16th through September 20th ~ FB @ DP!

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FULL WINDS ON WEDNESDAY FROM 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM THIS WEEK!

  • September 24th: BDMB Tuesday EVENING is now AFTERNOON due to Powder Puff Football Game 3 PM – 5:30 PM PLAN AHEAD NOW
  • September 24th: Powder Puff Football Pep Band Opportunity
  • September 27th: FB vs. Lake Brantley (Homecoming/Alumni Band)
    • Visit soon for Alumni Band Info!
  • October 4th: FB @ Jones (@ Citrus Bowl)
  • October 11th: FB vs. West Orange

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Been a great week of growing and supporting the Blue Darters! We had an awesome time at our game against Ocoee as we provided a great Home Field “feel” for our boys in Blue and White! Thrilled to see them win 41-12 and continue their success under first year coach, Jeff Rolson.

CONGRATULATIONS to each of our members that auditioned for All State this weekend! We are proud of you and your commitment to excellence as a performer! Daniel Harshman, Matt Murphy, Kelsey Castillo, Joseph Wright, Ben Green, and Sylvester Johnson…. We are PROUD OF YOU!

Each of our classes continued to roll up the sleeves and get to work, focusing their efforts on the tedious side of technique and developing the “raw talent” that sits in our rehearsal environment! Great week for the Blue Darter Bands! #iegyb

Exciting week as the BDMB finishes up Mvt. 2 as well as performs at Dr. Phillips with the FULL UNIFORM ON for the first time this season! We look forward to our debut night in the uni’s!

We have our annual band pictures to kick off the week! Previews will take place on Thursday, December 5th, prior to our opening night of our Winter Prism concert. #iegyb

 IT’S THE FINAL WEEK FOR SNAP RAISE!!!

We kicked off on Friday, August 23rd and have already raised over $6000! Please check with your member to ensure they have uploaded their TWENTY (20) quality emails to spread the word! This is a fantastic fundraiser for our program that will bring us tremendous financial support to continue our mission of providing a top-quality music education experience! Money brought in on behalf of each student will be credited to their accounts. SPREAD THE WORD AND EARN SOME DOUGH$$$$$$!!!!! #iegyb

Things We Need Help With In The Blue Darter Bands!!! 

  • Photographer! Games, concerts, etc…. Help us spread the visual message each week of the incredible things going on in our family!
    • Let Mr. L know if you can help in this capacity!
  • Concessions helpers! This is a MAJOR fundraiser for our program! MAJOR!
  • Additions Volunteers! Please visit https://ocps.samaritan.com to SIGN UP for our Volunteer group! Contact Mrs. Baron to let her know how/when you can help!

Weekly Update: September 9th through September 14th ~ It’s A “Full BDMB Travel Week”! To Ocoee!

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IT’S GAME WEEK. MISSING BDMB REHEARSAL PLACES YOU ON THE BENCHED LIST. ENSURE YOU ARE PRESENT. 

  • September 16th-17th: Annual Band Pictures (Preview Night is December 5th – Winter Prism Performance #1)
    • All Members within the program will be photographed for our annual Composite photo and parents can come to the Auditorium Lobby on Thursday, December 5th to preview the photos and select them for purchase.
  • September 20th: FB @ Dr. Phillips (Full Uniform)
  • September 24th: BDMB Tuesday EVENING is now AFTERNOON due to Powder Puff Football Game 3 PM – 5:30 PM PLAN AHEAD NOW
  • September 24th: Powder Puff Football Pep Band Opportunity
  • September 27th: FB vs. Lake Brantley (Homecoming/Alumni Band)
    • Visit soon for Alumni Band Info!
  • October 4th: FB @ Jones (@ Citrus Bowl)
  • October 11th: FB vs. West Orange

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A short week that flew by! Wow! We had two fantastic days of rehearsals on Thursday and Friday within our classes and our Thursday BMDB rehearsal was great. Then… BAND DAY @ FSU! What a day! Be sure to check out the Facebook Album with all the photos and video clips. We had an incredible day together! It was hot… BUT INCREDIBLE! Truly enjoyed our time together and enjoying the experience that FSU offers of members.

To all of our adults that attended with us…. WE THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND BEING PART OF THIS EXPERIENCE! I know that it was an intense day of heat and walking and we are so thankful that you gave up your time to join us for the day. You helped make our day as a family a wonderful day! #iegyb

Our first full travel experience is here! Football @ Ocoee High! And…. DRUMROLL PLEASE…. WE ARE USING OUR NEW TRAILER THIS WEEK! Our team of builders have been working SO INCREDIBLY HARD to make this a reality… YOU WILL BE AMAZED! Super excited to see the Blue Darter Band rolling down the road with our new SWAG!

We have planned a great week ahead for our classes to dig in and make some headway within each of our ensemble settings and our BDMB is ready to complete Mvt. 2. Friday at Ocoee we will perform our first movement once more as well as add a pep tune to feature our color guard. We are looking forward to bringing some energy back from FSU and letting it open up on Friday night as we cheer on the Blue Darters!

We will be meeting early to practice going in and out of the trailer as this will be an “all hands on deck” scenario each week that we travel. The Dad’s have it laid out incredibly well and have made it easy to maneuver through the rolling “home away from home”. We will use Friday as a practice run to ensure we understand the expectations for each member and how we will set it up! These are exciting times in the Blue Darter Band! THANK YOU TO OUR TEAM OF BUILDERS! YOU ARE DIFFERENCE MAKERS! #iegyb

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We kicked off on Friday, August 23rd and have already raised over $6000! Please check with your member to ensure they have uploaded their TWENTY (20) quality emails to spread the word! This is a fantastic fundraiser for our program that will bring us tremendous financial support to continue our mission of providing a top-quality music education experience! Money brought in on behalf of each student will be credited to their accounts. SPREAD THE WORD AND EARN SOME DOUGH$$$$$$!!!!! #iegyb

Things We Need Help With In The Blue Darter Bands!!! 

  • Photographer! Games, concerts, etc…. Help us spread the visual message each week of the incredible things going on in our family!
    • Let Mr. L know if you can help in this capacity!
  • Concessions helpers! This is a MAJOR fundraiser for our program! MAJOR!
  • Additions Volunteers! Please visit https://ocps.samaritan.com to SIGN UP for our Volunteer group! Contact Mrs. Baron to let her know how/when you can help!

Weekly Update: September 2nd through September 7th ~ FSU Band Day Is On The Horizon!

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CONTINUE TO UPDATE YOUR “QUALITY EMAILS” & “TEXTING LISTS” WITHIN THE SNAP-RAISE APP TO REACH OUT FOR MORE SUPPORT! THOSE WHO HAVE MADE THE EFFORT ARE REAPING THE BENEFITS! REACH OUT NOW!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

There are 50 open seats for Saturday’s trip to FSU Band Day. The FIRST 50 to pay via SchoolPay will secure the seats. Check the CURRENT TRAVEL LIST to confirm your status. This document is updated as of Wednesday morning, September 4th. Any payments made AFTER the original deadline (8.30.19) will be updated on Thursday, 9.5.19. Follow these steps to complete the process: 

  1. Click on SchoolPay to make the payment(s). $15 per person. (ie: 2 people = $30, 3 = $45, etc.) We do need at least 5 more adults to travel with us within the 50 person number. THANK YOU TO ALL ADULT CHAPERONES THAT ARE TRAVELING WITH US! 🙂
  2. Email Mr. L to apprise him of your payment so he can keep track of how many are paying today. A text will be sent out once we reach 50. EMAILING MR. L DOES NOT HOLD YOUR SPOT. PAYMENT VIA SCHOOLPAY CONFIRMS YOUR SPOT(S).

THESE SEATS WILL FILL FAST. ACT QUICKLY!

FSU Band Day Schedule

  • 8:45 AM Arrive (Full Group Meeting IN BAND ROOM @ 9 AM)
  • 9:15 AM Depart for Tallahassee
  • 1:30 PM Arrive Governors Square Mall (30-45 Minutes to Eat in Food Court)
  • 2:30 PM Arrive Tallahassee Civic Center – Walk to Mike Martin Baseball Stadium for Skull Session
  • 3 PM Marching Chiefs Skull Session
  • 5 PM Football Game Kick Off
  • TBA We will depart during the 4th quarter for Apopka.
  • TBA Arrival in Apopka – We will text out once we depart Tally to update our arrival.

  • September 13th: FB @ Ocoee (Full Band)
  • September 14th: All State Auditions @ Ocoee HS (See Below)
  • September 20th: FB @ Dr. Phillips
  • September 24th: BDMB Tuesday EVENING is now AFTERNOON due to Powder Puff Football Game 3 PM – 5:30 PM PLAN AHEAD NOW
  • September 24th: Powder Puff Football Pep Band Opportunity
  • September 27th: FB vs. Lake Brantley (Homecoming/Alumni Band)
    • Visit soon for Alumni Band Info!
  • October 4th: FB @ Jones (@ Citrus Bowl)

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We have had an INCREDIBLE WEEK in the Blue Darter Bands! Each of our classes have continued to form and develop into true families within their individual settings. And, our BDMB had an unbelievable start to our slate of Home Games for Blue Darter football! It is an honor to be part of such an awesome group of musicians!

From Pep Rallies, to learning more about our classmates within the performance setting, and watching our own musicians stand in front of the ensemble and teaching, we have had a great Week 3! Looking forward to many, many more incredible opportunities to make music and memories together! #iegyb

Now that we are on the flip side of Dorian, memes aside, please do not let your guard down regarding hurricane preparedness. There are other tropical storms in the Atlantic to watch and stay vigilant to ensure we are ready should anything come up. In addition, as we return to school, let us all be reminded that there is MUCH to be done both academically and musically and it is incumbent upon each of us as stakeholders of AHS to roll up our sleeves and get to work. I hope you have had some incredible time with family and friends during this time away and now it is time to get back at it and continue our journey!

We will hold our normal Thursday rehearsal from 3 PM – 5:30 PM to ensure we are staying on course – and – focusing on Mvt. 2 to prepare to perform it at our football contest against Dr. Phillips on September 20th. We anticipate beginning Mvt. 3 next week! Our goal is to present our entire show postgame at Homecoming! Let’s push forward!

Looking forward to an awesome time at FSU Band Day as we cheer on the Marching Chiefs! Looking forward to some incredible work in each of our classes and getting back to work with each of you! See you on Thursday for our “Monday” classes! 🙂 #iegyb

We kicked off on Friday, August 23rd and have already raised nearly $6000! Please check with your member to ensure they have uploaded their TWENTY (20) quality emails to spread the word! This is a fantastic fundraiser for our program that will bring us tremendous financial support to continue our mission of providing a top-quality music education experience! Money brought in on behalf of each student will be credited to their accounts. SPREAD THE WORD AND EARN SOME DOUGH$$$$$$!!!!! #iegyb

Things We Need Help With In The Blue Darter Bands!!! 

  • Photographer! Games, concerts, etc…. Help us spread the visual message each week of the incredible things going on in our family!
    • Let Mr. L know if you can help in this capacity!
  • Concessions helpers! This is a MAJOR fundraiser for our program! MAJOR!
  • Additions Volunteers! Please visit https://ocps.samaritan.com to SIGN UP for our Volunteer group! Contact Mrs. Baron to let her know how/when you can help!