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Hello Spectrum Music Students/Family,
What a fabulous start to the school year! By now, all grades have been to the Music room at least once and course outlines, handbooks and instruments have been handed out. Thank you for getting the Instrument Rental Contract and Uniform Agreement forms back so quickly. As mentioned in the course outline, I will be sending out a monthly newsletter to keep everyone on track with our busy program. All of our information can be easily accessed from our flagship page: www.spectrumband.ca. Here you will find info regarding: *Fundraising; Spectrum Music Timetable; Performance Dates; Volunteering; Music Calendar. We encourage you to bookmark some of these pages as a “Quick Guide” when in a jam. We have a pretty light schedule as all ensembles start getting adjusted to the school year. If you have any questions regarding the program, do not hesitate to contact me at your convenience. I try to respond to all queries in the afternoon when morning rehearsals have completed. NOTEWORTHY ANNOUNCEMENTS ALL MORNING, LUNCH and AFTER SCHOOL rehearsals begin Monday, September 13th: Senior Jazz - Monday Morning 7:35am; Junior Jazz -Tuesday Morning 7:35am; Pit Orchestra - Monday Afterschool 3pm; Choir - Wednesday 11:20am. If you are interested in any of these ensembles (but have not been officially registered) come and check us out, and we will set you up. Tuesday, September 28th - 7pm - Band Room: Spectrum Band Parents group re-unites for a new year! We welcome new families and faces to help with opportunities to the music department. Several band families have graduated and space is open for a few positions on the executive as well as Members at Large. Elections will be held this evening and we try to keep meetings to one hour maximum. We hope to see you there! New Families: I arrive at Spectrum between 7:05-7:20am and open up my classroom for students. If you see me rush from the Music room as you are dropping off your child, I am scooting my 3 year old son down the block to his pre-school: Little Friends. Students know to set up and warm up for my 7:30 return. I am looking forward to a great year, thank you for your continued support for music education! Have a fantastic weekend! Parker Jolliffe Director of Bands & Choir Spectrum Community School Good evening everyone!
Well done to all ensembles in their first week back to school! All groups were rested and went straight to work, rehearsing efficiently and a lot of fun! A reminder for the next three weeks (until Quarter Three) The following changes to our rehearsal schedule are in effect: Monday Morning: Concert Choir (Remaining mornings are the same as usual) Band 9 and 10 are "Group B" and meet Tuesdays and Thursdays. Friday morning is "At Home Study", Junior Jazz meets 11:20am on the dot. Have a great week everyone, looking forward to our preperations for Festivals! Cheers, Parker Jolliffe Hi everyone,
Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a chance to rest and relax over the holidays and you are feeling recharged. I look forward to making music with you again this week! With Q2 and "Semester 1" coming to a close, we have lots to look forward too: Festivals, Concerts, Special Zoom Guests... the list goes on : ) A few things of note 1) Early Morning Rehearsals resume Wednesday, January 6th. I will be in the school preparing for our final Q2 rehearsals, concerts etc. 2) Pit Band rehearsals resumes this Monday, with our first week rehearing "What is Urinetown". Members who will play for "And the Money keeps rolling on from Evita" will begin rehearsal next week. Have a great rest of your day and see you soon! Parker Jolliffe Hi everyone,
It is hard to believe we are in the month of December! We have been busy buttoning up music for our Holiday concert which will be recorded this upcoming week.... details below. We have received some great comments from videos released as part of our "Back in Action 2020" Concert series... our newest ensemble, Spectrum Concert Choir, has made quite the splash. Bravo! After much anticipation (and editing), we enclose a link for your review. Please feel free to send this along to family members near or abroad. We hope you enjoy the show: https://youtu.be/hgdHNwCkeBo?t=3 Items of Note 1) Senior Concert Band EXTRA Rehearsal In anticipation of your recording, Friday, December 11th @ 12pm, I would like to see you Monday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week. 2) Glanford Bottle Depot With Bottle Drives post-poned, Bottles can still be returned to the depot with credits coming to the Spectrum Band Program. When you've returned your bottles and you wish to donate your proceeds, simply ask to have them applied to the Spectrum Band Parents as our account remains open. Have a great weekend everyone! Parker Jolliffe Director of Bands & Choir Spectrum Community School 957 Burnside Road West Victoria, BC V8Z 6E9 Tel: 250-479-8271 pjolliffe@sd61.bc.ca www.spectrumband.ca Hi Everyone,
I want to thank each and every Spectrum music student for their hard work, diligence and rigour. I am privileged to be able to teach and connect with our musicians and I do not take our days together for granted. For many, the beginning of school meant (7) MONTHS away from their instrument and ensemble work. We have adapted to our new environment and persevered collectively. I am excited to share that we have wrapped up 5 Ensembles of recording and will shortly present to you, our "2020 Back in Action " Concert next week. Despite a lack of audience, it was refreshing to be able to come together in a safe way and perform once again as a group! Bravo to each and every one of you! Thank you to Deanna B. and Yvonne A. for orchestrating the Purdy's and Poinsettia's Fundraisers this year. Both were a great success and will help band students accounts! I have enclosed our order sheet for this years Spectrum Band Wear. Choir students, know that there is an option for "Property of Spectrum Choir" should be interested : ) http://spectrumbandvictoria.weebly.com/spectrum-band-wear.html Have a well deserved rest and joyful weekend! Parker Jolliffe Director of Bands & Choir Spectrum Community School 957 Burnside Road West Victoria, BC V8Z 6E9 Tel: 250-479-8271 pjolliffe@sd61.bc.ca www.spectrumband.ca
Hi everyone!
The Spectrum Music Department has enjoyed a fun-filled (and very) rewarding 1st Quarter. I cannot overstate enough how proud I am of all of our band and choir members. You have shown a great deal of grit and determination in a very unusual start to our year. Thank you for making music with me everyday! Last week, our Senior Concert Band rehearsed in the theatre to record 'O Canada" for the Remembrance Day service available next week. They were professional, musical and brought a great deal of maturity to this session. Bravo! Next week, our junior groups, choir will be assembling Friday to record part one of our Quarter 1 "Back in Action" Concert. (Instructions will be discussed in class). I am looking forward to sharing what we've accomplished... they sound FANTASTIC! Here's what you need to know this week... 1) Bottle Drives At this time, all Bottle Drives have been placed on hiatus on advice of the school district and health officers. We will revisit this fundraising opportunity at a later date. I apologize if this has caused an inconvenience. 2) Poinsettias Deadline Extended Our Poinsettia Order due date has been extended to Monday, November 9th @ noon. Please hand in your order form to Mr. Jolliffe in the Band Room as soon as possible. If an order form did not go home, please find the same form online: http://spectrumbandvictoria.weebly.com/winter-poinsettia-sales.html 3) Purdy's Chocolate Fundraiser We have a few weeks to continue this fundraiser, deadline November 23. More information is available via this link: http://spectrumbandvictoria.weebly.com/purdys-christmas-program-fundraiser.html 4) Spectrum Band & Choir Wear We will start orders next week for this year's "Spectrum Band & Choir" wear. Enclosed is a sample of styles available for purchase. Pricing sheets will be affixed to the hard copy. 5) Australia Refunds Thank you for your patience as we navigate the refund process with Educational World Tours. We have received our cheques from Vancouver and cheques will be drawn, (returned via the District) and mailed home starting next week. The first sum will be $500.00 and the second $750.00. The Spectrum Band Parents and I are currently working with EWT to release all or a percentage of the initial non-refundable deposit. Have a great weekend everyone! Parker Jolliffe Director of Bands & Choir Spectrum Community School 957 Burnside Road West Victoria, BC V8Z 6E9 Tel: 250-479-8271 ext.512 pjolliffe@sd61.bc.ca www.spectrumband.ca Hi everyone, I hope you've been able to enjoy some time out in this crisp air. Bluebird days are a nice reminder of how beautiful our surroundings are! The Spectrum Music Department continues to develop at a steady pace! A reminder this is our second week with Choir rehearsing Monday mornings and Friday Mornings being home-study. Our Junior Concert Band and Jazz Band will be putting finishing touches on their first virtual program available soon. Senior Band members (Concert Band/Jazz) we visit a third less than our junior groups and as such, rehearsals are few and far between... families, if instruments are not being practiced at home, a gentle nudge towards establishing a modest practice routine will make our rehearsals a more efficient use of our time (and much more enjoyable)! Items of Note HEAPS of thanks to Tracey, Christine, Laura, Lori, Deanna and Spectrum all-stars Caitlyn and Brad for helping with our uniform fittings. Through their time and effort, we have a better understanding of stock availability and what needs to be replaced to make sure we look our best. Thank you thank you thank you! Purdy's Christmas Fundraiser (Thank you Deanna!) Please see attached document for details of this fabulous chocolate fundraiser. When signing on as a supporter please use your child’s name so we can make sure it goes to their accounts. After signing up you can use the task bar to send personal evites to friends and family and when they purchase chocolates you will get the profits from every order. No going into the malls or lineups to enjoy this Canadian chocolate company. The catalogue is available online or pick a hard copy in the band room. Poinsettia's (Thank you Yvonne!) Our seasonal fundraiser is back again, partnering up with our neighbours to the west: Hilltop Nurseries. Hardcopies will be handed out to students in classes this Monday. You can also print a copy for yourself via this link: http://spectrumbandvictoria.weebly.com/winter-poinsettia-sales.html. Orders are due November 6th in the Band Room. Bottle Drives As mentioned in our previous email, we are excited to be partnering up with Glanford Bottle Depot's "No Sort" Bottle Drive. I apologize for the broken link, I am confident this will work second time around: forms.gle/bnJTt5Z7JHLeSmiR6 Pit Orchestra Many students have been keen to start rehearsing, we are currently securing the remainder of our music from different locations. I am confident at the end of this week, a rehearsal schedule can be established. Thank you for your patience! That is all for now, have a great week everyone! -- Parker Jolliffe Director of Bands & Choir Spectrum Community School 957 Burnside Road West Victoria, BC V8Z 6E9 Tel: 250-479-8271 ext.512 pjolliffe@sd61.bc.ca www.spectrumband.ca Good morning everyone!
We are a little over a month into school and I would be remiss without stating how proud I am of our students and the way they have handled themselves during these peculiar times. Everybody is taking a "program first" approach by adhering to all of our necessary protocols and making sure we are making music together, safely. Thank you for setting the example for others! For families outside of the classroom, we have spent the first month reacquainting ourselves with the basics: fundamentals on tone, balance, blend, breathing and rhythm... (If a signed, limited edition Mr. Jolliffe class photo has made it home) then I would also have to admit that the atmosphere in our classes has been a welcomed mix of laughter and commendable progress. Here is what you need to know this week! Schedule This past week was the time table "flip". Simply put (for the next 5 weeks) Block A classes run Monday to Thursday. Block C Classes run Monday to Friday. The following changes to Music are as follows (Only for 5 weeks): Choir now rehearses Monday Mornings, Band 10 Block A Classes will proceed on Tuesdays and Thursdays @ 9am. Classes on Friday begin @ 11:30 with Junior jazz. The remainder of our schedule remains the same. For any students who have conflicts as a result of this sudden change, do not fret. We all must be flexible in these times. Let me know if you have any concerns and we will figure it out Fundraisers A big thank you to Deanna Braga for spearheading a popular holiday fundraiser: the Purdy's Christmas Program. Information and dates will be distributed to those who sign up for this seasonal favourite. Students have the opportunity to make 25% of sales which then is deposited into their individual band accounts. Please follow the link here: https://forms.gle/MZzSZWoTVyFrA14z7 We are excited with the opportunity to continue Spectrum Band & Choir Bottle Drives in a safe and covid friendly way. We will be implementing their "No sort" Bottle Drive which simply means collecting bottles and returning them to the depot in a designated area. No counting... losing count OR finding gross surprises in the bags. Pre-Covid times, we asked that each family sign up for a minimum of two but we respect your right to pass on said opportunities. Please follow the link for more info: https://forms.gle/5mYNn6EvnvwU5Ar16v Uniforms Our awesome team of Spectrum Band Parents have been at the school, sorting through our freshly drycleaned uniforms (Thank you Tillicum Laundry!). Sizing for Grade 9's will take place this week in class. A huge thank you to Tracey G. Deanna D. Lori R. Christine S. & Laura W. as well as Spectrum All Stars Caitlyn C. and Brad R.! ***FINAL NOTICE: This is the last week to return missing items. A handful of suits, ties, shoes are still missing. Please raid your students bedroom for said items or we will be forced to cash the $150.00 damage deposit cheques.*** That is all for now, have a great week everyone! -- Parker Jolliffe Director of Bands & Choir Spectrum Community School 957 Burnside Road West Victoria, BC V8Z 6E9 Tel: 250-479-8271 ext.512 pjolliffe@sd61.bc.ca www.spectrumband.ca Hi everyone!
I hope you have all enjoyed your weekend. The Spectrum Music Department is officially running on all cylinders. I am thrilled to be working with our students and the music making is coming together! All Bands and Choirs are progressing well and I've only managed to lose my baton twice in a rehearsal... Items of note 1) Spectrum Band Parents AGM - Wednesday, October 14th 6pm-7pm Spectrum Library You are all welcome to join us, Wednesday, October 14th in the Spectrum Library @ 6pm. We are a fun group of parents and teacher who like to laugh, get involved (whilst not taking ourselves too seriously). If you are a new or returning parent, consider joining us. There are many opportunities to give back from a one-off job, to recurring roles. Hope to see you there, please RSVP (The link works this time :): https://forms.gle/VeFJUAQgQLY2C9nB8 2) Uniforms Thank you to our band parents and students who helped out on Friday, organizing uniforms. All returned items are being sent to the cleaners on Monday. Yahoo! Cheques and monies received for the $50.00 maintenance fee will be deposited this week. Please contact me if there are any questions or concerns. Uniform fittings along with a sign up time will be be posted to our website, shortly :) I will be calling families this week who are missing items or have not returned a uniform. 3) Fundraising Upon entering, every Band & Choir student has their own "Band Account". This band account can increase via fundraising. These funds can be applied towards the purchase of a new instrument, music lessons or music tours. Whilst we are unable to carry through with our traditional major fundraisers like our Christmas Market, many opportunities exist to grow their Band account. Please take a gander if you are unfamiliar with these opportunities: http://spectrumbandvictoria.weebly.com/fundraising.html That is all for now, have a great week everyone! Parker Jolliffe Director of Bands & Choir Spectrum Community School 957 Burnside Road West Victoria, BC V8Z 6E9 Tel: 250-479-8271 ext.512 pjolliffe@sd61.bc.ca www.spectrumband.ca |
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Slideshow photo credit: Doug Butler - www.doug-butler.com