Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Fall Banquet

Our Fall Banquet will be Tuesday December 4 at 6:00pm. We will be serving fried chicken, pasta salad, toss salad, coleslaw, baked beans and rolls.

We are asking 9th, 10th  and 11th grade girls to bring dessert and 9th, 10th and 11th grade boys to bring 2, 2lt pop.

Cost is $6.00 a person or $30.00 a family.

Please follow the link below and fill out the google doc so we can plan accordingly.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1IyCUIIaIagII0XUsvA8LpzISFT7V5YDGMUyK1_anbpc/edit#responses

We are also looking for volunteers to help set-up, check in, serve and clean up please go to Charms to sign up to volunteer.

See you all on December 4!

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Thanksgiving parade

Because of changes in the company’s routines since we last marched and because we are one of the FIRST BANDS in the parade (WOO!), it has required some real work to try to adjust the itinerary to meet the needs of as many people as possible. Thank you for your patience.
As with previous years, if you would like to bring a blanket to keep warm at the front of the parade route, you may. The blankets you bring will be donated to a veteran’s service shelter at the north end of the parade route. You don’t have to bring one, but if you do, there is no way to get it home.
3:30 AM Pancake Cookers are on site, spatulas at the ready
4:15 AM ish All other food arrives
4:45 AM Breakfast begins ($3)
5:30 AM We *Must* depart to make our 6:45 AM call
6:15 AM Charter Fan Bus Leaves (if you could help with cleanup, that would be awesome!
6:45 AM Detroit Parade company asks us to be at front end
Cass Ave and W. Ferry Ave, Detroit
(School Buses move to Shelby Street and West Congress street)
7:15 AM Fan Bus arrives NE of “Blue Zone” Grandstands
Close to Brush street and East Montcalm
Get instructions for pickup location from bus company
ALL CHARTER BUS RIDERS SHOULD FIND A PLACE TO WATCH
NORTH OF MONTCALM AND WOODWARD.
8:45 AM Band moves into starting position
NW of Woodward and East Kirby Street
9:00 AM Parade Officially Begins
9:45 AM ish Band will pass Blue Zone grandstands
10:15 AM ish Band goes through TV zone
10:45 AM ish Band finishes parade, packs up, meets buses
Shelby Street and West Congress street
Parent pickup is HERE: Shelby Street and West Congress street
STUDENTS MAY NOT RIDE HOME WITH ANYBODY
ELSE OTHER THAN THEIR OWN PARENT UNLESS
WE HAVE A WRITTEN PERMISSION TURNED OVER
PRIOR TO DEPARTURE
Parents taking students home from Detroit
must SIGN OUT their students off of the buses! Sheets will be there
11:15 AM ish Band Buses will start heading north
11:45 AM Charter fan bus riders ON the bus
Because the grandstands are about 1 mile north of the end of
the parade, the parade will “end” for that grandstand at
close to 11:30. We need riders to get back to the Charter buses
by 11:45. Because you can go faster, you will not be far behind us.
12:45 AM ish Approximate return to PHN -
` ETA updates will be posted in
Facebook - PHN Marching Band
remind.com - text @phn-mb to 81010
Charter Fan Buses will be a bit behind the Band students
Students will have access to building to stay war while they wait.
Google map:  http://bit.ly/PHN-TDAY2018 (USE ALL CAPS)
Students should:
Make sure your uniform and shoes are CLEAN
Dress in several light, long-sleeved layers
Make sure underlayers are navy or blac
Wear a black / navy headband, thin hat or earmuffs under MB Hat
Only wear things that allow for normal operation/look of uniform and instrument
Consider a thin pair of black gloves under MB gloves
Bring $3 and eat a hot breakfast with us
Wear Navy/black leggings/long johns/sweats under pants
Tuck any underlayers into socks Consider purchasing hand warmers
On Thursday, Students should:
NOT Wear hoodies or scarves but consider a low turtleneck
NOT Decorate instruments for Thursday (but yes for Friday)
NOT Wear blue jeans under their MB pants but any other light-weight pant..
NOT Decorate face
NOT Wear jewelry
For Port Huron Parade Friday, November 23
4:00 PM Band Room Open
4:45 PM Band Room Closes
5:00 PM Meet behind SEMCO down by YMCA (Parking structure)
6:00 PM Parade
7:00 PM Pickup at McMorran North Lot

Meet in parking garage. Allow cars to pass, please
Full uniform.
You may wear a red and white Santa hat or Northern Band logo hat
You may wear black hat, headband or earmuffs under MB hat
You may wear colorful scarf
Dress in layers (yes, it might rain)
Tuck any under-layers into your socks
Get hand-warmers. You may not wear gloves that interfere with playing
You may decorate your instruments and yourselves with lights and garland

Thursday, November 15, 2018

Thanksgiving Breakfast and Parade News!

Note from Mr. Senkmajer: 
I finally got our final information from the Parade Company at 7 p.m. this past Tuesday night when I attended this required orientation meeting in Detroit. It has taken a couple of days to sort through the information.

This will be my 6th time participating as a band director, seventh time overall. The parade has undergone significant changes since I first participated as a high-school student in the fall of 1984.

This is our earliest call time in all of the years I have done the parade. On the one hand, it means we will be back with our families sooner than previous years, but it also complicates some of the transportation issues. 

Please read the note from Mrs. Mehnert very carefully. She and many other band parents have worked so hard all season to help make this all happen. This parade is no exception.

This is going to be a wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime experience for your kids. Thank you, in advance, for your help in making this a great day for them.

E. Senkmajer
TICKETS:  
We have purchased the Grandstand seating tickets for the parade.  Originally we were in the $45 area.  We found out that these were at parade step-off and not the best for viewing the parade.  There were also not enough seats for the size of our group. We have upgraded the tickets to the $50 blue zone section that is located at Woodward and Montaclm.  We are now all together as a group and also in an area to catch all of the parade at its finest. The band is willing to incorporate this cost, however if you would like to assist in covering the extra expense, it would be appreciated.  Please just put $5 per ticket in an envelope marked upgrade. Thank you!

All bus and grandstand tickets will be picked up at a check in table near the cafeteria on Thursday before we leave.  Bus riders and students are welcome to join us for a breakfast at 4:45am that morning. 

BREAKFAST:  
It will be an early morning and we want your student to have a full stomach and ready to march.  We are providing a hot breakfast of pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage links, yogurt cups, juice and coffee.  We are asking that each student send in $3 to help cover the cost.  As mentioned before, fan bus riders are also welcome to eat with us. The $3 covers student and parent(s) that are riding the fan bus. Please note that breakfast will begin at 4:45am and we will be departing at 5:30am so don't be late!

We are still in need of some parent volunteers to help cook pancakes and help with set up.  A few parents NOT traveling to the parade are also needed to help with the clean up after we load the buses and depart.  If you are able to help out please speak to a band booster or sign up in Charms.  Thank you!

PARADE DETAILS:
Something new for us this year- we are at the front of the parade!  We will need to leave Northern at 5:30am. All student and fan buses will leave together.  Our call time is 6:45am with parade step off at 8:45am.  It is predicted that we will hit grandstand and TV zone close to 10:15am and finish the parade at 10:45am.

We are aware the parents with grandstand tickets will want to view the parade in its entirety.  To make sure that students do not get back to school too long before their parental rides, we will be having student and fan buses leaving Detroit at two different times.  

The logistics involved with moving this size group can be daunting, but every effort is being made to move efficiently and with as much communication as possible.  Updates will be made on the PHNband.org web page and on  Remind 101.   

Thank you,