Hello Sherando Band Families,

My name is Adam Stein, and I am the Band Booster President for the 2024-2025 school year. On behalf of the entire Band Booster Board, it is my pleasure to extend a warm welcome to each of you. The band department at Sherando has a wonderful history, and I am thrilled to have you here as a part of our community of dedicated parents, and supportive volunteers.

I’m a proud Sherando Band alumnus myself, and now my wife, Devon, and I have the pleasure of watching our two kids experience the band program. Watching our kids, their bandmates, and the incredible band staff work hard to achieve the goals they set for themselves each year is amazing. The band is in good hands and they are ready for another successful year.

A major part of their success comes from the support system backing the band. That is US, the parents and guardians of these talented students! As band boosters, we play a pivotal role in the success of the band. Our Booster organization exists for the sole purpose of supporting the Sherando Band. This support basically comes down to two

There are many ways – beyond financial donations – you can help the band. Volunteering and actively participating in your child’s band experience is encouraged. Even if your children won’t say this to you out loud, they need and WANT you to participate. Your contribution, no matter how big or small, is valued and appreciated. Volunteering is available at all comfort levels – from donating water bottles, to chaperoning band trips, and everything in between! 

I know getting started as a band booster can be intimidating and a little scary. But, believe me when I tell you, If you just jump in and get your feet wet, I don’t think you’ll regret it.

That leads us into some really important ways you can help now, through the summer, as we head into band camp at the end of July.

  1. On Monday, June 24 from 6-8 pm, JB’s Ice Cream Shoppe (the old Pack’s behind AutoZone) in Stephens City will be hosting a spirit night for the band. Come out that night, get some ice cream treats, and meet some other band families. JB’s will give the band a portion of their sales during that two hour block.
     
  2. Consider ordering some items from our Amazon Wishlist. This is a great opportunity for your friends and family(grandparents, aunts/uncles, etc..) to support the band, especially if they are not local. The items on the Wishlist are needed for band camp and the full fall marching season. To make things easier over the summer, during checkout, please make sure you place your order with the default shipping addressed to me and I will deliver them to Sherando. https://www.sherandoband.org/wishlist/
     
  3. On Saturday, July 20, we will be hosting our second car wash of the summer at the Bank of Clarke in Stephens City. We are still looking for more students and parents to sign up. Our first car wash raised over $1000, so we are hoping for the same or even better for round 2! 
    https://www.signupgenius.com/go/904054EA4A82CAAF85-49019250-sherando#/
     
  4. Please sign your student up for a uniform fitting session, between July 22-25, if you haven’t already. During this time, your student will be fitted for their parade marching band attire as well as double checking the fit of their fall marching band attire. These uniform fittings are for instrumentalists only (no color guard unless they play an instrument for concert season) for both parade uniforms and concert season formal wear. 
    https://www.signupgenius.com/go/904054EA4A82CAAF85-48838164-uniform#/ 
     
  5. On Monday, July 29, band camp begins. The two weeks of band camp are probably when we need the most help for the fall marching season. This will consist of field helpers, lunch helpers, and those willing to donate fruit for our students. We will have a volunteer sign up sent out in our email newsletters very soon with details about the different ways you can volunteer during camp.
     
  6. I would like to invite each of you to attend our monthly Band Booster meetings, on the first Wednesday of each month. Our first meeting of the school year will be August 7th at 7pm in the band room. We will more formally introduce ourselves, outline our goals for the year, and discuss upcoming fundraising and volunteer opportunities. It will also be an excellent occasion to meet other band parents and exchange ideas.

To stay updated with all the latest news and announcements, I encourage you to read the regular email newsletters which contain reminders, volunteer opportunities, and important information that you won’t want to miss. Also, follow the Sherando Band Facebook and student-led Instagram accounts. Most importantly, check the band calendar on our website often, especially during marching season. It is a great way to keep track of everything band related: https://www.sherandoband.org/calendar/

This year, we are also introducing a new communication method for band families by using the Band App. This replaces the former Remind App we have used previously. This app will be used for important announcements from the band staff such as upcoming events, estimated arrival times back from competitions while we’re on the road, reminders, etc. This will be a vital tool in keeping up to date through the marching season and beyond. Once you have downloaded the Band App from your phone’s app store, you can click this link to join the Sherando Band Parents Group:
https://band.us/n/a9af0bR6H1J0w  

Don’t be afraid to reach out to me or any of the board members with questions. I look forward to meeting all of the new families and welcoming back our returning families! 

Respectfully,
Adam Stein
President, Sherando Band Booster Association