1. To ALL JET BAND PARENTS from the band directors: Please help us to help you stay better informed and keep your child "on task" by checking the Student Announcements on a daily basis throughout the school year. These are the announcements that are displayed in band class each day.
     

  2. UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES, MEETINGS, EVENTS, & VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
     Mum Workdays every day through Sept. 10 -- click here for complete schedule. 
    San Diego Trip, 5th payment due Thursday, Sept 4... see details below.
    Football Game @ Rhodes, Saturday, Sept. 6 -- click here for the itinerary.

    See This Is Your Life!!! calendar for more upcoming dates.

    Check     the Volunteer Opportunities page frequently to see where YOUR help is needed!
    Thanks for making JET Band the best!!   (updated 9.5.08)

  3. MUM-A-MIAS NEED YOUR HELP!  Homecoming is Sept. 12th.  Mum sales of regular orders have closed and all in-stock mums have also been sold.  We need volunteers to help with making mums and distributing finished mums.  Crunch time is here, and if you are a trained mum maker, PLEASE COME HELP!!!  Click for the Mum Making Schedule, or click here for the full Mums page and more details.  The Mum Room is next to room 164 at THS.  Click here for a map of the school showing the location.  E-mail mums@jetband.org with any questions.  Remember, Mums are JET Band's biggest, most successful fundraiser of the year... they are counting on us!  (updated 9.5.08)

  4. COOKIE DOUGH PICK UP:  Cookie dough will be delivered on September 16.  Please make arrangements to pick up your order after school.  It arrives frozen, but there isn't any place to store it if you don't pick it up!  Kristi Panahi is looking for a few helpers to arrive at the Band Hall at 1:30 PM that day to help sort and stack it.  Contact her at points@jetband.org if you can help out.  (posted 9.2.08)

  5. HIGH SCHOOL NIGHT AT THE OPERA:  Taylor High School Fine Arts students are invited to attend a production of Hector Berlioz' Beatrice and Benedict (based on Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing) on Wednesday, November 5.  For $46, you get a great ticket to the opera, a dinner at Spaghetti Warehouse, and a round trip ticket on a big yellow 60-passenger limo!  Forms are available in the Band Hall or you may send your money in an envelope with your name on it and indicate how many tickets you want.  (posted 9.2.08)

  6. ABSENT FROM OR TARDY TO BAND?  Please use the "Request for Excused Absence or Tardy" form to notify the Directors when your student must be absent from or tardy to a band rehearsal or performance.  Ideally the form should be submitted 24 hours before the student will be absent or tardy.  Or in the case of unexpected absences, please submit the form within 24 hours of the student's return.  (posted 9.5.08)

  7. ENTERTAINMENT BOOKS:  The Entertainment Books have arrived at Kristi Panahi's house, so if you want to get a jump on selling them, stop by and pick up a stack!  The books sell for $20 and $10 from each sale goes into your child's trip account. Call Kristi at 281-398-1368 or e-mail panahi1984@yahoo.com to arrange a pickup.  Click here for the Entertainment Books page and more details, including a link for purchasing books for outside the Houston area.  (posted 8.9.08)

  8. WANT TO BUY OR SELL AN INSTRUMENT?  Click for the Instruments for Sale page which has been updated with new ads.  Please e-mail webcoordinator@jetband.org to place an ad. (posted 8.11.08)

  9. USED INSTRUMENTS NEEDED:  Students in junior high schools are quitting band because they can't afford an instrument.  If you have an old instrument gathering dust somewhere, contact Mr. Bailey and he will arrange to get it in the hands of someone who needs it. (posted 9.2.08)

  10. BAND BOOSTER GARAGE SALE:  The next Band Booster Garage Sale is set for Saturday, September 20, 2008, so now's the time to start cleaning out those closets and getting your donations ready.  Remember: one man's junk is another man's treasure!  In addition to garage sale items, please start saving your brown paper bags, plastic grocery sacks, or any other shopping bags, and bring them to the garage sale so we can use them for people to take their purchases home.  If you have questions, or would like to volunteer, contact Jan or Jeff Work at 281-647-6215 or e-mail garage.sale@jetband.org.  If you have large items that need to be moved now, ask about storage prior to the garage sale.  Click here for the Garage Sale Page and more details, including a donations form.  This event can't happen without many helpers, so look for the volunteer sign-up sheet at the booster meetings or e-mail garage.sale@jetband.org - volunteer points are awarded for both hours worked and donations.  (posted 8.14.08)

  11. ENTER AND/OR UPDATE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS!  With 300+ students in a fast moving organization like JET Band, the Directors rely heavily on the website and e-mails to keep parents updated.  Please follow the instructions to subscribe to the JET Band E-mailing List by clicking here.  (posted 8.6.08)

  12. SAN DIEGO TRIP, DEC. 26-31, 2008:  Our once-every-four-years BIG trip, which will occur next school year, December 26-31, 2008, is to San Diego, CA, where we will march in the Holiday Bowl Parade and play at the game!  It promises to be BIG fun, with trips to Disney Land, Sea World, the San Diego Zoo, and more.  Click here for the San Diego Trip page.  This page was updated recently and will be edited as more information becomes available so check back often.  The fifth $250 per person payment is due Thurs., Sept. 4.  Please put the payment in a sealed envelope marked San Diego trip on the outside and have your student put it into the bandhall safe.  You can also make online payments with a credit card or PayPal account by clicking here.  Finally, if your bank provides BillPay or a similar option, you can use that to send your trip payments.  Click here for more information on BillPay.  Please check the San Diego Trip page for important information on deadlines that are fast approaching regarding signing up for the trip, refunds, and trip insurance!   (updated 8.24.08)

  13. ONLINE PAYMENT FOR COLOR GUARD DUES:  The online payments screen has been updated to include a link for paying Color Guard dues through PayPal or with a credit card.  Click here for the page.  (posted. 8.10.08)

  14. SCRIP CARDS:  Please check the Scrip page for all the details and enroll today!  Earnings from Scrip go into your student's trip account for this Fall's BIG trip to California.  So, if you haven't yet gotten into the "scrip habit," now is a good time to do so, as this fundraiser is very effective in helping build up those trip accounts -- especially if you use it regularly to pay for things you are buying anyway, like groceries and gas!  If you need help enrolling in Scrip or placing your first order online, we will be happy to assist you.  Scrip orders are delivered in the bandhall every Thursday evening from 6-6:30 PM.  E-mail scrip.cards@jetband.org for questions.  (posted 8.6.08)
     
  15. SUPPORT JET BAND WHEN GROCERY SHOPPING:  Kroger has replaced its Share Card Program with the Neighbor to Neighbor Program. The result is the same...the band gets credit when you shop there...but instead of using a paper card every week, you can now link your Kroger Plus Card to JET Band.  Click here for a letter you can take with you the next time you shop at Kroger.  When you check out, give the letter and your Kroger Plus Card to the cashier who will scan your card and the letter... and you'll be set! 
    Link your Randall's card to the Taylor Band Boosters as well.  Stop by the Courtesy Booth at any Randall's and ask them to link your card to the Boosters Good Neighbor Number, 2789.  We get a percentage of what you spend at both stores, and it really adds up!  (posted 7.3.08)
     
  16. THANK YOU!  A big thank you to everyone who helped with Money Day! We handled over 260 band and guard students in less than 3 hours. (We heard that Cinco Ranch's money day lasted from 9 AM to 6 PM!).  Don't forget to e-mail Kristi (points@jetband.org) your hours if you worked at Money Day.  (posted 8.15.08)
     
  17. BURGER BASH THANK YOU!  The Burger Bash Committee would like to send out their sincere thanks to all of our volunteer workers for the Burger Bash on August 16.  The Set Up Crew, the Onion/Tomato/Lettuce choppers, Serving Crew, Clean Up Crew.......all of you guys worked so hard to make the afternoon a success! Of course, we have to give a big THANK YOU to Mac DeLaup of John Eagle Honda for providing all of our Hamburgers and Hot Dogs, and supervising the entire grilling process!  We know the hot weather was tough to take, but you did it all with a big 'ole smile and we sure appreciate it!

    Thank you to everyone in our JetBand family for making the Burger Bash a wonderful way to start off the Marching Season....sharing great food, great friends, and great entertainment, too!

    Burger Bash Committee:  Anne Choe, Chris Crockett and Kristi Panahi  (posted 8.21.08)
     
  18. SO MANY THANKS TO GIVE... Please look at the Volunteer Recognition page from time to time and remember to say "thank you" to the volunteers who make JET Band go!  We are unbelievably fortunate in that we have the best, the most energetic, the most dedicated parent volunteers anywhere in the school.  There are too many volunteer names to list them all, but please know how very much you all are appreciated!  (posted 5.15.08)
     

  19. SPEAKING OF VOLUNTEERS...  Don't forget to send in ALL your JET Band volunteer hours to Points Coordinator, Kristi Panahi, by e-mail to points@jetband.org.  Ideally these should be submitted every month, but if you're behind on submitting hours, go ahead and send in your catch-up hours now as well.  Besides tracking your volunteer points for JET Band, Kristi reports these to the Taylor HS Volunteer Coordinator each month so that our school gets credit.  The strength of a school's volunteer program is one aspect on which it is judged, and JET Band volunteers put in a HUGE number of hours each year... let's be sure these get counted for Taylor's VIPS program as well!  Many of you have worked on JET Band projects during the summer.  Please continue to send in all your hours and the projects/programs on which they were earned during the summer as well!  (posted 5.15.08)

  20. JET BAND DVDs:  The "Porgy & Bess - Behind the Scenes 07-08" DVD, produced by our own resident video expert, Lynn Mumby, is a fantastic keepsake of the 07-08 band year!  If you didn't order a DVD last year on Money Day but would like one, the cost is $12 (cash or check payable to Taylor Band).  Can't remember if you already ordered the DVD?  Click here for the list.  This year, the Front Ensemble Percussion students will have a section added to their DVDs showing their performance during the marching show.  If you're in need of a past band year's DVD, those are also available for $12 each.  E-mail Lynn at scuba@hal-pc.org to make arrangements.

    If you would like to purchase a copy of the professionally recorded DVD from the Westlake Marching Festival featuring the full performance of the "Porgy & Bess" show in finals competition, please contact Lynn (281-253-0934 or e-mail scuba@hal-pc.org).  The DVD includes the performances of all twelve bands in the finals.  Cost is only $15 (normal retail is $40, but we received a bulk purchase Band Boosters discount, thanks to Lynn!).  (posted 7.20.08)

  21. HOUSTON SYMPHONY PERFORMANCES:  Check out the Houston Symphony website at www.houstonsymphony.org for information on upcoming concerts.  If you are interested in attending a Houston Symphony concert, we qualify for a reduced group rate if we have at least 10 people.  If you have a group of friends interested in attending and would like to get the group discount, e-mail Jan at jetbandboosters@gmail.com for more information.  (posted 8.5.08)

  22. As always, thank you for everything you do to help make the JET Band so successful!