Parent Meeting for Incoming BHS Freshmen

TONIGHT at 7 pm

Parents/guardians of incoming 9th graders - please join us at 7 pm in the Performing Arts Center for a special Orientation Night just for you. The purpose of the evening is to share tips on how you can help your student make a successful transition from middle school to high school.

This event is for parent/guardians only. Beaver gear will be available too! More details to follow. Stop by the Ballard Performing Arts table to turn in paperwork for Band/Orchestra/Choir camps.

Please Help with Uniform Fittings!

We need help with uniform fittings 8/30 - 9/1 for marching band, and concert skirts and dresses (tuxedos are fitted once school starts).

Various time slots are available between 8:30 am and 2:30 pm.

Sign up for a slot here: 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4DA9A728A1FD0-uniform

Join BPA Social Channels

In addition to this newsletter, the directors, and email communications, our programs communicate a lot of information through our social channels – Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and the REMIND app. These channels are where you will find performances, images, video clips, announcements, and late-breaking news. We also love questions, comments, "likes", and shares. When you participate with us online, we are getting feedback from our audience and you are helping to spread the word about the talent and work of our programs and students. Subscribe!

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ballardperformingarts
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ballardperformingarts/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BallardPerformingArts
• REMIND app info: https://www.ballardperformingarts.org/remind-info-and-codes (updated 1st week) 

Uniform Fittings for Music Students

Aug 30 - Sept 1

All music students will need to be fitted for their concert attire for the upcoming school year. We will be doing some of these fittings on Tues August 30, Wed August 31, and Thurs Sept 1. The fittings will be on the auditorium stage in the Performing Arts Center from 8:30 am - 2:30 pm each day.

Students can choose between tops and skirts or tuxedos for concert wear. All band students will be fitted for Marching Band uniforms.

The fittings in August will include:

• All students in any band class - Percussion, Concert and Symphonic band, and Wind Ensemble - will be fitted for marching band uniforms.
• All band, choir and orchestra students that will be wearing skirts and dresses will be fitted for your group’s concert attire.

All band, choir and orchestra students that will be wearing tuxedos for concert attire will be fitted after school begins.

Students who can’t make one of the fitting days will be fitted during the day, either before school starts or after school.

Note: On the first day of school, the upperclassmen don't start until after lunch, so these students can come in before their start time that day for a fitting.

Please Pay Camp Fees and Turn in Paperwork

These overnight camps are a wonderful bonding experience. 

• Sept. 9–11 | Band Camp **Note that this is the first weekend after school starts!**
• Sept. 16–18 | Orchestra Camp
• Sept. 23–25 | Choir Camp

Fees:

• $210 Band camp
• $180 choir camp
• $180 orchestra camp

Scholarships are available if you need financial assistance.

Paperwork:

For returning families, paperwork was sent home with your student the last week of school. 

Copies are also available online here:

• Band camp
• Choir camp
• Orchestra camp

Pay for all next year's fees by visiting the Payment page. 

Returning students can pay their camp fees and program fees with any funds they raised selling coffee or chocolates. Contact Jill Hansen at bpabtreasurer@gmail.com or Margaret Bagshaw at mpatpjr@aol.com to learn how much your student has raised and can apply to the payments. 

Pay online and drop off your forms at the school. The office is open 8 am-3 pm or forms can be mailed to the PO Box 17774, Seattle WA 98127.

Scholarships are available. (Fill out this confidential form that only directors see to request scholarship assistance with payment.) Look for more news this summer!

Questions? Contact your group rep:

• Carol Cheyne, Band Rep, bpabbandrep@gmail.com
• Jaimee Papineau, Choir Rep, BPABchoirrep@gmail.com
• Connie Kelleher, Orchestra Rep, BPABorchestrarep@gmail.com

Stay Up to Date on BPA News: Add Your Contact Info to the BPA Student Directory

Please help us begin to communicate with students, parents, and guardians by filling out this Student Directory form for each student in Ballard Performing Arts. The information is confidential. It is used to keep both students and families informed via weekly newsletters and standalone emails about meeting dates, performances, special events, fundraisers, practice schedules, trip details, and general information throughout the year. 

Sign up here: 2022/2023 BPAB Request for Contact Information Google Form

Band

Thanks to all those parents who reached out about Band Camp chaperones. We're excited to get to Camp Seymour on Sept 9 to work on pep band and marching, and generally get to know one another.

We still need 2 male chaperones to help us make this trip a success. Chaperoning at camp was one of the highlights of my kid’s freshman year with Ballard Band. I got to know many of the students and spent the days out in nature, listening to music all around me. It was fabulous! And absolutely nothing like the 2nd grade trips where I was constantly counting heads. Students are generally pretty busy and there is a significant amount of leisure time for the adults - bring a book, a hobby (or even work if you have to - there is WIFI but we like to hide the password from the kids!). Please consider joining our chaperone team for Sept 9-11. We would love to get to know you! Complete the volunteer paperwork ASAP using the district's online portal. 

The packing list for band camp is available here. 

As a note to parents - Camp Seymour is off network for most cell phone service providers. Please do not be alarmed if your kid is out of contact for the weekend. 

Here's to an amazing, fun-filled year ahead!

Jazz Band Auditions

Ballard Big Band: Auditions for Big Band will be held at the beginning of September. If students are interested in auditioning, they can start preparing and practicing from this list of material. Audition material will be chosen from this list in addition to scales. All students are expected to learn their major, minor, and dominant scales, be able to improvise over the play-alongs, and be able to play through the bebop melodies. Please go over the material thoroughly and email Mr. Gillespie with any questions.

Choir

Volunteers needed to help with uniform fittings!

Ms. Rowley is looking for student volunteers to help out with uniform fittings.  Service hours available! Sign up for a slot here: 



https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4DA9A728A1FD0-uniform

Orchestra

If you haven’t heard…We have a new Orchestra Director!

Daniel Valdez will be taking over as Ballard High School’s Director of Orchestras. He's a bass player, and is moving from Chicago where he has been teaching. Mr. Valdez has been teaching in orchestra programs for over 10 years. He has led successful programs in the San Francisco, Austin, Houston, and Chicago areas. Read more about him on the performing arts website.

The district only pays for the BPA teachers’ salaries; everything else we have to raise or donate.

Mark Your Calendar: Goodwill Fill-a-Truck, October 8th

Every year we have two Goodwill special events to “Fill-a-Truck” with your donated items. Please save your items for our first event of the school year, on October 8th from 9 - 12 pm in the north parking lot of campus. For every trailer we fill, our programs receive $600 (there are two trucks at each event). 

Volunteers are needed for this event. Students can earn service hours and parents are encouraged to participate. Tasks include sorting, unloading cars, and traffic control. Our second event of the school year will be held on March 18, 2023. 

Event Planner Needed!

Do you have a knack for planning events? We need your special skill for our Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser in February! It’s a great community celebration featuring all the different music groups, and it raises funds to support our high-quality performing arts program.

We have many eager volunteers ready to pitch in at the ground level, but we need a chairperson to help organize and run the event. 

Interested in learning more? Email bpabsecretary@gmail.com.

Fundraising Communications Coordinator Needed

Have some killer communications skills and want to help support our fundraisers by writing copy and content for newsletter and website articles and other promotions? Contact Rachel at bpabcommunications@gmail.com.

Get back in the groove by reliving some of our greatest performances last year! 

Check out past performances anytime on our YouTube and Vimeo channels

Looking for general school information about the beginning of the school year?

See the BHS Start of School Featured News Topics page.