4700 Stonecroft BlvdMessage from the Director
August 2008
Dear Guitar Families,
Welcome to our award winning Guitar Program! We have a number of performances, competitions and fundraising events planned for the 2008-09 year! First, WHS is hosting the annual Bulldog BBQ on August 26th. All music groups (guitar, band, chorus and orchestra) participate in this event by providing volunteers for food sales. In turn, they receive a portion of the sales. We will also have our own information table set up in the gym hallway. If you can help, please contact Kym Sunday, Guitar Booster President at 703-266-0345. We hope to see all of you there!
We have a very active guitar booster organization and we look forward to your joining us! The basic $15.00 membership provides basic funds needed by the guitar program. Guitar memberships greater than $15.00 will benefit the guitar program by providing equipment and greater musical opportunities for your student.
The next important event is Tag Day on Saturday, September 20th. This is our major fundraiser for the entire year! ;All Westfield High School music groups go door to door in the Westfield community asking for donations. Last year the total amount collected was approximately $30,000!! The percentage of the proceeds that the guitar group will receive is entirely dependant upon the number of guitar students participating. ALL guitar students are expected to participate in this event. We cannot stress enough how important it is for your student to participate in this major event! Money earned from Tag Day will be used to purchase new guitars, equipment, pay for clinicians, and help defray the cost of our spring trip. Our goal is 100% participation in Tag Day!
Our program is sequentially tiered as follows: Guitar I; Guitar II; Guitar III; Guitar Ensemble, and Jazz Guitar Ensemble. Our hope is that your student will become vested in our program and rise up into one or both of our award winning performing ensembles. All Guitar I and II students are expected to purchase and keep their classroom method books (available for purchase in class during the first week of school).
New for this year the Guitar Boosters have put together a Guitar Survival Guide. It contains a lot of information that will help you to know what is expected and needed from our parents, as well as students. Please read the entire booklet, and fill out and return the enclosed forms to the school as soon as possible. For regular updates, please visit our website often at: http://www.westfieldguitar.org.
I look forward to an exciting and rewarding year! Feel free to contact me with any questions.
Sincerely,
Ken Hall
(703) 307-4318
Updated: 24 Aug 2008