The Honey Baked Ham fundraiser, the biggest drive of the school year for the Coleman Band, officially kicked off on Monday.

The success of the fundraiser -- just in time for the holiday gift-gifting season -- depends on strong participation by all students and families.

Instructions and forms went home with all band students on Monday.

Following are a few reminders:

+ Honey Baked Ham certificates are available in increments of $10, $25, $35 and $50.

+ Certificates can be used at ANY Honey Baked Ham store, including the one at 115 South Dale Mabry Blvd. in Tampa. There are 400 locations nationwide. Click here to find the location of a store near you or someone who you'd like to treat with a gift certificate. For more information on Honey Baked Hams, call 1-866-492-HAMS.

+ Use the provided order form to sign up family, friends and neighbors. (If you lost the form, email me at jphilipbooth@gmail.com and I will email to you a printable order form).

+ Collect payment at time of sign–up.

+ Make checks payable to: Coleman Band Boosters.

+ Turn in all forms and money to Mr. Dunn by November 14.

+ You will get the gift certificates the following week, in plenty of time to hand out before Thanksgiving.

Honey Baked Ham Fundraiser Kicks Off

It's time for the last fundraiser of the fall - the Coleman Band will be selling gift certificates to be used at Honey Baked Ham stores.

Here's more info from Mr. Dunn:

"We are selling $10, $25, $35, $50 gift certificates. They can be used for anything from lunch, dessert, gifts and even Thanksgiving dinner!

Students will be sent home with a packet of all the forms and information you will need for this fundraiser.

All money and forms are due by November 14 to Mr. Dunn. All checks should be made to: Coleman Band Boosters.

All gift certificates will be delivered in time for Thanksgiving

Thank you all for your support of the band. Your students really appreciate it.


Thanks,
Chris Dunn"

Fall Family Dinner and Students/Teachers Basketball Game

The students beat the teachers tonight at the annual basketball showdown.

Even more exciting, the Coleman Cobra bands made a great showing. The marching band ("We Will Rock You") and the rock band ("Free Ride") pumped up the volume at the game, and the jazz band ("Hey, Jude") played the dinner, as did the string ensemble and the chorus ("Don't Worry, Be Happy").

Check out the pix.

Coleman Instrument Drive Announced on WMNF Site

WMNF-FM, 88.5 FM, is taking notice of our instrument drive.

Click here to read the announcement on the station's community announcements board.

Coleman Band Seeking Donated Instruments

Are old band instruments collecting dust in your garage or attic?

Put those valuable horns and woodwinds to good use: Donate a good pre-owned instrument to Coleman, and you can gain the satisfaction of helping a child further his or her musical education.

The Coleman Cobra Band is looking for all types of quality pre-owned band instruments -- flutes, clarinets, saxophones, oboes, bassoons, trumpets, trombones, French horns, baritones, tubas and various percussion instruments and drums -- as well as electric guitars, electric basses and amplifiers for the rock and jazz bands

The band, with 140 band students in seventh and eighth grades and a new group of sixth graders coming aboard next semester, is seeking good used instruments.

A tax break could be in it for you, too.

Anyone interested in donating an instrument can email our band director, Mr. Dunn - chris.dunn@sdhc.k12.fl.us -- or call Coleman at (813) 872-5335, ext. 252.

Fall Family Dinner: Thursday, Oct. 23 at Coleman

Here's the updated information from Mr. Dunn:

The Marching Band, Jazz Band, and Rock Bands will be performing at the fall family dinner on Thursday, Oct. 23. The groups will need to attend at different times.

The Marching Band students will need to be in the band room by 6:30 p.m. with their instruments in hand ready to play. The marching Band will play at 7 p.m. in the gym.

The Jazz Band students will need to be in the band room ready to perform by 5 p.m. The jazz band will be performing in the cafeteria from 5:15 to 5:45 p.m.

The Rock Band will be performing at half time of the basketball game. Students will need to set up their instruments in the gym by 6:15 p.m.

We will also be selling desserts during the dinner. We will need
cookies, cakes, brownies, or any type of dessert you would like to
make.

If you would like to donate desserts or work at the table,
please e-mail Ms. Knapp at anneknapp@verizon.net.

Thanks,
Chris Dunn

More info:
Dinner, from 5:15 to 6:45 p.m., is provided by Mr. Empanada. It includes a half Cuban sandwich, two small empanadas, salad and a drink. Dinner tickets are $5 each, and must be pre-paid by Monday, Oct. 20. Click here to access the event flyer and the dinner order form.

For more information on the dinner, contact Pam Pitisci at pampitisci@verizon.net or Leigh Ann Queirolo at qx6@verizon.net

The game is from 7 to 8 p.m.

Coleman Middle School Band Calendar: 2009-10

UPCOMING EVENTS

Saturday, June 5 - SPRING BAND PICNIC, Picnic Island Park-Pavilion #613, 4 to 6 p.m.; food and fun: Come celebrate the band's success this year, and say goodbye to Mr. Dunn. PARENTS: We still need hot dogs, hamburgers and buns

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PAST EVENTS
January-May 2010
May 20 - Spring Concert, Plant Auditorium, 7 p.m., students arrive at 6:15 p.m.; concert dress
May 13 - Spirit Night @ Eats American Grill, 5 to 8:30 p.m.
May 10 - Boosters Meeting, Coleman Band Room, 6:30 p.m.
April 22 - Spring trip to Universal in Orlando
March 31 - 8th Grade Band (2nd period) MPA, Jefferson High School, 5:05 p.m.
March 30 - 7th Grade Band MPA, Jefferson High School, 4:20 p.m.
Feb. 19-20 - Solo and Ensemble MPA, Alonzo High School
Feb. 5 - Jazz Band MPA, State Fairgrounds
Feb. 2 - Meeting for parents of sixth-grade band students, bandroom
Jan. 9 - All-County Band concert, Chamberlain High School, 7 p.m.
Jan. 7-9 - All-County Band rehearsals, Blake High School, time TBA; for those students who audition and are selected
December 2009
* 16 - Winter Gala, Coleman Gym, 1 p.m.; in-school concert; parents welcome to attend
* 10 - Winter Concert, Plant High School auditorium, 7 p.m.
* 1 - All-County Band auditions, Blake High School, 6 to 9 p.m.

November 2009
* 7 - Coleman concert, jazz and rock bands, Old Hyde Park Village, 4 to 6 p.m.
* 6 - 2009 Rehearse-A-Thon, bandroom and cafeteria, 4:30 to 8:30 p.m.

October 2009
* 29 - Fall Family Dinner/Basketball at Coleman Cafeteria - Marching band, gym, 7:30; jazz band, cafeteria, 6 p.m.; rock bands, cafeteria, 6:30 p.m.
* 27 - Coleman Band Spirit Night at Westshore Pizza
* 9 - Plant Band Middle School Night

September 2009
* 16 - Spirit Night at Tahitian Inn, 601 S. Dale Mabry, 5 to 8 p.m.
* 15 - Coleman Band drumline, Coleman cafeteria, 7:15 p.m., PTSA general meeting
* 12 (Saturday) - All-State Band Auditions, Burns Middle School
* 8 (Tuesday) - Band Booster Meeting, band room, 6:30 p.m.

May 2009
* 30 (Saturday)- End-of-Year picnic, Picnic Island, UPDATED TIME: 5 to 7 p.m.
* 21 (Thursday) - Band Boosters meeting (last one of the year), 6:30 p.m., Coleman bandroom
* 18 - Coleman Band Spring concert at Robinson High School auditorium, 7 p.m.
* 7 - Barnes and Noble (Dale Mabry/Kennedy); Orchestra, Brass Band, Rock bands, starting at 5:30 p.m.

April 2009
* 1 - Florida Bandmasters Association (FBA) concert MPA, Leto High School:
12:30 - 3rd-period band
3 p.m. - 2nd-period band
* 16 - Universal Studios trip

February 2009
* 20-21 (Friday-Saturday) - Solo & Ensemble evaluations, Alonso High School
* 6 - Coleman Jazz Band at Florida State Fair, 1:30 p.m.

January 2009
* 15 - Sixth-Grade Band Night, 6:30 p.m.

December 2008
* 11 - Winter Concert, Coleman Gym, 6:30 p.m.

November 2008
* 17 - Honey Baked Ham certificates distributed

October 2008
* 23 - Fall Family Dinner at Coleman - Marching band, jazz band, rock band.

21-Nov. 14 - Honey Baked Ham fundraiser

Hear Lots of Good Jazz for Free at This Weekend's Clearwater Jazz Holiday

Hey, student jazz players: Want to improve your musical skills?

The best way to improve, aside from practicing consistently and connecting with a good teacher, is to listen, listen, listen to good jazz on recordings. Better yet, unplug from the iPod and get yourself out to hear a live jazz concert.

A great opportunity to listen to loads of jazz comes our way this weekend with the annual Clearwater Jazz Holiday, at Coachman Park in downtown Clearwater.

This year's festival, this Thursday through Sunday, features several outstanding young players, including Blake High School saxophonist B.K. Jackson, nationally known 16-year-old saxophonist Grace Kelly, 21-year-old piano sensation Eldar, and the Ruth Eckerd Hall/Clearwater Jazz Holiday Jazz Youth Band with guest bassist Billy Norris (a Manhattan School of Music student from our area).

Admission is free, and the weather is usually sunny in the daytime and breezy at night. For all the details, click here.

Welcome to the Blog

Welcome to the Coleman Middle School Cobra Band blog.

We plan to provide up-to-date information on Coleman Band concerts, programs and other activities.

Comments from band parents, students and others are welcomed, but they must be approved before they will appear on the blog.

To suggest information or links that would bolster the cause of the Coleman Band and/or music education in general, contact jphilipbooth@gmail.com

Regular posting will begin soon.