As we approach the end, I want to thank everyone for a great first year. All grade levels saw enormous improvements, and we are looking at a great 2017-18 school year. If you would like your student to get a jump start on next year Mr. Brown and I would suggest you attend a summer camp and/or take private lessons. Private lessons can be found at any of our great local music stores. If you would like to register for a camp, you can follow any of the links below.

Vivace! – www.vivacecamps.com

Cobb County Middle School Camp – www.cobbcountysummerbandcamp.com

Encore Band Camp – www.encorebandcamp.com

Music for All Camp – www.musicforall.org/camp

Ladies Only Camp

Athena Music Camp – www.athenacamp.com

Percussion Only:

North Georgia Percussion Camp – www.percussionworkshop.net

Good Afternoon,

As we are ending the year we have a few things we need to take care of.

1. All Tuxedos for 7th and 8th grade were due last week. If your son has not turned in their tuxedo please have them do so immediately. If you have lost your tux there is a $250.00 replacement fee.
2. We need a few parents to help remove the seams from tuxes. If you are available (and you have a seam remover) please email Mr. Grimes
3. All school instruments must be turned in by Friday. Mr. Grimes will be sending home instrument check out forms for the summer on Wednesday May 17th.
4. All brass players must turn in their BERPS by Wednesday May 17th. If you have lost yours you need to turn in a check for $25.00 made out to Dickerson Middle School. Please make sure you show Mr. Grimes the check before you turn it in.
5. All Jazz Band Students should have turned in their $10.00 for the Jazz Band shirt. If you have not turned it in please do so as soon as possible.
6. All band drop forms are due by Monday May 22nd. If your student plans to drop by next year we must have this form. There will be no drops at the beginning of the year. 

Parents,

Just as a reminder about the concerts tonight (May 2nd). Each grade will have it’s own concert. Please follow the schedule below, and email Mr. Grimes with any questions.

6th Grade

Report Time: 5:45

Performance: 6:00

Performance Ends: 6:25

Uniform: Band T-shirt and jeans

7th Grade

Report Time: 6:30

Performance: 7:00

Performance Ends: 7:25

Uniform: Tuxes and dresses

7th Grade

Report Time: 7:30

Performance: 8:00

Performance Ends: 8:25

Uniform: Tuxes and dresses

Friday, April 28^th: Dickerson’s Annual STEAM day for students!

We are excited to announce a new STEM partnership between the Atlanta Braves, Cobb Schools and Dickerson Middle School.  The Braves have partnered with an organization called the Science of Sport that has developed a supplemental curriculum resource integrating science, math and physical education standards using baseball.  Our school received access to digital supplemental standards based lessons correlated to our standards for math, science, and health/PE and training including from former Braves and Falcons elite athlete Brain Jordan!

This Friday is not only our annual STEAM day for students, but we will be using the “Science of Baseball” and the BRAVES as our theme for this year.

A few of our special events include:

• Dickerson Café will be serving Braves Burgers
• Kona Ice Truck will be here selling Kona Ice (students may choose a $4 or $5 dollar option – thanks DMS Foundation!). This will occur during FAF.
• All teachers will be integrating the curriculum with a theme of baseball and a combination of science, math, technology, arts (music, drama, visual arts, etc.), engineering, and/or math!
• Students are encouraged to wear Braves gear or Braves colors.

Go Braves, Go Dickerson and Go Team!!!

We have a lot going on over the next two weeks, so we want to make sure everyone is informed

Jazz Band

Jazz band has rehearsal after school Tuesday (4/25) and Wednesday (4/26). We have Jazz LGPE on Friday (4/28). Your student should have brought home a detailed schedule of what they are doing. All 8th grade students will be picked up at Walton after we are done on Friday (around 3:00). All 7th Grade students will be returning to Dickerson after 3rd period. All Honors Jazz Band will need to be dropped off at Walton by 9am on Friday. We have ordered shirts, and they should be in by Thursday. Uniform will be our Jazz Band T-Shirts and jeans.

Next week all three Jazz Bands will be performing on May 4th for STEAM night at Dickerson. Students will report at 6:00 and will be done by 7:45.

On Saturday May 6th all three Jazz bands will be performing for Taste of East Cobb. We will report to the band room at 10:30am on Saturday. We will get our instruments and walk across the street to the parking lot of JFB,C where we will perform. We should be done by 12:00.

6th Grade Band

Our spring Concert for the 6th grade is on Tuesday May 2nd. All students will report at 5:30 in uniform (Band T Shirt and jeans). We will perform at 6:00 and we should be done no later than 6:30.

7th Grade Band

Our spring Concert for the 7th grade is on Tuesday May 2nd. All students will report at 6:30 in uniform (Tux and dresses). We will perform at 7:00 and we should be done no later than 7:30.

8th Grade Band

Our spring Concert for the 8th grade is on Tuesday May 2nd. All students will report at 7:30 in uniform (Tux and dresses). We will perform at 8:00 and we should be done no later than 8:30.

Parent,

LGPE for 7th and 8th grade will be the week of March 20th. All groups will be performing at McEachern High school on their respected days. Below you will find the information packet that was sent home along with permission slips. If you would like to chaperone you can sign up below

7th Grade Chaperone sign up

8th Grade Chaperone sign up

7th Grade

Both 7th Grade bands will be going to LGPE on Monday March 20th. Students will miss the whole day of school. Please make sure that your student show up to school already in uniform on the 20th.

One Day Permission Slip

7th Grade LGPE Lunch Order

7th Grade LGPE Information

8th Grade

Both 8th Grade bands will be going to LGPE on Wednesday March 22nd. Students will miss the whole day of school. Please make sure that your student show up to school already in uniform on the 22nd.

One Day Permission Slip

8th Grade LGPE Lunch Order

8th Grade LGPE information

We have a lot going on this week

The band room will be open 8am-9am Monday thru Friday this week.

On Tuesday the 8th grade will have after school rehearsal till 6pm. Once the rehearsal is over at 6pm, all students going on the NYC Trip will have a required meeting with their parents in the theater. The meeting should only last about 20-30 minutes plus question time. If you have any questions that you would like to ask before hand please feel free to email them to Mr. Grimes.

Also on Tuesday, 7th and 8th grade boys that have not been measured for a tux will be measured during class.

Mrs. Pamplin and Dr. Jackson will be here to work with all grades on Thursday.

Full Orchestra will have rehearsal with the Orchestra Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Mr. Grimes will be out with our All State Students on Thursday and Friday.

• Tuxedos are continuing to go out for 7th and 8th grade boys. We had to order new pants and jackets for some students, and those will be fitted this week.
• The band room will be open for morning practice Monday-Friday this week.
• Dr. Cara Morantz from The University of Alabama Birmingham will be working with our 8th graders this Monday.
• We have Honors Jazz Band and Full Orchestra this Friday.
• Friday is a fresh air Friday schedule

This week we have a lot of things going on.

The band room is open for practice this week Tuesday – Friday.

8th Grade boys will continue to bring tuxes home. Many of them have been assigned a tux, but they have left them in the band room. Please remind your student to bring his tux home if it has been assigned.

A small group of 6th graders will have rehearsal on Monday morning to prepare for the rising 5th graders performance. These students brought a permission slip home last week. All 6th graders have been asked to wear a Dickerson Band shirt on Monday.

Our 8th grade doublers have been asked to perform at the rising 6th grade parent meeting after school. Students should report to the band room at 5:45 wearing a band or Dickerson shirt. They will perform at 6:20 and be done by 6:30. Please plan on picking up your student no later than 6:35.

Mr. Back from Walton will be coming over to talk to all the 8th graders on Wednesday about signing up for high school band. There is a parent and student information meeting at Walton on Monday February 13th at 7:30 if you would like more information about high school band.

All our students that made honor band will be attending District XII Honor band this weekend. Students should head to Lovinggood Middle School after school on Friday. Mr. Grimes will be sending home more information on Monday.

We will have Full Orchestra rehearsal on Thursday and Mrs. Pamplin will be here to work with the flutes.

We will not see our 8th graders at all on Friday, but we will see everyone else on a Fresh Air Friday schedule.

7th and 8th grade parents: Please be aware that we will begin to send tuxedos home for our gentlemen this week. It will take several days to get all of them home, so please don’t worry if it doesn’t come home early in the week.

We will have morning practice this week Monday – Thursday.

We have Honors Jazz Band rehearsal Friday morning at 8am.

Our flute instructor Mrs. Pamplin will be here Wednesday to work with the flutes in all grades.

Our 8th Grade doublers will be having full orchestra practice on Friday during class.

This Wednesday will be a DMS Challenge day and Friday will be a Fresh Air Friday.