CN Band Newsletter - 08.19.2025

Clovis North Band
Aug 19, 2025
5 min read

Updated: Aug 27, 2025

From the Director’s Desk

Happy first week of school! Please read through all this information; I am sure some questions will be answered. There is important information to keep everyone up to date and informed about all things Band and Color Guard related.

Family Night Wrap Up!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for family night. We did have some special participants. Thanks to everyone who took the time to be part of the band. A special thanks to our Principal, Dr. Shapiro for his willingness to participate with our students and try to get an understanding for what it takes to do what we do! That was awesome!!!

Order Your Spirit Wear Today

Football Friday

Our first football game is this Friday at Buchanan against San Joaquin Memorial. It’s going to be a hot one so please begin hydrating earlier in the week. We will wear our Sculpt band shirt under our uniform this week in the event it is too hot, we will allow students to take their uniform top off and wear their SCULPT show shirt and uniform pants. ONLY if everyone has the proper shirt. We will be handing out band shoes later this week. There is the possibility our gloves will not arrive in time for the game on Friday. If that is the case, we will go gloveless.

Attendance

Attendance at all rehearsals, events, and performances is mandatory. We will have our first Tuesday night rehearsal this week on the track field. Rehearsal will conclude at 9pm. Students will then be dismissed and will need to return to the band room to clean up and may then go home.

Our first Saturday rehearsal will be this Saturday from 10am-5pm.

CutTime Signatures

Please make sure you have signed all your forms on CutTime and have completed the fall pledge form from the CN Band Website...

Varsity Letter Application Acknowledgement

24-25 CN Band Handbook Acknowledgment

CUSD Field Trip Code of Conduct

Concert Etiquette

CUSD Code of Ethics

To get to these documents, click your CutTime magic link and scroll down to the signatures section. There, you can view and digitally sign each document. Each document is counted as a class assignment and will lower a student's grade if not completed. Thank you for your swift attention to this matter.

Greetings Jazz Families!

We’re gearing up for a stellar year. There is a lot of maturity in our HS Band and our GR band is filled with lots of new talent. Our two evening Jazz Concerts this year are Nov 12th 2025 and April 28th 2026. 7-9pm both nights.

Rehearsal Schedule:

Now – Thanksgiving *(GR Students will be asked to observe the HS Band once a week for 30 minutes)

Mon: CN 3:25-5:00*
Tues: GR 3:25-5:00
Wed: GR 3:25-4:10 AND CN 4:15-5:00*
Thur: CN 3:25-5:00*
Fri: GR 3:25-5:00

After Thanksgiving: Dec 1st -June 5th

Mon: CN 3:25-4:10 GR 3:25-5:00 (For GR, 3:25-4:10 is 45 min required observation + 45 min rehearsal 4:15-5:00)
Tue: GR 3:25-5:00
Wed: GR 3:25-4:10 CN 4:15-5:00
Thu: CN 3:25-5:00
Fri: GR 3:25-4:10 CN 4:15-5:00

Tues, Wed, and Thur are the same all year.

If you are new to the jazz family, Welcome! Communication is key. Parents and Jazz students must both add their respective band in the *Remind* app.

-To add Clovis North Jazz, select (+ add a class) enter cnja on the *Remind* app or text @cnja to the number 81010.
-To add Granite Ridge Jazz, select (+ add a class), enter grjazza on the app or text @grjazza to the number 81010.

We will occasionally use Parent Square once I have enrolled your students into the class.

We have a lot of moving parts in room 703. Cancellations and rescheduling will happen. I will do my best to keep you informed of any changes to the above schedule in a timely manner. Your flexibility is appreciated.

As always, email me with any questions or concerns.

Erik Dewhirst

CNEC Jazz

erikdewhirst@cusd.com

Mattress Fundraiser Saturday, September 20

This fundraiser works due to word of mouth. The more people we bring to the gym the more chance of selling a mattress we have. The band will earn money towards our general financial goals for the year through mattress sales. However, your student can earn money as well like this: using the mattress referral form which we have many of in the band room, they write their name at the bottom and hand them out. If someone buys a mattress and uses the referral form, you gave them you will receive a personal bonus. You will receive the following incentive:

1 mattress sold = $25.00

2 mattresses sold = $50.00

3 mattresses sold = $100.00

4 mattresses sold = $150.00

5 mattresses sold= $200.00

Chaperone Mandatory Meeting

If you wish to be a chaperone for band events this year, please place Tuesday, August 26 @ 5:30 pm on your calendar for a mandatory chaperone parent meeting. This is different than we have done in the past. If you have been a chaperone in prior years, you must attend this meeting as well to be considered to be a chaperone. If you have any questions, please contact Steffanie Hartman: steffaniehartman@cusd.com

Mandatory Parent Meeting “B”

If you were unable to attend the first band parent meeting on August 6, please make sure to be with us on Wednesday, August 27 at 7pm in the band room. This is an important meeting so you are aware of all that is entailed as a student and parent member of the Clovis North Band and Color Guard. If you attended the meeting on Aug. 9 you do not need to attend this one.

Band Night Out - Panda Express 08.27.2025

Music Tests and Pass-offs

Our first music pass off for woodwind and brass players will be this Saturday. It will be part 1 m.40-68. It must be from memory. Our goal for this first pass off is 100% of students passing the first time. If a student does not pass they can retake the test if they do not pass.

Music Tests and pass offs need to set up an appointment with myself or Mr. Vargas to schedule a make-up performance time, before school, during lunch, or after school. Students may retake once per day if they choose. However, we highly recommend students only schedule the retake once they have spent adequate time practicing and are very confident they will pass during the retake.

These assessments are in no way meant to be punitive. Music Tests and pass offs are to ensure students are at a level of performance that is acceptable for excellence. We want to celebrate their improvements as student musicians.

Bronco Blitz

Friday Sept. 12 we will be participating in our fifth annual Bronco Blitz. We will tour our 5 CN Area Elementary schools and spread some Bronco Spirit. Please see the schedule on Cuttime.

Concert Attire

Our fall concert is scheduled for Wednesday, October 15, 2025 @ 7:00pm. We hope to see all of our families in attendance. Stay tuned for more info about the fall concert. Students will need the proper attire for this concert.

Boys: Black suit or tuxedo, white long-sleeve dress shirt, black bow tie, black dress socks, black dress shoes (marching band shoes are acceptable for this).

Girls: Black dress pants or slacks, black blouse or sweater, black stockings/socks, black dress shoes (flats)