Band parents, in addition to email communications, we encourage you to regularly check Newsflash for upcoming events and important band updates. We will publish advance dates as soon as we know them to help you plan the year!

Registrations for Band:

Band registrations for 2021 are now closed. Registrations for Band will re-open in Term 4 for our 2022 student intake.  

Tutorials:

Small group tutorials and individual in-school tutorials have started.  Parents have been emailed tutorial details (including tutor name, tutorial time, tutorial day and location).

If you have a question regarding your child’s tutorial, please email your Tutor in the first instance. Alternatively, email tutorband@artarmonpandc.org.au.

Important note – All Students participating in the Band program are expected to take lessons (at school or externally) in their band instrument. If you were going to arrange an external music tutor but now need in-school tuition, please email Jane/Rebecca, our Tutor Coordinators, this week (email: tutorband@artarmonpandc.org.au).  

Instrument Hire

If you have hired an instrument, this is a reminder to read, complete and return the pink slip asap. Pink slips can be found inside the hired instrument case and should be returned to the Band mailbox near the school main office.

If you have a question regarding instrument hire and maintenance please contact Kirsteen, our Instrument Coordinator at apsbandinstruments@gmail.com

Band Rehearsals

Important Note – due to year 5’s being away on camp this week, there will be combined Concert Band & Senior Band rehearsal this Thursday (25^th Feb) at lunchtime (12.50-1.40pm).

Rehearsals for Training Band will start next week (Friday 5^th March) and will be held each week on Fridays from 7.50am to 8.50am (arrive promptly at 7.50am for 8.00am start)

Jazz Band rehearsals have started and will be at the following time for this week only:

• Friday 26^th February 7.50 – 8.50am
• After the above date, Jazz Band rehearsals will be held weekly on Thursdays from 3.00 – 4.00pm.

Orchestra rehearsals started last week and will be held weekly on Wednesdays from 8am to 8.50am. This week’s Orchestra rehearsal will go ahead on Wednesday (24^th Feb) before school.

All band rehearsals are held in the school music room. For rehearsals before school, students should arrive at school promptly at 7.50am so that the band rehearsal can start by 8am.

Creative Kids Voucher – Apply Now

As you may be aware, the NSW Government will continue to contribute a $100 Creative Kids rebate this year for NSW residents.  It is the same as last year and similar to the Active Kids rebate in that you can claim it against the cost of your child's activities from a registered provider and you can only claim it once from one provider for the year.

The Artarmon P&C is registered as a Creative Kids provider for the band and strings programs. We have set up a form on the Myschoolmusic parent portal for you to provide your Creative Kids voucher number to us.

If you would like to use a Creative Kids voucher to reduce your 2021 band fees by $100, then please follow these 3 steps by 22 March 2021:

• Apply for a voucher for your childon the Service NSW website:  go to https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-creative-kids-voucher. You should do this now.
• As soon as you receive your voucher (it will be emailed to you by Service NSW), log in to the Myschoolmusic parent portal Music Portal Login, answer YES to the question on the Creative Kids form andenter your Creative Kids voucher number  and the other details.
• When you receive an invoice by email from the band treasurer for your ensemble fees and instrument hire,pay $100 less than the total amount on your invoice as soon as you receive it.  Please note that this discount may already be included on the invoice.

If you have more than one child please follow the process for each child individually.

If you have a child who is in both band AND strings, you can only reduce your band OR strings invoice by $100.

Note that instrument tuition fees which are paid direct to your tutor are a separate fee which must be paid in full unless your tutor advises you that they are a Creative Kids provider. In that case you can choose to use the voucher for your tutorial fees instead of (but NOT as well as) your band/strings fees.

Please note that due to the number of children in the band and strings programs, we are unable to process refunds on the band or strings fees if you pay the full amount and decide later to apply for a Creative Kids voucher. You must pay $100 less on your band or strings invoice and tell us your Creative Kids voucher number by Monday 22 Mar 2021. Thank you for your understanding.

If you do not intend to claim the Creative Kids rebate as part of your 2021 band or strings fees (eg. because you are not eligible or have already used it with another provider), then:

• Please pay the full amount of your band or strings invoice as soon as you receive it.
• Log in to the Myschoolmusic parent portal Music Portal Loginand respond NO to the question on the Creative Kids form. You can do this now.

Any questions please email band@artarmonpandc.org.au

Parent Portal – Update Class Details

Classes for 2021 have been confirmed and communicated to parents.

If your child is enrolled in Band, please log into the Parent Music Portal and update your child’s class details this week. This is important information we need for scheduling & communication purposes with the school.  

https://portal.msmusic.com.au/artarmonmusic

Questions?

For general questions, please refer to the Band Information Pack which is available in the Parent Portal and on the school website under Music Programs. Band rehearsal times for your child(ren) and the name of your Band Coordinator(s), once assigned, will also appear in the Parent Portal when you login.  

If you have a question about your hired instrument or instrument tutorial, please contact your Tutor in the first instance. Alternatively, contact our Instrument Coordinator or Tutor Coordinators.

• Instrument Coordinator: Kirsteen Daly (APSbandinstruments@gmail.com)
• Tutor Coordinators: Rebecca Wall & Jane Absolum (tutorband@artarmonpandc.org.au)

THANK YOU!

Email: band@artarmonpandc.org.au