IMPORTANT DATES – MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
Tuesday, August 18 Band Parent Meeting 7pm
Friday, August 28 First Football Game @ Montour
Thursday, September 17 Band Parent Meeting 7pm
Saturday, September 19 Local Competition at Mt. Lebanon HS
Saturday, October 10 Local Competition at Deer Lakes HS
Thursday, October 15 Band Parent Meeting 7pm
Saturday, October 17 Local Competition at McKeesport HS
Saturday, October 24 - PIMBA Championships at Gateway HS
Thursday, December 17 - Winter Band Concert
Wednesday, May 19, 2027 - Spring Band Concert
REMINDERS:
Band Parent Meeting: this Tuesday, August 18th at 7pm in the High School Band Room.
FUNDRAISING: Marianna’s Hoagie & Pizza Fundraiser orders will be delivered to the high school cafeteria on August 26th, time TBD. Please email Alyssa at mabpofundraising.ad@gmail.com with any questions.
Sign Up Genius for Football Games/Competitions
We need Parent Volunteers to help with Friday Night Football Games and Saturday Competitions. Please make sure your clearances have been submitted and are up to date. Refer to the sign-up genius links included in the newsletter email. Please contact Beckie at Vpoperations@moonband.org with any questions.
Amazon Snack Wish List: With football games, competitions, and home-game hospitality for visiting bands, we go through a lot of snacks. If you’d like to help, please choose an item from our Amazon Snack Wish List and have it shipped directly to us. Thank you for helping us keep the band fed and the snack bins stocked! Refer to the sign-up genius links included in the newsletter email. Please contact Beckie at Vpoperations@moonband.org with any questions.
Concession Stand Update: We are so excited to have the opportunity to work with you all!! Please consider volunteering for our first ever concession stand at RMU!! We will have two stands running at the same time. The “inside” will be us running one of RMU stands and we will receive 10% of all revenue from that stand. The “outside” stand will be more like our normal concessions with donated items under our tent. Thank you for considering volunteering and if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me at concessions@moonband.org
RaiseRight: Support Moon Area Band Every Time You Shop! We’re excited to launch RaiseRight as a new way to support the Moon Area Band Parents Association! It’s simple: Purchase gift cards for the stores, restaurants, gas stations, and online retailers you already use, and a percentage of your purchase is donated back to our band! Every dollar earned through RaiseRight goes directly into the Moon Area Band Parents Association General Fund, helping support ALL our student musicians through equipment, transportation, events, scholarships, and so much more. Whether you’re buying groceries, filling up your gas tank, grabbing dinner, or shopping for birthdays and holidays, your everyday purchases can have a lasting impact on our band program. Shop. Earn. Support. Thank you for helping our students hit all the right notes this year! Please click on link Raise Right
Enrollment Code: YXD6W6W9YJFL
FUNDRAISING – ARAMARK – PNC/Acrisure/PPG
If you’re interested in working games, please email Heather Park at hburakow@yahoo.com.
STUDENT ACCOUNTS
You are now able to apply your students’ credits to fees in presto. Under finances, it lists My Fees, My Payments and My Credits. Click on My Credits, then select Apply Credits. Select the fee you would like to apply the credit to.
The second payment of $125 is due on August 27th. Please pay online via Presto or place a check in the band room mailbox. Please email Maria at treasurer@moonband.org if you have questions.
BAND DIRECTOR’S COMMENTS: Mr. Barthen
REHEARSAL SCHEDULE - Week of August 17
Mon. 8/17 - Perc & Guard - 5 pm- 9 pm – MAHS – Learn Mvt. 3 Dots
Tue. 8/18 – 4:30 PM – Arrive at MAHS, grab equipment, get on Bus to Hyde
Winds Rehearsal - 6pm-9pm – MAHS – Learn Mvt. 3 Dots
Wed. 8/19 – 7:30 am – 8:20 am – Teacher In-Service Performance at MAHS Auditorium.
Thu. 8/20 - Full Band Rehearsal - 6 pm- 9 pm – MAHS – Ensemble & Learn Mvt. 3 dots
Fri. 8/21 None
Sat. 8/22 – None
**NEW**Band Performance at Opening of Hyde Academy – Tuesday, August 18
Arrive at HS at 4:30 PM to board the bus to and from Hyde.
The band has been requested to perform at the Opening of Hyde Academy on Tuesday, August 18 from 5PM-5:30PM. We have moved the wind rehearsal to 6-9pm to facilitate this performance. Color Guard should not attend this event.
**NEW** MASD Administration has provided two school buses to and from the event to alleviate parking issues at Hyde.
Please arrive at the HS at 4:30pm. Attire for this performance is Red Moon Area attire, shorts, tennis shoes, etc. We should return to the high school by 5:45pm.
**NEW**Band Performance at Opening Day In-Service for Teachers - Wednesday, August 19 - 730AM - 8:15 AM
Our superintendent, Dr. D'Alessio, has requested the band perform for the teachers on the opening in-service day meetings at the HS Auditorium. We will be performing "Hero," "Apt." and "The Fight Song" in the auditorium. Attire is shorts and a red moon shirt of your choosing. The event will run from 7:30 AM until 8:15 AM on Wednesday, August 19. Due to space constraints, the color guard should not attend this event.
**NEW** THURSDAY, September 3 - Bethel Park Football Game
The Bethel Park Football game has been moved to Thursday night, September 3. The game will be aired live on TV. There will be no band activities on Friday, September 4.
LABOR DAY WEEK REHEARSALS
REMINDER, as previously scheduled, there will not be rehearsal on September 7. We will hold FULL BAND Rehearsals on Tuesday, 9/8 and Thursday, 9/10. Please plan accordingly.
PLEASE NOTE: As previously scheduled, due to Homecoming, Tuesday. Sept. 22 will be a FULL BAND Rehearsal from 6-9PM; Thu. Sept. 24 will be the Parade only at 5 PM at MAHS. Monday, Sept. 21 will be percussion and color guard from 6-9pm as scheduled.
DOT BOOK CHECKS - There will be a graded dot-book check on August 27. Students will have their dot-book collected after the 8/27 Rehearsals.
MUSIC MEMORIZATION TESTING WILL BEGIN ON SEPTEMBER 8-15 - LINK
Music to be memorized included:
Star Spangled Banner
Alma Mater
Fight Song
Hero
Treasure
Apt.
ALL THREE MVTS OF THE COMPETITION SHOW
ABSENCE COMMUNICATION
If your student will be absent from a marching band rehearsal, please communicate with either Mr. Barthen (winds/guard) or Mr. Fear (pit/battery percussion). This will aid us in planning and structuring rehearsal.
BAND HANDBOOK - LINK
COMPLETE 2026 SUMMER/FALL MARCHING BAND SCHEDULE - LINK
PRESTO-ASSISTANT
https://www.presto-assistant.com - MAHS Band will utilize the Presto Assistant for managing and communicating to band families. This website is a one-stop shop for all parent information, communication, and financial information for the band program and the MABPO (Moon Area Band Parent Organization). This is our first season using this application. All parents will receive an email link to create a PARENT account in mid-June and again in July. Please check the email address from which you received this email. If you have issues creating an account, please get in touch with Mr. Barthen for assistance. Our organizational code is: moonareahsband.
MARCHING BAND MICROSOFT TEAMS
Each marching band student was invited to a MS Teams Channel. This channel will be used to distribute music, drill, and other important student information throughout the year. Please make sure your student turns notifications on for this channel.
UPCOMING DATES
Mon. Aug. 17 - Percussion and Color Guard Rehearsal - 5PM-9PM – MAHS – Learn dots
Tue. Aug. 18 - Wind Rehearsal - 6PM-9PM – MAHS – Learn Dots
Hyde Academy Opening – 5PM- 5:45PM – Report to HS at 4:30 to board bus.
Wed. Aug. 19 – MAHS Teacher In-Service Performance – 7:30 AM
Thu. Aug. 20 - Full Ensemble Rehearsal – 6:00PM-9PM – MAHS – Ensemble & Learn dots
Fri. Aug. 21 -
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Mon. Aug. 24 - Color Guard & Percussion Rehearsal - 6PM-9PM – MAHS – Learn Dots
Tue. Aug, 25 - Wind Rehearsal - 6PM-9PM – MAHS – Learn Dots
Wed. Aug. 26
Thu. Aug. 27 - FULL Ensemble Rehearsal - 6PM-9PM – MAHS – Ens. & Learn Dots
Fri. Aug. 28 - Away Football Game @ Montour HS - Report time is 5:00PM
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Mon. Aug. 31 – Color Guard & Percussion Rehearsal – 6PM-9PM – MAHS – Learn dots
Tue. Sept. 1 – Wind Rehearsal - 6PM-9PM – MAHS – Learn dots
Wed. Sept. 2 -
Thu. Sept. 3 - Football Game at Bethel Park HS
Fri. Sept. 4 -
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Mon. Sept. 7 – No Rehearsal – Labor Day
Tue. Sept. 8 – FULL BAND Rehearsal - 6PM-9PM – MAHS – Learn & Ens Dots
Wed. Sept. 9 -
Thu. Sept. 10 - FULL BAND REHEARSAL - 6PM-9PM – MAHS – Finish 3rd mvt.
Fri. Sept. 11 - Football Game vs Penn-Trafford at RMU
Sat. Sept. 12 -
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Mon. Sept. 14 - Color Guard & Percussion Rehearsal – 6PM-9PM - MAHS
Tue. Sept. 15 - Wind Rehearsal - 6PM-9PM - MAHS
Wed. Sept. 16
Thu. Sept. 17 - FULL BAND REHEARSAL - 6PM-9PM - MAHS
Fri. Sept. 18 – Football game at Thomas Jefferson HS
Sat. Sept. 19 – PIMBA Competition at Mt. Lebanon HS – Report time approx. 1pm. Performance time TBD.
Future Events
Sat. September 19 – Mt. Lebanon PIMBA Competition
Sat. October 10 – Deer Lakes PIMBA Competition
Sat. October 19 – McKeesport PIMBA Competition
Sat. October 24 – PIMBA Championships at Gateway HS
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CLEARANCES
MABPO has no connection to MASD's Applitrack, therefore a digital or physical copy of the clearance needs to be submitted the MABPO secretary. Clearances can be emailed to: Heather Longstreth - secretary@moonband.org
Per the updated MASD policy, Clearances are valid for 5 years
Under PA Law Act 153, The State of Pennsylvania is requiring all adults who volunteer in any capacity within the school to obtain background checks. This will include parents who volunteer to chaperone the MAHS Marching Band at football games, parades, band camps, and trips. Chaperones are required to complete the PA State Police Criminal Background Check, Child Abuse History, and FBI Fingerprints. The FBI Fingerprint is only if the volunteer has not been a state of PA resident for at least 10 years. Please visit http://www.keepkidssafe.pa.gov for additional information.
OR follow the steps below:
Child Abuse Clearance click HERE
1. Cost: Free
2. Create the account
3. Submit the required information
4. Print certificate and submit to MABPO Secretary
PA Criminal Background Check click HERE
1. Cost: Free
2. Click on "NEW RECORD CHECK" (Volunteers Only)
3. After the record check is complete, click on the blue control number
4. To view the certificate, click on the blue words "Certification Form"
5. Print the certificate and submit to the MABPO Secretary
FBI Fingerprinting click HERE
use service code 1KG6XN
Contact secretary@moonband.org if you have any questions about clearances.
Check out Moon Band on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/moonareabands
Questions, comments or suggestions contact communications@moonband.org