Dear Band Director,
The Bishop Heelan Band Department would like to invite you and your students to participate in the Strong Foundations 6th Grade Honor Band! The purpose of the honor band is to provide an opportunity for our young instrumental musicians to have an excellent ensemble experience in a positive, friendly environment without competition, or unnecessary stress, while working with outstanding music educators. This year's guest conductors are .
The 8th Annual Strong Foundations Honor Band will take place on Monday, January 19, 2026. The Honor Band is open to all 6th grade band students. Students will be selected for the honor band by director nomination. The nomination procedure is quite simple: you make nominations online at https://sites.google.com/site/strongfoundationshonorband/. Selections are made by a committee. Selected students will be divided into two equal bands of approximately 100 students. Students will rehearse with our guest directors starting at noon, and present a concert the evening of January 19 at 6:00pm. There will also be a professional development opportunity available for the directors!
The calendar for selection and performance is as follows:
· November 1 - Online nominations due
· November 15 - selections announced, music delivered
(want to give you lots of time to work around Thanksgiving and Winter Breaks)
· January 19 - Festival day! Rehearsal 12:00, Concert 6:00
Snow make up date - TBD
There is a $12.00 registration fee for students selected to the Strong Foundations Honor Bands. The Heelan Band Parents will be hosting dinner for the students for an additional $6, directors eat for free! Schools will be responsible for registration fees for students selected to the bands whether they can attend or not. It is important for directors to establish their students' availability for and interest in this organization before nominating them. Please DO NOT nominate students who will not participate if chosen! To make your nominations, please visit our website which is printed at the top of the page. All nominations need to be completed online by November 1. Should you have further questions, feel free to contact Stacie Pepin at the contact information listed below.
Sincerely,
Stacie Pepin
5-8 Band
Bishop Heelan Catholic Schools - Sacred Heart