Families, friends, and supporters of the Union Renegade Regiment donated 509 canned food items at the ensemble’s 2021 Macy*s Thanksgiving Day Parade send-off performance. on Thursday, November 18. All donations benefited the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, helping local neighbors in need this holiday season.
Weekly Beat | High School Edition | December 10th
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
December
→ Mon Dec 13 — 7-8:30pm - Union 7th Grade Bands in Concert, UPAC
→ Thur Dec 16 - 7pm - UHS Color Guard Holiday Showcase
COMING HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Thank you for attending out first concert of the 2021-22 School Year on Monday, December 6. Our students and teachers appreciate your support.
During the holidays some of us engage in something of a pilgrimage home; a wayfaring back to our roots and to where we once spent a great deal of time.
This time of year, many of us love returning home; the sights, the smells, the food. Most of all, the opportunity to connect fading memories to real places, people, and things. When possible, many relish the opportunity to visit the old neighborhood, see the old home, and visit loved ones.
Yes, for many of us, a visit our childhood home is nostalgic. The people living there now might be different and the front yard might have changed, but even decades later, its purpose remains unchanged: to serve as a safe place of refuge and harbinger of hopes and dreams.
In high school, music rooms serve a similar purpose. They are more than a rehearsal space. They serve as a refuge, home base, hangout, and secondary cafeteria to our students. Our musical sanctuaries serve as a remembrance of the past, connection to the present, and launch pad for the future. They serve as a place to survive the growing pains of high school and safe harbor from the occasional storm of adolescence. They serve as a place to not only succeed and fail, but to take risks and be challenged. For the band teachers, we know that our own high school band rooms did this for us as during our student-years, and we know that it is doing the same for your child.
This sense of a place of community and belonging is why we teach. This “place” is what we remember, not just about our homes during our high school years, but the home are attempting to create for our students right now.
Yes, we work hard and make some incredible music. But in the end, we suspect that those memories will fade far quicker than those related to laughter, joy, and the feeling that there was a safe place where your child can rise, fall, and be cared for regardless of the outcome.
The inhabitants of our building may change from period to period, day to day, and year to year, but like my home, its purpose remains the same: to be somebody’s safe space and memory keeper.
So as we approach the December holidays, let us say that we are thankful that you trust us with your child each and every day. Given all that we have been through, home matters now more than ever.
Wishing you and yours Season’s Greetings,
Your Union Bands Faculty
Anticipated Fundraising Availability:
Chocolate and Beef Sticks are available for in-class pickup at the 6/7th and 8th Grade Centers on Thursdays (Sometimes Fridays at the director's discretion) when ordered by 3pm WEDNESDAYS.
Chocolate and Beef Sticks will also be available for checkout on the evening we distribute the Heavenly Dips fundraiser product. (location, date, and time announced via REMIND) This will be the last fundraising availability until school begins again in January.
*Sign up for our REMIND for delivery information. Text @ubpc-fundr to 81010
stay connected using UBPC TEXT remindERS
FUNDRAISING:
Text @ubpc-fundr to 81010
DRILLERS/ONEOK FIELD WORK OPPORTUNITIES:
Text @ubpc-drill to 81010
OFFSITE WORK OPPORTUNITIES:
Text @ubpc-osite to 81010
CONCESSION WORK OPPORTUNITIES:
Text @ubpc-conc to 81010
MERCHANDISE:
Text @ubpcmerch to 81010
UBPC BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Text @ubpc-board to 81010
Weekly Beat | High School Edition | December 2nd
December 4th-13th
→ Sat Dec 4 — 7:45am Send-Off Event for UHS Varsity Football Team
→ Sat Dec 4 — 10am-7pm - UHS Varsity Football State Championship Game
→ Mon Dec 6 — 7-9pm - UHS Bands in Concert, UPAC
→ Tues Dec 7 — 7-8:30pm - Union 8th Grade Bands Concert, UPAC
→ Thur Dec 9 — 6:30pm and 7:30pm - Union 6th Grade Band Class Performances, 6th and 7th Center
→ Mon Dec 13 — 7-8:30pm - Union 7th Grade Bands in Concert, UPAC
All-State 2nd & Final Round Auditions
→ Saturday Dec 4th
CONCERTS!!
Don’t miss all of our wonderful Union Bands concerts this coming week! Check the calendar for dates, times, and locations.
https://www.unionbands.com/googlecalendar
THANK YOU!
On behalf of the teaching staff and students of the Union H.S. Renegade Regiment, I wish to extend a huge debt of gratitude to EVERYONE in a volunteer role who worked so hard to ensure that Macy*s 2021 was a success. Those involved in trip management, accounting, chaperoning, uniforms, equipment, driving, bus loading/unloading, merchandise, bus captaining, snack-disbursement, capturing photos, media relations, website development, volunteer management, alumni coordination, and every other role in between, EVERYONE played a key part and invested their heart into creating a the TRIP of a LIFETIME for our students. We simply cannot say thank you enough!
To our students: thank you for your many hours of preparation, for your dedication to this team, and for trusting us with our vision for your performances and for this unique travel experience. It was our pleasure and honor for you to represent Union, Tulsa, and Oklahoma on the world’s stage.
Huge thanks also to our travel management firm Students on Broadway NYC, SBNYC’s tour guide team, our charter company Village Travel, our hotel in NYC Fairfield Inn/Springhill Suites, our meal providers at Golden Corral / Effingham Events Center / Rolla Events Center, the team at Macy*s Corporate Creative, and the NBC Television Production team.
I so appreciate the support of our district’s administrative team, who helped us through countless decisions, particularly in the wake of the 2020 pandemic year, to ensure that Macy*s 2021 became a reality. To Fine Arts Department Director Dr. Matt McCready and Fine Arts Administrative Assistant Cynthia Yoakam, to Executive Director of Instructional Technology Gart Morris, to Chief Communications Officer Chris Payne, and to Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kirt Hartzler: thank you for seeing us through this great adventure.
Sincere thanks to our music arrangers Wayne Downey and Adam Bruce on a crowd-pleasing rendition of our state song, and to Black & Pink Tulsa for the fabulous Guard costuming. Thank you to Mr. Cole for orchestrating the many details of the preparation/rehearsal process, and of course an enormous thanks to our talented and dedicated team of teachers who brought the parade route and TV-portion performances to life; it’s my humble honor to work with you each day.
A special shout-out to Pam Riddle, who spent countless hours managing all of the critical details and painful financial decisions involved in the 2+ year Macy*s venture, and to Marjorie Hall, who had her fingerprints on every detail of the trip: all facets of bus seating, hotel rooms, meals, vaccination records, name badge lanyards, luggage tags, chaperone management, travel itinerary, parade route volunteers, EVERY ticket for EVERY event, and untold other details that even I don’t know about. Pam and Marjorie have been with me through the thousands of hours of this project for the long-haul, to ensure that Macy*s 2020 transitioned to Macy*s 2021 without a hitch, always with the STUDENTS best interests at the center of every task and decision. To these two fine ladies who have had my back every step of the way, and who are the most dedicated and ‘professional’ volunteers I’ve ever known: a sincere and hearty “Thank You” will never be adequate to express my gratitude.
And to the families of our staff and our key leadership: thank you for supporting us through a challenging 2021, which had us away from home too much, and which often held our hearts and minds captive as we paved the way for the Renegade Regiment’s road to NYC.
Macy*s 2021 is now simply a memory. T-shirts, hoodies, and pictures are great reminders but will never truly suffice as the moments of magic we created together. On every Thanksgiving Day for the rest of our lives, we’ll remember 2021 in New York City as being the most extraordinary and unforgettable.
One Team + One Sound + One Family = One Regiment
With much gratitude and best wishes for a wonderful Holiday Season,
Charles Pisarra
Union Public Schools
Director of Bands / Assoc. Director of Fine Arts
macy’s group band photo/video
This year the band photo is NOT included in the band fees. If you want an overall band photo from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Trip, you will need to order one.
The band photo can be ordered from:
https://www.groupphotos.com/t/category/parades/thanksgiving-day/2021/union-hs
merchandise/holiday store
CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Our annual Christmas Ornament is ready to be ordered! Did you miss last year's? Have you lost that first one you bought freshman year? NO WORRIES! We have all four years' ornaments ready to order at www.unionbands.com/store. They are $25 each. Don't forget to buy one for your student and one for yourself! THIS IS THE LAST WEEK TO ORDER. They are available on our website until SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4th. This is only available one time a year! If you miss it, I cannot order any more! Ornaments should be ready to pick up the week of December 13th after one of the Brass Rehearsals.
HOLIDAY STORE
Did you forget to order Macy’s merchandise? Did you want to get a special someone in your life some new Union Bands or Renegade Regiment gear for Christmas? You are in luck! The Holiday Store is open NOW until December 7th at Midnight at https://ubfangear2021.itemorder.com/ This is the LAST TIME you will be able to order anything with the Macy's logo on it. Do you make tee shirt quilts for your senior as they graduate? If you do, please remember to order one of these shirts THIS WEEK for your student's quilt! The cotton tees are $10. Again - this is the LAST TIME we will sell anything with our Macy's logo on it! Items should be available for pick up December 17th after school. Watch this page and the parent facebook page and your remind app for updates!
Anticipated Fundraising Availability:
Chocolate and Beef Sticks are available for in-class pickup at the 6/7th and 8th Grade Centers on Thursdays (Sometimes Fridays at the director's discretion) when ordered by 3pm WEDNESDAYS.
Chocolate and Beef Sticks are also available for checkout on:
*12/2 THURS at the High School inside the doors that lead to the band room and are adjacent to the bus loop from 5:00-6:30PM.
Our current Fundraiser for Heavenly Dips closes THURSDAY THIS WEEK!
*Orders due noon Thursday 12/2
*Money turn in Thursday 12/2
*See your web page for detailed instructions
Current Fundraisers — Union Bands
*Sign up for our REMIND for delivery information. Text @ubpc-fundr to 81010
ONEOK WORK OPPORTUNITIES
Check ALL tabs on the sign-up page for upcoming events at OneOk Field TO FIND THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY TO WORK. Details HERE.
stay connected using UBPC reminds!!
FUNDRAISING:
Text @ubpc-fundr to 81010
DRILLERS/ONEOK FIELD WORK OPPORTUNITIES:
Text @ubpc-drill to 81010
OFFSITE WORK OPPORTUNITIES:
Text @ubpc-osite to 81010
CONCESSION WORK OPPORTUNITIES:
Text @ubpc-conc to 81010
MERCHANDISE:
Text @ubpcmerch to 81010
UBPC BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Text @ubpc-board to 81010
We need hands and feet to keep this wonderful engine running. If you are new - don’t worry - we all were at one time. Just show up and say ‘What can I do to help?’ and someone will teach/lead you what to do.
We need people to help dress the band, feed the band, water the band, concessions, chaperones, pushing, pulling - and so many more other areas …
Please consider investing your time as a volunteer, and let us know if you have any questions. And thank you for everything you do for the Union Bands program!
For more information and current volunteering opportunities click HERE!
