Frequently Asked Questions

---

"Let's Go Stingrays", of course. Performing it always gets the crowd on their feet. 

Over 100 students.

The Hillsborough County All-County Band is a great individual honor for students, as well as for the band program here at Sumner. Students complete a live audition for judges behind a screen. Selected students then attend rehearsals in January for the All-County Honor Band, and perform a concert.

The All-State band is the highest honor in the Florida Bandmaster’s Association. This is a VERY prestigious group, and it is no easy feat to be selected. Students must have their auditions recorded at a live site. Music requirements are posted on the Florida Bandmaster’s Association website and given out by the band director at the beginning of the school year.

Your assigned school counselor can review your schedule and determine solutions to make band work for you. 

Students have time to explore different elective courses during their years in high school, i.e., band, visual arts, foreign language, etc. 

• Have specific band course questions? Email Mrs. Ross at revae.douglas@hcps.net.

Program expenses include required trips, performances, and competitions. These are set per school year and ideally paid in full prior to band camp. Uniform and /or instrument rentals may also be costs to consider. Student fees help defray these costs for the band program. There are always unexpected costs during the year and the general Band Boosters must make up the difference between the Band Fee amount received and the actual expenses. 

In addition, the Boosters have goals to maintain the facilities of the band and purchase new items for the band and color guard program as it grows. Fundraising for the general Band Boosters is very important as well. If the general band account does not have enough money for the required expenses, the band fees will have to increase to cover the actual expenses - which puts more burden on families. 

Payments can be made using cash, check*, and electronic payments via point-of-sale platforms.  

*Checks should be made payable to Sumner High School Performing Arts Boosters (except for instrument and uniform rental payments which are paid through the MyPayments Plus portal at the following link: https://www.mypaymentsplus.com/welcome). 

• Please write your student’s name and the reason for the payment on the memo line of the check. Check payments must be put inside an envelope labeled with the student’s name, the payment amount, and the reason for the payment. 
• Sealed payment envelopes should then be placed into the gray safe in Mrs. Ross’ office or mailed to the following address: Sumner High School Band, c/o Revaé Douglas Ross, 10650 Co Rd 672, Riverview, FL 33579

The band offers payment plans as well as numerous fundraisers to offset some of these expenses. Families experiencing extreme financial hardship should see the Director of Bands privately for possible alternative arrangements. Fees should never be the reason for a student not to be able to participate in band.

All money is managed by the Sumner High School Performing Arts Boosters which is an IRS recognized non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. We conduct all business and fundraisers under those regulations. We choose to offer some of the proceeds to our band students in return for their fundraising efforts. We keep an accounting of the money that each student owes and what money they have paid. Each student has their own account. 

• Example scenario: If you have two Sumner band students, they each have their own account. If you have one student graduate and another student starting band the next school year, we carry over that account balance to your remaining student. If you have money left in your account when your student graduates or if your student decides to quit the band program, the balance will not be refunded. 

Funds raised and managed under the Sumner High School Performing Arts Boosters organization name belongs to the organization, i.e., the band program. Under the IRS nonprofit organization rules, we are not permitted to give money to individuals. The contracted band parent can tell us when and how they want to use the balance on file in their student's account during each school year. However, this is not a line of credit account. The funds must already be in the account before they can be applied to an expense. The money can be used for any band related expenses including fees, booster merchandise, bus expenses, family trip payments, banquet & ball expenses, and even fundraiser items. A note must be submitted for each expense that the parent wants to debit from their student's financial account.

If you have any questions about your student’s account, please send us a message for our Band Treasurer.

The health and safety of our students is a top priority. The athletic clearance verification is an annual process required for participation in athletic programs. All students must complete this athletic clearance even if you completed it for the previous school year.

For marching band rehearsals, students are graded on preparation and participation. They should:

• be on time for the start of rehearsal, 
• have their drill, 
• have their show music, 
• have their instrument & accessories,
• have their half-gallon BLUE water jug filled, 
• be wearing the proper lightweight attire,
• have a white hand towel,
• have sun protection ( eg. sunglasses, hat, sunscreen),
• have lyre & Flip Folder for cell phone, and
• have black 3-ring binder and pencil.   

It is important that students bring the correct items to band rehearsals. Most of supply list items can be purchased locally at Walmart and at local music shops. Items can also be ordered through Amazon.  

Create a student/parent account in CutTime by completing the following steps: 

• Log onto www.cuttime.net, and click the “ENTER” link at upper right. 
• Select the “STUDENT/PARENT SIGNUP” tab on the web page. 
• Begin typing your school or group name in the Subscribing Schools/Groups field. It is listed as “Sumner High School Band & Orchestra (Hillsborough County PS)”. 
• Complete the form. 
• Check the "I'm Not a Robot" and "Accept Terms and Conditions" boxes. 
• Submit the form by clicking the "Register Now" button. 
• Once your profile has been approved by your group's administrator you will receive sign-in information by email. Parents, once your membership is approved by the director you may link to your child's account within the profile menu. 

Yes. Congratulations on taking the first step to becoming better connected with our Sumner marching band community. The following link has a video and step by step starter guide to help make using the BAND app a breeze:  https://band.us/band/62412132/post/402 

Parental involvement is a vital aspect to the success of band organizations. Some of the ways the Band Boosters support the program are chaperoning events, helping to secure funds for instrument/equipment replacement and repair, uniform replacement and upkeep, and providing venues to award individual and group accomplishments. Consider there are many ways in which you can get involved: 

Band Booster Committee Descriptions (Volunteering) 

Parking: Committee volunteers help with parking at all home football games. Roles include collecting money and directing traffic. 

Fundraising: Committee volunteers are responsible for organizing and executing several fundraising projects throughout the year. 

Food: Committee requests meal donations from local restaurants and organizes food and supply pickup. Also arranges the setup and cleanup of meals prior to each football game. 

Event Volunteer/Chaperone: Committee is responsible for having volunteers available at football games, rehearsals, concerts, trips, etc. 

Transportation: Committee actively solicits volunteers to pull the equipment trailer and monitor loading and unloading of equipment. 

Uniforms: Committee is responsible for coordinating fitting and distribution of uniforms as well as cleaning schedules. 

Props: Committee is responsible for maintaining an accurate inventory of equipment and works with the director to plan, design, and build show props. 

Merchandise Sales: Committee is responsible for helping organize, inventory and sell merchandise at football games and other events. 

Website: Committee is responsible for updating and maintaining the band website.

Please refer to the “Band Booster” folder on CutTime under the Files/Documents tab for useful links. Send a message to the Booster Board if you would like to volunteer or if you have any volunteering questions.

Yes. Before serving as a volunteer, a Hillsborough County Public Schools Volunteer Application is required.

• Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) requires all volunteers and community partners to complete the HCPS Volunteer Application or have a current active application on file prior to any volunteer engagement. 
• New application submission is based on expiration date. Volunteers will receive renewal notifications 30/15/5 days prior to expiration.  
• Completing the HCPS Volunteer Application is the first step in the process for volunteering in one of our schools. The volunteer application process includes Volunteer Policy and Procedure Acknowledgement, Information Collection and Background Check Authorization. Applications should be submitted at least two to four weeks prior to any volunteer activity. Allow longer for Level 2 Fingerprinting.
• To submit Hillsborough County Public Schools volunteer applications, visit https://apps.raptortech.com/Apply/NTc0MTplbi1VUw== (English) or https://apps.raptortech.com/Apply/NTc0MTplcy1VUw== (Español)
• For more information, visit https://www.hillsboroughschools.org/Page/7346

Once approved as an HCPS volunteer, you can begin serving on any Band Booster Committee: Parking, Fundraising, Food, Event Volunteer/Chaperone, Transportation, Uniforms, Props, Merchandise Sales, and/or Website Committee.

Please refer to the “Band Booster” folder on CutTime under the Files/Documents tab for useful links. Send a message to the Booster Board if you would like to volunteer or if you have any volunteering questions.