Required materials

Working instrument and appropriate equipment

1" 3-ring Binder (with 5-tab dividers and sheet protectors)

"Foundations for a Superior Performance" method book*

Pencils (NO PENS) 

*Provided by Mrs. Ladun 

School-Owned Instruments 

We do have a few instruments available for check out. There is a fee, which covers cleaning and routine maintenance. 

Band Fees

There is a $40 participation fee for band. This will cover the cost of your student's band shirt, method book, and luggage tag for their instrument. 

NO STUDENT WILL EVER BE DENIED ACCESS TO ANY OPPORTUNITIES OF OUR PROGRAM DUE TO FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES. If you require any financial assistance, please reach out and we will find a way to make everything work for you and your student. 

Grading 

*8th Grade Band is a high school credit course. Grading policies and grading policies differ slightly from 6th and 7th grade. 

Band is a performance-based class. This means a large bulk of students' grades are based on rehearsal etiquette, daily participation, and required performances, in alignment with the National Standards for Music Education. A breakdown of student grades is found below:

60% Assessments: 

Performance assessments (playing tests), including required performance grades and music literacy/theory assessments. 

*May be reassessed ONCE. 

40% Assignments: 

Small quizzes and checks for understanding, rehearsal etiquette, and preparedness (having required materials daily). 

*May NOT be reassessed.

Semester Grade Calculation

Q1 Final Grade-40%

Q2 Final Grade- 40%

Semester Exam- 20%

-Note: Semester exams may be exempted as long as county-established exemption requirements are met. Students must complete and submit exemption forms in order to qualify for exemption status. 

"New to Band" Members

Please note, beginning band is only offered in SIXTH GRADE. While new members are accepted in eighth grade, extra time will need to be put in outside of the classroom to stay on track, as this is still a high school credit course. Private lessons are HIGHLY RECOMMENEDED, but not required. 

New members will be required to sign a "Skill Proficiencies" agreement at the beginning of the year and attend afterschool help sessions in August and September. 

Advanced Band Events Calendar 2025-2026

All dates below are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances. Also, this is not a definitive schedule of events. Other events may be brought to your attention throughout the year, and information will be sent home as it becomes available.

A full interactive Google calendar including times and details may be found here. 

August 15, 2025- Student Information Forms and Participation Fees Due

Students will be sent home with a checklist of items to attend to at the start of the school year. These are to be completed and returned to class no later than August 9th. 

*Pep Band 2025- 

• Game 1: Tuesday, August 26th; Lakeside Middle School vs. Columbia Middle School @LMS 

• Game 2: Tuesday, September 16th; Lakeside Middle School vs. Riverside Middle School @LMS

• Game 3: Tuesday, September 23rd; Lakeside Middle School vs. Greenbrier Middle School @LMS

• 8th Grade Night w/LHS Band: Friday, September 19th

*October 31, 2025- Elementary Halloween Tour 

7th and 8th Grade Band and Chorus Students will travel to our feeder elementary schools (Blue Ridge and Martinez Elementary) and perform a selection of Halloween tunes. This is our first recruitment event of the year!

*December 4, 2025- LMS Winter Fine Arts Night (6:00pm in the LMS Gym)

7th Grade Band students will present 2-3 pieces as a demonstration of the performance skills we have mastered in class during the first half of the year.

December 6, 2025- GMEA District/All-State Honor Band Auditions (Stallings Island Middle School)

Students looking to push themselves are invited to audition for District and All-State Honor Bands! Auditions consist of scales, sight reading and an etude excerpt (for All-State only). Students who make District Honor Band will perform in the concert hosted at Augusta University in February. (Students who complete the audition will receive priority seating for our Carowinds trip in April!)

*February 23-25, 2026- Augusta University Concert Band Festival

The LMS Band is honored to participate in the second annual AU Concert Band Festival! This event to help us prepare for our state evaluation in March- three guest judges will be giving commentary to aid us in the development of our program. There are several after school rehearsals to prepare for this event. 

*March 11-13, 2026- Large Group Performance Evaluation (Georgia Music Educators Association, District Ten sponsored event)

LGPE is like a big final exam in the Band world. Students will prepare 3 pieces to be performed for a panel of judges. Bands are scored on a scale of 1-5, 1 being "Superior." There is also a Sight-reading portion, scored on the same scale. This is a great experience to receive professional feedback and suggestions for growth. There are several after school rehearsals to prepare for this event.

*April 2026- 5th Grade Visit 

6th, 7th and 8th Grade Band students will perform for their former elementary classmates and teachers! This is one of our largest recruitment events of the year. 

*April 2026- Carowinds 

7th and 8th Grade Band students who have completed all performance requirements for the schoolyear have the opportunity to perform for a panel of judges at Carowinds Theme Park! This is a similar style to our state evaluation, but a bit more laid back. After our performance, students get the rest of the day to enjoy the park! (Limited spots are available. Priority is in order: 8th graders who audition for Honor Band, 7th graders who audition for Honor Band, all other 8th graders, all other 7th graders). 

*April 25, 2026- CCSD Arts in the Plaza 

Columbia County Band, Chorus, Drama, and Art students have the opportunity to present and perform at the Columbia County PAC! 8th Grade LMS Band members will perform alongside 8th Grade SIMS Band members in this special event! 

*May 2026- LMS Honors Day 

7th Grade Band students will present one piece for Honors Day!